Rasslin' Ramblings: My Five Favorite Macho Matches

Like I said when commemorating him a couple weeks ago, Randy Savage was the complete package not just as a professional wrestler, but as an entertainer flat out. Everything from his look to his voice to his cadence and delivery to the way he moved was refined painstakingly to maximize his innate charisma and create one of the most memorable characters in pop culture.

But as I also said, when it came back to pure athleticism and being able to tell a physical story in the confines of the wrestling ring, well, the Macho Man could do that better than most too.

Here are my personal favorite matches featuring Randy Savage in all his Macho glory.

5. Randy Savage vs Ric Flair (WCW Great American Bash 1995)
Two of wrestling’s greatest performers had an awesome, intense and personal rivalry that spanned two companies and nearly a decade; their clashes both in the ring and on the mic are all worth looking up. But while they had a classic encounter at WrestleMania VIII for the World title and later battled over the WCW World title as well, I most enjoyed this hidden gem where nothing was on the line but pride. With Flair having attacked his elderly father a month prior, Savage comes out a house of fire and basically spends 15 minutes with Flair on the run, desperately searching for the proverbial fire extinguisher. Flair and Savage’s characters meshed very well—the scheming douchebag versus the hero with a hair trigger—and their chemistry made for a great one here.

4. Falls Count Anywhere: Randy Savage vs Crush (WWF WrestleMania X)
In the final high profile match of his World Wrestling Federation career and his swansong on the WrestleMania stage, Randy Savage turns it on and proves that he was anything but past his prime. “Macho Man” not only keeps up with the younger, stronger Crush, he laps the big man, stinging him like a furious gnat and selling the weight of their months-long conflict that drew him out from behind the announce table and into combat with his former friend and protégé. Some might rag on the finish—Savage hogties Crush backstage and escapes back to the ring to claim victory—but I think it just showed another side of Savage, the cerebral veteran who knew how to eke out a win over the unbeatable monster. The best in Savage always seems to come out when he has something to prove, and he certainly had to silence the naysayers with this one.

3. For the WCW World title: Sting vs Randy Savage (WCW Spring Stampede 1998)
The last truly great match of Randy Savage’s career before a knee injury forced him to slow down in his final days as an active competitor. Sting had been more or less sleepwalking since taking a year off and morphing into his Crow gimmick, but here the “Macho Man” slapped him in the face and woke him up in time to start having fun again. Savage shows off his versatility once more here, attacking with fury from the onset and showing he can brawl just as well as he can wrestle when the need arises. The fire in Savage’s eyes is one of a man written off with everything to prove; he convinces you that he not only needs to win here, but that he can overcome the boogeyman who nearly destroyed the entire New World Order, that he really is “the most dangerous man in wrestling.” After 10 minutes of a fight that spills all over the arena, Kevin Nash ultimately gives “Macho Man” the win and World title, but Savage is absolutely the one who earned it.

2. For the WWF Intercontinental title: Randy Savage vs Ricky Steamboat (WWF WrestleMania III)
From a technical standpoint, this always needs to be in the discussion as far as the great wrestling matches of all time. Nearly 15 minutes of non-stop action where you never for a second have a moment to breath for an extended rest hold or dry double knockout spot; it’s pure energy unleashed in a dual performance as brilliantly choreographed as any ballet. Legend has it they spent months of house shows wrestling one another and taking the best pieces of each encounter to assemble into this masterwork; legend also has it that the meticulous Savage nearly drove Steamboat nuts with his obsessive attention to detail and pre-planning, but hopefully for “The Dragon” the ends ultimately justified the means as it did those of us watching. Both men got every opportunity to show off their athleticism and signature spots, being it Steamboat “skinning the cat” or Savage launching himself from the top turnbuckle. There was just enough story flourishes injected via George Steele and Ms. Elizabeth, but mostly the wrestling was the story, and by the time Steamboat got his fluke rollup for the win, you had been dazzled by so many nearfalls to the point of near exhaustion. These days it’s tough for two wrestlers to capture our imaginations for the length this match did without some kind of gimmick, be it tables, ladders, chairs or simply no disqualification, but Savage and Steamboat did it the old-fashioned way.

1. Career vs Career: Randy Savage vs The Ultimate Warrior (WWF WrestleMania VII)
In all the time prior and the twenty years since, I still don’t think a truly emotional and touching story has ever been told in the medium of professional wrestling that matches up to this one. On the day Randy Savage passed, I saw folks who hadn’t watched in years noting they still remembered this one. I remember Scott Keith writing long ago in regards to this match “And they say it can’t be Shakespeare” or something along those line, and he nailed it. The then “Macho King” came into this having been built as the quintessential villain for two years, having turned his back on best friend Hulk Hogan and true love Ms. Elizabeth and become an over-the-top bad guy complete with outlandish “royal” demands and the shrill Sensational Sherri as his new consort. The Savage-Ultimate Warrior feud consisted of Warrior denying Savage a title shot when he was World champion, “Macho Man” screwing his rival out of the championship, and the two of them having nothing left to gamble but their careers. Two things stood out right from the start to set the tone: Elizabeth being shown in the crowd and Warrior foregoing his usual sprint to the ring, instead walking slowly and underscoring the stakes. Savage bounced around like a pinball for Warrior, and in return, the Ultimate one delivered what I consider to be his best match; both guys perfectly walked the line between the overblown goofy fun that lies at the heart of professional wrestling and the serious business they needed to demonstrate in character. Both men delivered everything they had—including an unprecedented three flying elbow drops from Savage and Warrior hitting all his patented moves—but neither could keep the other down. When Warrior finally got the duke, you believed that Savage had absolutely pushed his body to the limit and beyond. But of course the true beauty beyond what occurred from bell to bell is Sherri turning on her charge, Elizabeth coming to his rescue, Savage realizing what has transpired and doing a complete 180 to go out a hero, reunited with the woman who meant more to him than his very career. The facial expressions on Randy’s face as he pieces together what happened showcase his talent every bit as much as the match and the moment where after five years he finally holds the ropes open for her as opposed to vice versa was just the cherry on top; not just a great match, not just a great wrestling saga, but one of my favorite stories from any medium.

Rasslin' Ramblings: WrestleMania XXVII Wrap-Up

WrestleMania XXVII is in the books. My picks fared atrociously with only three of my predictions coming to pass (thank you Cody Rhodes, Undertaker and, well, Snooki). And already WWE has churned furiously forward, not only more or less changing the name of the company (a press release went out mid-week noting they’re no longer World Wrestling Entertainment, now just WWE, an acronym standing for nothing, as they want to de-emphasize “wrestling” and focus more on expanding into general entertainment) but also setting the main event of WrestleMania XXVIII—the event one year away!—as John Cena vs The Rock.

Before we completely move on, however, I do have some thoughts on the big show and what it meant in the larger sense. I went into far more detail with the gang over at the PoP!-Cast Wrestling podcast earlier this week—a fine two hour-plus listen if you’ve got some down time and like to hear guys attempting to make themselves laugh while perhaps providing some insight in the process—but want to repeat or expand on some salient points here…

The thing that jumped out most to me about WrestleMania XXVII in looking up and down the results of the card and what went down—and for full disclosure, I’ve only gotten to watch the final three matches thus far—was that it really seemed to send the message that WWE gave doing something new the old college try in 2010, it didn’t work, and this was them admitting defeat.

2010 was, of course, the year that WWE took more risks than they had in nearly a decade as far as pushing new—and at time untested—stars in an attempt to jumpstart a legitimate youth movement and hopefully find the successors to John Cena, Randy Orton, Edge, etc.

Sheamus was a two-time WWE Champion by mid-year and a main event fixture against the A-list players, not to mention seemingly being groomed for a lengthy feud with Triple H at some point. The NXT season one—and some season two—rookies, led by Wade Barrett, dominated Raw for the latter half of the year as the Nexus, and also made it collectively to the main event of SummerSlam. Daniel Bryan came back from a brief release to win the U.S. title and a prominent babyface role on Raw. Alberto Del Rio made an immediate impact on SmackDown, putting Rey Mysterio and Christian out of action. Younger veterans like Jack Swagger, John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler were all pushed near or two the top of the card with The Miz leading the charge by taking the WWE championship from Randy Orton.

Now let’s take a look at how the “WWE Youth Movement” fared at WrestleMania XXVII:

Alberto Del Rio, seemingly a foregone conclusion to go over Edge and win the World title, lost in the opening match. Wade Barrett and his former Nexus cronies in Corre went down to Big Show’s ad hoc team in under two minutes. Sheamus and Daniel Bryan, set to face off for the U.S. title—Sheamus having been edged ceremoniously out of any program with Triple H—got bumped from the card and their dark match morphed into a battle royal won by The Great Khali. I’d argue Morrison and Ziggler actually did just fine as the male portion of a six person mixed tag match involving Snooki given the amount of mainstream exposure both got residually as a result, but neither guy actually tagged in. Swagger also got something of a push as Michael Cole’s trainer for his match against Jerry Lawler and is probably more over as a heel than he has ever been right now, but then read that sentence back.

Only The Miz escaped relatively unscathed, receiving an amazing video package and then managing to upset Cena and retain the WWE title, albeit via interference by The Rock and having to take a People’s Elbow to end the show. Also worth noting on a smaller scale is that Cody Rhodes went over Rey Mysterio in probably the sleeper match of the evening.

The guys who came out of WrestleMania XXVII looking the best? Edge, Randy Orton, Big Show, The Undertaker and The Rock—the usual suspects as well as a guy who hasn’t been a WWE fixture in seven years and, while a tremendous attraction, will likely make sporadic appearances at best over the next year.

Before you get out the pitchforks though, let me say my piece: I don’t necessarily disagree with WWE’s reasoning here.

Do I disagree with certain choices? Certainly. Most glaringly, I think Alberto Del Rio is ready to be World champion, particularly on SmackDown where the pressure is significantly less glaring than on Raw. To a lesser extent, I understand the frustration many are feeling about Rock closing the show and laying out Miz in addition to his main rival, Cena. And yes, in a perfect world Sheamus and Bryan would have made the card, but ultimately, WrestleMania stands out as a show in large part on spectacle, so if you needed to cut something to give time to show some celebrities or the Hall of Fame inductees, yeah, I think that was the logical one to end up on the chopping block. Corre getting decimated? I don’t love it, because I personally like those guys, but I can see why it happened.

At the end of the day, by all reports, 2010 was not the most financially lucrative in terms of pay-per-view buy rates for WWE. Obviously there are likely dozens of factors that contributed to this and I’d be a fool to assume I have any great insight, but I also don’t think it’s completely absurd for the powers that be to come to the conclusion that placing guys like Wade Barrett, Jack Swagger and Sheamus in top draw spots maybe they weren’t ready for and the average fan didn’t embrace hurt their bottom line.

There were times during 2010 when as excited as I got that something new and different was happening, the lack of storyline logic got to me. There’s no better example of this than Nexus. The novelty of seven rookies being in the main event of SummerSlam was neat, but it bugged me that they were up against a team of WWE all-stars and former World champions whose only real disadvantage was “their egos will clash.” It never felt to me like Nexus had a chance because their numbers advantage was negated and they didn’t seem to give themselves an edge. As the fall went on and Wade Barrett was going over guys like Chris Jericho cleanly or Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater were outwitting Randy Orton and Edge en route to disqualification or countout victories, part of me just wasn’t buying it. I have to imagine I wasn’t the only person who felt this way, particularly among the more casual fans.

Wade Barrett is a helluva talker and solid in the ring, but I don’t think he was ready to be working main event matches with Randy Orton and John Cena only a few months after getting called up to the main WWE roster. I do think Sheamus proved he was ready and Alberto Del Rio could do the same, but unfortunately I think at some point not long before WrestleMania the young guys—with the thankful exception of Miz—got lumped together as having fairly or unfairly dropped the ball in 2010, and thus the decision was made to make the biggest show of the year about the proven commodities as well as banking on nostalgia with The Rock, Stone Cold and even Undertaker and Triple H.

I don’t blame WWE for getting gun shy and going back to the well of familiarity after a mediocre 2010. I’ll get frustrated if they fully revert to making Cena, Orton, et al. the only spotlight players as we forge further into 2011, but I don’t think that will be the case. Miz is still firmly entrenched as WWE Champion and a bigger deal than ever after WrestleMania. Alberto Del Rio didn’t win the World title last week, but it does seem only a matter of time. Wade Barrett’s push has been slowed, but he’s Intercontinental champion and has more breathing room to develop naturally. John Morrison and Dolph Ziggler should be in the main event mix sooner rather than later, as should Cody Rhodes. WWE also seems pretty committed to making Sin Cara a star, which I’m excited about. The guys who really seem to have suffered from the collective squelching of the youth movement are Sheamus and Daniel Bryan, but hopefully talent ultimately wins out there.

So yes, WrestleMania XXVII was in many ways a somewhat sad commentary on the seeming failure—at least in WWE’s eyes—of their young stars in 2010, but hopefully this will merely redouble their efforts to trying harder—but perhaps with a slightly more tempered approach—in 2011.

The other overriding thought I had coming out of WrestleMania XXVII was simply how much WrestleMania’s role has changed in terms of being the “season finale” for WWE (and before that WWF). When you go back to the first dozen or more incarnations, WrestleMania was where all the major feuds and angles for the year wrapped up and the following night on Raw or weekend on Superstars, you got set to learn where the promotion was headed for the next several months to a year and who the fresh crop of challengers and main event guys were as SummerSlam and beyond beckoned.

You look at stuff like the explosion of the Megapowers, Shawn Michaels’ pursuit of his first World title or Stone Cold Steve Austin doing the same and those storylines always culminated at WrestleMania. Sure you could argue that as far back as 1987 the Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant feud stretched past WrestleMania III, but at the least that night in the Silver Dome was a major turning point and it would be nearly a year before you saw them in the same ring again. Even the Megapowers issue continued past WrestleMania V on into SummerSlam and beyond, but again, only after diverging in a big way where Hogan vs Randy Savage was hardly even the focal point anymore.

Things changed once pay-per-views became a monthly staple, and most significantly around WrestleMania XV, where while Stone Cold got the WWF title back from The Rock there, they still squared off again almost immediately the next month at Backlash. Every subsequent year since and spreading beyond just the main event, the April pay-per-view has morphed into more or less a replay of WrestleMania, with return matches practically across the board.

Still, perhaps never has a WrestleMania felt more like a road bump than the destination than this year.

Michael Cole vs Jerry Lawler is the perfect litmus test. Cole’s transformation from irritating but mild-mannered commentator into one of the best heels on the WWE roster has been built perfectly from just around last year’s WrestleMania through to this one. Over the past few months, he has screwed Jerry Lawler at every turn, from costing him the chance to be WWE Champion to setting him up to be physically assaulted to even verbally desecrating the memory of his parents. All professional wrestling logic—if that’s not too much of an oxymoron—called for Lawler to get his revenge and Cole to get his comeuppance as “The King” should have decimated his rival and scored a feel good win in his very first WrestleMania match.

That didn’t happen.

Instead, while Lawler seemed to get the win initially, the anonymous Raw General Manager reversed the decision and Cole got the last laugh. The heel ultimately went over and the feud therefore must continue. WrestleMania didn’t settle anything, and given that it’s highly unlikely they will drag this out another year, if Lawler does ultimately get the duke, it will be on a low profile show.

You can also look at the World title match, where rather than getting the major rub of winning his first championships on the grandest stage of them all, Alberto Del Rio not only lost cleanly but also had his prized Rolls Royce destroyed by Edge and Christian, ensuring that feud will also continue and ADR’s big win will be achieved on a lesser stage, thus feeling less special.

The main event was of course the ultimate example of how WrestleMania has lost its luster in terms of being the final chapter of the year that was, as Rock attacking Cena turned out not only to be a glorified advertisement to watch Raw the next night, but to stay tuned for the next true installment in 12 months.

If there’s an upside, it does seem like in booking the WrestleMania XVIII main event so far in advance—and I’m sure Vince McMahon’s fingers will be more or less welded crossed for some time to come—even at the expense of this year’s main event, WWE appears to be committing to making that show truly special and a true culmination rather than just a stop along the way. As with the youth movement, the optimist in me hopes that a misstep will represent a lesson learned.

Rasslin' Ramblings: WrestleMania XXVII Picks

You would think with all the writing about wrestling I’ve been doing the last few weeks, I’d get around to posting some WrestleMania XXVII prediction more than the day before (or day of depending on when I pull the trigger on this) the show, right? That would make logical sense, but I’ve certainly never been one for logic, and helping get the Marvel.com coverage of WonderCon set up (cheap plug) has mostly sapped my energy.

However, after a delicious dinner made by myself—bow tie pasta with sautéed spinach, pine nuts, garlic and sausage—and because my wife is in “don’t bother me when I’m studying mode,” now seems the perfect time to finally jot down some picks. Given that most of you probably won’t read this until Monday, the show will be in the books and you can hail me as the visionary or buffoon I’ll have proven to be.

Will try to keep these as quick and dirty as I can to get them up sooner rather than later, but neither has ever been my strong suit. Starting from the top…

WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
The Miz © vs John Cena

I actually had the pleasure of speaking with The Miz for Marvel.com this past week for our Fightin’ Fanboys series. It was quite the experience as the fella is energy personified. I got him right before he went on Conan later in the evening but after about 20 other interviews and he was still going a mile-a-minute. Definitely a case where he seems like his character isn’t too far from his real personality, with the big exception being of course that he was extremely polite and seemed like a nice guy; still, impossible to get a word in with him—in a good way—as he had lots to say about just about anything I threw at him and was extremely quick-witted. Miz does WWE a great service representing them as their champion.

That aside, this will be a good match. People bust on John Cena for not being able to wrestle, but that’s dumb; Cena may not be Shawn Michaels or Bret Hart, but he has an excellent grasp of the fundamentals, tells great stories and has intensity that’s second to none. Cena also always brings his best stuff to the big events, WrestleMania in particular; I’m convinced Miz can hang with him, so again, good match.

The result? Not much in doubt in my mind as I’d assume Cena wins to presumably send the fans home happy. I say “presumably” since the return of The Rock and his verbal sparring with Cena has turned even more of the fan base than usual against WWE’s would-be top babyface, so a show that ends with the WWE title changing hands does not guarantee a standing ovation by any stretch of the imagination. The intrigue will be in what exactly The Rock does as far as this match, particularly after Cena left him laying at the end of Raw. I don’t think Rock will cost Cena the title—I bet Alex Riley gets his WrestleMania moment by brawling with Rock while the match finishes up in the ring—but I don’t see him pulling a Mike Tyson and raising his rival’s hand to pass the torch. WrestleMania is typically the end of the big storylines, but with Rock booked on Monday’s Raw and clearly open to doing business with WWE more in the future, I have a feeling this is only the beginning, and his face could be the last one we see as the show goes off the air, setting up a dream match down the line.

WINNER: John Cena

NO HOLDS BARRED
The Undertaker vs Triple H

As I told Tom Brennan on Twitter the other day, if the streak ever ends—and I don’t really think it should—it should not be at the hands of Triple H, who really gains nothing much from the win as his legacy is already secured and he’s perpetually over besides. This seems to be the prevailing sentiment of most fans, and I think Triple H is a savvy and intelligent enough individual to share it. Surveying the current landscape of WWE’s youth movement, I’m not sure anybody is currently deserving of the mega bump beating The Undertaker at WrestleMania will provide, but that could change in a year, two years, etc.

I have not been a fan of how this match has been built. The repetitive back and forth promos got old fast. I was annoyed from the start that Sheamus and Kane got shafted out of their roles of having taken out each of the participants months ago. And editing Taker’s win over HHH 10 years ago at WrestleMania XVII from the highlight packages has been just silly. Getting Shawn Michaels involved this Monday and his amazing sales job on how much The Undertaker broke him with the back-to-back losses helped a lot, I must say. I don’t think HBK should have been brought back in earlier, since it would have diminished the appearance, so I don’t know what I would have done differently.

Undertaker vs HHH from WrestleMania XVII is one of my personal favorite overlooked Mania classics; a great match on an amazing show. I’m not sure how this one will hold up to that encounter from a decade ago. Undertaker is that rare performer who has gotten better with age, but injuries have been worse on him than ever lately. Triple H was great then, had some off years, but has also been cooking with gas for years, though I’m not sure what kind of ring rust he’s carrying in. I think both guys are well aware of what a big deal it is for them to face off on this show and how much hype has been given both in and outside of the company, so I fully expect them to rise to the occasion; it won’t be an Undertaker-Shawn Michaels match, but it’s going to likely be the next best thing.

WINNER: The Undertaker

WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Edge © vs Alberto Del Rio

It’s insane to me that Christian is not in this match. It’s not such a highly anticipated showdown that doing a three way would have diminished it and Christian is more over now in WWE than he has ever been. They put him over ADR twice in singles matches so he could just stand in Edge’s corner? Seems like a waste of a chance to elevate a guy who has deserved it for years and I think WWE will regret it down the line.

The match will be fine, though truthfully I’m not expecting the star-making performance Del Rio could really use. Edge is as entertaining and charismatic as ever, but he hasn’t been the same in the ring since the Achilles injury and it’s been over a year now. He’s still managed to have really good matches lately with the likes of Dolph Ziggler, but Dolph is far better than a lot of people realized, and though Alberto possesses great talent as well, he won’t be able to carry a WrestleMania main event at this stage in his WWE career (there’s a reason this match will be third from the top at best). I feel like the finish is also more or less telegraphed with Christian causing Edge the title either on purpose or accidentally. I’m hoping for the latter and that they go with an Edge heel turn where he blames his buddy since Christian is on such a hot streak as a babyface right now, but I’m assuming it will be a retread jealousy angle instead that ends with the already established guy going over once again. Prove me wrong, WWE!

WINNER: Alberto Del Rio

Randy Orton vs C.M. Punk

A brilliantly-built feud between two guys who have never met on PPV and one that played on two-year old continuity in the set-up, which a comic book guy like me of course loves. It’s also nice to see two guys who could easily be in World title matches being given something of real consequence to do that bolsters the upper mid-card, a region often neglected at WrestleMania; matches like Orton vs Punk are what tip the scales as far as how this show will ultimately place on the all-time list.

I have a good feeling about how these guys will mesh as far as in-ring style. As far as crowd reaction, both are at the top of their respective games psychologically, so if WWE needs to get the audience revved up, this is the one to use (it honestly wouldn’t be the worst choice for an opener).

Even without anybody to interfere on his behalf, the New Nexus having been elegantly disposed of—I describe it that way as they got them out of the picture early enough to still keep Punk a threat on his own—I predict Punk will weasel a win here and be in WWE title contention for the Spring while this feud continues to simmer on the side.

WINNER: C.M. Punk

Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes

Like Punk-Rhodes, a great addition to the middle of the card, and I really applaud that WWE devoted months to a feud that they’d normally relegate to mere weeks. It may seem very basic and a bit old school, but the motivations here—Cody is a vain bad guy, Rey accidentally injured his face, Cody wants revenge, Rey knows he did nothing wrong—are brilliant in the simplicity of it all; the old ways worked for a reason. Cody Rhodes has also been doing best character work of his career, taking a gimmick that was already nuanced and putting him over in the Dashing persona and twisting it perfectly to create a nice derivation.

This will be a good, fast-paced, pure wrestling match to break up the gimmicks. Cody deserves the win here and I’m inclined to think that Rey will put him over, given that he purportedly handpicked him as his opponent.

WINNER: Cody Rhodes

Michael Cole vs Jerry Lawler

Every WrestleMania needs—or should have—a “match” that is all spectacle with no hope of being any good as far as work rate, and this one would be that. Michael Cole may be the best heel in wrestling right now and his gradual turn from sour grapes commentator to full-blown nut job over the past year since he busted out the bad guy chops on NXT has been a sight to behold. He has run circles around Jerry Lawler verbally for much of this feud, though The King brought it in a big way at the buzzer on SmackDown with an awesomely intense promo. Lawler can still go in the ring, as he has proven of late, but that doesn’t really matter here; it is cool to see King finally get a WrestleMania match after nearly two decades of waiting though.

I’m not sure Stone Cold Steve Austin was needed as the ref here, but the idea that he’ll neutralize Jack Swagger—who is getting nice residual heat from this angle—isn’t a bad one, and of course he only adds to the luster of the event. Expect this to be pretty cut, dry and quick with Lawler getting the feel good moment he deserves.

Why the heck did they change The King’s entrance music a week before the show though?

WINNER: Jerry Lawler

John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki vs Dolph Ziggler & LayCool

Purists will bemoan this one and say Morrison and Ziggler should have a one-on-one match here, but again, celebrities and spectacle is a key part of WrestleMania, and while I’m no Jersey Shore fan by any stretch, it’s big right now and this got WWE mondo mainstream buzz. Besides, Morrison and Ziggler get their names out there as well as a chance to show what they can do—they’ll obviously be carrying the match—plus Snooki did a pretty impressive Lou Thesz Press on Raw. If anybody got screwed here, it’s Trish Stratus, who retired with dignity five years ago and whose return should have been a far bigger deal and not made the backburner story to this feud.

A celebrity is involved, so the babyfaces should go over and Vickie Guerrero will probably get her comeuppance.

WINNERS: John Morrison, Trish Stratus & Snooki

The Big Show, Kane, Santino Marella & Vladimir Kozlov vs The Corre

With Vladimir Kozlov getting jumped during Axxess by Corre, word is that Kofi Kingston will replace him here, which I’m certainly on board with; no offense to Big Vlad, but Kofi has earned the right to be out there a bit more and will only help the match quality here as well.

My complaint as this match came together was that The Corre should have the clear numbers advantage, so I was hoping it would end up being a handicap match with Show and Kane, or even those two and Diesel; despite all that Wade Barrett and friends have accomplished over the past year, they are still more or less rookies, so having them in there even with just two seven-plus-foot former World champions doesn’t exactly stack the odds in their favor, and heels should generally have the advantages in matches like this. However, the addition of Santino Marella actually provides a perfect weak link and fall guy (as well as giving another guy who deserves it a WrestleMania payday). WWE needs guys like Corre moving up the card, not the other way, right now.

WINNERS: The Corre

UNITED STATES CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
Sheamus © vs Daniel Bryan

The potential show stealer of the night if they’re given adequate time, and on a four hour show there’s really no reason they shouldn’t be. Fans of good old pure wrestling have to be psyched that Daniel Bryan has a singles match at WrestleMania—I am—but he’s also got quite the capable opponent in Sheamus. It gets lost sometimes in how quick he rocketed to the top of WWE, but Sheamus really deserved his push, as he’s far more solid in the ring than most folks realize. Sheamus can pull good matches out of simply ok opponents, shines against good ones, and has the chance to be great against Daniel Bryan. In their short Raw matches alone, these guys have already displayed tremendous chemistry, so this should be a treat.

It’s really a coin flip as far as who takes home the win. Bryan could certainly benefit from it more as he’s far more likely to get lost in the shuffle without the championship, but on the other hand, Sheamus isn’t too far removed from being buried for several months and he’s too valuable an asset to WWE’s upper echelon to hurt too much. Ultimately I’ll go with Daniel Bryan both because he’s my sentimental pick, but also because it feels like for WWE to go to the trouble of switching the title already on Raw means they’ll move it back to him here.

WINNER: Daniel Bryan

Rasslin' Ramblings: More Money in the Bank

For a couple of weeks now on my Twitter account, I’ve been bemoaning the lack of the Money in the Bank Ladder match at this year’s WrestleMania. With the event a week away, let me provide a quick breakdown of why I think pulling this annual attraction from ‘Mania is a mistake and why it belongs as a fixture of the Showcase of the Immortals in general and this year’s edition in particular.

First and foremost, I think it’s just cool that WrestleMania had a signature match. One could argue that WrestleMania doesn’t need anything to stand out beyond being WrestleMania—and the celebrities, the Hall of Fame, etc.—and it’s hard to argue against it. Heck, maybe Money in the Bank is a better fit for SummerSlam, which more and more has become just another show with a bunch of regular matches as opposed to the second biggest pay-per-view of the year, but I still contend it belongs at ‘Mania.

Since its inception at WrestleMania 21 (they didn’t use Roman numerals that year), MitB could always be counted on to provide at least one if not several of those coveted “WrestleMania Moments” they love to make highlight reels for. Because it took place at the biggest show of the year, you knew guys would be stepping up their game and looking to stand out. As I just saw said a few times a few different ways on the True Story of WrestleMania documentary and then echoed by former WWE creative team member Dave Lagana, if you have a great match on TV or at another PPV people will talk for a bit, but if you have one at WrestleMania it gets immortalized; that same principle can be applied to MitB. The two matches at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view last summer—which I’ll talk more about later—weren’t bad and I would never accuse anybody in them of sandbagging it, but neither produced a Shelton Benjamin running up the ladder or Kofi Kingston using the “stilts” spot like what we see at ‘Mania.

In this era of a pay-per-view every month and every TV show having at least a couple marquee matches, even—perhaps especially—a show like WrestleMania needs everything it can to stand out and remind people that this one matters more than the rest. Money in the Bank could be counted on to add sizzle to the steak and provide spectacle that keeps the audience going through the dull stretches.

Second, but perhaps even more foremost than my first point, is that Money in the Bank is a great way to assure as many guys get on the WrestleMania card as can logically fit, and if there’s any show where the full roster—or close to it—should be on display, this is it. To WWE’s credit, even without MitB they’ve done a pretty solid job getting just about everybody outside of the Superstars regulars who will hopefully get a dark match battle royal payday involved in something, but there are still a few notable names without anything to do.

Drew McIntyre has improved by leaps and bounds since his initial push and has the look, mic skills and in-ring ability to be credible World title challenger sooner rather than later. Evan Bourne just came back from injury to some impressive pops and then was quickly left to wither in squashes by Sheamus--plus this match is built for guys like him. R-Truth has his flaws, but the guy is perennially over and should be a WrestleMania fixture. Ted DiBiase has sputtered quite a bit since splitting with Legacy, but always seems just one good match away from getting back in at least the U.S. title picture. Mark Henry fits the same niche as R-Truth and has proven to be a solid MitB performer who can be counted on to protect the high flyers. You’ve also got an array of standout young performers like Zack Ryder, Trent Barreta, Tyler Reks, Yoshi Tatsu and so on who could fill a wildcard spot out nicely. Heck, I’d love to see William Regal in there no matter how weird a fit it is.

I’m leaving out Kofi Kingston since the rumors have him getting involved in the Big Show/Kane vs Corre feud somehow, but certainly if anybody has proven to be perfect for MitB in the past it’s him, and after the harsh booking of his Intercontinental title reign—two televised singles wins in three months as champion—the chance to show off in this match would be just what he needs to get his credibility back. I’m also considering it somewhat a foregone conclusion Christian will be tied up with the Edge vs Alberto Del Rio World title match, hopefully as the third competitor, but at the very least in Edge’s corner to turn on him; if he weren’t, he’d be ideal for this match.

So going from what’s available, you could return to the six man roots of MitB with McIntyre, Kingston, Bourne, R-Truth, Henry and DiBiase. Toss in Ryder and Barreta if you want to expand to eight. Add Tatsu and Reks if you feel the need to bump it back to ten (I feel like that’s too many, but whatever). If Kingston is occupied, sub in Regal.

Are any of these guys the next Edge who can use Money in the Bank to cement themselves as fixtures in the main event scene? I’m not sure. I believe McIntyre or Kingston certainly could, while Bourne or one of the others could prove a pleasant surprise. You’ve got to take chances to make new stars, and even if it doesn’t always pay off, MitB is a good way to roll the dice. Sure, Jack Swagger didn’t exactly light the world on fire after he won, but C.M. Punk’s career certainly got a nice boost. Also, eventually one of the guys who win this match needs to not successfully cash in, and I’d argue that just getting a WWE or World title match that they earned and carrying around the briefcase a few months even if they don’t ultimately get the belt is going to help somebody like Ted DiBiase a great deal.

I’m sure the most common internal argument against MitB being a part of WrestleMania at least this year within WWE is that they now have their own Money in the Bank pay-per-view, which the signature match twice already. I certainly don’t have a problem with the Money in the Bank pay-per-view as WWE has gone all in on the gimmick PPV deal and there are far worse themes than MitB. As noted above, I don’t think the matches from last year’s edition quite had the WrestleMania feel—understandably—but they were still good.

That said, it shouldn’t preclude MitB at WrestleMania, and WWE has already written themselves an explanation as to why.

The matches at the Money in the Bank PPV are brand-exclusive, meaning one is all-Raw and the winner can only challenge for the WWE title, whereas the other is all-SmackDown and the winner can only challenge for the World title. I’m not the first guy on the Internet to suggest that you could still have this PPV and those two matches yet keep MitB at WrestleMania special by retaining the stipulation that the winner of that can challenge for either title, choosing to jump brands in the process if they so desire.

Does having a Money in the Bank match on a show that is not called Money in the Bank undermine that pay-per-view? I don’t think so. At the end of the day, wrestling fans are going to pay/tune in to see matches they like and get excited about regardless of how many times you put them on. From a creative standpoint there is certainly something to be said for limiting how many times you trot your signature matches out there regardless of this mentality—I’m sure folks would watch three Royal Rumble matches a year in significant numbers, but that doesn’t mean they should do it—but really Money in the Bank is just a multi-man Ladder match with a cool victory incentive; doing it every month would be overkill, but three a year is fine. It’s not like Breaking Point stopped WWE from using I Quit matches on TV for the rest of the year or like TLC has relegated Tables matches to one PPV, nor should they.

Summary: Money in the Bank adds something special to WrestleMania, it helps get guys who deserve to be on the card in there, it can make stars, and it’s a good enough concept to use more than once a year.

You’ve still got seven days, WWE—let’s see some qualifying matches.

Rasslin' Ramblings: Edge, Alberto Del Rio & Christian

Over the past couple weeks, I’ve said quite a bit about the WWE title match for WrestleMania as well as the now-official Undertaker-Triple H showdown, but nothing of Edge’s World title defense against Royal Rumble winner Alberto Del Rio, so let’s rectify that situation now.

I’m a fan of both Edge and Del Rio’s work and am particularly impressed with how quickly ADR has not only climbed the ranks but looked right at home at the top of the card. You could argue it’s easier to be perceived king of the hill on Smackdown where the lights shine a little less bright and you don’t have to contend with the John Cenas and Randy Ortons of the world, but even when Del Rio won the Royal Rumble with both those guys present, he was gold. The crowd hates this guy, but they also buy into him as a top act.

Nonetheless, if Edge vs Alberto Del Rio were to close the night at WrestleMania, I’d likely be even more doubtful about its ability to live up than I was Cena-Miz; both guys are talented and I think WrestleMania is going to be a great coming out party for ADR with Edge being the ideal guy to guide him through, but that match does not scream WrestleMania main event due to lack of any real significant build—Cena/Miz have an on-again, off-again history while Undertaker/HHH have a back story going back years—and Del Rio lacking credibility among casual fans.

Fortunately in a strange way, Edge and Del Rio don’t have to worry about any of that pressure because there’s no way they’ll be closing the show. They “only” have to be the Smackdown main event for WrestleMania, and unless Undertaker is involved, that match is always going to slide down to third or fourth from the top behind the WWE title match and likely a palette cleanser involving the Divas as well. I’m sure deep down both guys would love be the match that sends the fans home, but it’s better for both that they’re not, particularly since Del Rio needs to be made a star here and his winning the World title would not send anybody in the audience home happy.

With that lengthy preamble, let me get to my actual question: Should Christian be added to make this a Triple Threat?

My answer is yes.

After being put on the shelf six months ago by a then new-to-WWE Alberto Del Rio, Christian has now made two return appearances to make the save for his longtime tag partner and old buddy—I guess they’re not brothers anymore—Edge, last week at Elimination Chamber and this week on Smackdown. In both instances, the babyface pop for Christian, a guy who has always been on the cusp of the main event and a huge fan favorite in particular since coming back from TNA a couple years ago, has been immense. Logic would dictate that a Christian-ADR feud makes a lot of sense, but then logic also dictated that Triple H would return for revenge on Sheamus and Undertaker would go after Kane and/or Wade Barrett when he came back, yet both those issues got shoved aside; could the same happen here? I hope not.

If WWE is interested in making Christian a legitimate main event player—and given the dearth of those on Smackdown, I can’t see why they wouldn’t be—the time is really now or never. It makes total sense to insert him into the World title match at WrestleMania as he has the issue with Del Rio as well as the past with Edge. Also, while I’m aware that not getting your first World title win in a straight up one-on-one match can be a bit of a stigma for a star on the rise, I think ADR’s character is such and strong enough that he can still benefit just fine from sneaking out a win with shenanigans during a Triple Threat.

There’s an upside all around for altering the match: It’s a more interesting dynamic with Edge having to keep an eye on his supposed ally who no doubt would also love to be World champion, it allows Del Rio to boast that he beat two men for the World title, it elevates Christian, it gives the fans what they want, it keeps an Edge-ADR singles match fresh for down the line and it even keeps Edge looking strong—that last bit isn’t really necessary since Edge is one of those guys who can remain strong regardless of losses, but it’s still there. The Triple Threat route just seems to be a scenario where everybody wins and there is no discernible downside I can see, plus there’s not another multi-way match booked WrestleMania at the moment or apparent on the horizon, so it’s not a WrestleMania 2000 situation where you’re drowning in them.

The worst case scenario I’m envisioning is Alberto Del Rio somehow bringing in Vickie Guerrero—who has gotten more air time to feud with Edge than ADR in recent weeks—Christian backing up Edge, and then them doing a Christian turn to justify the title switch. Unlike the Triple Threat, this would be bad all around. Vickie is a heat machine, but Del Rio doesn’t need her and could potentially get overshadowed ala Chris Jericho by Stephanie McMahon back at WrestleMania XVIII. Christian is prepped for a great babyface run right now, and while he plays a fine heel, they’d be squandering crowd goodwill. And finally, while Del Rio outsmarting two guys in a Triple Threat would put him over as a strong and clever heel, his needing Christian’s help to win would cut the legs out from under him.

We’ll see where this goes, but Christian’s return has made the Smackdown Road to WrestleMania a lot more intriguing to me.

More Rasslin' Ramblings

It seems my last pro wrestling post went over far better than expected (heck, Tom freakin’ Spurgeon chimed in), and I’ve got many thoughts as we head into Elimination Chamber tonight, so I figured I’d kick the tires on this topic one more time bullet point style as the road to WrestleMania continues.

-My topic du jour last time around was whether or not John Cena vs The Miz could be a credible WrestleMania main event. I ultimately determined it could be, but by a slim margin. However, this past Monday not only was The Rock revealed as the “host of WrestleMania” (a pretty ambiguous term), he also verbally berated Miz and, to a far greater extent, Cena (quite effectively, I might add). It would seem at this point as though they’ll go ahead and run Cena/Miz as the main event of the evening with some involvement by The Rock. Does this change the game and raise the credibility of the match? Absolutely. The Rock is not only one of the most (if not the most period) popular and charismatic performers in the history of WWE, he’s also a legitimate crossover superstar with mainstream recognition who elevates not only WrestleMania to greater significance overall, but obviously whatever program he’s most involved with. Cena/Miz was already at least on the cusp of being legit in my eyes before, but Rock seals the deal.

-However, will WWE still go with Cena/Miz now that Rock is in the mix? Certainly after last week’s Raw, the big money would seem to be in Rock/Cena straight up. Unquestionably that would be the more epic, iconic match, and probably one just about everybody would rather see; I’d also argue they could get away with Miz against longtime rival John Morrison—who’s ripe for a breakout and could win the Raw Chamber tonight—for the WWE title on the undercard of a Rock/Cena main event no problem. However, there are potholes for that scenario. First and foremost, while The Rock has kept in tremendous shape and likely could work a match, he’s still a working movie actor at least 10 months out of the year, so it would probably not be in his best interest to risk an injury that could put him out of work after Mania’s over. Second, placing Rock in a match would overshadow his “host” role and sacrifice hyping WrestleMania the event at the expense of one match. That said, I think both those hurdles could be cleared with ease. The one thing I’d get hung up on would be the third point, which deserves its own bullet…

-On Twitter following Raw, many of my fellow amateur wrestling pundits argued that Rock turned the ever-crowd-polarizing Cena heel with his promo. I disagree. John Cena, despite being probably the hardest working guy in wrestling and having plenty of talent to boot (people claim he can’t wrestle, but when it comes to big time main events he always delivers), a kid-pleasing PG hero for an audience that has gained in youth but still has a lot of guys over 20 in it who miss the days of Steve Austin and, yes, The Rock. Those people are going to boo Cena no matter how well he does the job assigned to him, and they were the ones jeering the loudest Monday; the kids in the audience were no doubt in awe of The Rock’s presence, but they were still wearing their John Cena merchandise and cheering when his name got dropped. The same guys who have always booed John Cena will continue to do so if he does feud with The Rock, but I believe the kids will stick behind him (the women will likely be split). So I don’t think it becomes a traditional heel vs face feud with John Cena as the bad guy, I think it becomes WWE PG vs WWF Attitude, with both guys as faces to their particular demographics and ending with grudging respect. As cool as that would be to see, it would likely mean that WWE is giving up on ever getting the adult audience behind Cena again, as there’s no way they’re going to actively root against him for two months with Rock egging them on and then reluctantly cheer him on against C.M. Punk or Sheamus in April. A few years ago when WWE was still at least PG-13 and a Cena heel turn seemed imminent, this wouldn’t be an issue, but today they are firmly PG and need Cena as their top face for at least as long as it takes to find a replacement who has not come yet; besides, he was as close to winning over the crowd fully as he’s been in some time during 2010 when he was up against Nexus. All that rambling is my way of saying that while I’d personally like to see a Rock/Cena feud and match as the centerpiece of the next month and a half, from WWE’s perspective, I can see why they’d be sheepish and want to keep Miz involved so they can hedge their bets and have him playing the full heel if they need to get the crowd back on Cena’s side earlier than the closing seconds of WrestleMania.

-So if Rock doesn’t wrestle John Cena, what will he do? I think he will most likely serve as “host” for most of the event, which will allow him to give an opening promo and some fun backstage skits, and then serve as some sort of guest enforcer for Cena/Miz ala Mike Tyson at WrestleMania XIV for Shawn Michaels/Steve Austin. I don’t think they’ll go the full special referee route, just a gut feeling. In the weeks leading up, they can play up that while Rock doesn’t care for Miz, he really doesn’t like Cena, which gives Miz a bit of the instant credibility as champion I felt he was lacking; of course the ultimate ending will be Cena winning and earning The Rock’s grudging respect in the process…but maybe a Rock Bottom would follow that and begin a year-long build to Cena/Rock at WrestleMania XVII in Rock’s hometown of Miami? We shall see. Regardless, it’s a far more exciting road now than it was a week ago, and depending on if John Cena wins tonight in the Chamber, I may need to write another post next week.

A few other notes…

-Before the Rock reveal, the big rumor was that Triple H would be back to main event against The Undertaker in a Career vs Streak match with Shawn Michaels as guest referee. I hope this does not happen. For one, with The Rock now in the mix, they don’t need it. More than that, five weeks isn’t long enough to build up a program that huge, particularly since both guys need to come back, establish the issue, introduce Michaels into the feud, etc. It would also be a shame to see HHH return for under a month and then wrap his career so abruptly when he has more left to give. And of course the continuity buff in me would have trouble accepting that HHH and Taker wouldn’t go after Sheamus and either Kane or Wade Barrett respectively upon coming back since those are the guys that took them out; if HHH ignored Sheamus, who has been bragging about ending his career for nearly a year now, that hurts Sheamus’ heat big time. As much as people may be sick of Undertaker/Kane, with Taker as banged up as he is, a brawling squash is the best thing for him physically right now. HHH/Sheamus is also a solid upper-midcard match and HBK could still be involved simply by accompanying his buddy to ringside or doing a run-in. Long story short: HHH/Undertaker is a card WWE has in their hand but don’t need to play quite yet.

-It would seem from the past couple editions of Smackdown that they’re building towards a Big Show/Ezekiel Jackson showdown, possibly at WrestleMania. If Wade Barrett doesn’t get the show against Undertaker—and Kane really makes more sense to me—as I alluded to last time, I’d go ahead and tag him with Jackson then have Big Show get backup in the form of Diesel, paying off that look they exchanged at the Royal Rumble. Gets another big name from yesteryear on the card to give it a special feel, and either Corre guy could benefit from going over a legend if they wanted to go that way.

-As much as I’d love to see Daniel Bryan get a solid one-on-one U.S. title defense in his first WrestleMania, who is there who could be a credible challenger? Ditto for Kofi Kingston and the Intercontinental title. For this reason, I’d say maybe a title unification match is the way to go, as has been rumored. I’m not personally for this, as I think WWE needs two secondary titles to keep the midcard interesting, but even a champion vs champion match wouldn’t work as they already have that every year at Bragging Rights. Singles matches at WrestleMania need to either have a title at stake or some major feud to give them weight, as I suspect Rey Mysterio/Cody Rhodes will in a Mask vs Mask match; the days of Rick Rude squashing Jimmy Snuka because neither had anything better to do are a thing of the distant past.

-Wrapping up, I hope they still have Money in the Bank at WrestleMania despite it getting its own pay-per-view. They can keep the element of the Mania MiTB being special simply by reinforcing that the briefcase can be cashed in on either major titles, whereas the others are brand-specific. It would be a shame to see MiTB gone from Mania simply because it would leave so many guys off the card, with this year’s potential field including the likes of Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre, R-Truth and Jack Swagger, as well as guys I already mentioned who may get displaced like Morrison, Bryan and Kingston plus possible returning talent like Christian and Evan Bourne. Also, I like to see Mark Henry get a big pay day come March, and they need a big fella to catch the little guys.

Miz vs Cena: A WrestleMania Main Event?

And now, to the consternation and frustration of all but five or so of our readers (here’s to you, Fighting Geek), it’s pro wrestling talk time!

WrestleMania XVII is under two months away at this point and the card is quickly taking a not too shabby shape. We’re looking to get a Randy Orton/C.M. Punk grudge match, Edge/Alberto Del Rio for the World title and some business between Rey Mysterio and Cody Rhodes. I’d also wager another round of Undertaker/Kane as well as the long-awaited return of Triple H to take on Sheamus are headed our way as well. Were I booking, I might also throw in a Big Show & Diesel vs Wade Barrett & Ezekiel Jackson match, perhaps a triple threat Tag Team title defense involving members of the Nexus and Corre gunning for Marella & Kozlov, something for the Divas to do, Jerry Lawler against Alex Riley & Michael Cole and hopefully a Money in the Bank Ladder outing.

But regardless of what leads, it’s looking fairly likely at this point that the show will close with The Miz defending his WWE title against John Cena.

Miz has a pretty forgone title defense against Jerry Lawler coming up at Elimination Chamber; the “legend who has never been to WrestleMania” storyline is nice, but it’s also perfectly set up for Michael Cole to interfere and further their little feud. With Miz staying champion going into the big event, Cena is the most logical number one contender to emerge from the Chamber as number one given that the two already have a simmering issue going (that said, I would love to be surprised and see John Morrison pull the upset—I’ve been watching his DVD lately and that guy can go).

So there you have it: WrestleMania XVII will be headlined by The Miz against John Cena with the WWE title on the line.

Does that sound right?

I feel like it should. Those are two of WWE’s biggest names and certainly both hardworking performers who have earned their place in the spotlight. Yet when I hold Miz/Cena up against Hogan/Andre, Bret/HBK, Rock/Austin or even Sid/Undertaker and Bam Bam Bigelow/Lawrence Taylor, it feels like it’s missing that marquee value to some degree. It feels in many ways not like a WrestleMania main event, but just another match.

Let’s tackle the pros and cons to Miz/Cena headlining WrestleMania.

PROS

-Like I said, these guys have earned their spot. Both have worked their asses off both physically and as ambassadors for the WWE. Neither guy had anything handed to them and it’s nice to see people get rewards when they deserve them. In particular, Miz went from being a reality TV joke to one of wrestling’s most compelling performers and belongs in this position.

-It will be a good match. These two have good proven chemistry and both turn it on in “big game” environments. Again, you’ve got two guys who have worked hard to get here who each have a tremendous amount of pride; they won’t let it suck between the ropes.

-From a man on the street perspective, Miz is the most hated heel in WWE and Cena is the most over babyface. They have worked the press junkets and most people beyond the hardcore wrestling fanbase know them as their characters. It’s a match that comes off as the ultimate good vs the ultimate evil to the casual fan, and that’s very important for WrestleMania.

-It’s a relatively fresh matchup. They’ve only had one other pay-per-view meeting two years ago when Miz was at nowhere near the level he is now.

-At the end of the day, Cena vanquishing the evil Miz, ending his four-month title reign and regaining the WWE championship for the first time in three quarters of a year is the kind of vibe you want to close the show on.

CONS

-Miz does not feel like a credible champion and Cena is Superman. Since winning the WWE title back in November, Miz has had to cheat against Randy Orton and struggled against 61-year-old Jerry Lawler. The only clean title defense I can recall for Miz was against John Morrison back in December, and even then Alex Riley played a role. Meanwhile, Cena has been a dominant force even without the title; in an even remotely fair fight, there’s no way to go into this match with it feeling like Miz has any chance or that it will go longer than five minutes or so.

-This is a bigger “problem”—I’ll explain the quotes in a moment—for WWE, but as much as the viewers who just know about wrestling from mainstream media coverage and only buy WrestleMania may love Cena, a lot of hardcore wrestling fans can’t stand him (I think he’s great, for whatever that’s worth). It really shouldn’t be an issue, because that casual audience as well the young fanbase who love Cena are really WWE’s target demographic at this point in time, but still, a WrestleMania that ends with half the crowd booing isn’t ideal.

-It’s a “relatively” fresh matchup, but not that fresh. Though they’ve only met once on pay-per-view, Miz and Cena have battled countless times on Raw since 2009, as recently as a few months ago. With wrestling the way it is today and the grueling pace of so much television to produce, you’re unlikely to find too many truly fresh matchups, but even when Cena faced Batista last year, that was a good example of a main event feeling special on the basis of the combatants having been in the ring against one another only a handful of times with significant space in between. Cena and Orton have wrestled on dozens of occasions, but they’re big enough names to make it feel special every time; I’m not sure Miz is there yet (if he’s not, he’s close, but still).

The good seems to outweigh the bad and in the practical sense it’s the perfect choice…but there’s still something. I think my first con is the one that concerns me the most: I hope Miz’s credibility can be upped by WrestleMania to the point where Cena doesn’t need to come into the match with a played up injury that would drag down the quality in order for the champ to at least appear to have a chance.

I’m sure WWE, Miz and Cena will find a way to make it work. Fault them for all you want, but when the chips are down, they know how to build epics.

This just in: Apparently none of this matters.

Ben's 25 Favorite Wrestlemania Matches

Note: This should have gone up Sunday

Ok, so historically my posts about on pro wrestling on this blog have not really proven terribly compelling to anybody outside of me and pretty much guarantee me a reply from Rickey saying something along the lines of “I have no idea what you just wrote,” but heck, it’s Wrestlemania (I think you’re supposed to capitalize the “M” but I never do) Sunday, the card looks pretty darn good this year, and I’ve been inspired by the Mania countdown over at 4thletter! to believe perhaps there is room for wrestling on a comic-centric blog.

So here are my 25 favorite Wrestlemania matches of all time. Mind you they are not the matches I necessarily think are the best per se, but my personal favorites, often affected by my own inclinations towards certain competitors, the atmosphere where I saw the match, etc.

Also, of the 25 Manias to date, I’ve still yet to see XXII or XXIII, hence the lack of matches from those two cards (sorry, Bobby Lashley).

25. THE NEW AGE OUTLAWS vs CACTUS JACK & CHAINSAW CHARLIE (XIV)
I don’t believe I’ve ever seen this one on any “Best Of” lists, but as Wrestlemania XIV in Boston was the only one I’ve ever attended live, I can say from experience that we were all going nuts in the Fleetcenter when Mick Foley and Terry Funk beat the stuffing out of the Outlaws and took their Tag Team titles in a Dumpster match.

24. GIMMICK BATTLE ROYAL (XVII)
Yes, the “match” was crap, but the entrances plus Gene Okerlund and Bobby Heenan making their WWF returns to do commentary make this an easy gimme.

23. AHMED JOHNSON & THE LEGION OF DOOM vs THE NATION OF DOMINATION (XIII)
Not sure how this one has stood the test of time, but Ahmed’s custom LOD shoulder pads and Hawk actually using a kitchen sink as a weapon were enough to wow me at age 15.

22. THE STEINER BROTHERS vs THE HEADSHRINKERS (IX)
Sometimes you want a mat-based wrestling classic, sometimes you want a high-flying spotfest, and then sometimes you just want four bad dudes throwing each other around and beating the crap out of one another—this was the latter.

21. TAKA MICHINOKU vs AGUILA (XIV)
A true forgotten Mania classic, but being in attendance, I remember the crowd going nuts as these two flipped and somersaulted around and outside the ring with Taka’s Light Heavyweight title on the line.

20. MONEY IN THE BANK I (XXI)
The first time is generally the best in my experience when it comes to pro wrestling gimmick matches, and the inaugural multi-man Wrestlemania ladder match featuring Chris Jericho, Edge, Chris Benoit, Kane, Christian and Shelton Benjamin in 2005 remains a staple in my mind. The crazy stunts Benjamin alone pulled off with that ladder make this a classic.

19. RIC FLAIR vs SHAWN MICHAELS (XXIV)
At his advanced age, Ric Flair can’t exactly pull out five-star classics at will like he used to, but put him in the ring with a skilled buddy like Shawn Michaels and the old man can still go. The actual wrestling took a back seat to the drama in Flair’s “retirement match” though, with that unforgettable image of a defiant Nature Boy putting up his dukes and HBK mouthing “I love you…I’m sorry” before delivering the kill shot.

18. VINCE MCMAHON vs SHANE MCMAHON (XVII)
Impressive though it was that two non-wrestlers—one of whom was pushing 60 at the time—could go in the ring like the McMahon boys did, I actually appreciate how they utilized sideshow elements like Mick Foley as special ref, the Trish Stratus-Stephanie McMahon catfight, and Linda McMahon getting revenge on her husband to really garnish this one. And yeah, Shane’s version of the Van Terminator was rad.

17. SHAWN MICHAELS vs STEVE AUSTIN (XIV)
A pretty good match, but considering that Shawn Michaels practically had a broken back going in, that alone is a minor miracle. Really it was the historical significance of Steve Austin taking his place as World champion and the fact that I was there live to see it that makes this one stand out to me.

16. THE UNDERTAKER vs TRIPLE H (XVII)
Locked out of the World title picture in favor of Steve Austin and The Rock in 2001, Triple H and The Undertaker decided to go out and give stealing the show a shot, in a wicked all-over-the-place war with every stop pulled out and both guys hustling at a pace not everybody was sure they could pull off—but they did.

15. THE UNDERTAKER vs RIC FLAIR (XVIII)
There was no earthly reason why at age 53 and several years removed from a full-time wrestling schedule Ric Flair should have been able to go out and throw down with The Undertaker in a helluva nasty brawl, but hey, that’s why he’s Ric Flair. From The Nature Boy gushing blood to Arn Anderson’s cameo spinebuster to ‘Taker needing multiple finishers to end things, this was just fun.

14. EDDIE GUERRERO vs KURT ANGLE (XX)
A slick, fast-paced confrontation that saw Eddie Guerrero retain the WWE title at the biggest show of the year, but I’ll always remember it for the classic finish where Latino Heat loosens his boot laces, suckers Angle into using the anklelock, then slips out into a rollup—vintage Eddie.

13. HULK HOGAN vs THE ROCK (XVIII)
During a period when not many matches had that classic “big time” feel that qualified them as true Wrestlemania classics anymore, this one did. Hogan was way past his prime and Rock couldn’t carry him physically, but boy could these guys tell an epic story just in the way they stared one another down, and the hot Toronto crowd put it over the top.

12. BRET HART vs STEVE AUSTIN (XIII)
Some call this “the match that changed everything,” as the fans turned Bret Hart heel and in the process made Steve Austin the unlikely candidate to be possibly the WWF’s all-time biggest hero. Aside from the cheers and boos, these two put on an intense clinic of a submission match, with blood pouring from Stone Cold’s forehead becoming a landmark image of the forthcoming Attitude Era.

11. SHAWN MICHAELS vs CHRIS JERICHO (XIX)
I was so excited when Shawn Michaels returned from his four-year “retirement,” and probably my biggest dream match for HBK at the time was with Chris Jericho, the guy who had supplanted him as my favorite wrestler in his absence. They finally went one-on-one in a classic at Wrestlemania XIX that saw Michaels proving he could still hang, Jericho showing he could do anything HBK could do, and a great post-match cheap shot.

10. THE ROCK vs STEVE AUSTIN (XV)
I remember this one less for the match, but more for the atmosphere, as an eclectic group of my friends from high school came over to my basement and we set up mats on my floor so we could drop each other with Rock Bottoms and Stone Cold Stunners between matches. My buddies were pretty split between who they were rooting for here, so the back-and-forth cheering, while it must have driven my parents nuts, made for a good time, capping off with Austin regaining his World title probably nearly causing my neighbors to call the cops.

9. THE UNDERTAKER vs SHAWN MICHAELS (XXV)
Just watched this recently and didn’t feel like it quite lived up to the hype it got with way too many slow periods as both guys recovered from the beating they were giving their bodies for my liking, but it’s got my favorite wrestler ever in Michaels against another of the best in ‘Taker, plus the drama is through the roof; I wish I could have watched it live, as I feel like not knowing in advance that HBK would fail to break the streak would have bumped it up big-time for me.

8. KURT ANGLE vs BROCK LESNAR (XIX)
I watched this match at my buddy Jay’s apartment with him and my friend Jordan our junior year of college and I don’t think we jumped as high off his couch or gritted or teeth as much with anticipation over any real sports game as we did here. From all reports, Angle’s neck was legitimately held together by a thread as he went into this and not only his career but life may have been on the line, but he still went in there and defended his WWE title in this brutal war with Brock Lesnar, the scariest-looking motherfucker we had ever seen. After Lesnar botched a Shooting Star Press, landed straight on his head, then got up and won the match, we decided he was clearly a robot and if we dropped him in Iraq, he’d have the place cleaned up overnight.

7. HULK HOGAN vs THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR (VI)
One of my very first memories of watching wrestling as a little kid is The Ultimate Warrior beating Hulk Hogan for the World title and feeling like I had just witnessed history; even two decades later, this match still feels more momentous than anything outside of Hogan-Andre The Giant and was also a really solid outing between two guys who didn’t always deliver in the ring but clearly could go when the chips were down.

6. RAZOR RAMON vs SHAWN MICHAELS (X)
I almost feel bad ranking this out of the top five, but the fact is that in the 15-plus years since Shawn Michaels challenged Razor Ramon for his Intercontinental title and the two of them revolutionized the Ladder match in the process, the gimmick has become both so improved upon and overlooked, it doesn’t have the same impact on me it once did. However, the groundwork they laid here can still be seen in any Ladder match you watch, plus I dig both guys as performers, so it still ranks high for me.

5. TRIPLE H vs SHAWN MICHAELS vs CHRIS BENOIT (XX)
It’s not just hard to look back at Chris Benoit’s big World title victory without having the shadow of what he eventually became cast over it, it’s impossible. Nonetheless, even though I doubt I could ever sit through it (or any Benoit match) ever again, there’s no question that at the time, watching Wrestlemania XX at home in Newton during my spring break senior year of college, watching this incredible underdog somehow pull it out in probably the best three way match ever and then celebrate with his best buddy mid-ring was quite a moment.

4. THE DUDLEY BOYZ vs EDGE & CHRISTIAN vs THE HARDY BOYZ (XVI)
Most people name Wrestlemania XVII’s TLC match as their favorite in the series of gimmick triple threats between these guys, but the original Ladder match for the Dudleys’ Tag Team titles at XVI (or “Wrestlemania 2000”) remains my favorite. At the time, stuff like Jeff Hardy doing Swanton Bombs off 15-foot ladders and Edge pulling out mid-air spears were fresh enough to be the high spots on their own as opposed to needing new and different takes. This match was innovative and I fondly remember watching it breathlessly with my high school buddies.

3. THE ULTIMATE WARRIOR vs RANDY SAVAGE (VII)
Decent enough wrestling with this one, but incredible storytelling in the finish and post-match antics make it one of my favorite bits of rasslin’ business. The Ultimate Warrior was the type of ridiculous, over-the-top character who could only excel in the cartoony WWF of old, but his persona worked perfectly here as neither he nor Savage could find a way to beat each other and he had to “look to his gods” for an answer, making for an absurdly awesome visual. However, nothing tops the newly-“retired” Savage being berated after his loss by his harpy of a manager, Sensational Sherri, then being saved by his former love and “wrestling’s first lady,” Elizabeth, a true Wrestlemania moment and, as Scott Keith put it (more or less): “Proof that it can be Shakespeare sometimes.”

2. RANDY SAVAGE vs RICKY STEAMBOAT (III)
Most purists will probably argue this as the match deserving of the top spot, and I wouldn’t argue from a detached and analytical perspective, but I barely knew what wrestling was in 1987 and have more respect than affection for the guys involved, so it barely misses on my list. However, it’s definitely a breathtaking piece of artistry to behold, and one of those matches you’d show a non-wrestling fan to prove to them there is indeed quite a bit of athletics involved. Both guys are incredible performers and the match itself is flawless, if a bit lengthy for my impatient tastes, and if I were dong a different sort of ranking it would probably be tops.

1. BRET HART vs OWEN HART (X)
The top Wrestlemania match I could just watch time and time again is the opener of the show’s tenth edition featuring the Hart brothers putting on a seamless technical clinic that really showcased the “wrestling” part of the business. Some siblings or longtime partners prove a disappointing match once they finally lock up, but Bret and Owen were smooth as silk, busting out an exciting, compelling back-and-forth that told a great story over its course. The match definitely benefitted from Owen wanting to really shine in his chance to do so on such a big stage and Bret wanting to help his baby brother do so however he could. I also award my top marks based on the contest being the perfect length—not too long to let you get bored, not so short it didn’t seem to matter—and that for my money nobody ever did the tried and true “jealous brothers” storyline better than the Harts.