Moving On: Preview of WWE Extreme Rules 2013

WrestleMania only comes once a year.  When the festivities of that one grand weekend come to an end, it is time for the WWE and the fans to get their heads out of the clouds and back to reality.  The show never stops, so we move onto the PPV that immediately follows WrestleMania, Extreme Rules. 

The one night of the year where the WWE packs some of their biggest gimmick matches all onto one show.  At its best, Extreme Rules can be one of the most entertaining PPVs of the year.  At its worst, Extreme Rules can be a complete mess of bland and boring gimmick matches.  Even with the loss of the Triple Threat Ladder Match (a match plenty of wrestling fans, myself included, were looking forward to), this year’s card looks solid.  Hopefully, the WWE can put on a good show with all the talent on the card.  There is only three hours to put on eight matches, a couple backstage promos, a few video packages and dozens of pre-match entrances; this writer is a little worried that a few matches will be rushed while others will given too much time.  Time constraints are always a factor, but when it comes to gimmick matches sometimes giving too much time to a boring gimmick or too little to an interesting gimmick can hurt the show.

Randy Orton vs. Big Show in an Extreme Rules Match

Big Show turned on Randy Orton and Sheamus at WrestleMania after Orton lost the match for their team, thanks to a blind tag.  Big Show was the man wronged by the distrust of Orton and Sheamus.  Funny enough, this match has been built around the idea that Orton should not have trusted the Largest Athlete in the World, a little backwards if I say so myself.  Who cares that much about the generic storyline when the wrestling is all that matters?  Big Show has been at his best this past year so hopefully he and Orton can put together an enjoyable brawl.  Considering Extreme Rules is in St. Louis, expect Randy Orton to get the win in front of his hometown crowd.

Prediction:  Randy Orton wins

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

Ever since WrestleMania, Fandango’s popularity has been all over the place.  His popularity skyrocketed WrestleMania weekend with his win over Chris Jericho and the rise of the Fandangoing Internet dance craze.  After that faithful week, Fandango seems to all over the place.  Fandango has jumped between pandering to the crowd one week, to feuding with the Great Khali the next and finally coming back to feuding with Jericho the week after that.  Creative does not seem to know what exactly to do with Fandango as they try to push him as a heel while the crowd dances and hums along to his entrance theme.  Putting this young gun with a ring veteran like Jericho is the best direction to take Fandango at this present time, but it seems Extreme Rules will be the end of this little feud between Fandango and Jericho.  Since Jericho is being advertised to feud with Ryback in the coming months, it would be best for Y2J to win this Sunday.  As long as these two put on a competitive bout, one loss will not hurt Fandango.

Prediction:  Chris Jericho wins

Sheamus vs. Mark Henry in a Strap Match

This feud came straight out of left field.  There was perfect set-up for a Triple Threat Match between Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus for Extreme Rules considering the fallout from their match at WrestleMania.  The plans never seemed to materialize as WWE was set on a one-on-one match between Orton and Big Show.  Since being left out of that feud, Sheamus did not had much to do so enter random Mark Henry attacks and another big man trying to get Sheamus to be serious (honestly I will applaud the person that finally gets Sheamus to stop being funny man and back to being a no nonsense ass-kicker) and we got a match.  Sorry for the lack of excitement, I just do not care for a match where two big guys are going whip each other with a strap for ten minutes instead of actually wrestling. 

Prediction:  Sheamus wins

Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Dean Ambrose for the U.S. Championship

Let the Shield’s stranglehold of championship gold begin.  Everything the Shield has touched since they debuted last November has turned to gold.  They are one of the best factions in years and to put the United States and Tag Team belts on them will hopefully bring prestige back to those divisions.  Creative will definitely not feed these stars to the dogs of the main event scene like they have been doing with mid-card champions for the past year now.  With the unorthodox style of Dean Ambrose and the high-flying fast-paced offence of Kofi Kingston, this match could be one to possibly steal the show.

Prediction:  Dean Ambrose wins the U.S. Championship

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger in an “I Quit” Match for the No. 1 Contendership for the World Heavyweight Championship

As much as it hurts to see such an amazing match taken away due to an injury, the world of wrestling is definitely unpredictable.  Hopefully Dolph Ziggler has a speedy recovery, but we are left in good hands, Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio.  While a ladder match may not play to the strengths of Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio, an “I Quit” Match certainly does.  The story just might not be there, but these two can and have put on some great wrestling matches.  This “I Quit” Match will be no different as I personally expect a grueling submission clinic on display at Extreme Rules.  There are rumours floating around that the WWE wants to have the Triple Threat Ladder Match for Summerslam.  If that is the plan, there are definitely plans to keep both Swagger and Del Rio in the World Title picture for the time being.

Prediction:  Jack Swagger becomes the No. 1 Contender for the World Heavyweight Championship

Team Hell No (c) vs. The Shield in a Tornado Tag Team Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship

A 6-Man Tag between the Shield and Team Hell No and the Undertaker would have easily blown the roof off the Scottrade Center in St. Louis.  Sadly, not everything we dream becomes reality, but this match should be very good as well.  In one corner, you got the Tag Team Champions Team Hell No, one of the best pairings the WWE has made since Jeri-Show back in 2009.  In the other, you got Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns of the Shield, the best thing to happen to the WWE in what seems like ages.  Expect some great action to result from this Tornado Tag Team match, a stipulation that is more akin to a Fatal 4 Way than a traditional tag team match.  When the dust settles, the Shield will prevail and leave Extreme Rules with gold around their waists.

Prediction:  The Shield wins the WWE Tag Team Championship

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H in a Steel Cage Match

The one feud nobody wanted to see more after their main event match from Summerslam.  Having Triple H and Brock Lesnar on Extreme Rules definitely adds enough star power to garner some buys from casual wrestling fans.  Setting their third and hopefully final match in the Steel Cage will provide a brutal canvas for Triple H and Lesnar to paint their final masterpiece or disasterpiece.  Steel Cage matches have been hit or miss in the WWE the last few years.  As long as Lesnar emerges from the cage as the victor of this match and feud, this writer will be happy.

Prediction:  Brock Lesnar wins

John Cena (c) vs. Ryback in a Last Man Standing Match for the WWE Championship

There is no doubt in this writer’s mind that it is time for John Cena to step aside as Ryback’s time is now.  You can debate all day whether Ryback is ready to hold the WWE Championship or not.  The fact of the matter is Ryback has lost so much on PPV the last few months that a loss against Cena at Extreme Rules just might be the tipping point for fans.  It is hard to believe in a monster that cannot win a big match on PPV.  With how Cena has buried Ryback verbally the last few weeks, there is no way Ryback can leave Extreme Rules with loss without serious damage done to his image with the audience.  Also dropping the title to Ryback will allow Cena to properly heal for his Achilles tendon injury.  It is time to take this Ryback experiment to the next level and see if he can succeed as the WWE Champion. 

Prediction:  Ryback wins the WWE Championship

The month long build for Extreme Rules went a long way in creating a solid card with some well put together feuds.  Now WWE needs to combine the longer build with actual PPV hype and the interest and buy rates in PPVs will definitely improve.  It is a good start and WWE can make steps forward from here.  Top to bottom, Extreme Rules looks like a good card with no filler except for the Strap Match, but that is more my personal opinion.  If you are looking for some wrestling to watch this Victoria Day weekend, look no further than Extreme Rules.

The Silver Report: The Problems with Raw

Watching Raw last Monday was nothing short of boring.  The matches were mediocre at best, the promos left a lot to be desired and overall the show left a bad taste in my mouth.  Having watched WWE programming for about a decade now, I know not every show will be a home run.  I just hope that there will be at least one thing worth watching each week.  Sadly, this week I got more entertainment from reading Chris Jericho’s Undisputed:  How to Become the World Champion in 1,372 Easy Steps (an excellent book by the way) than from watching Raw and that is just unacceptable.  Due to being bored out of my mind, it was very easy to pick out a lot of the problems that have been plaguing Raw for the past few months.  Instead of running down the biggest developments of the past week, I thought for this week’s edition of the Silver Report that I would highlight the three biggest problems that are holding Monday Night Raw and the WWE product back from being as good as it possibly could be.  There are plenty more problems that plague this company such as backstage politics and the inability to make main event caliber talent, but these three are the most visible in the product at this point in time.

John Cena

There are a great number of polarizing opinions on John Cena.  Personally, I am past hating the Face of the WWE.  I respect Cena’s ability in the ring, but his character is becoming like a broken record.  He has done the same carefree, head in the clouds, funny guy shtick night-in and night-out for over five years now.  Cena rarely shows any concern about the opponents he faces as he just makes fun of them and belittles them.  These actions have gotten so out of control that they are starting to damage the product.  When Cena does not take his opponents seriously, the fans do not believe said opponents have a chance of beating Cena.  This mentality kills fans’ excitement towards Cena’s matches and damages how fans perceive Cena’s opponents.  There is no doubt that John Cena is the biggest draw in the WWE, but the company has done everything there is to do with Cena as face that fans including this writer want to see some drastic changes in his character, hopefully a heel turn.  While I personally will not hold my breath for a John Cena heel turn, there needs to be some sort of change to Cena’s character.  He has to get more serious because his promo work outside of his feuds with Punk and Rock is simply atrocious and his attitude towards his opponents is doing more damage to the overall product than good.

Burying the Mid-Card Champions

There was a time a few years back when the mid-card championships meant something.  A time when the United States and Intercontinental Titles were more than just props; they were stepping stones on the way to the major WWE and World Heavyweight Championships.  Oh, how drastically the times have changed.  Nowadays, winning either the United States or Intercontinental Championship seals the champion’s fate as a jobber for the upper mid-card to main event level talent for their entire title reign.  Seeing these champions lose on live television every week damages the prestige of the championships and the credibility of the champions.  Eventually, fans stop believing that the champion deserves to even hold the title or that the championship means anything.  WWE seems to be puzzled about how it seems next to impossible to create stars like The Rock or Steve Austin in this day and age.  The fact of the matter is that continually feeding their up-and-coming stars including the United States and Intercontinental Champions to the likes of Sheamus, Randy Orton, Ryback and John Cena does not allow the fans to get behind the younger talent.  They just see these younger wrestlers and champions as being incapable of competing on the same level as their upper level talent.  WWE needs to learn soon that nobody is going to get behind a champion that loses each and every week.

Three Hour Runtime

When Raw went three hours to celebrate the 1000^th episode of the WWE’s flagship program, many people thought that going three hours would severely hurt the product.  For the first month, things were fine.  Raw was very entertaining as the WWE was giving more time for matches and bigger angles.  Once summer turned to fall, the novelty of a three hour Monday Night Raw every week quickly wore off.  Raw became a marathon to watch as the WWE added more filler to the show than there was ever needed.  With three hours of Raw and close to five hours of more WWE programming on every week, the WWE has too much programming for the current roster to fill.  So a lot of times, fans are left watching the same matches on a number of shows throughout the week.  Three hour Raws use to be special, but now they are nothing more than the norm.  It is easy to see due to the three hour runtime that the quality of the show and the WWE product has dropped.  Going back to the two hour format will not immediately solve this problem; the WWE needs to find a happy medium.  A possible solution is that the WWE keeps the three hour format, but make the first hour of Raw a pre-show, exclusive to WWE.com, that builds to two hour main program on TV.  You can keep all the filler, but regulate most of it to the pre-show rather than weighing down a main program.  Personally, I believe that the WWE can take the problem with the current three hour format and make it work if and only if they just take a step back and retool it.

The Silver Report: April 28 - May 4

Last week, I shared my Top 5 WWE Championship matches in honour of the WWE Championship’s 50^th anniversary.  This week, it is back to the regularly scheduled blogging after that little tangent.  It has been surprisingly refreshing to see WWE give more than three weeks to build a PPV.  We have had about a month of build so far for Extreme Rules with two more weeks to go.  Personally, I have not been keeping up with Smackdown for a while now, other than a match here or there, so I cannot talk about WWE programming as a whole.  Although I will say that Raw has been considerably watchable this last month and I believe it has to do with not having to cram close to six weeks of build into a mere three weeks.  Now WWE just needs to start confirming matches for Extreme Rules so they have a card to promote outside of the three matches that have already been set in stone.

A Chink in Super Cena’s Armour

After being on tour in Europe the week prior, WWE returned to North America to get on with normally scheduled television tapings and live events.  Upon returning, news broke that John Cena had injured his Achilles tendon while on tour in Europe.  Fans and critics alike feared the worse for the current WWE Champion because this type of injury can be especially dangerous, just ask Edge.  It left the plans for Raw up in the air as many speculated if John Cena would be on the show and whether the injury was severe enough to vacant the WWE Title.  Good news for Cena fans and bad news for Cena haters, John was on Raw and scheduled to team with Ryback to face off with the Shield.  Ryback would back out of the handicap match due to Cena’s injury so the match was changed to Team Hell No and John Cena vs. the Shield.  The match was great as everybody played up John Cena’s injury.  From Daniel Bryan and Kane intentionally avoiding tagging Cena in to Seth Rollins taunts towards Cena, the idea that John Cena is not even close to 100 percent was performed perfectly by everybody in the match.  Also Cena did an admirable job in selling his ankle injury, which led right into the finish with Cena’s ankle giving out to set up Roman Reigns to hit the Spear and get the pin.  While it might be difficult to let another big name take some time off, this injury serves as a perfect way to have John Cena drop the title to Ryback at Extreme Rules.  Having Ryback possibly targeting the ankle during their match or even doing an angle with Ryback “breaking” John Cena’s ankle would provide excellent set-up for Cena’s eventual return match while making Ryback looking like a bigger heel.  With John Cena out to heal for a few months, WWE could have Ryback feud with Chris Jericho, Daniel Bryan or even Kane in order to give Ryback some momentum heading into an eventual rematch with Cena.  There is a crack in the seemingly impervious armour of Super Cena and WWE has an excellent opportunity to use this rare occurrence to create a new unstoppable heel and a potential main event caliber rematch.

Three Men, Three Ladders, One Title

In the right hands, a ladder can make the highest objects reachable.  In the wrong hands, it can be one of the most inventive weapons out there.  In the hands of wrestlers, a ladder is used both the right way and the wrong way, but nevertheless it is always enjoyable.  Ladder matches are an easy way of providing tension as competitors scale ladders in order to reach a title, briefcase or any other object hanging above the ring before their opposition.  How does WWE make a Triple Threat Match between the three men fighting for the World Heavyweight Championship better; they add ladders to the mix.  Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler and Jack Swagger have all competed in a Ladder match or two during their time in the WWE.  Due to their experience in Ladder matches, there is no doubt that these three can put on a Ladder match that could easily steal the show at Extreme Rules.  Making this Triple Threat match a Triple Threat Ladder match was a great decision on WWE Creative’s part as it has surely raised the interest in the World Heavyweight Championship match at Extreme Rules.  Now we just need a few more gimmick matches like this one that are worthy of being on Extreme Rules and we could have a great PPV on our hands.

Top 5 WWE Championship Matches

Last week marked the 50^th anniversary of the WWE Championship.  To celebrate this monumental milestone for their premier championship, the WWE decided to put quite a few features about the WWE Championship on WWE.com.  One of the features that caught my attention was the WWE’s Top 50 WWE Championship Matches.  I skimmed through the entire list and it was just okay.  There were quite a few matches on the list such as John Cena vs. JBL from Judgment Day 2005 and John Cena vs. Batista from Over the Limit 2010 that should not have been on the list while some excellent matches such as John Cena vs. Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Micheals from Taboo Tuesday 2005 and John Cena vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels from Backlash 2007 that were omitted from the list.  From looking at that list, I was inspired to share what I consider the greatest WWE Championship matches I have ever watched.  It was hard to cut this list down to just five matches, but here are the Silverdome’s Top 5 WWE Championship Matches in honour of the WWE Championship’s 50^th anniversary.

5.  The Rock vs. Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker- Vengeance 2002

When people think of the greatest matches of all-time, they focus more on the one-on-one encounters that the multi-man matches such as Triple Threats and Fatal 4 Ways do not get their chance to shine.  Multi-man matches can be as or more thrilling than singles matches due to the addition of more competitors.  The Triple Threat Match between The Rock, Kurt Angle and the Undertaker over the WWE Undisputed Championship at Vengeance 2002 is among the greatest Triple Threat Matches of All-Time.  The insane pace of the match keeps your eyes glued to the screen and the incredible chemistry these three have keeps you smiling.  It is an incredible match that sees each competitor steal each other’s finishing moves (The Rock executing a Chokeslam and the Ankle Lock, Undertaker performing the Angle Slam and Kurt Angle hitting the Rock Bottom).

4.  CM Punk vs. John Cena- Money in the Bank 2011

Hands down, this match is one of the greatest moments in WWE history.  CM Punk walked into his hometown of Chicago with the entire crowd on his side to challenge John Cena for the WWE Championship.  In less than three hours, Punk’s contract with the WWE was set to come to an end.  The circumstances gave the Straight-Edge Superstar the chance to do the unthinkable, leave the WWE with their biggest prize in tow.  Fans around the globe wanted to see Punk walk out of the WWE with the WWE Championship and all made sure they were able to watch this match just to that moment.  Holding their breath for every near fall, pulling their hair out with every kick out and screaming at every big move hit; the emotion this championship match induced can hardly be matched.  The final jump for joy every wrestling fan in the crowd and at home did when Scott Armstrong’s hand came down for the three count was unforgettable.  CM Punk vs. John Cena from Money in the Bank 2011 is the best WWE Championship match of the Modern Era.

3.  Bret Hart vs. Owen Hart- Summerslam 1994

Bret and Owen Hart worked some of the greatest displays of technical wrestling this business has seen.  When WWE decided to put these two in a Steel Cage for one of the main events of Summerslam 1994, fans were given possibly the greatest wrestling match to take place in the confines of a Steel Cage.  Bret and Owen used the structure of the Steel Cage to the fullest.  This match is what the WWE should use as inspiration for how to put on a Steel Cage match now.

2.  John Cena vs. Edge- Unforgiven 2006

Each era in wrestling has a rivalry that defines it.  Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage in the late 80s, Shawn Michaels and Bret Hart in the mid 90s, Stone Cold and The Rock in the early 2000s are only a few examples over the years.  When John Cena stepped up as the Face of the WWE, the WWE needed somebody to counter everything Cena represented.  That somebody was the Rated R Superstar Edge.  John Cena and Edge would put on some excellent matches throughout their entire rivalry, but this TLC Match from Unforgiven 2006 stands out as the best match these two ever put on and one of the best WWE Championship matches of the 2000s.

1.  Kurt Angle vs. Chris Benoit- Royal Rumble 2003

Kurt Angle and Chris Benoit have put on some of the most spectacular showcases of technical wrestling to grace the squared-circle.  This classis from Royal Rumble 2003 is hands down the greatest showcase that these wrestlers put on.  Countless number of holds, counters, near falls and grueling submissions kept fans in awe of their performance.  From the opening bell to the standing ovation the Boston crowd gives once the match is over, everything about this match sums up the wrestling excellence that the WWE Championship represents.

The Silver Report: April 14-20

As we move farther away from WrestleMania, we move closer to the WWE’s next PPV extravaganza, Extreme Rules.  The fallout from the Biggest PPV of the Year always gets settled at the event where all the rules are thrown out the window.  Programs begin to gear up for big gimmick matches that will either enthrall fans with excitement or alienate them with their absurdity.  Hopefully, WWE can put together a card that has a set of gimmick matches that fans would pay to see like Ladder and Extreme Rules matches rather than Blindfold and Tuxedo matches.  Where WrestleMania has become much more focused on the entertainment side of sports-entertainment, Extreme Rules is WWE’s chance to focus more on sports side.  Keying into what the core fan is looking for could easily make Extreme Rules one of the best PPVs of the year yet again.

Step Aside Cena, Ryback’s Time is Now

The Raw following WrestleMania 29 ended with the image of Ryback standing over a Shellshocked John Cena with WWE Title in hand.  While many fans could care less if Ryback is face or heel as long as he kicks as much butt as possible, the commentators pushed the question of why Ryback would attack John Cena.  The simple answer would be Ryback wants a shot at John Cena, but the WWE decided to go in a different direction.  The WWE decided to construct this John Cena vs. Ryback feud from past encounters between John Cena, Ryback and The Shield.  The taped promo of Ryback explaining his actions was very well done.  It got the point across that Ryback is sick and tired of being held down and is now only out for himself.  The “John Cena turned his back on Ryback” part of the argument would have been a little more effective if the WWE did more to build an actual friendship between Cena and Ryback in the months leading up to WrestleMania other than teaming up on a few occasions.  While there is some nitpicking about Ryback’s new heel persona, I personally believe it is the best direction the WWE can go with the character at this point in time because they have exhausted the options they could go with the Goldberg-lite face persona.  At least, having Ryback work as a heel gives him some more character than his one-dimensional “Feed Me More” act.  With the direction the WWE has gone with Ryback since last October, it is about time to give this behemoth from Sin City a crack at holding the WWE Championship.  Ryback has lost every PPV match he has been in since Hell in a Cell, give the guy a break and let him beat Cena for the WWE Title.  Wrestling fans have seen enough of Cena as WWE Champion so it is time for him to step aside and give a rub to a guy that could possibly be one of the next big stars in the WWE in Ryback.  Love him or hate him, all roads lead to Ryback leaving Extreme Rules as WWE Champion.  If Ryback does not beat John Cena at Extreme Rules, WWE would have buried Ryback deep into a hole that he will never recover from.

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H, Round 3

Brock Lesnar won the first round last summer in Los Angeles.  Triple H evened up the score at one apiece at WrestleMania 29.  After making a surprise appearance this week on Raw by dismantling 3MB, Brock Lesnar and his manager Paul Heyman made the challenge to Triple H for their third and hopefully final match at Extreme Rules.  This match will not be anything goes or no holds barred like their two previous encounters; Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H III will be set inside the annals of a Steel Cage.  We still have to wait until Triple H officially accepts the match before saying anything is set in stone, but WWE would not waste an appearance by Lesnar if this match was not going to happen at Extreme Rules.  While yours truly has not been very enthusiastic about the last two matches between Brock Lesnar and Triple H, I was caught completely off-guard by this challenge that I am actually looking forward to this match.  Even if this match falls flat on its face, it is a big match that will easily get more buys for Extreme Rules than any other match on the card.  Now WWE just needs to find a way to get Team Hell No and the Undertaker vs. The Shield in some type of gimmick match on Extreme Rules if they really want to see buys for Extreme Rules skyrocket.

The Silver Report: April 7-13

One year ago, The Silver Report debuted here on the Silverdome in the unbelievable aftermath of WrestleMania 28.  Here we are a year later, looking at the aftermath of WrestleMania 29.  While the quality of WrestleMania continues to waver, it is the Monday night after WrestleMania that has become an event just as big as The Show of Shows itself.  As WrestleMania becomes more focused on catering to the casual wrestling fans, the Raw immediately following WrestleMania is a treat for the hardcore wrestling fanatics like yours truly.  Explosive promos, great matches, hot crowd and an electric atmosphere make for easily one of the best Raws of the year.  Personally, I did not find this year’s Raw to be as good as the Raw that followed WrestleMania 28, but it was still one hell of a show.  Even when things were getting a little boring, the unbelievably hot crowd at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, New Jersey kept you entertained.  In the last few years, the Raw following WrestleMania has become such an integral part of the WrestleMania experience that nobody should skip out on it if they ever get a chance to go to the Show of Shows.

Dolph Ziggler, New World Heavyweight Champion!!

Everybody was hoping to see Dolph Ziggler cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase at WrestleMania to win the World Heavyweight Championship because it would have been an insane WrestleMania moment.  Leaving that moment until Raw, where a much bigger audience than WrestleMania is watching, was even better.  Pitting Jack Swagger and Zeb Colter against Alberto Del Rio in a Handicap Match seemed like the perfect set-up for Dolph to cash-in.  Jack worked over Del Rio’s ankle before Alberto hooked in the Cross Arm Breaker to win the match.  Immediately following the Handicap Match, Ziggler would come to the cheers of the crowd and many fans sitting at home.  It was a short match that saw Dolph and Del Rio go back-and-forth.  There was one point where Del Rio hooked Ziggler in the Cross Arm Breaker that made me yell at the top of my lungs, “Don’t you dare tap, Dolph!”  Ziggler escaped the hold by twisting Del Rio’s injured ankle, which set up Ziggler to hit the Zig Zag for the win.  The crowd at the Izod Center exploded in cheers while I jumped out of my seat in pure excitement.  It was easily one of the best Money in the Bank cash-ins I had the honour of watching.  In the span of two minutes, the emotions everybody watching this match went from excitement to frustration then ultimately happiness.  It was emotionally draining to say the least, but the best moments in professional wrestling are.  Easily the best moment of 2013 so far and it will definitely be pretty hard to beat.  Now that Dolph Ziggler is the World Heavyweight Champion, it is time for the WWE to show the world that Ziggler is main event player.

Fandango Becomes a Star

Last year, WrestleMania week changed the career of Daniel Bryan.  In the span of a week, Daniel Bryan went from having the most crushing defeat in his career to being the most over wrestler in the WWE.  The birth of the Yes chants a year ago launched Daniel Bryan’s career into the stratosphere.  No matter where Bryan is on the card, he gets one of the loudest responses of the night.  It is all thanks to the fans in Miami that chose to stand their ground and show WWE who they want to be pushed.  Fandango seems to be this year’s WrestleMania success story.  While the enigmatic dancer did get a huge win over Chris Jericho at WrestleMania, it was the crowd at the Izod Center that got Fandango over.  From humming and dancing along to Fandango’s theme song throughout the night to saying his name in unison, this crowd did everything in their power to get Fandango over to the point that I believe we will not be hearing any “You can’t wrestle” chants directed towards Fandango in the future.  While Fandango has truly made his mark on the WWE and the WWE Universe, Fandangoing seems to be sweeping the inter-webs much like Gangnam Style did last year and the Harlem Shake did earlier this year.  The internet loves the weirdest things, but the rising popularity of Fandangoing will bring good publicity to the professional wrestling and the WWE and further push Fandango as a star in the squared circle.

Best Raw Crowd Ever

Most nights the wrestlers are the stars of the show, but there are a few nights when the crowd is the star of the show.  This past Monday on Raw was one of those nights.  The crowd at the Izod Center was just phenomenal.  The excitement and enthusiasm that they brought to Raw made it that much more enjoyable to watch at home.  Personally, I cannot account for how it was like to be in a rabid crowd like the one at the Izod Center, but I hope to one day experience it for myself.  Apart from Ziggler’s World Title win, the best moment from Raw was when the crowd decided to hijack the show, which began during the boring Randy Orton vs. Sheamus match.  The crowd chanted for the announcers, wrestlers, old wrestling promotions and everything in between.  It was a so surreal that you stopped paying attention to what was happening on  the screen and concentrated on intently listening to whatever crazy chant the crowd decided to start.  It would be awesome to have a crowd like the one at the Izod Center at every show as it would make the three hour marathons the WWE calls Monday Night Raw fly by.  Sadly that is not possible as a crowd like this one only results from the international crowd that comes from all corners of the world to see WrestleMania live.  We will just have wait until next year in New Orleans to see a crowd as rabid as this one, but it will be worth the wait.

The Road to WrestleMania 29 Part 4: Coming Home

Before we start this preview for WrestleMania 29, I want to address the lack of posts these last two weeks.  While I was hoping to be able to sneak in another part or two for The Road to WrestleMania 29 series, it never came to fruition with the amount of work that I had to do for my classes.  Split between working on a presentation and two major papers, I did not have much time or energy to work on anything other than school work.  Getting those projects done and out of the way was so important that this series had to be put on the backburner.  I am sorry that I could not address this delay sooner, but I hope to make up for it with one huge preview for WrestleMania 29.

Personally, I cannot remember a WrestleMania so poorly built as this year’s event.  Watching WWE this last month has been very straining because seeds for feuds that should have been planted all the way back at the Royal Rumble were entirely nonexistent until only a few weeks ago.  WWE missed an incredible amount of opportunities to make this WrestleMania live up to the majesty and grandeur this event demands.  Matches like CM Punk vs. Undertaker and Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar that could single-handedly sell any other PPV have been so poorly built that nobody cares or is remotely interested.  In the shadow of Madison Square Garden, WrestleMania’s true home, you would expect the WWE to pull out all the stops to make this WrestleMania worthy of this grand homecoming especially considering that next year WrestleMania will not be coming from MSG, breaking a WrestleMania tradition.  It is still WrestleMania and honestly this wrestling fan is hoping even with my doubts the WWE can pull together a show to surprise us and live up to the name of WrestleMania or fail gloriously in the process.

Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz for the Intercontinental Championship

Not very often do the secondary championships get showcased at WrestleMania.  It feels pretty special when it happens and it stings a lot when this match gets shafted to the pre-show.  It is understandable considering how little build this match has had and the roller coaster WWE creative has sent these two wrestlers on for the last month before settling with this match.  Given enough time, Wade Barrett and the Miz will no doubt put on a good match.  There is a slight possibility that the WWE will give the title to the Miz in order to push his new babyface second-coming of Ric Flair gimmick down our collective throats.  Personally, I am pulling for Barrett to retain the title to hopefully give him and his Intercontinental Title reign more legitimacy.

Prediction:  Wade Barrett retains

Brodus Clay, Tensai and the Funkadactyls vs. Team Rhodes Scholars and the Bella Twins in an Eight-Person Tag Team Match

This match is the definition of a pre-show match.  There is no feud between these teams, no build for this match and no interest from the fans.  To put this match on the main card for WrestleMania would be a travesty.  It is definitely sad to see two young talented wrestlers like Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow in a throwaway match on the Biggest Stage of Them All.  There is no need to watch this match as it will be nothing more than mediocre filler anyway.

Prediction:  Brodus Clay, Tensai and the Funkadactyls win

Team Hell No (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston

Speaking of talented wrestlers going to waste on the Biggest Stage of Them All, we have the Tag Team Title match.  Daniel Bryan, Dolph Ziggler and Kane could have easily been placed in singles matches that would be more appealing than this match.  Team Hell No, while still enjoyable, has gone its course.  If WWE is not going to use Team Hell No to build a tag team division worth caring about, it is time to take Daniel Bryan and Kane in a new direction.  WrestleMania could have easily been the big climactic finale to their long-term feud.  It just feels like a missed opportunity in my opinion.  These guys will probably put on a good tag team match.  Like with many other things with WrestleMania 29, it could have been so much better.

Prediction:  Team Hell No retains

Ryback vs. Mark Henry

Ryback hits the Shellshock on Mark Henry.  Nobody will care about the match; they will only care about the big WrestleMania moment at the very end.  That folks is Ryback vs. Mark Henry in a nutshell.

Prediction:  Ryback wins

Chris Jericho vs. Fandango

While this match should have been Dolph Ziggler vs. Chris Jericho, this wrestling fan believes Chris Jericho can put on a good match at WrestleMania no matter who he is paired with.  Considering this match will be Johnny Curtis’ debut as Fandango, the lights will definitely be on this young up-and-comer.  It will be a true test if Fandango is deserving of the push he is currently getting from WWE Creative.

Prediction:  Fandango wins

The Shield vs. Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show

The Shield has been seemingly unstoppable during their short time in the WWE.  Superstars step up to challenge this faction of young superstars, but all fall to the Shield of Justice.  The next challengers are a pretty mighty bunch in Sheamus, Randy Orton and Big Show.  This fragile alliance will be severely tested Sunday night as they battle one of the most cohesive groups in WWE history.  This match is one that I am personally most excited for because of how great the Shield’s matches have been and the possibility of a Randy Orton heel turn.

Prediction:  The Shield wins

Alberto Del Rio (c) vs. Jack Swagger for the World Heavyweight Championship

The more I think of this match, the more it reminds me of Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle from WrestleMania XX.  I could care less about the storyline between the American-loving Alberto Del Rio and the American Extremist Jack Swagger, it is the match these two technical wrestlers put on that really matters.  Technically this match will be great as you got two technical styles that will work wonderful together.  The match will come down to a showdown between the Cross Armbreaker and the Patriot Lock and that should be a sight to see.  Also I am personally hoping for Dolph Ziggler to cash in the Money in the Bank contract after this match, fingers crossed.

Prediction:  Alberto Del Rio retains

Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match with Triple H’s Career on the Line

Looking for an all-out brawl reminiscent to the hardcore matches of eras past than look no further than Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H II.  While their first match at last year’s Summerslam left a lot to be desired, giving these two free reins to beat the living crap out of one another with everything and anything will be a big improvement.  It might seem obvious that Triple H will get the victory over Brock Lesnar to avoid retiring, but that result would be incredibly damaging to the monster the WWE is trying to build in Brock Lesnar.  Brock should not lose a match until the WWE is ready to have him face somebody they want to push to the main event like Sheamus or challenge Undertaker to end The Streak.  Honestly, Triple H does not need to be wrestling anymore, so give Brock Lesnar another win under his belt and a definitive ending to Triple H’s career.

Prediction:  Brock Lesnar wins and Triple H retires

Undertaker vs. CM Punk

There was one point in time when Undertaker vs. CM Punk at WrestleMania 29 seemed like a great idea then we got the last four weeks of WWE programming.  Opinions can quickly change when thoughts on paper turn into reality.  CM Punk and Undertaker tried their best to make the storyline they were given to work with, but it was not enough.  While these guys are great on the microphone especially Punk, the storyline really drew off the death of Paul Bearer, way too soon in my opinion, that it felt quite uncomfortable at times.  There is no doubt that these two will steal the show at WrestleMania.  Some of the excitement that normally surrounds an Undertaker match at WrestleMania is gone thanks to such a horrible storyline.

Prediction:  Undertaker wins

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

Here we are, at the rematch no one asked for—The Rock vs. John Cena II.  For the main event of the Biggest Show of the Year, this match has had less build than Undertaker vs. CM Punk.  That is what WWE gets for wasting two weeks showing the exact same video package about this match.  While this match has been built as John Cena’s redemption, nobody really cares who wins if one of two things happens.  First, Rock and Cena deliver a match that surpasses last year’s match in Miami.  Second, John Cena FINALLY turns heel.  Wrestling fans are getting sick and tired on John Cena’s character because it has not evolved in over six years now.  Cena needs a new direction and why not initiate on the Grandest Stage of Them All where the lights are on bright and the whole world is watching.

Prediction:  John Cena wins the WWE Championship

It is WrestleMania Sunday and there is no hype, no excitement.  Last year, I could not contain my excitement to see Rock vs. Cena, Undertaker vs. Triple H and CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho that I tried to find affordable venue to watch the event to no avail.  This year I have no such inclination to watch WrestleMania live.  It is easier and much more affordable to wait two months and pick up the DVD.  Yes, you miss out on watching it in the moment, but you pay about twenty dollars to have the event forever.  Instead of wasting thirty to fifty dollars only to see if WWE can put an amazing show despite the incredible lack of build and excitement.