SummerSlam Prediction Results

Santino Marella vs Antonio Cesaro
Predicted Winner: Santino Marella
Actual Winner: Antonio Cesaro 0-1
I did not get a chance to watch this match, but I honestly think the WWE made the right call.  Let this be something for Cesaro to build on.  Santino doesn't need a title, although it was nice to seem him win the title.  Every once in a while the WWE gets something correct when it comes to younger talent.

Dolph Ziggler vs Chris Jericho
Predicted Winner: Dolph Ziggler
Actual Winner: Chris Jericho 0-2
In what was a good match, Y2J finally delivered in a big match.  I like the result and I am very interested in seeing how everything plays out with this result.  As we know Jericho is soon to be leaving to head back out on tour, so it was odd that they had him go over Ziggler, but I have no complaints.

Kane vs Daniel Bryan
Predicted Winner: Daniel Bryan
Actual Winner: Daniel Bryan 1-2
I would say this match went as planned.  Nothing really stood out other than it appears that this feud will continue tonight on Raw.  D-Bryan is coming into his own with his character development.  He is as OVER as any one in the company right now.

The Miz vs Rey Mysterio
Predicted Winner: Miz
Actual Winner: Miz 2-2
I can honestly say that this is one of the best matches that I have ever seen out of Mr Mizanin.  I was pleasantly surprised.  Granted a lot of that has to be contributed to Rey, but the Miz appears to have improved greatly.  Hopefully he will not annoy me as much this go around.

Sheamus vs Alberto Del Rio
Predicted Winner: Sheamus
Actual Winner: Sheamus 3-2
Did we get to see a heel turn out of Sheamus?  At least the live crowd seemed to turn on him after he drilled ADR will Ricky's shoe.  This feud appears to be continuing thru Night of Champions, where I fear that MR ADR will become the champ again.

Kofi/Truth v PTP'ers
Predicted Winner: PTP'ers
Actual Winner: Kofi and Truth 3-3
It appears the the demise of AW may have been the demise of the Prime Time Players.  I was really surprised that they kept the straps on Kofi and Truth.  I like them as a tag team, but it may be time for the young cats to get a little burn.  I would not mind seeing Kofi and Truth chasing the belts for a little while.

CM Punk vs Big Show vs John Cena
Predicted Winner: CM Punk
Actual Winner: CM Punk 4-3
The moment of the night has to go to the double submission/Big Show tap out.  A very interesting spot that I did not see coming.  It is obvious that they are building to a Cena/Punk re-match at NOC, which in Boston could be an electric crowd (not quite Chicago).  A decent match, but the Big Show just seemed to drag the match down.

Brock Lesnar vs Triple H
Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar
Actual Winner: Brock Lesnar 5-3
I was a little disappointed in this match, but I was happy with the result.  Whatever they have planned for Lesnar, he has to become the MONSTER that we all know he is.  Losing to Cena really hurt Brock, and beating Triple H gets some of his cred back, but he still has a long way to go.  If the rumors are true and he isn't wrestling again until Survivor Series, I will be interested to see how they use him up until then.

Overall a decent show.  I would have to give the MOTN award to Dolph Ziggler and Chris Jericho with Miz/Rey close behind.

Last Minute SummerSlam Predictions

I know the Pre-Show match has probably already happened but I have not saw anything yet so I am going to go ahead and predict it as well.

Pre-Show Match for the US Title
Santino Marella v Antonio Cesaro
Winner: Santino Marella

WWE Tag Team Championship
Kofi/R-Truth vs Prime Time Players
Winner: Prime Time Players

Intercontinental Championship
The Miz v Rey Mysterio
Winner: The Miz

Kane vs Daniel Bryan
Winner: Daniel Bryan

Chris Jericho vs Dolph Ziggler
Winner: Dolph Ziggler

World Heavyweight Championshiop
Sheamus v Alberto Del Rio
Winner: Sheamus

WWE Championship
CM Punk v Big Show v John Cena
Winner: CM Punk

Brock Lesnar v Triple H
Winner: Brock Lesnar

Also predicting Damien Sandow v Brodus Clay to pop up with Sandow winning

WWE Money in the Bank Predictions

I know it is only Wednesday, but I am going to be out of town from Thursday through Sunday so I decided that If I didn't do my predictions tonight then I would be unable to do them.

Disclaimer:  Only 5 matches are currently announced.  I am only going to predict the 5 that are currently on the card.  If any other matches are announced on Friday, I will not be predicting them.

PRE-SHOW - WWE TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Kofi and Truth v Hunico and Camacho
This should actually be a pretty decent Pre-Show match.  For the sake of the match I hope that they allow Kofi and Hunico plenty of time together in the ring.  Those two together could put on some good stuff.
I supposed they are just having this match because the Prime Time Players are embroiled in a mini feud with Epico and Primo.  That is the only reasoning I can see for it as Hunico and Camacho have done nothing together as a team.
PREDICTION: Kofi Kingston and R-Truth


WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP - Sheamus v Alberto Del Rio
I have heard rumbling that the WWE wants to put the strap back in Del Rio by the end of the year.  With that being said I do not think now is the time.  They have invested a ton in Sheamus, especially after Wrestlemania do to the fact that most of the Universe turned on him after the 18 second D-Bryan debacle.
All in all I see Sheamus retaining a hard hitting match.  I look for Del Rio to put up a good fight which will allow him to stay in the title picture a little longer.
PREDICTION: SHEAMUS


WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP CONTRACT MITB MATCH
I know a lot of people are down on this match do to the lack of star power, but I am not one of those people.  There is a ton of talent in this match and the MITB concept is the perfect platform for a few of the guys (Tyson Kidd and Damien Sandow) to showcase what they can do.
The two favorites heading into the match have to be Dolph Ziggler and Cody Rhodes.  I honestly see one of those two winning the match.  I see Kidd and Sin Cara putting on a show!  Kidd is going to be the stand out of the entire night IMO.
Sandow is going to put his name on the map as a major cog in the future of the WWE.  Tensai is the most interesting entrant into the match.  I like the dynamic and the big strong man being in this type of match with all the high fliers.
This is the most interesting match of the night and I look for many good things to come out of this match.
PREDICTION: DOLPH ZIGGLER


WWE CHAMPIONSHIP CONTRACT MITB MATCH
I like the dynamic of the former champions being involved in this match.  I expect Cena and Jericho to do most of the work.
It would not surprise me if we have a surprise entrant or two into the match.  There are a few other former WWE champions out there that could show up and make and Impact.
PREDICTION: JOHN CENA


WWE CHAMPIONSHIP - CM Punk vs Daniel Bryan - in the battle for AJ's heart!
We know what to expect in the ring, EXCELLENCE!  The major story here is AJ.  Over the last few weeks AJ has became the star of the WWE Championship feud.
I look for AJ to side with her old flame with this entire love triangle being a set up from the start.
PREDICTION: DANIEL BRYAN

Destination X Results

I know this is a little late, but I say better late than never.  I am just going to give a quick overview to each match along with my Prediction results.

LAST CHANCE QUALIFIER - Rubix v Mason Andrews v Lars Only v Dakota Darsow
Over there was some very good action in this one.  Rubix and Andrews were by far the stars of the match.  The crowd really seemed to get behind Rubix, (I would expect to see him back in a TNA ring at some point soon).  Mason Andrews ended up getting the win.
Predicted Winner: Mason Andrews 1-0

Mason Andrews v Kid Kash
Immediately following the LCQ, Andrews had to fight Kid Kash in an X-Division tourney match.  A decent match with nothing spectacular but I good solid under card match.  Andrews picked up the win with a surprise roll-up.
Predicted Winner: None of the four guys I picked to enter the Ultimate X were in this match so I did not have a chance.  1-1

Douglas Williams v Kenny King
Another decent match.  I was impressed with King.  Extremely athletic and charismatic.  I look forward for him to hang around and would not be surprised if he didn't get a shot at the X-Division title some point soon.  On the other hand, Williams looked out of shape and slow.
Predicted Winner: I had both guys picked in the Ultimate X Match.  2-1

Sonjay Dutt v Rashad Cameron
This was a solid match-up.  IMO Dutt looks as good as he ever has.  I am loving the finisher!  Cameron has the look and I expect him to come back.
Predicted Winner: Sonjay Dutt 3-1

Zema Ion v Flip Casanova
Probably the worst of the qualifying matches.  Casanova is a high flier and most could consider him a spot monkey. I have no problem with that, however I just don't think that he and Ion had very good chemistry.   Ion picked up the win is this one
Predicted Winner: Zema Ion 4-1

BFG Series - Kurt Angle v Samoa Joe
As expected, we got an excellent match out of these two.  When you put two wrestlers of this caliber in the ring more often than not the product is going to be a good one, and that it was.  Anytime these two get in the ring together it is a MOTN contender and on any other night, it probably would have been on this night as well.  Samoa Joe picked up the win after choking out Angle.  The ref stopped it as Angle was unresponsive.
Predicted Winner : Kurt Angle 4-2

Last Man Standing - Daniels v AJ Styles
A lot of the things that I just wrote about the Angle/Joe match could be said about this one.  Daniels and Styles know each other inside and out.  After starting slow, the match delivered on all accounts.  Daniels had my favorite spot of the match when he argued with a couple of fans at ringside.  I found it very entertaining.
If you get a chance to check out the ending of the match on Youtube you need to do so.  AJ hit a brutal Styles Clash, off of the stage though a table which ended up winning him that match when Daniels couldn't make it to his feet, while AJ had to pull himself up via the railng, ala Rocky/Apollo Creed.
Predicted Winner: Daniels 4-3

Ultimate X - Kenny King v Zema Ion v Sonjay Dutt v Mason Andrews
I am not going to spend much time on this one as I believe it was underwhelming considering the type of match it was.  As far as Ultimate X matches go, this one fell flat.
During the match Dutt dislocated his shoulder, went to the back and popped it back into place and returned to finish the match.  Props to you Sonjay.
Zema Ion picked up the win.
Predicted Winner: Kenny King 4-4

TNA TITLE - Bobby Roode v Austin Aries
All I can say about this one is, MOTY favorite at this point in time.  Roode and Aries brought it.  A Double has turned the corner in his career and He, Roode and James Storm are the guys in TNA.  This match was worth buying the entire PPV.  TNA knocked it out of the park with his one.
Aries picked up the win to win the TNA Heavyweight Championship
Predicted Winner: Bobby Roode 4-5

As far as predictions go, Ultimate X was not a good showing for me.  Hopefully I can get back on track with MITB this weekend!

Overall I would rate the show an A.  TNA is on a roll

TNA Destination X Predictions

Going to make the leap and start predicting the TNA PPVs.  Up until the last two months I have not watched enough TNA to have a good enough grasp on things to try to predict matches.  With that said, I have been watching TNA weekly for the last couple of months so now I will be doing TNA predictions along with my WWE predictions.

Destination X is a rough PPV to do predictions for as the final card is no totally finished.  There are Ultimate X qualifying matches during that show that have not been announced yet.  We know most of the participants, but we do now know who they will be wrestling.  So in a way I am going into some of these matches blind.

LAST CHANCE 4-WAY -- Dakota Darsow v Rubix v Lars Only v Mason Andrews
This one could really do any way as these 4 guys really have no history in TNA to go off of.  Whoever wins will get the 8th spot in the X-Division tourney being held that night.  This is going to be a shot in the dark.
PREDICTED WINNER: Mason Andrews

X-DIVISION TOURNEY - Douglas Williams/Kid Kash/Zema Ion/Flip Casanova/Kenny King/Rashad Cameron/Sonjay Dutt/???
Considering that the specific match-ups have not been announced I am going to pick the 4 guys who I believe will qualify for the Ultimate X match.  Once again this is a tough one.
PREDICTED WINNERS: Douglas William, Zema Ion, Kenny King, Sonjay Dutt

ULTIMATE X MATCH - TBA
If my predictions are off for the tournament matches then I will have no shot at getting this one correct.
PREDICTED WINNER: Kenny King

BOUND FOR GLORY SERIES - Samoa Joe v Kurt Angle
This is a match that is guaranteed to deliver.  We all know that both of these guys are going to bring it.  Joe has recently been performing back up to par, while Kurt never fails to live up to the expectations.  With this being a BFG series match, with no real feud behind it, that makes the match a little bit harder to call.  However I expect a great match between these two.
PREDICTED WINNER: Kurt Angle

LAST MAN STANDING - AJ STYLES V CHRISTOPHER DANIELS
These two guys know each other so well that this match is guaranteed to deliver.  Most likely the MOTN with the potential for MOTY.  I do not expect this whole Claire Lynch storyline to end just yet so IMO there is only one way this match will go.
PREDICTED WINNER: Christopher Daniels

TNA CHAMPIONSHIP - Austin Aries v Bobby Roode
This is another match that is going to deliver.  Both guys have proven that they are at the top of the TNA heap.  Aries is proving that he is one of the best wrestlers in the world.  A Double has the entire package.  TNA has made sure the the "It Factor" is the face of the company and he has succeeded at that.  I think Aries will Ultimately be the Champ, but I do not think he gets it just yet.  In addition to that Aries winning would put a swerve on the apparent plans for a Storm-Roode match-up at BFG.
I would like to see A Double walk away with the title, but I honestly don't think it is going to happen this Sunday.
PREDICTED WINNER: Bobby Roode

Overall I expect a great show to continue the trend that TNA is currently on.
Follow on twitter: @WrestleWatchman

Heath Slater: Ruler of the Jobber World

Those of you that watched Monday Night Raw last night go to see the OMRB Heath Slater break his recent losing streak, with a victory over returning legend (I use legend loosely in this case) Doink the Clown.

Photo Coutesy of WWE.com

Granted Slaters momentum did not last long as DDP slapped him with a Diamond Cutter shortly after his win.  On a side note, DDP's Diamond Cutter is a million times better than the RKO!

Prior to last nights victory, Slater was marred in a 10 bout losing streak.  His last win before last night occurred on the May 17th episode of Superstars in a match with Alex Riley, who could be the "face" equivalent of Slater as far as jobbers go.

Slater's losing streak went as follows:

May 20 - Over The Limit - Lost in the Pre-Show Battle Royal which was won by Christian

May 23 - NXT - Lost to Percy Watson

May 24 - Superstars - Lost to Zack Ryder

June 1 Smackdown - Lost to Sin Cara

June 6 NXT - Lost in a tag match with Johnny Curtis to Justin Gabrel and Tyson Kidd

June 11 - Raw - Lost to Vader

June 15 Smackdown - Lost to Brodus Clay

June 22 - Smackdown - Lost to Zack Ryder

June 25 - Raw - Lost to Sid

June 28 - Superstars - Lost to Kane

*Also in the middle of that span, Slater was punked by Roddy Piper, Wendi Richter and Cyndi Lauper

As much as I have disliked the OMRB from the beginning of this NXT time, I have to say that I have enjoyed his recent stuff.  His current storyline of jobbing to the legends has been entertaining.  Even though he is losing in squash matches, he is on TV.  Which says that someone in the back must be high on him.

Personally, I do not think he is great on the mic, (granted he has been better recently but you can tell that his pre-legend match promos are 100% scripted), I also do not think he is very good in the ring.  Luckily for Slater I am not the one booking the shows.

I have heard rumors that there is supposed to be a big pay-off at the end of this storyline, so I am assuming on the 1000 episode of RAW we will find out.  

Until then I suggest that you enjoy your winning streak Heath, as I figured it will be short lived.  (I wouldn't be surprised if it did not end tonight on the Live Smackdwon Great American Bash)

As a final note, With his win on Monday Slater improved his 2012 match record to 5-24.

TNA Stats Thru the end of June

I finally got around to getting caught up on all of the TNA stats.  It was tedious to get caught up, but I am glad that I have it finished.

MOST MATCHES
1. Jeff Hardy           23
2. Robert Roode      22
2. Bully Ray            22
2. Austin Aries        22
2. AJ Styles             22

MOST WINS
1. Austin Aries        15
1. James Storm        15
3. Samoa Joe           11
3. Magnus               11
3. Devon                 11

MOST LOSES
1. Bully Ray           17
2. AJ Styles            13
3. Daniels               12
3. Robbie E            12
5. Jeff Hardy          11

KNOCKOUTS
Most Matches - Gail Kim - 17
Most Wins - Gail Kim - 10
Most Loses - Madison Rayne - 11

TAG TEAMS
Most Matches - Samoa Joe and Magnus - 10
Most Wins - Samoa Joe and Magnus - 8
Most Loses - Matt Morgan and Crimson - 4

No Way Out Results

Well I bit the bullet and ordered the PPV.  Not the best the WWE has ever done, but overall I thought it was better than the last PPV.  Some decent wrestling across the board.  No 5 star matches but a couple of solid showings.

PRE-SHOW MATCH BRODUS CLAY V DAVID OTUNGA
I did not get to see this match so I can't say anything about it other than Brodus picked up the win via CO, per LordsofPain.  No surprise here.
Predicted Winner: Brodus Clay  Predictions 1-0

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP SHEAMUS V DOLPH ZIGGLER
Very good match overall.  This one isn't going be a Meltzer 5 star match, but it delivered.  Any match with Ziggler involved is going to be solid.  Over the last few months I have been impressed with Sheamus.  He is improving at a drastic rate.  The Ziggler turn is soon to be in full force, as the crowd was probably 60-40 pro Ziggler.  His run with Vickie has ran its course, so it is time to move on to greener pastures for The Show Off.  As for the match, Sheamus picked up the win.
Predicted Winner: Sheamus Predictions 2-0

SANTINO MARELLA V RICARDO RODRIGUEZ - TUXEDO MATCH
This match served its purpose, Comedy and time filler.  The crowd chanted boring throughout parts of the match, but I honestly was not impressed with the crowd for most of the night.  Granted, there was little wrestling involved in this one, but not every match has to be a technical masterpiece.  Santino picked up the victory via the foot Cobra.
Predicted Winner; Santino Predictions 3-0

IC TITLE CHRISTIAN V CODY RHODES
IMO Match of the Night.  It wont make the list of Match of the Year Candidates, but it was a good "old school" wrestling match.  Both guys have good chemistry.  Christian continued his hot streak following his return with another victory over Cody.  It appears Cody is off to bigger and better things, I see the possibility of a MITB win for Mr Rhodes.
Predicted Winner: Christian Predictions 4-0

PRIMO/EPICO V THE USOS V TYSON KIDD/JUSTIN GABRIEL V PRIME TIME PLAYERS
This turned out to be a very nice showcase for the tag division.  It would have been nice to see the Kofi and Truth defend their titles tonight, but with Truths injury them not wrestling was understandable.  The PTPers (Titus and Darren Young) ended up winning the match after AW jumped ship and cost Primo and Epico the win.  There is a nice little storyline here developing and it was nice to see that they didn't just quit on the whole AW thing.
Predication N/A


DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP LAYLA V BETH PHOENIX
The one positive of this match was that they actually gave the ladies time to have a real match.  The downfall was that I though Layla was terrible.  She botched a couple of spots and looked sloppy in others.  Beth couldn't even carry her through to a good match in this one.  Easily the worse match of the night.  Layla retained the title.
Predicted Winner: Beth Phoenix Predictions 4-1

SIN CARA V HUNICO
Another non-advertised match.  I thought their last match on Smackdown was better than this one.  Sin Cara picked up the win, but he got very little offense in.  Hunico did most of the damage, but Cara managed to get the win.
Predicted Winner: N/A


WWE CHAMPIONSHIP CM PUNK V KANE V DANIEL BRYAN
First off I want to start by saying that 95% of the time I dislike triple threat matches.  This was the 5% that I actually enjoyed one and thought that it worked.  All 3 guys worked really well together.  Although Kane was perceived as being the weakest link, he has a very good showing.  A couple of very enjoyable spots.  The ending of the match was also interesting.
If you read my pre-match prediction you know that I predicted Daniel Bryan to win with AJ helping him out.  Well I was wrong (I am glad I was wrong).  AJ did however factor in to the finish.  She ran to the ring and Kane knocked her down.  Which allowed Punk to get the win.  Kane then carried AJ to the back, while AJ looked back at Punk smiling.  I am interested to see where this is going.
I was also surprised the Bryan was nowhere to be found during the finish.
Predicted Winner: Daniel Bryan Predictions 4-2

RYBACK V ROB GRYMES AND DAN DELANEY
Do I honestly need to review this one?  We all know what happened.  However Ryback did continue to expand his move-set tonight.  He hit a splash from the second rope.  It is nice to see him slowly expanding things.
I am honestly digging this whole Ryback character.  With that said I think it is either time to give him a lower card superstar and not an indy jobber, or FEED HIM THREE!
Prediction: I actually predicted him to show up so I am counting this one. Predictions 5-2

JOHN CENA V BIG SHOW - STEEL CAGE
Not a technical clinic here, but it was a decent main event.  I enjoyed all of the victims of the Big Show coming back down and helping out Cena.  I loved how Brodus Clay was involved.  I am glad that they are furthering this whole Big Show/Brodus angle.  A match between the two of them is inevitable, I just hope they build it to a nice PPV payoff.
Cena picked up the win after escaping over the cage before Show could get out of door.  Following the match Mr McMahon fired Johnny Ace!
The landscape of Raw and Smackdown is going to change, and I think that is a good thing.  Over the past month or so we have had an overload of Big Johnny.
Prediction: John Cena Predictions 6-2

Overall a solid show.  Triple H made and appearance and challenged Brock Lesnar to a fight at SummerSlam.  We could be on the cusp of seeing some good things heading into the summer.

PREDICTIONS;
Overall I finished 6-2, which I consider a very good showing.  I very easily should have been 8-0.  I had a feeling Layla was going to retain the Divas title, but I was hoping for a Beth victory.
As far as the WWE Championship match I honestly thought it could go anyway.  I did not know what they were planning with the AJ angle and I knew that ultimately she held the cards as to how the match would finish.
So with tonights predictions I move to 23-9 in my WWE PPV prediction on the year!

WWE No Way Out Predictions

In all honesty, I can't say I am really looking forward to this ppv.  I have ordered every WWE PPV since the beginning of the year, but I do not think I will order this one.  Right now the WWE just isn't offering stuff that is overly interesting to me.  I like some of the stuff going on, and there are a few guys that I really enjoy, but not enough for me to throw down the money to watch the show.

Here are my predictions for the show.  I have been on a pretty good role as of late so lets hope I can keep that going.

PRE SHOW MATCH - BRODUS CLAY V DAVID OTUNGA
Lets start by saying this one isn't going to be a wrestling clinic.  Clay is going to get the win, but I look for Otunga to give him a little bit of trouble.  This isn't going to be a squash, but just a step above that with Otunga getting in a little bit of offense.
PREDICTED WINNER: BRODUS CLAY


US TITLE - SANTINO MARELLA V RICARDO RODRIQUEZ in a TUXEDO MATCH
This could be a good comedy match to break the evening up a bit.  I really enjoy Santino.  The recent stuff between these two has been quality.  I look for it to end tonight with The Cobra striking for the win.
PREDICTED WINNER: SANTINO MARELLA


DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP - LAYLA v BETH PHOENIX
I can honestly see this one going either way.  With as little time as the WWE puts into their Divas it is really hard to call.  I think it all depends on the Kharma effect.  When will she return and what are they going with her when she comes back?  I honestly think that will ultimately determine the winner.
PREDICTED WINNER: BETH PHOENIX


IC TITLE - CHRISTIAN v CODY RHODES
This is my pre-show pick for match of the night.  Christian has had all the momentum since returning, and I expect that to continue tonight.  Cody had a good run as IC champ, but I think bigger things may be in store for him.  I can see him entering the World Title picture shortly.
PREDICTED WINNER: CHRISTIAN


WWE TITLE - CM PUNK v KANE v DANIEL BRYAN
I am at a stalemate on this one.  At first I though Punk was a lock to keep the title, then I thought The American Dragon would get his run with the WWE strap, then within the last week I have honestly thought that Kane could win it after not giving him a shot early on.  The result of this match is totally contingent on how they play the AJ angle.  I am calling it that AJ costs Punk and Kane the match and ends up back with Daniel Bryan.  It was all a ploy.  However, I don't have any faith in the WWE's creative skills so who knows.
PREDICTED WINNER: DANIEL BRYAN


JOHN CENA V BIG SHOW
Not really in to this who story, but I guess I am interested in seeing how it plays out.  I can't see Cena losing and be "So Called Fired", we have been down that route before.  Plus if they are going to give him time off, I can't see him missing RAW 1000 or SummerSlam.  So I am saying either Cena wins or it goes to a No-Contest.
PREDICTED WINNER: JOHN CENA


I am also predicting that we could see an appearance from Ryback!
An outside chance of seeing Mr Sandow.

Slammiversary Highlights

First off, I want to start by saying that I was impressed with TNA's effort last night.  I can honestly say that it was a better PPV than the last few that the WWE has had to offer.  I am glad that I decided to order the show.  Hopefully they can carry on with the momentum that they have going and put together some quality TV heading into Destination X and ultimately Bound for Glory!

HIGHLIGHTS

*Austin Aries vs Samoa Joe for the X-Division Championship - Simply put, both guys brought it!  A Double continues to show that he is one of the best wrestlers in the world.  Every time we get to see him we are watching a Superstar being born.  He has the "It Factor".  Samoa Joe brought it like it was 2006.  I was glad to see him once again perform to his potential.  
The match was a great pick to start the show.  Aries and Joe set the standard for the night and most everyone lived up to that standard.  After winning the match, Aries said he was going for Main Event status and I believe he is more than ready.  I hope TNA has something in mind for him.
Joe looked to be back his old self.  I hope his performance last night show the TNA brass that he can still bring it.  I hope that they push him back to where he needs to be.  He doesn't have to be in the Main Event all the time, but he does need to be relevant.

*Kurt Angle and AJ Styles vs Daniels and Kazarian - All I can say about this match is WOW! Rarely does a tag match have a chance to be Match of the Year, but in this case the match has to be in consideration.  All 4 guys brought their A-game last night.  The match delivered from bell to bell.  Those of you who did not watch the PPV, you missed out on a classic.  I am giving this the Match of the Night award, but the Aries-Joe match is right there.

*Sting to the HOF - I know that many people are saying that TNA doesn't need a HOF yet, with that withstanding I think Sting was an excellent first choice.  Sting was the first true Superstar to jump to TNA and stay there.  He has had multiple offers to jump to the WWE and decided to stay.  Granted Jeff Jarrett and a few other belong in the first class, the announcement of Sting as the first member was a win for me.
The word going around is that no-one, other than a select few, knew who was getting the nod.  It honestly looked like Sting was surprised, which made the moment even better.

There were other good moments, but those are the three best moments of the night for me.

MOMENT TO FORGET
*Devon and Garrett Bischoff vs Robbie E and Robbie T - This match was doomed from the start.  Devon is the best wrestler of the bunch with Robbie E close behind.  Robbie T and Garrett are terrible. They have no business in the ring together.  The match could have been worse, but it was bad.

Overall the show was a very good one.  It honestly has me excited to see what TNA has in-store.  Lets all hope that they can keep it up!

Over The Limit Prediction Results

TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Truth and Kofi vs Ziggler/Swagger
Predicted Winner - Truth/Kofi
This was a very good match.  I was glad to see that they actually gave the Tag Titles a decent showcase on a PPV.  It was a nice change of pace.
Winner - Truth/Kofi    1 for 1
DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP - Layla v Beth Phoenix
Predicted Winner - Beth Phoenix
As sloppy as this match was at times, it was a very good match by Diva standards.  First off they actually gave them time to wrestle.  Secondly and most importantly, Beth Phoenix was in the match.  I think Layla showed some ring rust, which is to be expected after being out for a year.  I loved the way Beth exploited Layla;s knee.
However for the prediction, I took a flyer and went with Beth because I assumed the WWE would want to get Kharma back into the fold as soon as possible.  Maybe they are waiting until SummerSlam.
Winner - Layla   1 for 2
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR WAY
Predicted Winner - Sheamus
For a four way this was a decent match.  I am not a big fan of most Triple Threat and Four Way matches, simply because at times it is hard to keep track of everything.  However I though everyone did a nice job in this one.
Winner - Sheamus     2 for 3
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP - CM Punk v Daniel Bryan
Predicted Winner - CM Punk
All I can say is WOW!  And this right now is my leading candidate for match of the year.  The best part of the entire thing is, They are at least going to have one more rematch!  They could ultimately have one of the best series of matches in WWE History.  The submission wrestling in this one was amazing.  Both guys showed that they are each in the conversation as the Best Wrestler in The World.  
Winner - CM Punk   3 for 4

JOHN CENA V JOHNNY ACE
Predicted Winner - Johhny Ace
This one went down exactly how I saw it.  Nothing much to say here.
Winner - Big Johnny  4 for 5
Added Predicition:
We will see Brodus Clay vs the Miz...with Brodus winning
I did call this one so I am giving myself credit.     5 for 6

Over The Limit Predictions

Show is starting shortly so here are my quick predictions for tonights show.

TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP - Truth and Kofi vs Ziggler/Swagger
Winner - Truth/Kofi

DIVAS CHAMPIONSHIP - Layla v Beth Phoenix
Winner - Beth Phoenix

WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP FOUR WAY
Winner - Sheamus

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP - CM Punk v Daniel Bryan
Winner - CM Punk

JOHN CENA V JOHNNY ACE
Winner - Johhny Ace

Added Predicition:
We will see Brodus Clay vs the Miz...with Brodus winning

I also expect to see Ryback tonight.

WWE Stats Through April

Reminder that the stats are based on televised WWE events.  All PPVs and Online shows are counted.

TOTAL MATCHES

T1. Big Show, Sheamus  30

3.  Santino Marella           29

4.  Daniel Bryan               27

5.  Kofi Kingston             25

MOST WINS

1. Sheamus    21

2. Big Show  18

3. Brodus Clay 16

T4. Santino Marella, Daniel Bryan 15

MOST LOSES

1. Dolph Ziggler 16

T2.  Cody Rhodes, The Miz 15

T5. Kofi Kingston, Alex Riley 14

UNDEFEATED

Brodus Clay 16-0

Ryback 5-0

Lord Tensai 4-0

*Must have competed in more than 1 match to qualify

WINLESS

Ezekial Jackson 0-10

JTG 0-6

Booker T 0-2

Jim Duggan 0-2

TAG TEAM MATCHES

1. Epico and Primo  15    10-5

2. The Usos              11     6-5

3. Reks and Hawkins 7      3-4

4. Truth and Kofi       7      4-3

DIVAS Matches

1. Nikki Bella 15

2. Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, Natalya 14

5.  Tamina, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella 12

DIVAS Wins

1. Beth Phoenix 9

2. Kelly Kelly, Tamina 8

4. Alicia Fox 7

5. Nikki Bella 6

UNDEFEATED

Layla 2-0

Site Name Change

Just letting everyone know that the name of the blog and the url for the blog will be changing.  No longer will this be known as AlwaysAHeel.
The new name for the blog will be The Wrestling Watchman.

The new URL for The Wrestling Watchman will be wrestlingwatchman.blogger.com
The URL change will take place tomorrow.

WWE Extreme Rules Predictions

WWE Extreme Rules takes place tonight from Chicago.  Honestly I feel that this is a show that can set the tone for a very good summer for the WWE.  The crowd will be hot, as all Chicago crowds are.  We get to see the return to the ring of Brock Lesnar, plus the Second City Savior gets to defend his title in front of his home crowd.  Not to forget we get a nice 2 out of 3 falls match for the World Heavyweight Championship.

As for my predictions, I bounced back from a so-so Royal Rumble Performance with a very solid 6-2 showing for WrestleMania.  This PPV gives us some very interesting match-ups that are very difficult to call.

Photo Credit to WWE.com

RANDY ORTON v KANE - Falls Count Anywhere

I do not think this match will be as good as their WrestleMania match, which was decent at best.  As shocking as it was for Kane to win at WrestleMania, I don't look for them to shock us much with the outcome of this one.  

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

NIKKI BELLA V BETH PHOENIX - WWE Divas Championship

The story says that Beth is injured so if this match takes place I think it is a no-brainer that Nikki will take the win.  However, it would not surprise me for Beth to no-show and Kharma show up.  Even if that match does take place, Kharma is in the near future for Miss Bella.

Predicted Winner: Nikki Bella, if scheduled match takes place.

                             Kharma, if she fills in for an injured Phoenix.

BIG SHOW v CODY RHODES - WWE Intercontinental Championship

This is one of those matches that I honestly feel is a toss up.  At WM, Big Show ended Cody's long reign as IC Champ.  However, I feel that Shows win was simply a way to give him his WrestleMania moment.  So I can see this one going either way.  At first I though that Cody may be put into the WHC title picture after losing the IC strap, however now I am leaning towards them giving him another IC run.

Predicted Winner: Cody Rhodes

DANIEL BRYAN V SHEAMUS - 2 out of 3 Falls - World Heavyweight Championship

I look for the first fall of this match to be similar to their entire WrestleMania match.  After that I think these two will put on a good show.  It would not surprise me if this is the match of the night once all is said and done.  Look for Sheamus to win the first fall.  Bryan to pick up a cheap win in the 2nd fall.  Then a Brogue Kick to end the match.

Predicted Winner: Sheamus

CM PUNK V CHRIS JERICHO - Chicago Street Fight - WWE Championship

Although these are two of the best technical wrestlers in the world, don't expect anything less than a fight in this one.  The feud has been built up well and things have turned personal between Jericho and Punk.  I originally thought that Jericho winning would be a good way to extend the feud another month, however now I do not see that happening.  Plus if Punk doesn't win in Chicago, fans may RIOT.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

BROCK LESNAR V JOHN CENA - Extreme Rules

I am interested to see Lesnar's return to the ring.  The extreme rules stipulation is a good way to cover up any ring rust that he may have.  I just can't see Lesnar losing in this one.  I do not think the WWE brings him back to lose his first tilt.  Plus, Lesnar winning helps further this change in Cena's character.

I am personally not a fan of the semi-burial of Cena as of late, but if it brings Cena back better than ever  , I am all for it.

Predicted Winner: Brock Lesnar

Side Note: Santino v The Miz is set to air on the Youtube Pre-Show, however I have decided not to make an official prediction for the match.  With no build up I just cant make my mind up.  I would like see see Santino win, but I am fearful that they are going to give the belt to Miz.

Also look for make shift matches for Lord Tensai and Brodus Clay.  I also wouldn't be surprised if we did not see the Tag Champs tonight.

Leave me some feedback and let me know what you think.

RAW kicks off with a BANG!!

The Lesnar/Cena segment that kicked off Raw this evening was easily the best opening segment of RAW in ages.  Everyone loves an old school brawl and that is exactly what we got.  Added to all that, we got some blood, which always makes these types of segments even better.

The segment started with Johnny Ace letting everyone know that he brought in Lesnar to make the WWE more legit.  Lesnar comes to the ring and as he starts to thank John, Cena's music hits.  Cena walks straight to the ring and Slaps Lesnar across the face.

Then all hell breaks loose.  A pier 6 brawl ensues which leads to everyone coming out from the back to break up Cena and Lesnar.  If Johnny wanted things to look more legit, then this segment was successful.  The first punch that Brock threw connect square on the side of Cena's face.  He must have had flash backs and thought he was destroying Frank Mir at UFC 100.  I have to give credit where credit is due, Cena took a heck of a shot and finished the segment.  The shot may have stunned him, but he wasn't knocked out.

All in all a hell of an opening segment.  I am glad to see the WWE building on the momentum that they have going.  I am looking forward to things to come.

WrestleMania 28 Predictions

When I started doing this blog I planned on doing Predictions for every WWE PPV.  That went out the window when I did not do them for the Elimination Chamber.  However I am back and better than ever and ready for the Grandest Stage of Them All.

If you remember, I did predictions for the Royal Rumble.  I went 2 for 4 (2-2) on those predictions.  That 50% rate is not good enough.  Hopefully I can do better this time around.

Kane vs Randy Orton

I honestly look for this to be a decent match.  Kane is underrated in a lot of ways.  Orton has improved over the years and is very capable of a great match.  I look for the match to last 10-15 minutes.  Not much bulid has been put into this match, as I feel it was just a good way to get two of the bigger stars on the Mania card.

Predicted Winner: Randy Orton

Cody Rhodes vs Big Show for the IC Championship

I am glad that the IC belt is being defended on the show.  The belt has to much history in the WWE not to be defended on the card.  Cody has had a long run with the title, albeit with not much competition.  Big Show is just coming off of being the the World Title picture, so him going for the IC title is a little strange.  Once again I predict another 10-15 match that is going to be decent.  Rhodes is greatly improved recently, and the Big Show is very capable of putting on a good match despite his size.

Predicted Winner: Big Show

Team Teddy vs Team Johnny

The build for this has been good.  I have honestly enjoyed the build-up for this match as much as I have any other match.  I am honestly looking forward to it, although I think the result of this match is pretty obvious.  

Predicted Winner: Team Johnny

Beth Phoenix and Eve vs Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos

Predicted Winner: Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos

Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan

I am looking forward to this match.  Bryan is well known as a great wrestler and is in the debate for the best wrestler in the world.  Sheamus is underrated in my book.  His straight forward, high impact style or wrestling is very effective.  he brings an intensity that no one else currently brings.  I look for this to be a good match that last 25 minutes.

Predicted Winner: Sheamus

CM Punk vs Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship

Everyone is predicting this to be the match of the year, and I hope it is, however I am afraid this may be somewhat of a let down.  Can these two guys live up to the hype?  I hope so because they are both STUDS in the ring.  Look for 30 Minutes for quality wrestling.

FYI, this is the hardest match of the night for me to call.

Predicted Winner: CM Punk

Undertaker vs Triple H - Hell In A Cell

I could analysis this for a long time, however this match it plan and simple.  STREAK goes to 20-0

Predicted Winner: Undertaker

John Cena vs The Rock

The energy for this match is going to be through the roof.  I do not think it is going to live up to the Hogan v Rock match at WM18, however the crowd is going to be HOT.  These two are going to have a ton of time to tell a story in this match.  I look for a 45 minute match.  There are a few ways this one could play out, but considering one guy is a full-timer I believe only one result would make sense......

Predicted Winner: John Cena

WWE Stats Through March

Most Matches
1. Sheamus 23
2. Santino Marella 22
T3. Big Show 21
T3. Daniel Bryan 21
5. Kofi Kingston 19

Most Victories
1. Sheamus 16
2. Daniel Bryan 13
3. Big Show 12
T4. Santino Marella, Epico, Primo, Brodus Clay 10

Most Loses
1. The Mix 14
2. Alex Riley 12
T3. Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler 11
T6. Curt Hawkins, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre 10

Winless
The Miz 0-14-1
Ezekiel Jackson 0-8
JTG 0-4
*Included are only wrestlers with more that 1 match.

Undefeated
Brodus Clay 10-0

DIVAS
Beth Phoenix 9-2
Tamina 7-4
Alicia Fox 6-4
Kelly Kelly 5-5
Brie Bella 4-6
Eve Torres 4-4
Nikki Bella 3-5
Natalya 2-8
Aksana 2-2
Kaitlyn 2-2
AJ 2-0

If there is any specific wrestler you would like to know anything about let me know!

WWE Stats Through the end of February

The following is a list of cumulative stats compiled from every televised show that the WWE has had up until the end of February.

MOST TOTAL MATCHES

T1. Daniel Bryan, Sheamus, and Santino Marella (15)

4. Big Show (14)

T5. Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Epico, Kofi Kingston, Wade Barrett (13)

T10. Jack Swagger, Jinder Mahal, Primo (12)

MOST WINS

1. Sheamus (11)

2. Daniel Bryan, Epico, Primo (9)

5. Brodus Clay (7)

6. Big Show, Jack Swagger, Jinder Mahal, Titus O'Neill (6)

10. Santino Marella, R-Truth (5)

MOST LOSSES

1. Santino Marella, Kofi Kingston, Alex Riley, The Miz (9)

5. Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett (8)

7. Dolph Ziggler, Heath Slater, Drew McIntyre (7)

WINLESS

The Miz 0-9-1

Drew McIntyre 0-7

Ezekiel Jackson 0-6

JTG 0-4

Kane 0-1-2

Camacho 0-1

*Booker T and Jim Duggan are also 0-1 but they are not included because they are not regular competitors.

UNDEFEATED

Brodus Clay 7-0

*Hornswoggle is 1-0, but I am not considering him because he does not regularly compete.

Tamina, Beth Phoenix and Alicia Fox all have 6 wins to lead the Divas.

WWE stats for February

Here are some stats based on the Televised shows for February.

First off I thought it was interesting to note the every Superstar who competed in the month suffered a loss. No-one went undefeated for the month.

WINLESS
Alex Riley was winless in his 6 matches.
Cody Rhodes was winless in his 7 matches.
Drew McIntyre was winless in his 2 matches.
Ezekiel Jackson was winless in his 4 matches.
Jimmy and Jey Uso were winless in their 3 matches.
Johnny Curtis was winless in his 3 matches.
JTG lost his only contest of the month.
Kane lost his only contest of the month.
Mason was winless in his 2 matches.
The Miz lost all 6 of his matches.
Trent Barreta lost his 1 match.
Wade Barrett lost all 6 of his matches.

When compiling that list I was surprised at some of the names on the list.  Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes each had a lot of momentum prior to this month.  It is hard to believe the the WWE could have these guys on streaks like this heading into WrestleMania.

More Stats coming up!!

Who gets Cut?

Rumors are swirling on all the dirt-sheets that the WWE is contemplating releasing a few of the lower level talent currently on the roster.  Does this surprise anyone?  Every year following WrestleMania the WWE "future endeavors" current talent.  

I am always interested to see who gets released.  As we know the WWE's main roster is currently overflowing with superstars.  In my mind there are way too many guys hanging around right now.  Some of them need to be back down in development, while a few others need to go.

Here are 5 guys who I think the WWE will cut.  (Note these are not necessarily the guys who I think should be cut)

1. JTG

2. Trent Barretta

3. Evan Bourne

4. Yoshi Tatsu

5. Michael McGillicutty

Of those 5 guys, I believe that Barretta and Tatsu should stay.  Both need a semi push and at least be on TV a little.  These would be a couple of great guys to put in Tag Teams to help bolster the Tag division. I am on the fence with Evan Bourne, his recent actions lead me to say let him go and get everything figured out and maybe the WWE can bring him back later.

IMO Mason Ryan needs to go.  He brings nothing to the table.  He is essentially the same as Zeke Jackson, but I believe Zeke is a better wrestler (not by much though).  

Let me know what you think.

Power Rankings Week 5

RAW

1. Undertaker - LW Unranked
2. Triple H - LW Unranked
3. CM Punk - LW 1
4. Chris Jericho - LW 2
5. John Cena - LW 6
6. Kane - LW 3
7. Dolph Ziggler - LW 4
8. Brodus Clay - LW 9
9. Zack Ryder - LW 5
10. Kofi Kingston - LW Unranked

SMACKDOWN

1. Sheamus - LW 5
2. Daniel Bryan - LW 4
3. Cody Rhodes - LW 3
4. Randy Orton - LW 1
5. Big Show - LW 2
6. Great Khali - LW Unranked
7. Mark Henry - LW 6
8. Wade Barrett - LW Unranked
9. Santino Marella - LW Unranked
10. Drew McIntyre - LW 8

I did not get a chance to watch IMPACT this week so I was not able to do the rankings this week.  Hopefully I will get to everything this week (although I will be out of town this weekend, I will get the rankings up as soon as possible)

January Stats

I have been compiling some stats since I started this blog, which happened to be at the start of the year.  Basically what I have been doing is keeping track of Match records for all WWE TV/Internet Shows (Superstars and NXT included) and PPVs, while also keeping the same stats for IMPACT.

*Note- For those who entered the Royal Rumble and were eliminated I did not count this as a match loss.  I simply have them down for having a match.  Sheamus on the other hand was credited with a win for the Rumble match.

WWE


Most Matches
T1. Daniel Bryan - 8
T1. Sheamus - 8
T1. Santino Marella - 8
T4.  Brodus Clay, Dolph Ziggler, Jinder Mahal, Wade Barrett - 7

Most Wins
1. Brodus Clay - 7
T2. Daniel Bryan - 5
T2. Sheamus - 5
T4. Santino Marella, Cody Rhodes, Epico, Primo - 4

Most Loses
1. Drew McIntyre - 5
T2.  CM Punk, Curt Hawkins, Tyler Reks, Tyson Kidd, Heath Slater - 4

Undefeated
Brodus Clay 7-0
Primo 4-0
David Otunga 2-0
R-Truth 2-0
Mason Ryan 2-0
Titus O'Neill 2-0
Randy Orton 1-0-1
Hornswoggle 1-0
Johnny Curtis 1-0

Winless
Drew McIntyre 0-5
Tyson Kidd 0-4
The Miz 0-3-1
JTG 0-3
Michael McGillicutty 0-3
Ezekiel Jackson 0-2
Booker T 0-1
Derrick Bateman 0-1
Chris Jericho 0-1
Kane 0-0-2

DIVAS Records
Brie Bella 3-2
Tamina 3-1
Beth Phoenix 3-0
Nikki Bella 2-1
Alicia Fox 2-1
Kelly Kelly 1-3
Natalya 1-4
Maxine 1-1
Aksana 1-0
Eve 0-3
Kaitlyn 0-1

Title Changes in January were:

Epico/Primo defeating Air Boom for the Tag Titles on January 15 at a house show
Jack Swagger defeating Zack Ryder for the US Title on January 16 Raw

TNA IMPACT

Most Wins
Matt Morgan and Crimson tied at 3

Most Loses
Mickie James at 3

Royal Rumble Rewind

Overall I was a little disappointed in the PPV as a whole.  Normally the Rumble is my favorite PPV of the year.  The Rumble sets the stage for the biggest show of the year.  The Rumble normally ends some feuds while starting up the biggest feuds of the year.  I don't know if we got that last night.

Daniel Bryan retains the World Heavyweight Championship vs Mark Henry and Big Show
This match was a disappointment to me.  Going into the match I predicted that Bryan would win.  I am fine with him winning as I believe it helps further his heel turn.  However, I feel that the match wasn't given enough time to truly tell a story.  I know the Henry is nursing multiple injuries, which I commend him for still competing, but the match did not have any flow.
I honestly believe that the match was supposed to last longer.  I think that Bryan slipped out of Big Show's hands before the match was supposed to end.  With that being said Bryan escaping from the cage plays perfectly into his current storyline.
Prediction: 1/1
Match Rating: 65/100


Beth Phoenix/The Bellas/Natalya defeat Kelly Kelly/Tamina/Eve/Alicia Fox
I was a little surprised to see this match happen as nothing was advertised.  I don't know why this surprises me because we all know the WWE is prone to adding matches to PPV's at the last minute.  As far as Divas matches go this one was not terrible.  Kelly Kelly had a good spot when she dove from the top rope to the outside onto the dog-pile of Divas.
It was also nice that they actually let the Divas have a match that lasted longer than 2 minutes.  I am actually glad they put the match on the card.
No Prediction
Match Rating: 50/100


Kane vs John Cena - No Contest
This enter match was a clusterf*ck.  The No Contest ending did not work for me.  If they want to prolong the feud then fine, just do it by letting Kane win.  We all know that Cena is going over in the end, which is fine because he needs to have momentum heading into Wrestlemania.  It just made no sense that on one of the biggest PPV's of the year they chose to go the No-Contest route.
It also appears that they are building a Ryder-Kane feud after Kane is done with Cena.  I have no problem with that either, but nothing made sense in the way it was done last night.
Prediction - 1/2
Match Rating - 35/100


Brodus Clay defeats Drew McIntyre
When I first heard Drew's music I was thinking "WTF?".  Then out came the Funkasauras and it made a little more sense.  By putting both of these guys on the PPV it shows up that the WWE has big thins planed for both.
For the first time we saw Brodus take a little bit of damage, granted he shook it off as he "Funked Up".
As happy as I was too see Brodus on the PPV I don't know that I like putting a squash match on the Rumble.  I do know that they wanted to use Brodus and I honestly believe this was a better option than putting him in the Rumble.  This way he still looks strong.  In the Rumble, we know he would not have won, thus he would have been thrown out.  That would have shown some signs of weakness for the big fella.  So in that sense I can understand what they were doing.
No Prediction
Match Rating - 45/100


CM Punk retains the WWE Championship by defeating Dolph Ziggler
I thought this match was very well down.  Punk and Ziggler both got to showcase what they do and the Punk/Laurinaitis feud was kept in place and used brilliantly during the match.  Ziggler showed that he belongs on the big stage.  He is going to be a Main Eventer for the next 10 years.  The guy has got "IT". He is going to be one of the guys that has the company on his shoulders for the foreseeable future.
As for the match, I loved the back and forth between Punk and Laurinaitis.  Their interactions are what helped the match reach that next level.
Also, Ziggler has one of the best counters to the GO TO SLEEP that I have seen.  Impressive.
Early candidate for Match of the Year.
Prediction - 2/3
Match Rating - 81/100


Sheamus wins the Royal Rumble Match
I felt that the RR match itself was a little underwhelming.  There were some good moment and some bad.  There were some surprises that I did not see coming.

Top Five Moments of the Match in order
1. Kofi's handstand - To me this rivals Morrison's spot from last year.
2. The Cobra and Socko standoff - I laughed out loud as this was happening.
3. The return of the Road Dogg - Oh You Didn't Know!
4. Ricardo Rodriguez - everything he did in the Rumble was great.
5. The Return of Kharma - I am glad she is back!

Breakout Star of the Rumble - Kofi Kingston - He was the most exciting man in the Rumble.  I believe this performance may help him stay out of the WWE cellar.

Surprise Entrant - Great Khali - I honestly didn't see that one coming.  All of the others I had heard rumored.  Rumor also has it that he may stick around for a mini-feud which would be fine by me.  I have always been a fan of Khali.  I know he isn't a great wrestler and his charisma is lacking, but there is something I like about him.  Maybe it is the fact that he is HUGE.

Biggest Surpise - Jericho Not Winning - I was surprised he did not win.  I would have bet money on him  being the winner, however I am sure that the WWE knew that most people thought he would win so they switched it up.  I am interested to see how Jericho ties his performance at the Rumble into his "The End of the World" schtick.

Rumble MVP - Cody Rhodes - Cody eliminated the most people in this years match.  Normally that would not be grounds to be the match MVP but they are grooming Cody to be a main event fixture for many years.  I am glad they are taking their time.  Not rushing him may be the best thing that could ever happen to him.  Only time will tell, but I feel that last night was the jump start for The Dashing One.

Overall I would give the show a rating of 65/100.  It could have been much better.  Hopefully the WWE can ramp up their game heading into Wrestlemania.

Royal Rumble Stats

First off I want to say that I did not see Sheamus winning the Rumble.  I was convinced the Jericho was going to win it all.  Apparently just another wrinkle in this Jericho story.

The Great White is Headed to Wrestlemania
Photo Credit to WWE.com

Here are some Stats from the Royal Rumble match.

Entry Order

1. The Miz

2. Alex Riley

3. R-Truth

4. Cody Rhodes

5. Justin Gabriel

6. Primo

7. Mick Foley

8. Ricardo Rodriquez

9. Santino Marella

10. Epico

11. Kofi Kingston

12. Jerry Lawler

13. Ezekiel Jackson

14. Jinder Mahal

15. Great Khali

16. Hunico

17. Booker T

18. Dolph Ziggler

19. Hacksaw Jim Duggan

20. Michael Cole

21. Kharma

22. Sheamus

23. Road Dogg

24. Jey Uso

25. Jack Swagger

26. Wade Barret

27. David Otunga

28. Randy Orton

29. Chris Jericho

30. Big Show

Breakdown by number of eliminations

0 Eliminations: Alex Riley, R-Truth, Justin Gabriel, Primo, Epico, Kofi Kingston, Jerry Lawler, Ezekiel Jackson, Jinder Mahal, Hunico, Booker T, Jim Duggan, Michael Cole, Road Dogg, Jey Uso, Jack Swagger, and David Otunga.

1 Elimination: 

Ricardo Rodriguez (Justin Gabriel)

Santino Marella (Ricardo Rodriguez)

Dolph Ziggler (Kharma)

Wade Barrett (Road Dogg)

2 Eliminations:

Miz (Alex Riley, R-Truth)

Great Khali (Jinder Mahal, Ezekiel Jackson)

Kharma (Michael Cole, Hunico)

Sheamus (Kofi Kingston, Chris Jericho)

Chris Jericho (Randy Orton, David Otunga)

3 Elimnations:

Mick Foley (Justin Gabriel, Primo, Epico)

Randy Orton (Big Show, Wade Barrett, Jey Uso)

4 Eliminations:

Big Show (Miz, Cody Rhodes, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger)

6 Eliminations:

Cody Rhodes (Mick Foley, Santino, Jerry Lawler, Great Khali, Booker T, Jim Duggan)

Tomorrow I plan on having a full review of the entire PPV up.

Predicting the Rumble

Yesterday I gave all of my Rumble predictions.  Today, I am going to give a list of the 30 guys I believe I will appear in the Royal Rumble match itself.  As awesome as it would be to predict all 30 men in the Rumble, I am going to say that is near impossible.  I will put it on the same level as predicting a perfect bracket during March Madness.
With superstars returning from injury and legends returning, anyone can be an entrant.  Also they have been promoting that any WWE superstar is eligible to be in the match this year, so that throws in another wrinkle.  I look for a few guys who compete earlier in the night to show up in the Rumble match.

Here is my prediction for the 30 entrants. The number beside them is no the number in-which I believe they  will enter, just simply a number so I can keep them in order.
1. The Miz
2. Sheamus
3. R-Truth
4. Randy Orton
5. Wade Barrett
6. Jinder Mahal
7. Santino Marella
8. Cody Rhodes
9. Chris Jericho
10. Mick Foley
11. Justin Gabriel
12. Hornswoggle
13. Mason Ryan
14. Brodus Clay
15. Ezekiel Jackson
16. David Otunga
17. Heath Slater
18. Christian
19. Kane
20. John Cena
21. Dolph Ziggler
22. CM Punk
23. Kofi Kingston
24. Hacksaw Jim Duggan
25. Papa Shango/Godfather
26. Rob Van Dam
27. Batista
28. Rey Mysterio
29. Goldust
30. Jack Swagger

Hopefully I can get at least 25 of them correct.
Batista is the biggest long shot of them all.  RVD has been rumored to come back after his TNA contract expires, and TNA wrote him off of tv with an injury a few weeks ago.  I look for Goldust to be involved so they can get the feud with he and Cody up and running.

On the Eve of the Rumble

Photo Credit to WWE.com

First off I want to start of by saying that the Royal Rumble is probably my favorite PPV of the year.  Wrestlemania is a very close second, but for me nothing is like the Rumble.  The Rumble sets us off on the Road to Wrestlemania.  The Rumble gets all the major storylines for the year up and running.  It is the place were the next great superstars are born.

This years Rumble is shaping up to be a good one.  We have some great storylines heading into the show.  Not only do we have the great Punk/Laurinaitis/Ziggler drama over the WWE Championship, we also have the Kane/Cena Embrace the Hate semi-mess, and we have a great story in the Bryan/Show/Henry battle over the World Heavyweight Championship.

CM Punk vs Dolph Ziggler has the chance to be the match of the year if they give it enough time.  Both of these guys bring it every night.  They are both at the top of the food chain in the WWE as far as in-ring performers go.  I expect nothing less than a 4* match out of these two guys.

Although Kane vs John Cena is not going to be a technical showcase, I am interested in seeing how this plays out.  Kane has dominated Cena up until this point.  One would think that Cena is going to get the best of Kane sooner or later, but with all of the changes Cena's character is going through it is hard to tell.

The triple threat cage match between Daniel Bryan, Big Show, and Mark Henry is also an interesting one in m book.  One would think that Bryan has no chance competing against those two monsters.  I will interested to see if Mark Henry is going to be able to go as he is coming off of a knee injury on Smackdown.  

And as we all know the Royal Rumble match itself is a hard one to call.  I love the unexpected entrants.  That is what makes it exciting to me.

MY RUMBLE PREDICTIONS

*Kane defeats John Cena - I am going out on a limb here.  I feel that if they let Kane win that he will help further Cena embrace the hate.  Kane's win would make Cena realize that he must make some changes.

*CM Punk over Dolph Zigger - Dolph will be a champ before the year is over, I just don't think right now is the time.  They need to keep developing him a little bit more.  I feel that he needs to drop Vicki as she has done her job already.  I think that Punk deserves to be the champ as Wreslemania.

*Daniel Bryan over Big Show and Mark Henry - I love Bryan's current heel run.  He is doing a great job  in getting the character heat.  There are some great feuds ahead if Bryan hangs on to the title.  I also feel he will hold on to the title at least until Wrestlemania.

The Royal Rumble Match

*We already know The Miz is entrant number 1.  Look for R-Truth to come in a #2.

*Ziggler, Punk, Cena, and Kane will all be in the match after competing earlier in the night.

*Mick Foley will eliminate Dolph Ziggler setting up a future feud.

*Goldust will enter the Rumble and eliminate Cody Rhodes.

*Batista or RVD will return for the Rumble.

*The Final Five superstars in the Rumble will be: Sheamus, Wade Barrett, Randy Oron, CM Punk and Chris Jericho.

*Chris Jericho will win the Royal Rumble Match.

Those are my predictions.  I went out on a limb for a few of them, but we will see what happens. 

Leave me your match predictions.  If a few of you leave them we will have a contest.  Who ever gets the most correct is the winner and I will let the person write a post for the blog after the Rumble.

Friday Night Power Rankings Week 4

RAW

1. CM Punk - Last Week 1

2. Chris Jericho - Last Week 5

3. Kane - Last Week 8

4. Dolph Ziggler - Last Week 4

5. Zack Ryder - Last Week 9

6. John Cena - Last Week 2

7. Jack Swagger - Last Week 7

8. R-Truth - Last Week NR

9. Brodus Clay - Last Week NR

10. Johnny Ace - Last Week 3

SMACKDOWN

1. Randy Orton - Last Week NR

2. Big Show - Last Week NR

3. Cody Rhodes - Last Week 5

4. Daniel Bryan - Last Week 1

5. Sheamus - Last Week 2

6. Mark Henry - Last Week 4

7. Hunico - Last Week 8

8. Drew McIntyre - Last Week 10

9. Justin Gabriel - Last Week 9

10. Tamina - Last Week NR (First Female to enter Power Rankings)

IMPACT

1. Bully Ray - Last Week 2

2. Robert Roode - Last Week 1

3. James Storm - Last Week 3

4. Jeff Hardy - Last Week 4

5. Alex Shelley - Last Week 9

6. Garrett Bischoff - Last Week 8

7. Matt Morgan - Last Week NR

8. Magnus - Last Week NR

9. Samoa Joe - Last Week NR

10. Eric Young - Last Week NR

These are the final weekly rankings for January.  There is a possibility of a monthly ranking coming within the next few days, but do not hold you breathe on it.  I am not guaranteeing anything.  I may keep my focus on the Royal Rumble.

Post Raw Evaluations

*Will Mick Foley retaliate against Johnny Ace for this attack last week?
NOPE.  Foley was only to be found in a brief segment with Zack Ryder and Eve.  I feel that the WWE may have missed out on a change to use Foley.  I know Punk/Johnny Ace is the bigger feud developing, but Foley can get into the mix.  Foley stills gets a good reaction so why not use hime?
*How does Zack Ryder respond after losing his title?
He responded by getting his back broke!!!! Kane destroying Ryder was fine by me, I understand they are developing him back as that monster heel.  Thats cool by me.  However a broken back for Ryder?  I don't understand this.  Now Ryder will be written off of TV for a while, just after being finally put on TV.  Maybe while out he can figure out a few ways to develop his character more.  Ryder was heading in the right direction, I just hope the the powers the be do not bury him.  He deserves better.
*Will we finally see the Divas Champ in 2012?
Apparently only on Superstars this week.  Beth taped a match for the internet show.  This is only helping further bury the divas division.  Maybe they need to take a look at TNA and see how a women's wrestling division in a major promotion is supposed to be.
*Will Kofi be used?
Another NOPE.  I can see him not being used simply because everything last night was geared torwards the Rumble.  Hopefully things get better for Kofi.
*Who will the man from Planet Funk destroy this week?
Winner Winner Chicken Dinner!!! My odds on favorite Heath Slater was the lucky one last night.  Also interested to see where this thing with Brodus and William Regal is heading.  Could be interesting and a great way to get Clay's career off to a great start.


Overall a solid RAW.  Not nearly as good as last week.  I am looking forward to getting the Rumble over so we can get on the "RTWM" and get into the best story's of the year.

Pre-Raw Thoughts and Questions

*Will Mick Foley retaliate against Johnny Ace for this attack last week?
Mick has played the biggest role yet in this budding McMahon/Austin 2.0 feud.  Mick got Johnny Ace to finally let his feelings known only to get blasted with the mic.  Will Mick show up tonight to get some revenge on Mr. Interim GM?
*How does Zack Ryder respond after losing his title?
They are at a cross roads with Ryder's character.  Last week showed a more serious side of Ryder, which is a good thing.  I believe Ryder chasing the title again will be a positive, I just hope that they do it differently than the last time (when he was chasing Ziggler).
*Will we finally see the Divas Champ in 2012?
Beth Phoenix hasn't been on WWE tv since Alicia Fox botched her somersault kick.  I would think they need at least 1 divas match at the Royal Rumble and it needs to be for the Divas title.  With that said Phoenix needs to be back on tv.
*Will Kofi be used?
First off, Evan Bourne has effectively killed Kofi Kingston.  Kofi finally found a place in the tag team division.  He was getting pushed out of the mid-card level as a singles wrestler, so it was either team up with someone or get demoted to jobber status.  Apparently he teamed up with Mason Ryan at a recent house show.  I wouldn't mind seeing those two form a full-time team.  I am not a Ryan fan, but in tag matches Kofi could do most of the work.  I also would not mind to see him team with Santino.
*Who will the man from Planet Funk destroy this week?
I was wrong last week.  I plan on keeping this a question until I get it correct.  Last week I picked Tyler Reks and Brodus ended up defeating JTG.  This week I am going to put odds on a few guys with hopes I can get it right.
25/1 Mason Ryan
15/1 Michael McGillicutty
10/1 Tyler Reks
2/1 Heath Slater
Sorry Mr. "One Man Southern Rock Band" but I believe you are the next victim of the Funkasauras.

Leave any comments, they are greatly appreciated.

Delayed....Friday Night Power Rankings Week 3

RAW

1. CM PUNK - LW 3
2. JOHN CENA - LW 2.
3. JOHNNY ACE
4. DOLPH ZIGGLER - LW 6
5. CHRIS JERICHO - LW 5
6. MICK FOLEY - LW NR
7. JACK SWAGGER - LW 8
8. KANE - LW 1
9. ZACK RYDER - LW 4
10. EPICO/PRIMO - LW NR

Honorable Mention to Brodus Clay.  He got serious consideration for debuting his new dance move "The T-Rex Arms".  And his dance off with Vicki on Smackdown was great fun.

SMACKDOWN

1. DANIEL BRYAN - LW 1
2. SHEAMUS - LW 4
3. WADE BARRETT - LW 5
4. MARK HENRY - LW 6
5. CODY RHODES - LW 3
6. TED DIBIASE - LW 9
7. JINDER MAHAL - LW NR
8. HUNICO - LW 7
9. JUSTIN GABRIEL - LW 10
10. DREW MCINTYRE - LW 8

IMPACT

1. ROBERT ROODE  - LW 1
2. BULLY RAY - LW 4
3. JAMES STORM - LW 2
4. JEFF HARDY - LW 3
5. AUSTIN ARIES - LW NR
6. GUNNER - LW NR
7. CRIMSON - LW 7
8. GARRETT BISCHOFF - LW NR
9. ALEX SHELLEY - LW NR
10. KAZARIAN - LW NR

Post Raw Evaluations

*Whats next for John Cena and Kane?

I really liked the story development this week.  Cena is starting to embrace the hate.  It was nice to see Cena start to show some more emotion.  Whether or not Cena ultimately turns heel or not doesn't matter to me.  As long as he can change things up I am happy.  We are starting to see some more layers to the Cena character, and that is thanks to Kane.

*What does Chris Jericho have planned next?

First off, Jericho's segment in Johnny Aces office was brilliant.  As far as the main event goes.  After they announced that he would team with Punk and Bryan, I knew that he wouldn't wrestle.  I did not know how he was going to get out of it though.  I assumed that he simply wouldn't take the tag when it came his way.  However, what happened was better yet.  After getting tagged it by CM Punk, Jericho did the same routine that he has done the last two weeks.  Prancing around and getting the crowd all hyped.  But this time after doing it for a short period, he tagged Daniel Bryan in and left.  Simply Brilliant.  

*What will happen with the New Tag Team Champs?

Air Boom got their automatic re-match and were unsuccessful.  I was glad that they let Epico and Primo keep the belts.  I like the tag team.  Hopefully they can continue to develop the division.  The Uso's need more TV time and it would be nice to see Tyler Reks and Curt Hawkins get some time to develop into another quality team.

*Will Zack Ryder be able to defend his US Title vs Jack Swagger?

Once again I think WWE dropped the ball.  I hope there is more to this and after watching the few segments following the match I think there may be.  I understand playing up the Ryder is hurt angle, but why are we sacrificing the US title for it.  Ziggler brought some prestige back to the title and Ryder was not hurting the belt.  I am not saying that Swagger will not be a good champion, however Ryder needed to have the title longer.

*Who does the Funkasauras get to destroy next?

Apparently I picked the wrong jobber this week.  I totally forgot about JTG.  In JTG's defense he did last longer than Tyson Kidd.  I see more jobbers ahead for Mr. Clay as he is developing the character even more.

Overall I feel the show was a very good one.  The touches of Foley were great.  The crowd seemed to be eating it up.  They are doing a good job of developing feuds.

Pre-Raw Thoughts and Questions

I am going to try to do a weekly entry with my Pre-Raw thoughts and questions.  Hopefully I can accomplish this.  If I can not do it weekly then I plan to do it as often as possible.

*Whats next for John Cena and Kane?
Will they continue to let Kane beat up on Cena until the Royal Rumble?  Personally I feel like this should happen.  Some may say it will get old, however to continue to build Kane's character back to where it once was, I think this is needed.  Plus we all know that Cena is going to win at the Rumble.  He has to have some momentum heading on the Road to Wrestlemania.

*What does Chris Jericho have planned next?
I believe the silent treatment will continue.  I believe it has to continue because Jericho is trying to get heat and up to this point I don't think it is working exactly like he has planned.  The University is still cheering for Jericho.  Sooner of later the boos have to start coming.....Don't they?

*What will happen with the New Tag Team Champs?
For those of you who may not know, Epico and Primo won the Tag Team titles over the weekend at a house show.  As interesting as this is, it is not something totally new.  The WWE has down it in the past, albeit not any time recently.  I am interested to see how they write this into the show.  I look for Air Boom to get a re-match tonight.

*Will Zack Ryder be able to defend his US Title against Jack Swagger?
I do not think Ryder will be on Raw tonight, simply to play up the attack from Kane last week.  However, I believe that this could be a mistake.  Finally they were bringing some creditability back to the US title and now it gets but on the back burner just because Ryder somehow gets caught up in the Kane/Cena feud.  It would not surprise me if they stripped Ryder because he is unable to defend in his scheduled match.  I hope this does not happen, but it would not surprise me.

*Who does the Funkasauras get to destroy?
Since returning last Monday, the man from Planet Funk destroyed Curt Hawkins on Raw and then Tyson Kidd on Smackdown.  He will definitely be on Raw tonight, but who is his victim?  My bet is Tyler Reks.