wrestling / Columns

The Triumvirate of Truth 2.05.12: Wade Barrett as a World Champion, Sheamus’ Rumble Victory, The Elimination Chamber, More

February 5, 2012 | Posted by Tony Acero

Somewhere in the depths of the dank, lower level of 411 headquarters, there lie three men, three men who hold their opinion as sacred and all knowing, as the gospel of opining. These three men speak of the important things in life: chinlocks, DDT’s, World Heavyweight Championships and just who Los Conquistadors really are! Donned in all gold for no apparent reason, they sit across a circular table, more noble than any knight, speaking the truths of this world we know as wrestling. They are no longer mere characters of mythology that we’ve heard of one time or another. They are no longer fabrications of humanity. They are here to spread the word and the definitive nature of the WWE, good or bad. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome…to The Triumvirate of Truth!!!

Hello wrestling fans! it is I, your RAW and NXT Recapper, Tony Acero. Throughout my history of 411mania, I’ve gotten quite a bit of flack for certain things. I’d like to think it’s due to the constant barrage of disdain from one Michael Ornelas coupled with my dislike for John Cena, but who really knows. For a long time now, I’ve been wanting to have my own spot in the wrestling section. My own place to say what I want about what I want. Well, this is the best I can do. Actually, it was Michael Uphoff who approached me, along with The Wrestling Wiki, Joshua Strangle, to see if I wanted to perhaps join in on him to take over the Sunday spot with a column. Considering my heavy work load, mixed with my excessive laziness, I thought it’d be a great idea to pair up with Michael and Joshua. It wasn’t to be pairing, however. Oh no, it was to be something more monumental! Something amazing! Something grand! Something…done before? Wait, this column is three dudes, talkin bout wrestling? Yes, the essential idea of this column is not too far removed from The Triple Threat, but after talking with the innovators and originators of that column and receiving their blessing, we’ve decided to take the skeletal figure of such a column and run with it. Throughout the weeks, there will be minor changes as we get used to each other, the formatting and you guys as readers. If you’ve read anything of mine in the past, you know that I am very reader friendly so any and all suggestions made will be taken into consideration…unless they involve bananas.

One final note before we get into the meat and taters of it all, I am in no way the “top gun” here. Sure, I’ll be posting, but this is every bit a joint effort as ever. Just three dudes who love wrestling and want to talk about it with you guys. At the end of the day, we’re all fans, right? Enough jibber jabber, let’s get to the NEW Fun in the Sun(day) column, The Triumvirate Truth!!!


1. Sheamus won the Royal Rumble Match this past Sunday. What are your thoughts on his big win?

Michael Uphoff: WWE supposedly called an audible because everyone and their grandmother could see Jericho winning the Royal Rumble; however, I am fine with this result. Although I would have much preferred to see Chris Jericho win the Royal Rumble, it is not a bad thing that Sheamus won. He has the talent and the drive to put on a great match at WrestleMania with either Daniel Bryan or CM Punk, and personally, I would rather see Sheamus go face Daniel Bryan. They could make a great story out of it like Sheamus being the hunter and Bryan being the hunted and always managing to outsmart Sheamus who continues to pursue Bryan no matter what obstacles he may face until WrestleMania, where Bryan has nowhere to run. Sheamus winning the Royal Rumble also helps legitimize himself a little more to the fans. While Jericho certainly didn’t need to win, it would have been a crowning achievement to a great career. In short, since it helps Sheamus more than it hurts Jericho, I am fine with it.

Joshua Stangle: Sheamus’ victory in the Rumble certainly wasn’t that unexpected. Perhaps he is the best long term choice in that the other likely candidates, in Orton and Jericho, already have plenty of accolades over their careers. Both of those men can easily walk into the main event scene at any time. Sheamus, on the other hand, was being wasted on the SmackDown mid-card. He has improved immensely over the past two years, has the look and the abilities to succeed; and the Royal Rumble win might just provide the momentum that takes him to the next level. The WWE needs some legitimate stars, and I think that Sheamus is the current best candidate to elevate to true main event status.

I would like to see a Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan feud come from this, as it would perfectly fit with their characters. The devious Bryan would always manage to find ways to squirm out of every bleak situation with title in grasp. Meanwhile, Sheamus would keep pressing forward, undeterred by any setbacks, until he finally gets Bryan cornered at WrestleMania. Even the technical style versus brawling style fits well into the storyline. This plays to both men’s strengths and would be different from every other potential WrestleMania feud.

Tony Acero: My immediate reaction to the win was 50% excited for Sheamus 49% wonderment as to why he won and 1% mad that my cable company etched out a good 20 seconds of the end of the Rumble. Upon further investigation, it appears that they opted to go the route of Sheamus due to so many people assuming it was going to be Jericho. If this is true, then I say that this is some bullshit booking, because Jericho winning really would have made a lot of sense. I mean, they have yet to explain the videos, they gave him that one statement to build off of, and they really sold it as if he was going to win. Why not just pull the trigger on it? Sure, Jericho is a main event talent, but so is Sheamus. So the thing is, neither of these two options (assuming they were the only two all along) NEEDED the win, it was just one of those things as to who would be more exciting to see win. For my money, I think Jericho would have been invigorating and exciting. I am not knocking Sheamus, because I happen to think he’s great, but if Jericho would have got the win, then we would be just one step closer to the inevitable explanation and insulting promo from Jericho that would lead us to Mania. I know it sounds like I’m upset about the decision, I’m not fully. I am glad Sheamus got the win, as I feel he’s been a good hand for a while now (even if his moveset is moving into Cena-territory). I simply feel that giving Jericho the win may very well have added some more excitement.


2. With the Chamber matches being set for next month’s PPV, which of the two champions do you think is more likely to retain?

Michael Uphoff: It is hard to say. However, with who has been announced for the RAW and the SmackDown Elimination Chamber matches at the PPV, I can’t really see anyone taking the title from Daniel Bryan. The only viable people in the Chamber that could defeat Daniel Bryan would be Randy Orton and Wade Barrett, and I really don’t want to see Orton/Sheamus 3000, and since we already have two face vs. face matches scheduled for WrestleMania, I don’t see Orton/Sheamus happening. Giving the title to Barrett would mean Sheamus would logically face him, but Sheamus would win that and it would hurt both Bryan to lose the title and Barrett to get just a one-month title reign. The contenders in the Elimination Chamber for RAW that have a slightly better chance of defeating Punk and walking out of EC 2012 as WWE Champion are the Miz and Chris Jericho. Out of those two, I can only viably see Chris Jericho winning the Elimination Chamber if Punk does not. Jericho winning the title does not hurt Punk and would help logically set up the WrestleMania match that most fans want to see. I must say, though, since Jericho didn’t win the Rumble, the wind really has gone out of his sails and he seems to just be treading water until the Elimination Chamber, except for the attack on CM Punk at the end of his great match with Daniel Bryan.

Joshua Stangle: If Bryan loses, it would likely be to Wade Barrett, setting up a Barrett vs. Sheamus feud that was hinted at over the course of January. I hope this is not the case, as taking the title from Bryan just to give Barrett a likely one-month first World title reign isn’t doing either man any favors. I think Bryan retains though nefarious means, though.

Punk seems to have an imminent match with Jericho at WrestleMania. Whether this means that Jericho becomes number one contender or becomes champion, thus setting up the rematch at Mania, remains to be seen. Jericho failed to win the Rumble, despite coming very close and perhaps another Elimination Chamber victory would remind everyone why he calls himself “the best in the World at what he does.”

Of the two, I believe that Bryan has the best chance of making it past the Elimination Chamber with the title. It’s the more logical choice of the two. The money is in the chase…

Tony Acero: There is no doubt in my mind that both Bryan and Punk will walk out of the Chambers as champions…then again, there’s no doubt in my mind that Mountain Dew is the best damned drink in the world, and I have people tell me that’s not true all the time. I may be stuck in my little bubble of perfection where the champs of their respective matches walk out of their chambers as champs and move on to Mania. If this is the case, then what we are looking at is Jericho vs. Punk and Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus (most likely scenario, at least). While some may say that these matches may not sell tickets, to that I say a) the tickets are already sold and b) the match that everyone is buying this pay per view for is Rock/Cena. If there was ever a Mania to experiment with some bad ass, technical matches it’d be this Mania, where the rest of the card doesn’t need big names to make something happen. Both of these matches have the possibility to be amazing, and it starts with the Chamber. What I find odd is that it was only a year ago when Daniel Bryan faced off against Sheamus for the United States Title only a year ago in a match that didn’t even make the big show only for 2012 to be the year where they may very well have a main event spot. Decent turn of events, I’d say.


3. Triple H and the Undertaker seem to be headed towards yet another WrestleMania match. What are your thoughts on this?

Michael Uphoff: I liked their first match all the way back at WrestleMania X-7, and I loved their match at WrestleMania last year. Neither were anything more than four stars, or classics by any means, but they did a great job both times of using the environment and working around the limitations of each wrestler. I’m not really interested in seeing this match again, even with Shawn Michaels as a special guest referee. The fact that they went Broadway last year makes me hope that they don’t do it this year, because that could really burn out the crowd and affect the match that follows them. There are a couple more people that I would rather see Undertaker face at WrestleMania, but if Undertaker/Triple H has to happen, I’m not going to cry about it. I’ll sit back and watch and hopefully enjoy another very good match between the two.

Joshua Stangle: Although this feud has been telegraphed since the opening segment of RAW after WrestleMania 27, I feel pensive about it. I hope this feud isn’t a replica of when Shawn Michaels tried to get a match with the Undertaker, two years ago. I also hope that the match isn’t as exasperating to watch as the HHH vs. Undertaker match from last year. Part of the problem with this feud is it seems that the two will only interact in promos, much like the Rock and John Cena will past Elimination Chamber. They did the exact same thing last year, with many of those very promos centered around questioning if the Undertaker can still go, or talking about how great the other is. This WrestleMania card is poised to be loaded with great matches. If they go “Broadway” to the level they did last year, it would truly suck the life out of the rest of the show.

This feud could work, but I want to see something different…something more reserved.

Tony Acero: If you read the RAW report, then you saw how excited I was when The Undertaker came back. Also, if you read last year’s Wrestlemania special where I reported on The Undertaker and all of his Mania matches, then you know that I’m a huge fan of Taker. Once all the excitement wore off, I began to think about the possibility of this match and where they are going to go with it. Looking at the names involved, I feel that they are well aware of how their match went last year and would be more than willing to mix it up just enough to make it new. After all, looking at their first Mania match, it was much more visceral and action packed. In terms of last year, they had a bit of a stalling period where both men looked kind of beaten down and old. I know that this may very well be what they were going for, but the reality of it is, it went on too long and the fans got bored. I hope and I feel that they’re going to bring the excitement and turn up the action just a bit more. The storyline they seem to be going with is that Triple H may very well not want the match. The only questioning aspect of it all is why Taker would even go after Trips considering he’s already beaten him. I can only assume it was due to the comment made the night after Mania, but time will tell. All in all, I’m just glad Taker is back, and if I have to watch him and Triple H tangle it up one mo gin, then I’m down. There could be worse out there…


4. Choosing between John Morrison and Brock Lesnar, which of the two is more likely to return to the WWE?

Michael Uphoff: I have to say, this is a really good question. It is difficult to choose between the two of them because I can potentially see both Morrison AND Lesnar returning to WWE at some point in the future. If I have to choose between the two, I would say John Morrison. John Morrison will return to WWE, mark my words. It may not be soon, but Morrison was simply just too good a talent for WWE to waste, and that is one reason that WWE drove me nuts last year. Morrison will return to the WWE, but maybe in a few years. In terms of Brock, since his retirement from MMA/UFC, I don’t really see anything else for Lesnar to do except maybe go to TNA, but WWE would pay him more and utilize him slightly better. Not to mention that there are just a few more viable and appealing opponents in WWE for Lesnar than TNA. Add in the fact that Brock was in WWE ’12 and in the new King of the Ring DVD, it makes it all the more likely that Lesnar will return. It remains to be seen in what capacity, most likely a limited one due to his health.

Joshua Stangle: I believe that Morrison will come back to the WWE in the future. It may take several years, but at some point, he will return. The fact that they still acknowledge him on WWE TV is a sign that he didn’t burn any bridges. Even if he does come back, I don’t see him ever breaking through the mid-card echelon. He would provide some good matches, have some memorable spots, and may have a tag team title run with someone; but I wouldn’t have high expectations upon his return. If the WWE really saw a main event player with Morrison, they wouldn’t have let him go.

Lesnar, up until late last year, seemed almost forgotten by the WWE. Then he was in WWE 12′ and is on the cover of the new King of the Ring DVD. With his retirement from Mixed Martial Arts, his schedule has opened up. I doubt he would return on a full-time basis. His previous health issues may prevent any extended travel. I think the likeliest option is a one-time return at Summerslam. But much like the Pacquiao versus Mayweather match that I‘ll never get to see, some deals just never come to fruition.

Morrison is more likely to return. The possibility of a Lesnar return match is far more appealing though, and would likely generate huge interest.

Tony Acero: I suppose they’d have to ask Melina and Sable first to see whether they could come back to play or not. I kid. In all reality, I see Morrison coming back before Big Lesnar. The rumors deem that Morrison left due to Melina and will most likely not be coming back, but – and I may be missing something here – were those ever confirmed? It doesn’t seem to me like he left on bad terms, and the “on my way to TNA” rumors were fan created more so than anything else, right? It could legitimately be as simple as Morrison wanting some time off, with no intentions, ever, of wanting to go to TNA. I wouldn’t be surprised if Morrison came back some time after Mania.

In terms of Lesnar, this is another thing created by us, the fans, and our yearning to see Brock in a squared circle instead of an 8-sided one. Brock is a beast, and I frequently go back to watch his matches. He was just so…fluid. I find it highly improbable that Lesnar is going to come back, especially full time. I think now that he has no ties, he’ll show up, maybe even get himself a match at Summerslam (Or next year’s Mania if they want to wait that long), but as far as being a part of the roster, going on the road, and all that jive, I doubt it. His health issues and his distaste for the road life are going to be the detriments to his decision to join the fray of the WWE, I think. Either way, both of these men would be welcomed back with open arms, I’m sure.


5. Do you think Wade Barrett will be either WWE or World Heavyweight Champion by the end of 2012?

Michael Uphoff: My honest-to-God gut feeling is no, and I hope that I am wrong on this one. Wade Barrett on SmackDown is like Dolph Ziggler on RAW. Both have greatly improved in the ring this past year, and while both have made those great strides and developed unique characters, I don’t think that either of them (mostly Barrett) is likely to hold either title by the end of 2012. I could potentially see Barrett winning MITB and cashing it in at some point to win, but a legitimate win of either title? I just can’t see Barrett doing it. He has made significant strides since he was the leader of Nexus in terms of mic skills and character development, but I just don’t think he has come far enough in terms of in-ring ability to become WWE or World Heavyweight Champion. If I had to quantify it, I’d say about a 20% chance tops.

Joshua Stangle: I don’t think the chances are as high as most think. The upper mid-card of the WWE is packed. SmackDown alone has four other heels who could be champion- Daniel Bryan, Mark Henry, Christian and Cody Rhodes. That’s not even mentioning what I said earlier about 2012 possibly being Sheamus’ breakout year, which would likely involve a good amount of time with the title. Randy Orton will still be a major star on SmackDown, and will likely have the title again by the end of the year as well. RAW has an even bigger roster with more upper mid-carders…

That being said, Barrett could very well win the World Heavyweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber PPV and go on to WrestleMania with it…

Barrett is still very good on the mic and in character. More than just his character, he exudes a presence of regality. His ring work isn’t that great (compared to some of the other contenders on the SmackDown roster), which is my main dispute towards him getting a 2012 World title reign. I’ll give him about a 55% chance, not factoring in potential for injury.

Tony Acero: Call me crazy, but I can see it. Well, the World Heavyweight Championship, at least. They’ve been pushing Barrett off and on, most recently on. I can see them pushing him all the way. He’s proven that he’s got the mic skills as well as the in ring skills and the capability as well as the size. I think that within the year, he’s going to get the title, even if it’s one of those crappy Swagger reigns. The issue is that I’m not sure I want him to have it so soon. I understand that he’s been around for a while, but it seems that the hot shotting of the title does nothing but damage the person they hand it to. We’ve seen this with Swagger’s reign and Sheamus’s reign. Neither men looked good in their reigns or their defenses. They both came off as cheap paper champions that were undeserving. As of right now, Barrett is in a position where he has bested a champion, or at the very least, stayed on his level. I’m thinking the third or fourth quarter of the year, they’ll give Barrett a chance, but if they do it any time sooner than that, I don’t see any positive out of it. Will Wade be champ this year? Yes, I can almost undoubtedly see it happening, I just hope it happens at the right time, with the right push.

There ya go, folks. I hope you enjoyed the first issue of The Triumvirate Truth. Look for more changes in the future and if you have any suggestions, let them be known in the comment section below!

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