INSIDE THE RING NEWSLETTER
Edition 40
By Trevor Hunnicutt and Eddie T.
Trevor Hunnicutt’s Weekly TV Analysis
MONDAY NIGHT RAW
7
There were two components, with regard to importance, to Monday’s RAW. They were, in this order, the Batista/HHH confrontation and the rest. One of the major WrestleMania failings of the past few weeks has been the lack of followup to the Batista turn/push. WWE wrote a bad interview for Batista on February 28 after his turn, and neither have cut promos to make up for this. That was the point of the face-to-face confrontation of Batista and Triple H which was given the main event spot on RAW, and it did its job. Triple H cut a good promo, and then Batista cut a promo that was short on content, but had a catchphrase that the fans were looking for (“asshole”). The long-term promotion of this angle will ultimately undo the damage of the last few weeks and while Batista hasn’t said the right things (mostly WWE’s fault), he has looked the part, is charismatic, and has good facials. It won’t be enough for his title reign, but it will be enough for the WrestleMania build. In other words, the booking for the past few weeks has been hit-and-miss, but the bottom line is that it’s working (we’ll see how well when the WrestleMania buyrate comes in).
The rest of the show was a hodgepodge. The wrestling was limited, with a tag team match that needlessly portrayed how underused that division is (remember when Bischoff gave up on tag teams in 1997?) and a horrible (it wasn’t atrocious, but it was very disappointing and below par) match between Hassan and Michaels. The six-man tag team match was a good opener (Christian and Benjamin, on performance, both need to get pushes). The Highlight Reel was bad. Otherwise, there wasn’t really much to say about this show.
SMACKDOWN
5.5
The final Smackdown before WrestleMania was, as Eddie put it to me, at least decent. For a show that WWE considers its B-show (and we can argue the wisdom of that forever, I know I have), this was a good final show before Mania. Much of this low score is due to long-term booking problems, rather than errors native to this one. That said, here are the factors: the wrestling was bad and failed to supplement the angles in any meaningful way (Carlito/Cena was squandered and the Cruiserweight battle royal was so quick–like the WrestleMania battle royal last year–that it undermined London’s title change); the Akebono weigh in and match was about as listless and pointless as this entire feud; WWE made an effort this week with Guerrero and Mysterio, and they did a good job, but it was not enough to salvage a feud that fans have no reason to care about; the Cena/JBL feud has improved greatly especially in the past few weeks and though this feud isn’t percieved as something special, fans like Cena enough that they’ll bail him out. The decision they have to make for Sunday is whether to turn Sunday with a feud like this and in the shadow of Batista, or time it differently. We’ll see.
TBL Roundtable: WrestleMania 21
TBL Roundtable – WrestleMania 21
Lou Corsaro’s Predictions
— writer of Captain Lou’s View
Wow, that’s it, hah? WrestleMania 21 has some good matches, to be sure, but it just feels so limited. Like most of its recent PPVs, WWE builds up some great stuff, then gives us total garbage. Akebono vs. Big Show is a complete waste of time. Worst of all, just three of the eight titles will apparently be defended, and one of the three title matches involves Christy Hemme. Three or four of these matches will save the show, but this is embarrassing.
*** World Heavyweight Championship ***
— Triple H vs. Batista
Prediction: Batista
Analysis: I’ve struggled with this one (and Cena-JBL) for a while now. Conventional wisdom says that both Batista and Cena should win. If you are going to give them the titles at any point this year, this is THE place to do it. I feel a little uncomfortable picking Batista because he’s had the upper hand since this feud broke. In the end, I think there’s the possibility of a Ric Flair face turn to stop Trips from cheating.
*** WWE Championship ***
— JBL vs. John Cena
Prediction: John Cena
Analysis: It wouldn’t surprise me in the least to be wrong, given McMahon’s affinity for the JBL character he helped to create. I think it’s entirely possible for JBL to win, since his character could use the boost, and he could drop it later. But the next PPV is a Raw one, which means unless you have him drop it on Smackdown, Cena wouldn’t see the title for a couple months. That’s too far removed from the buzz of WrestleMania for me to think they’d wait to put it on him.
*** Women’s Championship ***
— Trish Stratus vs. Christy Hemme
Prediction: Trish Stratus
Analysis: I’m sure I don’t hate Hemme as much as some do, but this is embarrassing. Victoria and Molly Holly are too talented to be buried in favor of a no-talent cover girl. Stratus saves this one because she is absolutely amazing.
*** #1 Contender for the World Championship — Ladder Match ***
— Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane
Prediction: Edge
Analysis: I just want to start by saying that Edge was better on the microphone on The Highlight Reel than I’ve ever seen him. He finally meshed the intensity with the tone of his voice, and without too goofy of a facial expression. He is the most likely winner. The question is, do they want to continue the “I was screwed” angle. I think not, as it’s getting tired really fast. Edge wins and moves on to Batista, because I seriously doubt they’re gonna have the winner hang on to the title shot all year. Watch out, though. If a face wins this match, it could be hinting at a Triple H win.
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
Prediction: Kurt Angle
Analysis: Angle easily needs this more than HBK. Angle hasn’t wrestled much lately and, when he has, he’s lost. This feud has rejuvenated his character and made him relevant again. HBK will always be HBK. I expect this to be the match of the night and one of the best WrestleMania matches ever. My hope is that Angle does not cheat to get the upper hand, and that there is not a ton of blood. I’d just like to see these two guys battle it out for 30 minutes and leave it on the mat.
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Prediction: Undertaker
Analysis: I won’t get into the setup of this one, since I have nearly a whole column written on it. Let me just say that it has been absolutely awful. Just terrible. The word is that Orton will be out a couple months for shoulder surgery, so I have to believe The Streak will not come to an end. My assumption would be that it’s a vicious match and they play it as though Undertaker has injured him severely. When they do the draft lottery – if there is one – Orton gets selected to Smackdown and, in an interview, says he can’t wait to get there so he can get his revenge. Of course, that would all make perfect sense, so it probably won’t happen.
*** Sumo Match ***
— Akebono vs. Big Show
Prediction: Akebono
Analysis: Seriously, who cares? Is there ANYONE in America looking forward to this at all?
*** One-on-One ***
— Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
Prediction: Eddie Guerrero
Analysis: Another match for which I’ve hated the setup. The acting is horrible, although in Eddie’s case it’s not his fault – the dialogue blows, and it’s embarrassing that they couldn’t even book a decent tag-team title match for the champs. I’m sure the match will be of high quality, but for God’s sake, I’ve seen these guys wrestle several times in the past year. It’s not like it’s a one-off dream match or something. If their idea is to turn Eddie heel, then Smackdown’s writers have gone completely insane. Eddie remains one of the most – if not THE most – popular wrestler on the show, and I just don’t think the fans will buy him as a heel again. That’s why he was turned face in the first place.
*** Piper’s Pit ***
— Austin vs. Piper (Predict if Austin will stun Piper! – just for fun)
Prediction: No.
Analysis: With Muhammad Hussan continuing to make references to WM21, I have to agree that the rumors of his involvement here make sense. I expect Austin and Piper to have a hysterical back-and-forth until Hussan and Daivari interrupt. Piper and Austin battle with them, and whatever crappy idea WWE has goes on from there. The rumors, of course, say Austin will have a match with Hussan. Now, we all know that Austin is retired because his neck is a mess. So, if these rumors are true, why in God’s name would you have a legend like Austin risk his health for a match with a steaming turd like Hussan? No, no. We wouldn’t want to see Austin vs. HBK, Angle, The Rock, Triple H, Undertaker, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Benoit, Edge, Chris Jericho or even Batista and John Cena. No, no. The real moneymaker is Austin vs. Hassan. Either Vince Russo is sneaking around the halls in Connecticut passing notes, or someone’s been hitting the mushrooms a little too hard.
Trevor Hunnicutt’s Predictions
— writer of The Figure Four Leg Lock
While Sunday’s WrestleMania didn’t have comparable hype to past years, and is seen in some ways as a disappointing card, WWE has done a good (if rushed job) at putting together a card that balances the glitz expected from WrestleMania (Austin’s return is anticipated highly, etc.), the work needed to buoy a PPV into the upper echelon (Guerrero/Mysterio, the Ladder Match, and Michaels/Angle are all expected to be top quality), and adequate World title matches (Batista/HHH has lacked in recent weeks, but that will be largely undone by the strong long-term promotion of Batista and the match; Cena/JBL had questionable beginnings but has rebounded in recent weeks, as JBL has worked hard and Cena has caught on with fans particularly well). These elements counteract the fluff well (Akebono/Big Show; Hemme/Stratus). The event is well-anticipated, and is likely to be a strong success in quality and financially.
*** World Heavyweight Championship ***
— Triple H vs. Batista
Prediction: Batista
Analysis: This is by far the most important component of this card, and its success or failure will go along way to determining the success or failure of this company as the year goes on. As I mentioned, the feud has suffered in recent weeks due to ineffective and absent promos, but is successful (we’ll see how successful when this buyrate comes in) because of the long-term planning. The match could be good or it could be bad, depending on what Batista brings to the table on this specific night, how long the match goes, and how much Triple H gets out of Batista (the latter two of which are in HHH’s control). As time goes on, Batista is going to need to do more than look the part to be a successful champion (we don’t want more of the failures witnessed with Randy Orton and Chris Benoit).
*** WWE Championship ***
— JBL vs. John Cena
Prediction: John Cena
Analysis: I could argue finer points on the booking here, but for all intents and purposes, this feud has rebounded in the past few weeks. It certainly hasn’t been Blassie/Tolos, but WWE has done a good job in scripting Cena as a steveaustinesque heel in the past few weeks on Smackdown, Cena has been awesome on the mic (as usual), and JBL has been working hard. The result has been that fans have caught on to Cena of late, his segments have been highly rated, and he’s a believable challenger on the surface. I’m predicting a clean sweep for the face challengers in these title matches, and in this case, again, the big question mark is how effective/good the match is. Triple H is largely in control of the success or failure of the above match, but in this case, the success of this match and its result will be a concerted effort, and something of a miracle. Without a doubt, the success of Cena’s character is going to be the protection of his weakness, meaning he needs a good worker every month and JBL doesn’t fit the bill.
*** Women’s Championship ***
— Trish Stratus vs. Christy Hemme with Lita
Prediction: Trish Stratus
Analysis: This is what it is, and we all know the deal.
*** #1 Contender for the World Championship — Ladder Match ***
— Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane
Prediction: Edge
Analysis: The build for this match was both rushed and mediocre, but I think fans got the point, and for a midcard quality-bolster, it didn’t really need a ton more. (The odd stipulation and ignorance of the consequences to the IC title belt is demonstrative of the rushed setup and indeed the lack of long-term planning by creative). Expect a really good match. The winner here is important.
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
Prediction: Kurt Angle
Analysis: Best booked match on the card in the short-term, seen through by good promos from both Michaels and Angle. I expect match of the night here. The winner here isn’t as important, but I think Angle could use the win more as the heel (that said, Michaels will probably get it).
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Prediction: The Undertaker
Analysis: Orton, who is in a precarious position as heel, is done after this feud for shoulder surgery and likely the discipline issues as well. It’s likely, therefore, that he will get his 13th win. The feud has been good.
*** Sumo Match ***
— Akebono vs. Big Show
Prediction: Big Show
Analysis: I honestly don’t know.
*** One-on-One ***
— Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
Prediction: Eddie Guerrero
Analysis: The feud has meant nothing (I don’t think it was intended to mean more), but expect a great match.
*** Piper’s Pit ***
— Austin vs. Piper
Prediction: If Piper drinks his non-alcoholic beer, Austin won’t stun him.
Analysis: One of the biggest drawing cards on this show. We’ll see what results.
Keenan Graeme’s Predictions
— writer of Triple Play
INTRODUCTION: I haven’t been this bummed about a
Wrestlemania since number 13 or maybe 11. Other than
the Michaels/Angle match, the Piper’s Pit segment, and
maybe the HHH/Batista match, I just really don’t care
much about what the WWE has lined up. Nevertheless,
this event will shape the WWE landscape as we head
into April. Despite the fact that last year’s Mania
turned out to be a disappointment for most people, the
impact of it’s events lasted well into the summer; so
even though the lineup looks pathetic and the hype has
been poor, Wrestlemania 21 is still THE must-see
wrestling event of the year.
*** World Heavyweight Championship ***
— Triple H vs. Batista
Prediction: BATISTA
Analysis: A heel never left Wrestlemania as World
champion until Triple H came along, which makes it
difficult to pick a winner when he is in the main
event. Nevertheless, Batista should win this contest
and I think that he will. It’s time for some new
blood to breathe life back into the World title
picture.
*** WWE Championship ***
— JBL vs. John Cena
Prediction: JOHN CENA
Analysis: *Yawn* Basically people will tune into
this match for one reason – to see JBL finally lose
the championship. JBL has defeated all of the faces
on Smackdown since he won the title so there’s really
no reason to have him emerge victorious and Cena’s
stock will only go down if he doesn’t win this one.
Other than that, I can’t think of much to say about
this one. *Yawn*
*** Women’s Championship ***
— Trish Stratus vs. Christy Hemme with Edge’s new
future wife, Lita
Prediction: TRISH STRATUS
Analysis: Christy has absolutely no business winnng
this match but I do think that Lita’s training will
pay off for her. At the end of the match, Christy
will find herself in Lita’s favorite position – lying
on her back.
*** #1 Contender for the World Championship —
Ladder Match ***
— Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris
Benoit vs. Edge vs.
Christian vs. Kane
Prediction: Edge
Analysis: Edge and Christian both have extensive
experience in ladder matches, so they should feel
right at home in this one. Edge needs to take
advantage of his Rumble win over Shawn Michaels and
continue his push toward the World title in this
match. Hopefully he won’t be too exhausted, from the
time he spends with Lita, to perform in this match.
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
Prediction: KURT ANGLE
Analysis: Do you know how many pay-per-views Angle has
won in the last year? ONE! His stock is falling and a
loss to Michaels is simply unacceptable at this point
in his career. Kurt needs this win, while Shawn
doesn’t so for that reason alone, I’m going with the
olympic gold medalist to take this contest after we
witness a true classic.
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Prediction: Undertaker
Analysis: I really thought at first that Orton was
going to win and move to Smackdown. Now I’m hearing
rumours of Orton having shoulder surgery after Mania.
If he’s going to take some time off then it wouldn’t
make any sense for him to win the match. On the other
hand, Orton needs to come up with a big win after his
momentum killing feud with Triple H. There are too
many variables to think about so I’m going to go with
the man I want to win this match, Undertaker.
*** Sumo Match ***
— Akebono vs. Big Show
Prediction: AKEBONO
Analysis: This contest doesn’t make a lot of sense to
me. What is supposed to be so special about Show
being in this match? It’s not like Akebono isn’t used
to facing men his size or larger; and those men
actually know what they’re doing in this type of
match. Unless this is some sort of work, Akebono
should win easily and yet another good career push for
Show is squashed.
*** One-on-One ***
— Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
Prediction: REY MYSTERIO
Analysis: It’s looking like an Eddie heel turn is on
the horizon, but this is Wrestlemania, where the
biggest swerves of the year take place and what would
be a bigger swerve on the fans than a Mysterio heel
turn? That is what I’m predicting. Mysterio turns
the tables on Eddie, and cheats his way to victory,
turning on the fans in the process and maybe even
aligning with Chavo.
*** Piper’s Pit ***
— Austin vs. Piper
Analysis: You wanna know something sad? I’m a
wrestling purist and I’m anticipating this
non-wrestling segment more than anything else save for
the Angle/Michaels match. I fully expect the WWE to
unleash some sort of big surprise during this time. I
know everyone would like to see Austin stun the crap
out of Piper, but there has to be something bigger
lined up in this one. Could Roddy have a spare
coconut on hand? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.
Josh Fox’s Predictions
— writer of The Inner View
Wrestlemania is the best time of year to be a wrestling fan. Bigest names, greatest matches, best stage to be on. This year WWE hasn’t given us the round of great matches the usually give us, but they have concentrated a lot on the story of the matches we have which is good. The stories leading up to what we have adds feeling to the matches we watch, and I think we will all be pleased after the night is over.
*** World Heavyweight Championship ***
— Triple H vs. Batista
Prediction: Batista
Analysis: The build up for this one was great, the story behind it is also great, and even though I can’t stand the sight of Triple H dropping and regaining the belt, he still puts on great matches and this one won’t be any different.
*** WWE Championship ***
— JBL vs. John Cena
Prediction: John Cena
Analysis: JBL has done a tremendous job adding prestiege to the WWE title over the last year. John Cena has really come together in the last year with a few minor repairs he will be a great champion.
*** Women’s Championship ***
— Trish Stratus vs. Christy Hemme with Edge’s new future wife, Lita
Prediction: Trish Stratus
Analysis: I have this little thought in the back of my mind Lita will have hatred towards Christy for the same reason all the other Diva’s did for how she got her spot, I sense a Lita heel turn.
*** #1 Contender for the World Championship — Ladder Match ***
— Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane
Prediction: Christian
Analysis: I think Christian in a little more time can easily be World Championship material, he’s always been a great heel, and a good talker. I think a little later down the road is Christian’s time.
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
Prediction: Shawn Michaels
Analysis: I think Shawn Michaels fighting spirit will be alittle too much for Kurt to handle and Kurt will lose his cool and it will eventually cost him the match.
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Randy Orton vs. Randy Orton
Prediction: Undertaker
Analysis: As much as I want to say Orton is going to win to be put over, something still makes me want to think otherwise, Orton needs this win to put his place in history as a Legend Killer, so I will say Orton is taking this one.
*** Sumo Match ***
— Akebono vs. Big Show
Prediction: Big Show
Analysis: What would be the point of Akebono winning this match?
*** One-on-One ***
— Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
Prediction: Rey Mysterio
Analysis: If given enough time, this match has a chance to be a true classic, let’s just hope WWE does the right thing, and gives these guys a true chance to showcase their abilities.
*** Piper’s Pit ***
— Austin vs. Piper (Predict if Austin will stun Piper! – just for fun)
Prediction: All hell will break loose.
Analysis: All hell will break loose, and we all know Austin will stun Piper. What’s a Stone Cold apperance without a Stunner?
Eddie T.’s Predictions
— TBL Webmaster
WrestleMania is the Showcase of the Immortals. No matter how bad the state of the company, this still remains the #1 show of the year in professional wrestling! There really isn’t much more to say about that!
*** World Heavyweight Championship ***
— Triple H vs. Batista
Prediction: Batista
Analysis: The year 2005 in WWE depends on this segment. It is extremely important. Batista must get the win here, which is all but a lock, but the follow-up is once again the more important part. Other than that, the set up has been tremendous and although they fell off the waggon in the past month, the long-term planning and the “ahead-of-time” writing they did in the month before that still saved that feud! Good luck to Batista!
*** WWE Championship ***
— JBL vs. John Cena
Prediction: John Cena
Analysis: It’s now or never. He’s not ready, he can’t wrestle well, he’s not on that level yet, etc, etc. The excuses may go on, and on, and on. The fact of the matter is that WWE can’t afford to miss out on a Cena push a second time around! Now is obviously the time to put the title on him, since they have absolutely nothing going on. However, it is much more important for them to follow up on it in a strong manner!
*** Women’s Championship ***
— Trish Stratus vs. Christy Hemme with Edge’s new future wife, Lita
Prediction: Trish Stratus
Analysis: I hope there is a God, and if there is, Christy Hemme will be knocked out in ten seconds.
*** #1 Contender for the World Championship — Ladder Match ***
— Chris Jericho vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Benoit vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane
Prediction: Edge
Analysis: The ideal winner here is Christian. My second choice would be Chris Jericho. Those are the two guys that, in my book, should be on the top of the card right now. It’s been years since Y2J was in the main event, and putting him back there will be refreshing. I think it’s also time for the company to elevate Christian into a serious character, and give him more of a push. He’s shown that he deserves it. Unfortunately, I don’t see that happening. My money is on Edge, but knowing the stipulation of the match, I won’t be surprised to see a Kane win here, since they like to go to him when they have nothing else planned, and well, face it… It’s WWE. I doubt they have anything planned for after the match!
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Shawn Michaels vs. Kurt Angle
Prediction: Kurt Angle
Analysis: This should be the best match of the night, and if not, one of three best we’ll see at WrestleMania. Being the best-booked feud out of all on the card, I am expecting this to be a wrestling classic. Kurt Angle could use the win better than Michaels, but with HBK as the face, it could go either way!
*** RAW vs. SmackDown ***
— Randy Orton vs. Randy Orton
Prediction: The Undertaker
Analysis: This feud has been done OK. They have once again screwed-up a Randy Orton turn. This makes a total of two bad and meaningless turns in one year. What a horrible record. He’s pretty much done with. For those unaware of it, Orton will need shoulder surgery after WrestleMania, as he’s badly injured, so I don’t expect him to win this match, but rather come back with a new persona, and on a different show perhaps!
*** Sumo Match ***
— Akebono vs. Big Show
Prediction: Big Show
Analysis: DUD.
*** One-on-One ***
— Rey Mysterio vs. Eddie Guerrero
Prediction: Eddie Guerrero
Analysis: If I were you, I wouldn’t want to blink during that match. For the simple reason that if you do, you’re going to miss out on a lot! This should be one of the three matches of the night!
*** Piper’s Pit ***
— Austin vs. Piper (Predict if Austin will stun Piper! – just for fun)
Prediction: Yes
Analysis: A few realize it, but this is a historic moment for WrestleMania, the WWE, and professional wrestling. You have two of the industry’s best ever! A man who defined a generation and breathed life and a completely new direction into a failing company, will be the guest on a show that used to be liked by everyone a decade earlier, and was hosted by a man who is getting inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. Wow. The moment will be magical, and WrestleMania is the only stage for what should be the most special edition of Piper’s Pit up to date – The one pinning two of the greatest from two different generations — Roddy Piper and Stone Cold Steve Austin.
