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

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

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.
         

Friday Night Power Rankings Week 2

Raw
1. Kane - Last Week 3 - The Kane/Cena feud dominated Raw.  Kane not only got the best of John Cena twice, but he also put a big-time choke slam on Zack Ryder.  The monster has returned as Kane has gotten the best of Cena in every exchange so far.
2. John Cena - Last Week 2 - Still the main man on Raw and the WWE, no doubt about that.  With ratings sliding, it appears that the powers that be are putting the ball back in Cena's court.  Will this feud with Kane lead to a Heel turn in time for WrestleMania?  Only time will tell.
3. CM Punk - Last Week 5 Punk broke out of his slump with a win against Jack Swagger.  Things continue to get interesting with he and Johnny Ace.  Hopefully this min-feud with Ziggler doesn't get pushed to the wayside in-favor of the Boss/Employee feud.  Punk v Ziggler at the Royal Rumble has Match of the Year potential.
4. Zack Ryder - Last Week 6 - Even without a match Ryder was a focal point of Raw.  Somehow he has been drug into the Kane/Cena feud.  His budding romance with Eve also continued this past Monday.  It appears the Zack will be out of action at least one week while selling the Kane segment.
5. Chris Jericho - Last Week 1 - Another week without words from Jericho.  However this week he did leave crying.  I do like seeing the layers develop in this version of the Jericho character.  Personally I still think this bit is working, but this week did not have as much impact as last week.
6. Dolph Ziggler - Last Week 3 - Ziggler continues his ascent to main event status.  This week he got to tangle with Cena.  I wish however he would have got back in the ring and at least have picked up a count out win.  WWE sort of dropped the ball on this one as all the focus was on Kane/Cena.
7. Brodus Clay - Last Week NR - Did anyone see that coming?  I can answer that.....HELL NO! Big Brodus made a surprising return on Monday.  Not that him returning was surprising, but just the way he did it.  Not only did he defeated Hawkins on Monday night, the Funkasauras defeated Tyson Kidd on Smackdown in about 25 seconds.
8. Jack Swagger - Last Week 7 - It appears that Swagger is inline for the next shot at the US Title.  This week he lost to CM Punk.  The loss is controversial because I honestly believe the ref botched it.  At first I thought it was part of the story, but re-watch the match on youtube and tell me what you think.  You can hear the referee say that he screwed up.
9. Ricardo Rodriguez - Last Week NR - He made the list simply because his calling out of R-Truth was hilarious.
10. The Miz - Last Week 9 - Not much out of the Miz this week.  He ran around in fear of R-Truth and LIttle Jimmy.  How bad is it when you have to have RR do your dirty work for you?

Smackdown
1. Daniel Bryan - Last Week 1 - Bryan held on to the title once again.  We are also still seeing the development of his character.  I am not completely sold on it yet, but I am willing to give it time.
2. Big Show - Last Week 2 - Show is doing some of the best work of his career IMO.  He may have had a shot at the WHC if he did run into Miss AJ.  At this point everyone knows that Bryan can not beat Show straight up.  The only chance show has to get a clean win is inside of Hell in a Cell.
3. Cody Rhodes - Last Week 3 - Cody said he plans on pulling an "Ultimate Warrior" and holding both belts at the same time.  That very well could be possible.  He has held the IC belt for 5 months and I do not see anyone taking it off of him right now.  There is no one else in the Mid-Card scene on Smackdown capable of it at this point.
4. Sheamus - Last Week 6 - Sheamus is building momentum for the Royal Rumble.  He looks to be one of the favorites heading in, however I do not believe he wins.  Next week he has a big match-up with Wade Barrett.  In the words of JR...That one should be a slobberknocker.
5. Wade Barrett - Last Week 5 - I wish Barrett would have had a match this week to continue his Barrett Barrage.  However he did come out and talk some crap about Sheamus.  This little mini-storyline should lead to some good stuff heading into the Rumble.
6. Mark Henry - Last Week 4 - With no match, Henry still managed to keep himself in the WHC picture with his opening segment with Bryan.  A 3 way dance as RR is on the horizon.
7. Hunico - Last Week 7 - I am glad they are putting him on TV every week.  He can put on some good matches.  Putting him into a program with Dibiase will only help out both of them.
8. Drew McIntyre - Last Week NR - Something is brewing for Drew.  He is finally getting TV time on a weekly basis.  We all know they are not going to be firing him as the storyline portrays.  I am interested to see where this is heading.
9 Ted Dibiase - Last Week NR - Picked up a win vs Drew and has a budding feud with Hunico.
10. Justin Gabriel - Last Week NR - He and Slater actually put on a pretty good match.  Hope he continues to get the TV time.  I honestly would not mind him getting a big push and challenged Cody for the IC title.  Plus he may have the best finished on Smackdown.

IMPACT
1. Robert Roode - Last Week 1 - Slowly becoming one of the best heels in the business.  Roode is becoming the go to man in TNA.
2. James Storm - Last Week 5 - The New #1 contender.  Had a pair of good bouts with Kurt Angle this week.
3. Jeff Hardy - Last Week 4 - The biggest draw that TNA has.  I look for him to somehow be put into the title match with Storm and Roode.  I look for Hardy to be the next TNA Heavyweight Champ.
4. Bully Ray - Last Week 3 - After a brutal loss to Abyss on Sunday.  Bully Ray made his presence known as he helped keep Hardy from winning the strap.
5. Kurt Angle - Last Week 2 - After losing to Storm on Thursday, I look for Angle to take more time off to focus on the Olympics.
6. Matt Morgan - Last Week NR - Morgan and Crimson won a pair of matches this week.  A budding feud with Joe and Magnus is on the horizon.
7. Crimson - Last Week NR - See write up for Matt Morgan.
8. Samoa Joe - Last Week 8 - Making a run for the tag titles.  Put a severe beat down on the champs this past Thursday.
9. Magnus - Last Week 9 - See write up for Samoa Joe.
10. Abyss - Last Week 6 - Picked up a big win vs Bully Ray on Sunday.  However the disappearance and absence from Thursday hurt him in my mind.  I know if is most likely part of the plan, but it did not work for me.

Make way for the Funkasauras

We all knew the debut of Brodus Clay was coming.  We didn't know when, but we knew sooner or later Clay was going to pop up on Raw.  Johnny Ace (in reality just creative failing to find anything for him to do after they stole his idea and put it on Mark Henry) delayed his delay and kept promising us his debut.

Photo Credit to WWE.com

Above is a picture of the Brodus Clay we all expected.  The one who finished 2nd on NXT.  The Brodus Clay who we all saw as Alberto Del Rio's Bodyguard.  The Clay who we recently saw killing people on Superstars.

Photo Credit to WWE.com

This is what we get?  The Funkasauras from Planet Funk?  With Ernest "The Cat" Millers theme music? Backup-Dancers?  The love child of Disco Inferno and King Kong Bundy?  Did anyone see this coming?

As wrong as it all may seem.......I LOVE IT.  It was nice to see something that no-one expected.  It is also nice to see a legit gimmick back in the WWE.  It was nice to see big Brodus enjoying himself.  It may be a goofy gimmick, but what is not to like?

Everyone needs to remember....The wrestler makes the gimmick, the gimmick doesn't make the wrestler.  I think Brodus can make it work.  It appeared that he was having fun on Monday night.  While on his entrance, while in the ring, and post match (even in the WWE.com exclusive) G-Rilla was smiling and having a good time.  Dude was even giving in ring commentary.

Plus do we really need another Monster Heel?  We already have plenty of them and it has been played out.  As much as I like Mark Henry and what he is doing, do we really need Clay to be Mark Henry 2.0?  I think Brodus can make this work.

Lets just say that for once I was excited because something happened that I didn't see coming.  Something completely un-expected.  WWE delivered!

As one final note........Somebody call my momma!!!!

Friday Night Power Rankings

Every Friday night I am going to be giving my power rankings for the week that was.  Everything prior to the previous Friday will be thrown out.  At the end of each month I will give overall rankings that encompass the entire year up to that point.  I will be ranking both WWE Brands and IMPACT.

Week 1-2012
RAW
1.     Chris Jericho - Had the best segment on RAW with his long awaited return.  The most talked            about man in wrestling right now.
2.     John Cena - Still the focus of Raw.  Involved in multiple segments and a very interesting ending of the show as his feud with Kane continues to heat up.
3.     Dolph Ziggler - Although it may have not been a clean win, a win over the champ shows that the WWE believes in Ziggler.  He may not win the title at the Rumble, but big things are ahead.
4.     Kane - Continues in one of the biggest storylines on Raw.  I have no idea where this feud with Cena will lead, but Kane is back to his old ways, which can only be a good thing.
5.     CM Punk - The champ lost in sem-controversial fashion to Ziggler, but the real story is the feud with Johnny Ace.  Seems like the WWE is giving us Austin/McMahon 2.0.
6.     Zack Ryder - The Woo Woo Kid once again main evented Raw.  He was also a key part of the Kane/Cena segment.  Also he got to "pound" Eve on national television.
7.     Jack Swagger - Swagger got to be a part of the main event, which is definitely better than where he was been.  It also appears a feud with Zack Ryder is on the way.
8.     R-Truth - Truth has kept the crazy gimmick while turning Face.  It appears to be working so far.  Only time will tell.  However I doubt that they let him go over Miz in this ongoing feud.
9.     The Miz - Miz's feud with R-Truth is in full swing after Truths hiatus.  Truth has got the best of him so-far.
10.   Santino Marella - After get squashed by Wade Barrett on Monday, Santino revenged that with a big win on Friday.  Although on the RAW Brand, The King of the Cobra is now the Assistant General Manager of Smackdown.  That spot worked out well for Ryder so only time will tell for Santino.

SMACKDOWN
1. Daniel Bryan - The Heavyweight Champ was the only man in the WWE to pick up 2 victories this week.  It appears that the powers that be may believe in the American Dragon.
2. Big Show - Show Main-Evented both shows this week.  It appears he is on route to a heel turn.
3. Cody Rhodes - Rhodes retained his IC title by defeating Booker T in Smackdowns Opener.  Cody continues his long title reign and appears to be on his way to a short feud with brother, Goldust.
4. Mark Henry - Despite being injured, Henry has still been a force.  He continues to mess with the Big Show which leads me to believe a Triple Threat for the World title may be upcoming.
5. Wade Barrett - The Barrett Barrage continued this week as Wade laid waste to Sheamus.  It looks like 2012 could be his year.
6. Sheamus - It took both Barrett and Mahal to take out Great White.  He is currently stuck in a story with Mahal.  Hopefully he can continue his momentum into the Royal Rumble.
7. Hunico - I am becoming a fan of Hunico.  It appears that the WWE Brass may also be a fan.  With the addition of Bodyguard Camacho I expect good things from the former Black Sin Cara.
8. Hornswoggle - Many may not be a fan of the little guy, but I always enjoy seeing him.  I know that we cant expect much more from him, but I am glad he is getting some good TV time.  He is always entertaining to me.
9. Jinder Mahal - Mahal got the best of Sheamus but only after Barrett had already done most of the damage.
10. Goldust - It appears a feud with baby brother is on the horizon.  I wish they could have done it at Wrestlemania but any time will be good.

IMPACT
1. Robert Roode
2. Kurt Angle
3. Brother Ray
4. Jeff Hardy
5. James Storm
6. Abyss
7. Gunner
8. Samoa Joe
9. Magnus
10. Eric Young

Please leave comments and let me know what you think.