It’s that time of the year again. The time when legends are made. When careers are ended. When new heights are reached. When the whole world stops what they’re doing for once, and it’s not because of a World Cup or because of the Olympics. It’s the time of the year when sports entertainment reaches its peak. When all the wrestling fans around the globe stand in awe because the superstars are giving it all they have. Every drop of sweat that is given off, every ounce of blood that is lost, and every impulse of energy that hits seem like the turn of the century. This is the Showcase of the Immortals. The Granddaddy of Them All. The Biggest Stage of Them All. The Biggest Extravaganza in Sports Entertainment History. This IS WrestleMania!!!
The show that changed the wrestling industry is headed our way for the nineteenth year in a row. Many say that WrestleMania XIX has the potential of being the greatest one of them all. With five top matches on the card, WWE has secured one great show! An Epic Encounter, a 20 Years In The Making Battle in Seattle, World and WWE Championships clashes, and a Generation-to-Generation Battle for superstardom mark this year’s greatest spectacle in wrestling.
Predictions:
Storm/Chief Morley (c) vs. Kane and RVD — World Tag Teams Championship [SUNDAY NIGHT HEAT MATCH]
– I think it was a good decision to have this match air on Sunday Night Heat, rather the PPV. After all, it seemed like a last-minute decision, as Chief Mthe Dudleyz not make it “officially” on the card, but I guess WWE is having some heat with Bubba for injuring both Randy Orton and Batista at a house show. I’m going to be bald on that one and say that Kane and RVD will win.
My Prediction: Kane and RVD, new World Tag Team Champions
Undertaker and Nathan Jones vs. A-Train and Big Show
– Probably many people are unhappy with that match being on the card. Big Show and A-Train have been getting it from the Internet “critics” lately as everyone has criticized them for their lame wrestling and bad in-ring work. When you pair these two together and put them in a match with a man who doesn’t like selling in Undertaker and a rookie in Nathan Jones, it looks like you have big troubles coming through. In my opinion, it’s good that WWE is putting these four in one match rather spreading them in more bouts on the card. Taker has changed lately and is willing to work with the new guys, or with bigger men. I don’t expect this match to be bad, nonetheless. I hardly doubt Undertaker won’t make his WrestleMania record 11-0.
My Prediction: The Undertaker and Nathan Jones
Team Angle (c) vs. Los Guerreros vs. Rhyno/Benoit — WWE Tag Team Championships
– Wow, what an encounter this will be! And we’re still at the bottom of the card! As I said in the preview at the beginning, this is shaping up to be a great WrestleMania. Team Angle are unbelievable in what they do and have offered TV viewers nothing but enjoyable matches since debuting on TV. They definitely deserve the straps. Los Guerreros seem stuck with their silly gimmick at the moment, but to be honest I enjoy it a bit. It’s not as bad and as racial as some people make it out to be. It’s just the type of thing we sometimes ignore. Rhyno and Chris Benoit are both singles competitors, so I would expect WWE to feud them soon with a heel turn coming through for one of them, probably Benoit. WWE loves to give the tag belts to a team of singles wrestlers sometimes to feud them later on upon losing. We’ll see what will happen, but for now I’m going with Team Angle.
My Prediction: Team Angle, still WWE Tag Team Champions
Matt Hardy (c) vs. Rey Mysterio — WWE Cruiserweight Championship
– This will be a great match! Like I said in the last News and Analysis (report), now is the time to make it happen for the cruiserweights. WWE has unbelievable talent in that division and the addition of guys like Shannon Moore and Brian Kendrick makes things even better! This should be a great encounters as both guys are good wrestlers. I have the feeling Mattitude will overtake Mysterio so Rey can win later on, but it’s Mysterio’s first WrestleMania and it’s about time WWE pays him off for all the loses to the guys like Angle for the past year or so since he debuted. It’s also a nice way to start the yet another push of the cruiserweight division.
My Prediction: Rey Mysterio, new WWE Cruiserweight Champion
Victoria (c) vs. Trish Stratus vs. Jazz — WWE Women’s Championship
– The women’s division has seen nothing but new heights of greatness constantly being reached by the competitors in it. Time and time again I’ve said how great the divas on RAW are, and what a great job they’ve done lately. Due to Victoria’s knee injury and her possibly surgery following the PPV, I’d say she’ll lose the belt. Then again, rumors of any surgery were shot down. However, I believe that WWE will put the gold on Jazz and focus more around her. They might do it at ‘Mania, they might not.
My Prediction: Jazz, new WWE Women’s Champion
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels — Generation-to-Generation battle
– This should be the third match on the card in my opinion. Wow. What an amazing feud it’s been. For three months now, these two guys have proved why they are both going to be remembered in the history of professional wrestling as legends (HBK has already proved that.). I’m looking forward to this match and it’s a bit hard to select a winner. Knowing Michaels, his pull backstage allows him to control the decision, and he doesn’t like losing. Jericho doesn’t mind jobbing so that makes it lean on one side. However, you have the other side, where HBK does the right thing and jobs to Jericho, and all the history clips of Shawn are put together into giving Jericho the rub, as it should be. Very tough choice, again. I’d say leave it to these two to entertain us and do their thing, and the better man will win.
My Prediction: Shawn Michaels
Vince McMahon vs. Hollywood Hulk Hogan — 20 Years in the Making
– It’s come to this, folks. The two main reasons why we have WrestleMania today — Vince McMahon and Hulk Hogan. If it wasn’t for these two, I would not be typying all this right now. I am a bit surprised, as I don’t know what to say about this match. I feel that WWE has done a good job with this feud, and obviously has given it a lot of TV time, which some disagree with. I feel that it’s all right to do that having in mind that it’s WrestleMania and that Vince and Hulk made it what it is. The Battle in Seattle will be big, and the result of it is going to be felt for the next several months. Hulkamania never dies, and Jimmy Hart seems to be back to pump more blood into its veins.
My Prediction: Vince McMahon via interference / Hulk Hogan via DQ
Triple H (c) vs. Booker T — World Heavyweight Championship
– This storyline started off pretty bad, as the WWE creative, and I loose that term loosely, team used some racial slurs and cheap shots to start things off. They have since (for the past two weeks) improved it in my opinion (mainly due to the involvement of Goldust) and Triple H and Booker T proved in the ring last week that they’re going to have an awesome match. Both guys are the “Gladiator” type of wrestlers so I would expect Triple H’s regular style to match well with Booker’s athletic moves and especially his many kicks. This will be a great match! The one thing that really confuses me is why they had Booker pin Triple H on RAW. If this is our hint for Triple H winning, and if Triple H does win, I will be a very pissed off man. I’ll have more on that if it happens, but… if WWE threw us off and still gave Booker the win, well, let’s just say, I think it’s the right thing to do and should be done! Then again, WWE doesn’t care what I think. I’m just a fan…
My Prediction: Booker T via DQ
The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin — the Epic Encounter
– Don’t know how much of an epic encounter this is. Steve Austin, I’ve got news for you… In a company in which the only character who lives in his past is HBK, you’re still working as if it’s ’97. It’s not. Austin needs a change in his character, and he needs it badly. The Rock touched on his character big time since he turned heel and he’s proven why he is indeed the greatest entertainer they have. Love him or hate him, you have to admit that The Rock is simply amazing. I praise everything he’s done so far and I wish he could stick around for longer because WWE could definitely use a strong heel (WHO JOBS TO UPCOMING STARS!) big time right now. Will we see Goldberg in this match? Who knows? I think The Rock is the one who should get the victory so he can later on job to either Goldberg or another upcoming guy. Or possibly even Kevin Nash. We’ll see.
My Prediction: The Rock
Kurt Angle (c) vs. Brock Lesnar — WWE Championship
– That is THE match for Sunday night. That should be the main event. Might sound funny, but I think that indeed this could turn out to be one of the greatest WrestleMania main events of all time. Kurt Angle is currently working with an injury which might leave him paralyzed in the ring, or end his career forever upon surgery. There is no words to use to describe how much I appreciate and love Kurt Angle’s work. He’s one of my favorite wrestlers, and in my opinion, the BEST wrestler WWE has had under contract since 2000. Brock Lesnar has lived up to the expectations and is the one WWE Superstar that the copmany did indeed create after their roster split. Angle — Olympic Gold Medalist, Lesnar — NCAA Champion. Angle — 2000 King of the Ring, Lesnar — 2002 King of the Ring. The race is on! I think it’ll be best for Angle to win as this could be his last match.
My Prediction: Kurt Angle
Have fun watching WrestleMania and hit back next week for full analysis. Have a good one! Thanks for reading!
Eddie
