wrestling / Columns
Thursday Sports Entertainment News Report 03.22.12: The WrestleMania Will Win/Should Win Edition
“There’s a reason why Warrior can retire comfortably while older guys like Hogan and Flair are still embarrassing themselves in the ring.”
Thank you!
Posted By: thepsychedelia (Registered) on March 15, 2012 at 01:36 AM
You’re welcome!
I feel like Orton is overrated, but I can’t give a sufficient reason why. Any help?
Posted By: Andis (Guest) on March 15, 2012 at 05:55 AM
Lol, I’m right there with you! Anybody? Andis is on to something with this…
I’ll venture to say that Khali is more valuable than Evan Bourne is.
Posted By: Guest#3159 (Guest) on March 15, 2012 at 05:59 AM
And you are correct. My mistake was taking only the people that had merchandising available as the basis for my list. Khali is a megastar in India, a virtually untapped market with over 1 billion people. Strategically, he’s far more important than Evan Bourne. Good catch.
“There’s a reason why Warrior can retire comfortably while older guys like Hogan and Flair are still embarrassing themselves in the ring.”
You mean because nobody wants to see the Warrior and nobody will pay him to wrestle? Because he sucks and always will suck and always has sucked??? You know Warrior lives in a one bedroom apartment and spends his entire day posting hate speech on Right wing blogs. What an amazing man!!! Let’s celebrate him forever!!!!
Posted By: Guest#7805 (Guest) on March 15, 2012 at 01:15 PM
People want to see warrior. Just because you may not want to, doesn’t mean there aren’t a lot of people that would love to see him at an appearance. Not sure why you think he lives in a one bedroom apartment posting hate speech on blogs – perhaps you consider yourself to be the Ultimate Warrior?
Guest#7805, from Parts Unknown…
Nice column dude.
On the Warrior: I don’t think comparing him to Hogan & Flair is fair for a bunch of reasons.
1. Hogan and Flair, for better or worse, truly LOVE the wrestling business. Both may have done some horrible things at different times, but wrestling is in their blood and I don’t think anyone can deny that. The same isn’t true of Warrior. He never cared for the business. He wanted to make some money and then get out. Which is exactly what he did. Kudos to him, but it’s apples and oranges.
2. Hogan and Flair remain in the business because they need money. Not because they didn’t trademark their gimmicks. Both men did. They just both happened to have wives that took all their money. Hogan only had one, Flair had nearly as many as he did World Title runs. They both need money because of bad relationships, not because they didn’t manage their money or their characters well… Although Flair didn’t manage his finances well, in general, but the point still stands. It had nothing to do with their characters or owning their trademarks.
Posted By: Guest#4885 (Guest) on March 15, 2012 at 08:35 PM
I don’t think Hogan and Flair love the business as much as you think they do. Hogan tried at every turn to get out of the Sports Entertainment industry and become a Hollywood star, but that didn’t work out so well for the Immortal one. Flair loves to be in the spotlight and fund his hard partying ways. I’m sure the Nature Boy loves being a wrestler, but it’s sad to see him trying to act like he’s still in his 20’s or 30’s.
You are right that both men have been taken to the cleaners by their wives, but I think that it also has to do with the fact that Hogan and Flair made some bad decisions when it came to their relationships and their finances. After all, there’s a reason that the term “Naitching” exists.
Greetings, folks, and welcome to another edition of Thursday Sports Entertainment! Geronimo!
U.S. NEWS AND WORLD (WRESTLING ENTERTAINMENT) REPORT
According to WWE.com, John Cena has been involved in an automobile accident in Philadelphia. The report says that Cena was driving his SUV, and was rear-ended by a tractor-trailer. Police were called to the scene and no immediate injuries were reported.
Glad to hear that Cena walked away without a scratch. But can you imagine Vince McMahon’s reaction when he got the phone call saying his top guy was in a car accident less than two weeks before the biggest event of the year?
– Triple H has issued an official statement for WWE denying that FCW is shutting down. Triple H told WWE.com that the developmental program will get an overhaul and they are planning to relocate the system.
“It is absolutely not true. FCW is not closing,” he said. “I don’t know how the rumor started but I believe it’s a situation where the ‘dirt sheets’ want to believe they have the scoop on everything. If anything, we are in the process of ramping up our entire developmental system. It’s the lifeblood of our company. It’s what feeds our future and in no way are we going to close it down.”
I’m interested to see what the overhaul will be and understand the logic behind it. It makes sense that they would have more than one farm system, but how FCW will be affected remains unknown. Just because they aren’t closing it down, doesn’t mean that it won’t be drastically impacted. I small political double-speak all over this. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see.
The June No Way Out PPV will feature steel cage matches in the main events. All the shots in the promotional video at tonight’s Smackdown taping were steel cage matches.
Interesting concept. There are pros and cons with themed PPVs. I think a big “con” is that a gimmick PPV forces the company to book their angles a certain way to make them “fit” the gimmick. For example, when Elimination Chamber is coming up, you suddenly get 5 guys all claiming they have a legitimate shot at the title, while all year it’s usually just one or two. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of outside-the-ring brawling in the next few weeks, necessitating a steel cage to keep the action in the squared circle. A “pro” for a themed PPV is that it certainly makes it unique and memorable. No Way Out is now the “Steel Cage PPV” rather than Generic PPV with a Menacing Name #4.
-Alberto Del Rio worked a match at a house show in Madison Square Garden this week. He beat Mason Ryan at the event in a quick bout. It’s being speculated that Del Rio isn’t recovered from his injury.
I was at that house show with my brother-in-law (a non-fan), and it was a lot of fun. I actually missed the Del Rio/Ryan match because it took place when I was getting food. The match had to be 2-3 minutes long, tops. Some interesting tidbits from the House Show:
– The set that they use for entrances gives the show a more big time feel
– My brother-in-law on the Bryan/Big Show/Mark Henry match: “I’d hate to be that little guy (Bryan). He’s smaller than the referee!”
– Speaking of that match, it was by far the most entertaining of the night. Bryan, Show and Henry all did a great job in showcasing their personalities without speaking a single word. More TV and PPV matches need to be like that MSG House Show match.
– Zack Ryder came out first to one of the biggest pops of the night. I think WWE learned their lesson when they kept Ryder out of the Survivor Series and suffered the wrath of the MSG crowd.
– Randy Orton gets the most ear-piercing pop out of everyone. You really have to hear it live. Women go crazy for this guy, and it’s very evident in the falsetto squeals you hear when he comes out.
– The Natalya/Beth vs. Kelly/Tamina tag match was actually really good! Mostly because Kelly wasn’t in the ring for too long. I told my brother-in-law that “three out of the four women in that ring can wrestle.” His response was: “I bet the one who can’t is the one not wearing any pants.” Good guess!
Chris Jericho has a video posted on WWE.com, filmed immediately after he revealed that CM Punk’s sister is a drug addict. Jericho declares war on CM Punk, saying that it’s all real and that nothing is off limits. He added that he’s only told the truth so far and that you’re not crossing the line if you’re speaking the truth.
This is why Chris Jericho is such an awesome heel. There’s nothing better than watching a bad person do bad things, but feel totally justified for doing them. When Jericho said that addicts would “do anything” to get that next hit, I fully expected him to bring Punk’s sister (or, more likely, an actress playing her), into the frame and have her do degrading things for some petty cash. Maybe he will, there’s still time!
WRESTLEMANIA WILL WIN/SHOULD WIN
Every year around awards season, many entertainment magazines and websites do a feature where they pick which celebrities will win certain awards, whether it be the Emmys, Oscars, etc., paired with which should win those awards. I thought it might be fun to run such a feature for the Granddaddy of ‘em all, a mere 10 days away! Let’s take a look at the card:
Tag Team Divas Match: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Eve & Beth Phoenix
Will Win: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
When’s the last time a celebrity ever got the short end of the stick at WrestleMania? Kelly & Maria go over in what will likely be a short, somewhat entertaining match (if we’re lucky). Despite the fact that the host of Extra has limited wrestling ability and Kelly Kelly has even less, this one is purely for the publicity news clips that will show Menounos pinning Eve.
Should Win: Eve & Beth Phoenix
If matches were based on talent alone, then Eve and especially Beth would walk away winners. But, alas, someone has to lie down for the celebrity, and that honor will go to Eve this year. Both Eve and Beth are finally starting to grow as characters, and giving them a win over a celebrity and the most popular Diva would only progress their on-screen development. Oh well. Maybe their budding catfight over Zack Ryder can make up for their inevitable loss at the Showcase of the Immortals.
GM vs. GM Match For Control of Raw and Smackdown: Team Long (Captain – Santino & Kofi Kingston & R-Truth & three other members ) vs. Team Laurinaitis (Captain – David Otunga, Mark Henry, Christian, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger & one other member)
Will Win: Team Laurinaitis
I see this one going to Team Laurinaitis through nefarious means. Plus, the heels need a win or two at WrestleMania, right?
Should Win: Team Laurinaitis
It keeps things interesting. Conflict is the source of drama, and there won’t be much conflict with good guy Teddy Long in charge of the whole shebang. With Big Johnny on top of both brands, look for the odds to be stacked against the babyfaces, which is a good thing from a storytelling perspective. Plus, Teddy’s been on top of SmackDown for, what, seven or eight years now? It’s time for some new blood on the blue brand.
The “Give These Guys Something To Do” Match: Randy Orton vs. Kane
Will Win: Randy Orton
It seemed that Orton was going to face Wade Barrett in Miami, but fate intervened with Barrett’s unfortunate injury relegating him to the sidelines. With no opponent for one of WWE’s top guys, Kane was thrown into the mix after finishing his feud with John Cena. With really no logic behind the feud, coupled with Kane’s reputation as the Big Guy Who Puts Others Over, look for Randy to win on April 1st.
Should Win: Randy Orton
Neither man would be impacted too negatively if he were to lose, but Randy’s the fan favorite in a meaningless match, so he might as well go over.
Intercontinental Title match: Cody Rhodes vs. Big Show.
Will Win: Cody Rhodes
Big Show is the perennial loser at WrestleMania, as Cody has kindly reminded us every week. I expect son of Dusty to get some more mileage after the WrestleMania match by continuing to harass Show for his losing ways. However, if the Big Show does win, it will probably be via countout or DQ, and won’t result in a title switch. That way, he’ll be vindicated via victory, but Cody gets to keep the belt.
Should Win Cody Rhodes
It would only help Cody cement his reign as one of the better Intercontinental Champions in recent memory with a win over the World’s Largest Athlete. The Big Show doesn’t need the Intercontinental title at this point in his career, and has nothing to gain by beating a guy much smaller than him. If the WWE is serious about building new talent, then they’ll use some of the more experienced wrestlers, like the Big Show, to help build future World Champions like Cody Rhodes.
World Heavyweight Title match: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus
Will Win: Sheamus
This is so we all get to experience the trademarked WrestleMania feel-good title change. Sheamus will get his “WrestleMania moment” by beating Bryan in the 4th main event of the night. It’s hard to deny that the Celtic Warrior has been on a tear recently, and I don’t see that stopping anytime soon. Not to mention that we are long overdue for a major title change at WrestleMania – the last time that happened was WrestleMania XXV. Finally, if the rumors are true, and Sheamus indeed has powerful friends behhhind thhhe scenes, thhhen hhhe hhhas nothhhing to worry about next Sunday.
Should Win: Daniel Bryan
Sheamus is already quite popular with the crowd, so he doesn’t need to be World Heavyweight Champion to get any more over. Hell, Bryan uses the catchphrase “World! Heavyweight! Champion!” as part of his shtick, so he’ll need to keep the belt to continue doing that. Perhaps if Seamus wins they can get more mileage out of a Sheamus/Bryan feud, which would be fantastic, but at this stage Bryan needs to maintain credibility more than anything, and a win over the Celtic Warrior would be a step in the right direction. The good news is that if Bryan is to lose, he at least has another tool at his disposal for getting heel heat – his girlfriend AJ. The Macho Man/Liz vibe that they have has been working nicely at casting him as an unlovable jerk.
WWE Title match: C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho.
Will Win: C.M. Punk
With all the rumors of Chris Jericho’s departure in the near future, it wouldn’t make much sense to hotshot the title onto Y2J and then back off again, especially after Punk promised to hold onto it for a long, long time. Also, people want to see Jericho get beaten after the awful things he’s been saying about Punk’s family. I think at this point Punk doesn’t need the title to maintain popular, but then again, neither does Jericho. So I see Punk going over after a long, excellent match.
Should Win: Chris Jericho
This one is for purely selfish reasons. I want to see this feud continue. With only 10 days to go before WrestleMania, we’ve only seen the tip of the iceberg as far as what these two are capable of. I want to see a real blood feud come out of this, with Jericho and Punk physically and verbally destroying each other over the next several months. Think about the last few months of Punk in the title scene: He’s had a great feud with a babyface John Cena, a confusing quasi-feud with a face Triple H, and matches against sold, but still developing heels Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler. Jericho is the first true, main event level heel that Punk has faced in the main event scene – and he needs to make the most of it with an extended feud that will only secure his legacy.
Hell in a Cell: The Undertaker vs. Triple H (w/Shawn Michaels as special referee)
Will Win: The Undertaker
Come on. It’s the streak! The sun always rises in the east, the seasons always change and the Undertaker always wins at WrestleMania. Even with Michaels as the special referee, HBK will be, ultimately, a non-factor in the match. (Meaning he may do some shenanigans during the match, but ultimately won’t affect the outcome and will do the right thing in the end.)
Should Win: The Undertaker
The Undertaker’s streak should only end if A) the company wants to put someone young and serious over in a big way and B) he agrees to do it. At this point the streak has been built to be bigger than any championship – the man who breaks the streak, (assuming it gets broken) will instantly become an important name in Sports Entertainment history. The streak was enough to sell WrestleMania last year (let’s face it, the rest of the card was underwhelming), and it’ll be used to sell more PPVs as long as the Undertaker is willing & able to perform. HHH is already a big part of Wrestling history and will remain so until the day he dies, so there’s no point in having HHH be the guy to end the most coveted streak in all of Professional Wrestling.
The Main Event: The Rock vs. John Cena
Will Win: John Cena
WWE isn’t going to have their #1 guy lose to someone who isn’t an active, regular member of the roster. The match will be epic, but there’s no way Rocky is walking out the victor. I’m sure they’ll protect The People’s Champion by having someone like the Miz cost Rocky the match, but John Cena goes over at the end of the day.
Should Win: John Cena
It just makes business sense. John Cena is the most valuable man in the company, they can’t afford to have the top guy who works 300+ events for them per year lose to the guy who works an average of 1 or 2 events per year. Rock has nothing to lose by doing the job and Cena has everything to gain. So mark your calendars: April 1st. WrestleMania XVIII. A celebrity loses a WrestleMania match!
What do you say, readers? Who will win/should win at WrestleMania? Let me know!
@FGOODISH SAYS
My Twitter chum @FGoodish was kind enough to let me re-post some of his tweets in this column. I always find him entertaining, even though I don’t always agree with him. Something about this guy cracks me up. Maybe it’s because in my head I’m picturing Bruiser Brody posting all these wrestling-related tweets. Anyway, here’s some of what @FGoodish had to say this week!
So, I’m debating rawdogging my milf neighbor. She is a much older broad, but I’d throw her a shot. Her husband might knife my a– though.
(Note: I responded “do it.”)
Rich broad could be my sugar momma
Milf neighbor gave me a bunch of extra beer her kids left. Good beer too. Rich kid beer
But that’s just the life of a G
This chick I’m banging is too smart. I need a dummy, to take advantage of, in a dirty dirty disgusting little way.
Life of a G
Whaaa my father is an alcoholic Whaaaaa #raw
Whaaaa my father touched my naughty parts whaaaaaa #raw
If Cm Punk is straight edge, why do his eyes look like mine? #raw
Jericho should of said he got Punk’s sister hooked on dope, then he rawdogged her. #raw
The Rock’s socks looked like the socks I used to wear when I was a kid. #raw
Why on Earth would #TNA re-sign RVD? He brings nothing. Nothing
Good ole Cena, with the same rasslin we all love, and boo. #raw
Any dummy broads in the Southeastern USA interested in a good time? Call @FGoodish!
YOUR SPORTS ENTERTAINMENT TWITTER #FOLLOWTHURSDAY OF THE WEEK!
This week’s Sports Entertainment Twitter #FollowThursday of the week is none other than William Regal, aka a href=” https://twitter.com/#!/RealKingRegal” target=”new”>@RealKingRegal!
Mr. Regal likes to interact with the fans on Twitter, keep you up to date on the latest goings on in Blackpool, and will occasionally offer some solid advice on how to make it as a pro wrestler.
Here’s a long tweet from Lord Regal from the site twitlonger. I include it in full because it offers valuable insight from a pro that’s been in the business for decades. Enjoy!
My updated tips for becoming a Pro Wrestler/Sports Entertainer. It takes a lot more work to being a WWE superstar than a few Pro Wrestling holds and throws. You must develop all your skills and that usually comes from help from more experienced pros. I never had to be told to ask for help and guidance and never to this day stop working on my skills. Sitting round texting, playing games and whining will get you know where. No one owes you a living.
So that I don’t come across like a miserable old git (insert joke), I will happily give some free advice to up and coming Pro Wrestlers:
Find a school with a good rep and a trainer who has a great pedigree.
Learn the basics properly. Get and stay in good condition, there’s a big difference from looking in condition to actually being in condition. I’m a believer in Hindu squats, Hindu pushups and most importantly proper bridging(nose on mat, feet flat on mat).Work hard and have respect for the job. Good manners go a long way. Treat people the way you would like to be treated. Enjoy it.
Now once you are training:
– Make everything you do mean something or don’t bother doing it.
– Study the greats and the people who the great ones admire. Very important.
– Get a good base of basics and perfect them. Don’t take this for granted.
– Work at perfecting your skills but be honest with yourself. If there are things you don’t do well then avoid doing them.
– Try to find someone who will give you an honest answer about your skills. Most people’s ego won’t allow them to think they do things badly.
– Practice your talking skills. Use a mirror and film yourself and work on every detail, facials, eyes and mannerisms.
– Look to the world to find things that you can use to develop your character. Films, TV shows and anything else that grabs your attention.
– Learn how to read people’s emotions. This tip is invaluable. People don’t just boo or cheer. You have to learn how to make them.
Only one in a million has the Elvis factor(old reference but I can’t think of a better one).If you truly have that quality then you can get away with anything but the majority of us don’t so don’t take your skills for granted. I believe that that the more time you put into learning the details the better and longer your career will be.
Watch this match and really study everything they do. You should aim for this standard if you are interested in technical wrestling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6YW9Xcp07s&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I know I’m the last person you want to listen to about physique training but it’s very important these days. From seeing how the smart people train now it seems as though compound movements like squats, deadlifts etc build better, more functional, resilient bodies for our business. Bodybuilding movements don’t. Like I said, this is just what I see and hear .
Learn from the mistakes of the people who have come before you (including me) and try not to make them.
To make it in the WWE you have to be very adaptable and willing to make any character or opportunity workhorse some very good advice. Make a list of the worst possible situations and character traits you are asked to do. Now make up a character and promos involving those traits and work on perfecting that character and promo(on your own otherwise you’ll get locked up).Make those things second nature. Now you’ve taken away some of your fears so whatever you are asked to do should be easier. Don’t skip this task. Very few people who come to the WWE end up being the character they envisioned.
.
The most important things you have to make you connect with an audience are your eyes. If you believe in yourself and your persona it will be evident in your eyes. You cannot show any real emotion without your eyes. So, if you’re interested in being taken seriously then never wear anything to cover them. This will offend a lot of people but you don’t look cool wearing sunglasses indoors. You look a divvy. There are many big stars who have worn them but you’ll find most will take them off when they’re making a serious point or they just have that special magic that only 1 in a million have.
– One more tip. Everyone takes ideas from others but make them your own. Try to be original. Be a one off.
That’s enough for today. Sounds simple enough but very few put those ideas into practice. Use common sense. Everything is in those tweets. Figure them out. In other words don’t be a div. I can’t hold your hand.
It says a lot about the good Lord KING Regal that he would take the time to write up and send out such insight to the world, free of charge. Seems like a true gent, to me. William Regal, everybody! Give him a follow today, will ya?
And of course, follow all the 411 stuff on Twitter! #spon
http://www.twitter.com/411mania
http://www.twitter.com/411wrestling
http://www.twitter.com/411moviestv
http://www.twitter.com/411music
http://www.twitter.com/411games
http://www.twitter.com/411mma
PLUGGING ALONG
SIGNING OFF
That about does it for this edition of Thursday Sports Entertainment. Be sure to let me know your WrestleMania Will Win/Should Win picks, follow William Regal, and tune in next week!
Hasta Jueves,
This is Sean
More Trending Stories
- WWE Being Sued By Fan Who Claims Hearing Damage From Smackdown Taping, Motion Filed To Change Venues
- Backstage Update on When Mike Rome Returns to WWE NXT, Main Roster Brand for Alicia Taylor
- Tony Khan Says He’s Not The Best Person To Get Revenge On The Elite
- AJ Styles Explains Why He Has Retired One Of His Signature Moves
