Wrestling with the Stars

Rousey flips Trips
Photo courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
Listen to the podcast right here

Wrestlemania 32 is 362 days away and I can not wait for it to get here.  After taking a break from our Wrestlemania trips, Chad and I have agreed we'll be on hand to witness the event live at "Jerry's World" in Dallas.

I'm typically not a fan of celebrity matches, as I recall stars like Drew Carey, Jay Leno and Dennis Rodman stepping into the ring.  Even though I wasn't a big fan of Snooki's, I thought she did well in her match at Wrestlemania a few years ago. Floyd Mayweather and even Mr. T 30 years ago stepped up to the plate and exceeded my expectations. However in 2016, I hope that we get the already much talked about Ronda Rousey in-ring debut.

Rousey and the Horsewomen at SummerSlam
Photo courtesy:  WWE

I know little to nothing about Rousey other than she is kick ass MMA fighter.  She's the only current fighter I'm able to name (I don't watch UFC or MMA, or are they the same?).  But I've heard enough main stream and social media coverage to be able to identify who she is.  When she showed up at Wrestlemania 31 last week, I assumed like many that it was to lay the ground work for a future appearance with WWE.

Ouch!
Photo courtesy: WWE

It's already been reported the appearance was a "one-off" and she's not quitting her day job.  I'm not looking for her to be in the ring full time, I'd love one match at Mania and what better way to help fill a stadium with a capacity of 100,000 fans than with someone with crossover appeal like Rousey? Her opponent (if I was booking this thing today) would be Stephanie McMahon.  I can actually see Chad rolling his eyes as he reads this, but let me explain.

You'd be hard pressed right now to find a Diva on the roster right now who is more hated than Stephanie.  The Billion Dollar Princess may very well be the biggest heel in the company right now.  She has become one of the best at being that antagonist in various storylines.  

Some may argue that's the problem with WWE Creative, that they haven't helped build anyone else on the roster to play that role.  I'm not arguing that point, as I do think there have been some missed opportunities over the years, but the reality of the here and now is that (most) fans would rather see Rousey hand Stephanie McMahon her ass than any other woman in WWE.  

The new Dynamic Duo?
Photo courtesy: WWE

I know it's still way too early, but this is the first match I'm putting on my wish list for next year.  Heck, I wouldn't even be opposed to a mixed tag with Ronda and the Rock against Stephanie and Triple H.  Of course over the next 361 days, I may end up changing my mind, but that's okay.  

Mania Memories: Awesome, Kinda

An Awesome Entrance

By Kevin Hunsperger 
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

This will be the final Mania Memories post.  Hope you've enjoyed them, as much as I've enjoyed writing them.  Wrestlemania 27 featured a first ever guest host as the Rock helped kick off the event.  I'm not sure if that helped or hurt overall though, as it felt more like a Raw than a Wrestlemania.  It was just kinda weird.

The best thing about Wrestlemania 27 was the fact that both Edge and the Miz retained their titles.  I'm still not convinced about Alberto Del Rio, so to see him go down in defeat made me happy.  And I'm a big Miz fan, or Miz-fit, so seeing him walk out champion was great.  However, he didn't leave with his head held high, as the mantra with Wrestlemania every year is that the fans go home happy.  The heel retained won the main event (I know it's happened before), but thanks to a Rock Bottom by the Great One, the fans quickly forgot that their hero John Cena had been defeated.

Miz retains

I think the Miz's victory, and heck even involvement in Wrestlemania was overshadowed by the Rock's return.  The next night on Raw it was announced that Cena and the Rock would be taking on each other at Wrestlemania 28.  Talk about letting the wind out of your champion's sails.  Plus all the hype before the event featured Rock, Cena, and at times Snooki.  The Miz was playing fourth fiddle, but that's how the game is played sometimes.  That doesn't mean I have to like it.

Triple H and the Undertaker went at it again, a followup to their match a decade earlier.  I know I'm in the minority, but I've never been huge fans of either guy, but I can appreciate what they've done for the world of wrestling.  They did put on a great show and took each other past the limit.  I tip my hat to them both for getting in their and repeating it inside the Hell in a Cell this year, but I'm still not pumped about this match.

I mentioned Snooki's involvement, yeah she did fine I guess.  It was a short term boost, but did it do anything to further the WWE?  Not really.  It may have lead to the eventual dismissal of John Morrison.  I'm of course speculating on all the Internet rumors, so take that for what it's worth.

It's Cole

The rest of the card was just kinda there.  Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler (in my opinion) should have never wrestled, or at least at Wrestlemania.  However, I'm glad Lawler finally got a match at the big event.  Nearly 20 years with the company, I will say that he at least deserved it, I just think it could have been with a better opponent.

So what did you think of 27?  Post your comments here or on our Facebook wall.

Shorely You're Kidding

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger on Twitter

I know I'm late to the party on this one, but I wanted to throw out some quick thoughts on the newest "acquisition" to TNA.  Jersey Shore star Ronnie Ortiz-Magro is making his wrestling debut on the November 3 episode of Impact.  The taping for the show is later this week, so I have no idea who his opponent is or how the match goes.

I've blogged in the past about reality stars getting into the ring.  You can check that out here.  I'm not sure what TNA's obsession is with the Jersey Shore.  They have had two other "stars" from the show wrestle (JWoww and Angelina)  Actually, I'm not sure if JWoww actually wrestled, but she was paid a rather large sum of money to appear on Impact (a show that doesn't charge fans to see in person or on TV).  Did either of these angles result in a boost in ratings?  No.  I think just the opposite happens, you alienate the fans who are watching and frustrate them.

I'm not going to pass a whole lot of judgment yet, because I don't know if this is a one shot deal or if Ronnie is actually going to try to become a wrestler.  Obviously it worked for the Miz, maybe it will for Ronnie too.  If this is a one shot deal, I ask again, why?  Jersey Shore is on OPPOSITE Impact.  So people who are regular watchers of the Shore are not going to be likely to switch the channel, are they?  Maybe I'm wrong here.

Me and Robbie E. 

One would have to assume that Ronnie will work some kind of program with Robbie E, since he's the Jersey Shore wannabe.  The teaser on the Impact Wrestling website specifically says Ronnie will be making his "wrestling debut."  Maybe he and Eric Young will team up against Robbie E and Rob Terry.  I just hope that if it is a one time deal, they don't make Ronnie's opponent look horrible in the process.  But that's the tendency when a star outside wrestling is brought in.  They're used to make someone on the roster look bad.  It's happened in every company since the beginning of time.  But that doesn't mean I have to like it, right?

Snooki at Wrestlemania

And just to be clear, I also complained when Snooki was a part of Wrestlemania 27.  I know with wrestling these days it's also about entertainment and getting that main stream media attention.  I suppose all is fair, right.  At least Ronnie has the look of a wrestler, but does he have the heart and the talent to back that up? We'll find out in a few weeks.

What are your thoughts?  Post them here or on Facebook or Twitter.

Chyna Syndrome

 Photo courtesy: TNA

By Kevin Hunsperger

In what shouldn't be a big surprise to anyone, TNA has severed its ties with Chyna.  I say this shouldn't be a surprise, because it seems like more often than not, TNA brings in a former WWE star, puts them over their current roster (or completely overlooks someone) and then doesn't lock them into any kind of deal.

Chyna tells TMZ it's because there's another sex tape out there featuring her.  I respect TNA's decision not to do business with her, but it's not like there isn't already a sex tape out there with Chyna in it.  So is two the magic number when it comes to starring in a porno?  I don't get it.  Besides, wouldn't someone in the front office have done some checking before bringing her in?  There was no deal inked, so maybe that's how this video slipped through the cracks.

TNA did these kinds of things in the early days too.  I remember watching the weekly pay per views and Lex Luger coming out and destroying AJ Styles.  The late "Macho Man" Randy Savage was brought in for one time, and got the win over Jeff Jarrett in a six man tag team match.  I know there are others, but these three instances stick out in my memory.

Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather

On the flip side of the coin, the WWE has done similar things, at least with entertainers.  Floyd "Money" Mayweather went over the Big Show at Wrestlemania 24, Lawrence Taylor pinned Bam Bam Bigelow at Wrestlemania 11, and most recently, Snooki was the winner in the six person tag team match over LayCool and Dolph Ziggler.  I'll make this argument though, these were celebrity matches, and while they didn't do anything to help push the careers of those involved, they did create media buzz for the WWE before and after the event.

How much main stream media coverage did the Chyna match get?  Or Savage?  Or Luger.  You get my point.  While I'm not saying what the WWE is doing is necessarily right, it is good for their business.  I'd argue that both companies are taking a spot away from someone more deserving on their roster by having non wrestlers or former stars returning.  I would have much rather seen Beth Phoenix and Natalya featured at Wrestlemania than Snooki.  And why not give another Knockout in TNA the opportunity to step up in the feud with the Jarretts and Kurt Angle?

Again, I invite you to share your thoughts here.  Also, "like" us on Facebook.  Follow us on Twitter.  And subscribe to the YouTube channel.  There are interviews with Mickie James, Hacksaw Duggan, and Billy Gunn all posted.

Wrestlemania: The Blog

"Bobby Heenan" invades Wrestlemania XXVII

By Kevin Hunsperger

Wow, what a whirlwind.  We got out of the Georgia Dome and back to our hotel a little after midnight.  Up and at 'em at 4 a.m. to catch a flight and then after nearly 2 and a half hour drive in a downpour and windstorm, I'm finally home.  This is just going to be some quick thoughts on Wrestlemania.  Overall, because of the atmosphere and it being Wrestlemania and all, I really enjoyed myself.  But I always do.  Say what you want, the WWE knows how to put on a show, whether you like the outcomes our not, people can't say they weren't entertained.

First, I'm going to throw out a few Mania fun facts. I think I'm right on all this information, I'm going by memory and just a few hours sleep.

*Wrestlemania XXVII is the first in the event's history that did not feature a title change.  Of course only two titles were defended on the card (World heavyweight and WWE championship)

*The crowd last night set an attendance record according to the WWE of 71,617.

*Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler, Snooki, Alberto Del Rio, Wade Barrett, Ezkiel Jackson, Justin Gabriel, and Heath Slater all made their Wrestlemania wrestling debuts last night.  I don't count Daniel Bryan or any of the others in the battle royal as they were not a part of the actual card on pay per view.  Maybe next year fellas.

*This was the 4th straight Wrestlemania where the Royal Rumble winner did not win the title they were pursuing.

Now on to my thoughts...

U.S. Title Match, Sheamus (C) vs. Daniel Bryan (Dark Match):  First, let me say I was extremely disappointed this match was taken off the main card and put on as a preshow event.  Then when the lumberjacks who were added started to brawl, SmackDown! General Manager Teddy Long turned the match into a battle royal.  Does anyone else have a problem with the GM from the show not representing the U.S. title making a new match?  I did.  Problem may be a strong word, but there has to be more consistency with the product.  That's just one example of how attention to detail needs to be paid.  Writers and performers need to be more on the ball.

Oh yeah, most of the fans we were sitting near were cool.  There were a couple of douche bags behind us who kept complaining about EVERYTHING that was going on, and then one even yelled a racial slur.  And yes, a group of African American men was sitting right next to us.  Classy...

Greetings from the Rock

Guest Host The Rock Opens the Show:  I love the Rock.  I think he's one of the all time greats, but I still question why Wrestlemania needed a host.  To me, the open with the Rock just felt like an episode of Raw.  Of course the Rock was funny and entertaining, but it was about 7:20 before the first match on the show started.  But the live crowd was into what he had to say and I'm sure 90% of the WWE Universe was too.  And again, I'm a Rock fan, I just don't understand some of the things that happened last night.  I'll explain more in a bit...


World Title Match, Edge (C) speared and pinned Alberto Del Rio: A lot of people were shocked to see this match open the show.  Some were even upset.  Personally, I thought it was a great way to start the show.  Since there are so many big matches on the Wrestlemania card, good spacing is necessary to keep the crowd going up and down.  Edge and Del Rio put on a hell of a show for us.  The action was intense from bell to bell, and I believed all through the contest that Del Rio was going over and fulfilling his destiny of becoming the World heavyweight champion.  That didn't happen.  I liked the roles Brotus Clay and Christian played in the match, though the mark in me wanted to see Christian added to the match and walk out champion. As someone on Twitter said, "Del Rio has 'Billy Gunned' his Royal Rumble win."  If you don't get that, Google Billy Gunn and King of the Ring and you'll understand. I liked the roles Brotus Clay and Christian played in the match, though the mark in me wanted to see Christian added to the match and walk out champion.  So what I thought was going to be a ho-hum World title match actually impressed me and the show was off to a fantastic start, complete with some car vandalism by Edge. Poor Alberto.

Cody Rhodes pinned Rey Mysterio: I had been eagerly anticipating this match up.  I really felt like the WWE did a good job telling this story and drawing it out until Wrestlemania.  Many times, they'll hot shot an angle or a feud, but this one has been brewing for more than two months, which I know isn't a long time, but in today's world of 5 plus hours of TV time to fill, it worked out.  I had really hoped Cody would win, as he needed the victory much more than Rey did.  And the former "Dashing one" picked up the win.  It was tainted, but it worked and hopefully will help Cody move up the ladder a bit.  Perhaps put him in line for a shot with Edge later this year.

Kane, Big Show, Santino, & Kofi Kingston defeated The Corre:  Every year Wrestlemania has a match that goes under a minute.  This year, this was that match.  I don't really understand why they took Koslov out and added KofiCorre and Nexus have been made to look weak since the original Nexus inception nearly a year ago.

Randy Orton used the RKO to pin CM Punk:  This match had a lot of potential.  The action was pretty good.  Punk plays the best heel in the company right now, sorry Miz.  I really hoped Punk would win this one.  A victory for him was really needed, but instead "The Viper" picked up the 1-2-3.  Randy didn't need it.  He would still be over today without winning.  But Punk's loss makes him and the Nexus look weak.  I would have to assume this is probably the end of that group.  Hope Punk gets some sort of push in the aftermath.

Michael Cole defeated Jerry "the King" Lawler by disqualification: Not even special guest referee "Stone Cold" Steve Austin could stop the anonymous Raw general manager.  The GM reversed Austin's decision because Austin had shoved Cole during the course of the match.  A match, by the way, that went on way too long.  Cole played the heel to a tee and did a good job.  I still insist they take him off the announce team and make him a manager.  Put Jim Ross back where he belongs as the Voice of the WWE.  I think they could have cut this contest in half or more and we would have been fine with that.

There were a couple of backstage vignettes with the Rock and various folks.  Jake Roberts & Rick Martel circa Wrestlemania 7 (blindfold match) could see that Mae Young was going to be the one to come around the corner.  The Pee Wee Herman bit was okay, but took valuable in ring time away.  I know, it's sports entertainment.  The rap auditions were funny.  Loved the fact that Zack Ryder made the cut and sang "Friday."  It was also great seeing Roddy Piper too.

Okay, back to the action...

Undertaker goes 19 and 0 and beats Triple H by submission:  I'm probably in the minority here, but I was not invested in this match at all.  In fact, after the introductions (which were mildly cool) I ran to the restroom.  My bladder was supporting 32 ounces of Coke Zero and needed to be emptied.  So I missed the beginning of the match.  I felt like what I did see was pretty typical of an Undertaker Wrestlemania match.  Look at the last two years against Shawn Michaels.  Lots of near falls with each man kicking out of the other's finisher at the last second.  Heck, H even Tombstoned the Undertaker.  I'll admit, I thought it was over after that.  I had my doubts that the Undertaker would win.  That match took a lot out of him. That's why I'm saying this now.  The Undertaker should retire next year after Mania 20 and 0.  Start building a credible opponent now who can threaten the streak.  At this moment, John Cena is the only man on the roster who poses that threat.  I could live with a Cena-Taker match at Wrestlemania 28.  Can you see me, dead man?

The Jersey Shore heads south...

Snooki, Trish Stratus, & John Morrison beat LayCool & Dolph Ziggler:  Two problems with this match. 66% of the winning team aren't WWE superstars.  Trish is retired and that was Snooki's first match.  I know the WWE has a history of letting the celebrity pick up the win at Mania, but why?  Snooki got quite a lot of boos when she came out.  However, I will give her props for the hand spring she did.  I do watch Jersey Shore, so I'm not hating on her because of that.  I just hope that was a one match deal and she goes back to being drunk and orange on MTV.

The Miz gets the assist from the Rock and pins John Cena:  I figured that's how this match would end, but I had my doubts.  Originally, both men were counted out.  The Raw General Manger was about to make an announcement, but the Rock overrode whatever the message said and made the two guys continuing fighting.  The Great One did the Rock Bottom on Cena and the Miz picked up the win.  Then the Rock whooped up on the Miz afterwards.  What's the point of having someone who hasn't competed for 7 years come in and take out your #1 guy and your heavyweight champion?  I felt like that was a fail on the part of the WWE, although Vince likes to send the crowd home happy, and even though lots of people cheered the Miz's win, members of the CeNation were devastated their guy lost.  So having the Rock destroy both men made the fans cheer.  Get it?

I'd give the show a C+ or a B-.  It wasn't the worst Wrestlemania ever, but it wasn't the best either.  And despite the Rock's promise at the start, it wasn't the most memorable either.  But I'm already making plans to be in Miami for Wrestlemania 28.  Hope to see you there too!

This is the Biggest Show of the Year?

Photo courtesy: WWE.com

By Chad Smart


I was going to do a semi-Raw recap and debate if the segments would have made me more likely to order Wrestlemania 27 if I wasn’t already going to the event. But I was bored by the show so I guess that means the show didn’t make me anxious for Wrestlemania.

Since my original idea was ruined, I had to come up with another idea. Since this is the week leading up to Wrestlemania all my blogs will have something to do with Mania which means some of the ideas I have floating around in my head have to wait until next week to escape. With no other good ideas at the moment, I figured this is as good as any to do my Wrestlemania predictions.

Corre vs. Kane/Big Show/Koslov/Santino: Nothing like a last week addition to the biggest show of the year. This feud has been brewing on Smackdown over the last month. Has the Corre ever won any big matches? Tag team titles and I-C title matches on TV don’t count. Barring WWE actually coming up with a post-Wrestlemania plan for the Corre, expect plenty of air trombones to be played in Atlanta.

Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus: Sheamus just won the title last week. Can’t see him dropping the title back to Bryan this soon. I expect the Bella Twins to remember they don’t like Gail Kim, which leads to Bryan being distracted and Sheamus taking advantage to hit a big kick for the win.

LayCool/Dolph Ziggler vs. Trish Stratus/Snooki/John Morrison: Snooki with her arms raised in victory will get more press than Snooki with her shoulders on the mat. Plus Trish is from the Attitude Era so she’s a bigger star then LayCool. If Team Snookered doesn’t win expect Morrison to take the fall.

Triple H vs. Undertaker: Shawn Michaels getting involved in this match would be one of the lamest scenarios imaginable. If this is really about the last two outlaws battling for bragging rights then the match should have no distractions or interference.  On the True Story of Wrestlemania DVD Triple H says no one should beat Taker. If the streak were to end is Triple H the man who should do it? While the streak has become a major part of Mania, to my cynical view it makes Undertaker’s matches less intriguing because there hasn’t been a genuine threat to the streak since Randy Orton.  Taker will go to 19-0 at Wrestlemania, fans will go wild, and I’ll be counting the number of replica belts in the crowd.

Edge vs. Alberto Del Rio: Still don’t think Del Rio is ready for the role of top guy. Since Christian doesn’t appear to be getting added to the match, I’d like to see he and Brodus Clay handcuffed to each other to prevent outside interference, which of course would still lead to outside interference.  The Royal Rumble winner hasn’t won the title at Wrestlemania for the last 3 years. If Del Rio doesn’t win does that negate the huge push he’s gotten since showing up last year? I expect Christian to inadvertantly cost Edge the title.

Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio: This could be the show stealer if given enough time. Cody needs the win to help establish him as a potential contender. If Cody loses he should try a feud with Ted Dibiase. That would at least guarantee one of them would get a win.  Cody should pick up the victory after loading up the mask and head butting Rey.

CM Punk vs. Randy Orton: On Raw, Randy easily laid out Punk then when he went to punt Punk into the second row, Randy’s leg buckled due to the attack Punk laid on him last week. How does that make me excited for their match? Punk can’t beat up an injured man and the injured man is too hurt to stand but he’s going to wrestle. In the words of The Miz, really? Really?  Orton has punted the New Nexus back to Tampa over the last month and a half. Punk needs the win to keep the feud going. Expect Punk to get the victory after nefarious actions.

Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler: Probably the match with the biggest build up. What does that say about the show?  Anything less than Jerry Lawler laying a severe beating on Cole will seem like a let down. Expect Steve Austin to give Jack Swagger a Stunner and Lawler and Austin to share some Steveweisers after the match.

The Rock vs. John Cena with special corner man The Miz: Seriously, why is the Miz even showing up in Atlanta? This has all the makings to join Triple H/Chris Jericho from Mania 18 and Triple H/Randy Orton from Mania 25 as least interesting title matches at Wrestlemania.  Sure the match will have the crowd into it because they’ll be waiting for Cena and Rock to mix it up. I’ll be counting the number of kids wearing Cena gear vs. the number of adults wearing Rock gear. Miz should win, but what would Wrestlemania be without Cena standing tall with the belt at the end? I mean, besides Wrestlemania 24.

After typing this, I realize it sounds like I’m not excited for Wrestlemania. To be honest, I’m really not. I’m sure it’ll be a good show, but there’s nothing really exciting on the show. But the trip to Wrestlemania has become more about the atmosphere and spending time with friends than watching Wrestlemania. In that regards, I’m sure the weekend will be a good time. 

Party Like It's 1999

By Chad Smart

Tonight on Raw they’re advertising The Rock being there live, Undertaker and Triple H having a face to face and I wouldn’t be surprised to see either Trish Stratus or Steve Austin make an appearance to hype their involvement at Wrestlemania 27. Did I find a used DeLorean and travel back to the week before Wrestlemania 17?

While I am in the minority of not being ecstatic about all the Attitude Era wrestlers being involved in Wrestlemania this year, I understand this is the last stop on the road to Wrestlemania and WWE needs to throw out all the big names in a last ditch attempt to convince fans to buy the pay per view. How they’re used on Raw will be the true test.

It seems Triple H and Undertaker have only come up with one promo to base their match around.
I’m going to end your streak!
No you’re not.
Your streak ends in Atlanta.
Rest in peace.

While they had a good match at Wrestlemania 17, that was one hip, one quad, a couple biceps and a rotator cuff ago. Will they use the No Holds Barred stipulation to have a large brawl to cover up the shortcomings of being able to not chain wrestle?

Trish Stratus is teaming with Snooki at Mania. I,… lets move on.

The big anticipation is what’s going to happen when we finally see The Rock, John Cena and The Miz together for the first time. As an armchair booker I think they shouldn’t have done the Cena "live via satellite" bit last week and saved it for The Rock this week. The roof will be blown off when Rock comes out, but how much higher would it be blown if the Rock was on the Titantron in front of his belt rack at home and all a sudden the background disappears revealing a green screen behind him. Then his music hits and he comes out to the ring to confront Cena. I’m guessing at least one fan’s head would explode like in Scanners.

My big concern is what is planned for Rock at Mania. What exactly will he do as host? Is having him on Raw going to take away some of the excitement of seeing him at Wrestlemania for some of the fans. I think WWE should have kept him off Raw and told fans; "Hey you want to see Rock and Cena stand nose to nose? Order the pay per view." Guess we’ll just have to wait and see what happens.

Given the lack of wrestling the past couple of weeks, I won’t expect any 10-minute technical masterpieces tonight. There will be a lot of talking and Michael Cole will be annoying. CM Punk will do something dastardly to Randy Orton. Alberto Del Rio will not have listened to Rebecca Black and once again confuse Monday for Friday and show up on a show he’s not on the roster for and no one will stop him. Zack Ryder will continue to walk around backstage aimlessly because apparently the creative department can come up with and idea for orange goblin from the Jersey Shore but not for a broski who actually has talent.

What are your thoughts? Do you think Raw will entice you to order Wrestlemania?

That Was Awesome!

The champ is here!

By Kevin Hunsperger

Monday Night Raw was in my hometown of St. Louis.  I had a lot of friends who attended the show, and wanted to thank my buddy Weston for providing the pictures for this post.  Since I'm going to Wrestlemania, I opted not to go to Raw.  Here are some quick thoughts.

Opening Segment: Personally, I thought the Rock segment to kick off the show was outstanding.  It was very entertaining and quite funny.  I do think it was overproduced as Chad pointed out.  The Rock is always great on the mic, and his work with that kid was over the top.  I loved him letting the kid blow his nose in the purple shirt and then handing him the box of Fruity Pebbles.  If Post isn't a sponsor now, they should be.  Then to have the Miz come out and respond was much needed, as he seems to be the forgotten participant in this feud.  Little did we know at the time, the Miz was just warming up.

During his segment the Raw GM chimed in to say the Miz would face the Great Khali.  While the champ didn't win the match (Alex Riley interfered), the Miz DESTROYED Khali with a chair.  The Miz had a mean streak a mile long last night and busting the chair on Khali's back was the tip of the iceberg.  I liked it.  He finally seemed to no longer be an afterthought.

Flyin' Brian

The Luck of the Irish:  No big surprise here that Sheamus came out on top of this encounter.  Last week the Irishman said if he lost he was quitting.  Couple that with his recent losing streak and you get a new U.S. champion.  I'm trying to remember now (I've already deleted Raw from the DVR), did Sheamus come out as "King Sheamus" last night?

I was really hoping they would have saved this match for Wrestlemania.  I would like to see Bryan somewhere on the card.  I've blogged my recent thoughts on a way to get Bryan and others not yet on the card to the big show.

Will Sheamus go back to dominating in the ring again?  I hope so.  I think the company needs that monster heel type, especially since it seems they're turning Kane face again.  I think this U.S. title reign can be a "sink or swim" opportunity for him.  I hope he takes the ball and runs with it.

"Sooner" or later Cole will pay.

The Real Voice of WWE Returns:  I love Jim Ross, and I was very happy to see him return last night.  Although his role was brief, it was great to see him back.  I've posted before about turning Cole into a manager (leading Jack Swagger & Alex Riley in the tag team ranks).  This would set up for the return of JR behind the mic.

I've got to comment on Brian Christopher too.  I made the comment about how it's a little weird seeing a middle aged guy dancing around the ring with the bleach blond hair.  Then Chad brought me back to reality and asked about middle aged guys dressing up like wrestlers at Wrestlemania.  I stand corrected.  Dance away, Mr. Christopher.

I did like the segment, even though Ross was made to look bad in it in the end.  I also enjoyed the whole "Cole Mine" Michael was set up in throughout the show.  I didn't find him as irritating last night, but I really do hope they put him in a managerial role.

Punk & Orton: the Staredown

Another One Bites the Dust: No real surprises in this match either as Randy Orton faced Mason Ryan.  This was CM Punk's last hope at having a member of Nexus in his corner at Wrestlemania.
And just like the other members of the group, Randall Keith Orton defeated the former FCW champion.  Then he punted him in the head for good measure.

As Orton has proven he's better than the rookies of the group, it'll be showtime for Randy against Punk at Mania.  Punk needs the win here, and I really hope he gets it.  I think (although now the Miz stepped it up big time) that Punk is the best heel in the company right now.  He's devious.  He's evil.  And he's influencing a band of brothers to do his bidding.  Keep that momentum up with a win over Orton on April 3rd.

I've already posted my thoughts on Snooki being a part of Mania and Drew Carey getting inducted into the Hall of Fame.  You can read those if you want my 1-2-3 cents.

The Miz "rocks" Raw

The Miz "Brings It":  The match was John Cena vs. Alberto Del Rio.  Honestly, I didn't pay much attention to the match.  But I did enjoy when the Rock's music hit and he stormed onto the stage.  Then we get a tight shot, and it's none other than the Miz.  I wonder how many fans in the nose bleeds really thought it was the Rock when he hit the ring.  Anyway, the Miz laid the smackdown on John Cena.  Again!  But this time he really went nuts on him.  That mean streak was brought out again.

He whacked the former champ with the mic a couple of times, DDTed him on the ramp, and then delivered the Skull Crushing Finale on the WWE logo on the stage.

The Miz is AWESOME!

I believe this was the first time since winning the WWE title this year that the Miz actually looked like a strong champion.  He's no longer an afterthought in the war of words between Cena and the Rock.  I really hope this momentum continues into Wrestlemania.

Most have the MizCena and Rock are in cahoots and they'll double team the Miz.  At this point, I'm not ready to make a Wrestlemania prediction.  The way he's owned Cena the last couple of weeks, I'm leaning toward him losing the title.  But he's been so poorly booked, maybe the writer's finally woke up and have decided that a heel champion can be dominate.

I guess the proof will be in the pudding in 20 days.  Looking forward to being at the show.  We'll bring you coverage here on the blog, Facebook, and My 1-2-3 Cents on YouTube.

ENTERTAINMania vs. WRESTLEMania

Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

We've talked plenty before about the way the Entertainment is overtaking the Wrestling in World Wrestling Entertainment.  For the causal fan, this is probably no big deal.  But for old school die hards like us, well, we don't like it. Not at all.

Adding Snooki to Wrestlemania (even if it is a 6 person tag match) is disappointing to say the least.  Especially when as of right now, we're still missing talent from the card like Daniel Bryan, Kofi Kingston, and Sheamus.  There's still no tag team title match either. 

My other problem with this Snooki match is two out of the three participants (Trish Stratus) aren't even on the roster.  Once the dust settles will this match with LayCool and Dolph Ziggler vs. Snooki, Trish, and John Morrison do anything to advance the participants careers?  I'm guessing not. 

This partially goes back to the decision to axe Money in the Bank.  Morrison and Ziggler would have probably ended up in that match, along with Kofi, Bryan, and perhaps even Sheamus.  I'm also curious what will happen with Christian?  Will he be added to the Edge-Alberto Del Rio world title match?

I've got to think more matches are going to be added, but we're less than 3 weeks away now.  This is the BIGGEST pay per view of the year.  It deserves better treatment than this.  We the fans deserve better too.  I'm spending a lot of money to attend Wrestlemania, and I don't know, I'd like to see more emphasis on WRESTLING.  Just sayin'...  Oh yeah, and I am a fan of the Jersey Shore, but that doesn't mean I want it as a part of my favorite passtime.

Wrestlemania 27 has a big focus of stars from the past and celebrities.  Again I ask, where is that going to leave members of the active roster on April 4th?

Thanks for reading.  Follow us on Facebook and YouTube.

Shorely You're Kidding

By Kevin Hunsperger

Looky, looky here comes Snooki.  Okay, I picked on TNA when they signed Angelina (of Jersey Shore fame) to a contract recently.  I also picked at them when they had JWOW as a part of their show.

So not to be a hypocrite, I'm going to poke a little fun at the WWE.  They broke the news today that Snooki will guest host next week's episode of Raw.  To this news, I say ugh.

I'm a fan of the Jersey Shore.  But I believe Snooki is probably the most annoying "character" in the history of reality television.  I wonder if this is the WWE's way of taking a shot at TNA and their Jersey Shore gimmicks?  Or are they copying TNA?  At least Snooki is just a one time guest host deal.

I think Chad summed it up best, "If you're going to bring in annoying orange people, it should be Hogan." Very true.  Chad and I are both hoping that this will finally give Zack Ryder some face time on Raw.  This stuff writes itself.  Raw is in my hometown of St. Louis next week, I wish now I was going.  I do have a friend who will be there, so I'm hoping to get details from him.

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