Mt. Rushmore: Ric Flair's 80s Feuds

By Kevin Hunsperger @kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter Listen to the podcast  Follow my blog with Bloglovin  

Last week, I launched a new concept for the blog with the Mt. Rushmore of Hulk Hogan's 80s feuds. So it only seems fitting that we hop over to the NWA side and look at Ric Flair's top four feuds in the 80s. I found coming up with this list more difficult than Hogans. I also discovered last week that most people agreed with my picks (read them here); however, this week, I expect to get some backlash. 

I'll preface this by saying in the 80s, I despised Ric Flair. He was one of those wrestlers I loved to hate. However, today, he's my all-time favorite. Sometime in the late 80s, I began respecting Flair and becoming a fan. By the time he arrived in the WWF in 1991, I was all-in with Naitch. 

Dusty Rhodes has to be the best foe for Flair of all time and not just the 80s, right? I mean, Rhodes-Flair has to be on the Mt. Rushmore of wrestling feuds. Maybe I'll make that list soon. Their battles in the ring and on the microphone were what made Jim Crockett Promotions so great. Saturday nights at 6:05 (5:05 CST) was where I spent my time taking in all the action.

The bloody battles they had in singles, tag team, six-man tag, and even War Games matches were the personification of intense. Trading the NWA Championship, main eventing the Great American Bashes, and Starrcade kept fans at the edge of the seat time after time. The two even battled it out in the final WCW pay-per-view in 2001 in a tag team match with Dustin Rhodes and Jeff Jarrett as their respective partners.  

Ricky Steamboat had a few runs against Flair. Since I'm sticking to just 80s opponents, I feel justified in this as the two had some great matches in the early 80s before Steamboat heading to the WWF, where he spent the mid-80s and returned to the NWA in 1989 to face Naitch.

At that time, the two put on some highly regarded matches, including the night Steamboat won the big gold belt from Flair. Their trilogy is still talked about to this day. (I know both have acknowledged their non-televised matches in the 70s were even better.) 

Harley Race may be a surprise pick to some, but when I was growing up and watching Wrestling at the Chase, I remember Race calling out Flair and wanting another shot at the NWA Championship. The two traded the belt, and Flair beat Race for the gold in the main event of the very first Starrcade. My buddy Chad Smart has told the story of watching these two battle it out in a high school gym at the first wrestling show he attended. So whether on closed-circuit television or a small house show, these two always seemed to go at it.

Lex Luger is probably the most controversial of my choices. But I'll explain as best I can. When Luger came to JCP and joined the Four Horsemen, it seemed like it was only a matter of time before he'd split off and challenge Flair for the belt. As his nickname implied, Luger was the 'total package .' When he was kicked out of the Horsemen, I fully expected him to beat Flair for the championship.

I was genuinely disappointed when he came up short at the 1988 Great American Bash, and the match was called due to Luger's intense bleeding. Then a few months later, I was certain Luger would beat Flair at Starrcade but again came up short. In the meantime, it seems like the company was grooming Sting for that spot. (By the way, Sting will definitely be on the Mt. Rushmore of Flair opponents in the 90s.) 

Looking back on Starrcade 1990

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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It's hard to believe how fast time flies. Twenty-eight years ago today (Dec. 16) Starrcade 1990 went down. I'm talking about it today because it was the first (and only) WCW pay-per-view event I ever attended. It was my senior year of high school and my buddy Jim Horrom and I decided to get tickets when the show was announced.

The event was at the historic Kiel Auditorium. I'd witnessed several other WWF house shows in that building prior to Starrcade. It was a different vibe though. As I try to remember back on that night, things seemed brighter. Obviously, this would be because of the fact it was the first time I'd attended a show that was going to be televised.

Courtesy: WWE

Sting was the WCW World Champion, having beat Ric Flair months earlier for the big gold belt. By this point, Sting was feuding with the mysterious Black Scorpion, a figure from the champ's past who continued to torment him with mind games. Flair had moved on to team with Arn Anderson against Doom for the WCW Tag Team Titles. In fact, the two teams were set to clash in a St. Louis Street Fight that night. But either prior to the show or during the event, it was announced Flair was unable to wrestle that night. A chorus of boos erupted at the news, but in my mind, I instantly knew Flair was under the mask of the Scorpion.

I was not wrong in that assessment. In the main event, Flair was in fact revealed to be the Black Scorpion. It was a bit of a letdown. Up until that point, I really didn't have an idea of who the mystery man would be or who I even wanted for that matter. 

Despite that bit of disappointment, the night was still a lot of fun. We saw several wrestlers we'd never seen before with the International Tag Team Tournament. I wish I knew then what I know now as I would have taken pictures of the show. I'll always have a special place for Starrcade 90 though. 

The stars of Starrcade

My Stars of Starrcade
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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WWE is bringing back Starrcade this evening for a house show in North Carolina. And I just listened to the Starrcade 1987 What Happened When podcast with Tony Schiavone and Conrad Thompson. So it's put me in the mood to write about this iconic event presented by Jim Crockett Promotions and later WCW. 

I was always a WWF guy, but I did watch other companies obviously. Starrcade to me was always a big deal but was never really the same after Ric Flair left. Even after returning to WCW, Starrcade had lost its original luster. It may have been because of all the former WWF guys who had come to the company too and the Dusty Rhodes, Tully Blanchard, Nikita Koloff, Rock 'n Roll Express, etc. era had passed us.

My senior year in high school Starrcade '90 came to St. Louis. My buddy Jim and I attended the event which was headlined by Sting and The Black Scorpion in the steel cage. That night was the reveal that Flair was the Scorpion, which most of us figured out when they announced "Nature Boy" was out of the tag team title match with Arn Anderson against Doom. But I digress. Now for a look at who I thought were the Stars of Starrcade.

Flair vs. Lex Lugar: Starrcade 1988
Courtesy: WWE

As I mentioned, I never really felt like Starrcade was the same after that event in '90. Ric Flair had long become the face of the pay per view. He was the main event for Starrcades '83 through '90. He beat Harley Race for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship that first year and went on to defend it or win it each year that followed (90 is the exception when he was Black Scorpion he lost to Sting). 

After Flair headed to the WWF in the summer of 1991, WCW's product suffered (at least in my 1-2-3 cents). It was clear at that year's Starrcade when a new concept was introduced: Battle Bowl. I didn't hate the idea of Battle Bowl but would have rather seen it at an event other than Starrcade. It drug down the heritage of the show.

Flair vs. Rhodes: Starrcade 1985
Courtesy: WWE

Without Dusty Rhodes, there may be no Starrcade. He was booking for JCP at the time the concept was born. He's credited with being one of the forces behind Starrcade. However, I found it interesting Dusty didn't wrestle on the first Starrcade card. Of course in the years that followed, he became a big part of the show. In 1984 and 85, Rhodes battled Flair for the championship. Naitch won in 84 when the special guest referee Joe Frazier stopped the match due to Dusty's bleeding. A year later, it appeared Rhodes won the gold, but the decision would change and Rhodes won via disqualification instead (a 'Dusty finish' if you will).

My third and final star of Starrcade is probably an unexpected one, but it's Tony Schiavone. With the exception of Starrcade '89 when he was with WWF, Schiavone was a part of each Starrcade either as a host, an interviewer or a commentator. He was the voice for wrestling below the Mason Dixon line as they say on his podcast. I definitely did not appreciate the work Tony did when he was doing it back then. Years later as I look back and rewatch shows and listen to his stories about the way things were, I respect him even more.

There are plenty of other names who were stars of the show. Sting comes to mind immediately, along with Lex Luger. The two of them had quite a bit of staying power with the product. The Rock 'n Roll Express, Midnight Express and Road Warriors all deserve shout outs too along with the Steiner Brothers, Arn Anderson, Barry Windham and Tully Blanchard. Of course managers JJ Dillon, Paul Ellering and Jim Cornette are part of that discussion too.

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Boo Blog: Halloween Havoc: King of WCW PPV

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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My mind is blown as I write this blog. On the Halloween Havoc 97 episode of What Happened When with Tony Schiavone, he made the statement that Halloween Havoc was a bigger event for WCW than Starrcade. I found this hard to believe. For more than 30 years I've compared Starrcade to the WWE's WrestleMania event. Havoc I would have ranked third or fourth, putting it more in line with Royal Rumble or Survivor Series.

But boy was I wrong. I hopped online and did some research, pulling buy rate numbers that had been listed on several websites, so I'm not comparing apples to oranges, at least I don't think I am. Of the 12 years that Halloween Havoc and Starrcade ran, Havoc actually won the buy rate battle. Six times fans chose Havoc over Starrcade. Five times Starrcade won and in 1990 it was a tie. That was an interesting year because Ric Flair was no longer champion or challenger at either event. I know he was technically in the main event at Starrcade as the Black Scorpion, but you get my point. 

The biggest difference in events was in 1997 (assuming I've done my math right). Starrcade that year earned a 1.90 to Halloween Havoc's 1.10. The difference: Hulk Hogan vs. Roddy Piper was the main event of Havoc, while Starrcade saw the much-anticipated return of Sting as he faced Hogan. 

When Havoc debuted in 1989, the event had a 1.77 to Starrcade's 1.30. Not only was the event new, but that was the year they tweaked Starrcade for the first time and went with the Iron Man and Iron Team Tournament. Those were the only matches on the card, featuring Sting, Flair, Lex Luger, The Great Muta, The Road Warriors, The Steiner Brothers, Doom and The Wild Samons. I actually loved the concept, but in my 1-2-3 cents it probably hurt the company's biggest event of the year. 

There could be a few things that hurt Starrcade with the fans. WWF in 1987 introduced Survivor Series on the same night (Thanksgiving). This lead to Crockett Promotions to moving its event to December the following year after five years of happening on Thanksgiving night. The two years the event went without Flair, they changed it to Battle Bowl: Lethal Lottery. That was an idea that sounded good but was poorly executed.

While Havoc didn't necessarily dominate Starrcade in any particular year, as I just sit and think of the past events for each, the Havoc main events stand out more to me. I credit that to the silliness tied in with the event, but they could get away with that because of the Halloween theme. Between Spin the Wheel Make the Deal in '92, Southern Fried Abby in '91 and the "death by Monster Truck" by the Giant followed up by the debut of the Yeti in '95 it's hard to deny the pay per view's impact on the business.

It's still hard for me to consider that Halloween Havoc was more over than Starrcade. But I get it. It just took nearly two decades for it to finally sink in and accept. This further leads to my desire to see Halloween Havoc as a WWE event.

Foreign Object Friday: Green mist

Muta, Kabuki and Tajiri
Courtesy: Superluchas.com

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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I'm not exactly sure who was the innovator of the mysterious green mist in the world of wrestling. I believe it's a tradition that started in Japan and the first wrestler I remember seeing do it was the Great Kabuki in World Class Championship Wrestling. According to some sources, Kabuki was the first to do it, so I guess my recollection is accurate.

Muta & Kabuki

Kabuki was managed by Gary Hart and would spray the mist in his opponents eyes to get an unfair advantage. The top baby faces in the company experienced a blinding from time to time against Kabuki. Then he and Hart split and Sunshine took over the contract of Kabuki and the bad guys were sprayed. For me, one of the most memorable moments during his face run was spraying One Man Gang in the eyes after Gang wrapped a chain around Kabuki's neck and lifted him off the mat. Kabuki passed the mist tradition on to his son, the Great Muta. He too would spit in the eyes of his opponents, sometimes during the match, sometimes it came after. Muta used it in contests against Sting, Ric Flair and Arn Anderson.

Before Muta's mist debut in WCW, Killer Khan was spraying opponents in WWF rings in 1987. For some reason, a match with Outback Jack sticks out to me with Khan using the mist. He also battled Hulk Hogan for the WWF Championship and while researching this piece, I found the plan was for Khan to spray mist in Miss Elizabeth's eyes to set up a feud with "Macho Man" Randy Savage. An interesting idea, but I like the Honky Tonk Man angle better.

Tajiri vs. Viscera
Courtesy: WWE

Long after Khan left WWF, Tajiri showed up in WWE and kept up the mist spraying tradition. Black mist was used by the Superstar and Nidia ended up going "blind" after a shot. Various colors were used during this time and I found on a Wiki fandom site a breakdown of the implications of each color.

Green- The commonly used mist which is said to obstruct the opponents vision.

Red- Quite often used but is said to Burn the eyes. Used by Gangrel which was known as Blood Mist.

Black- Said to blind the opponent for several weeks. 

Blue- Sends the opponent to sleep.

Yellow- Paralyzes the opponent.

Purple- Cause momentarily distraction and memory loss (once used by Roxxi Laveaux).

Sting vs. Undertaker is NOT going to happen

I didn't create this

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter

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For several years many wrestling fans have hung on the hope that WrestleMania will feature a match between two of the biggest icons in the business: Sting and The Undertaker. 

Ending The Streak
Courtesy: WWE

The talk got really crazy in 2013 when it appeared Sting was going to finally be signing a WWE contract. But CM Punk ended up facing the Dead Man that year and I don't think Sting ever officially signed a deal. Then prior to WrestleMania XXX the buzz started again, but instead it was Brock Lesnar who took on and ended the Undertaker's streak of victories at the annual event. 

Sting vs. Triple H
Courtesy: WWE

A year later the buzz started again, but instead Undertaker battled Bray Wyatt and Sting, who wrestled his first and only WrestleMania match, was defeated by Triple H. Fans were pissed for a variety of reasons, some because they didn't get the match they'd dream of, others because Sting lost in his WrestleMania debut. Me? I wasn't pissed, but I didn't care much for the finish involving DX and the nWo. I was never a huge fan of either faction, I know that makes me some kind of weirdo.

A few months after that Sting was seriously injured in a match against Seth Rollins. So injured that it marked the icon's last match. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2016 and ended his speech with an announcement that he was in fact retiring. 

Courtesy: WWE

Less than a year after Sting revealed that news, fans are STILL hoping for a match against the Undertaker at WrestleMania 33. I understand many are hoping for this because we've never seen Sting vs. Undertaker (as the Undertaker). But for the love of God, Sting retired because of an injury, getting into the ring at his age (not that he's old) and his physical condition could lead to serious and deadly consequences.

I would never tell anyone to stop hoping or dreaming or asking for a match. But seriously, I have a better shot at wrestling the Undertaker at WrestleMania than Sting does. Why would you want to jeopardize the man's safety for an encounter that's 15 years overdue? 

Boo Blog: Bring back Halloween Havoc

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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A few years ago I did a blog a day on a Halloween related topic in the month of October. While I have no intention of carrying on with that project, I am going to write about some Halloween themes this month.

In 1989 when WCW introduced the world to Halloween Havoc I was a big fan. Even though I was a huge WWF fan, I still was a wrestling fan in general and when the competition offered something different I took notice.

Deep-fried Abby
Courtesy: WWE

The main event that year was Sting and Ric Flair against the Great Muta and Terry Funk in a Thunderdome match. Two years later we got the classic Chamber of Horrors match where Abdullah the Butcher was placed in an electric chair and zapped.  

Fast forward now some 25 years and WCW no longer exists. WWE is providing two pay per view specials per month because of the new brand split. The company brought back the old Clash of Champions for the most recent Raw event. I'm in favor of bringing back the Halloween Havoc moniker and going back to some of those cheesy, campy matches from the past.

The Wyatt Family
Courtesy: WWE

If you're a regular reader, you know I'm not crazy about the gimmick matches, but a Chamber of Horrors match or two under the Halloween Havoc name could be good for nostalgia purposes. It seems the Wyatt Family would be the perfect group to lead a team into battle in this type of matchup. 

I was disappointed after WWE bought WCW 15 years ago that Halloween Havoc wasn't one of the events brought over. Great American Bash may have been one of the few events that made the cut. What's old is new, so I say bring back Halloween Havoc. I know it's too late this year, but I'd love to see it happen in 2017.

Shouldering the blame

Giving up the gold
Courtesy: WWE

By Kevin Hunsperger

@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Even though professional wrestling is scripted, the action is quite real. Yesterday I shared a post about the WWE Superstars injured while in action over SummerSlam weekend. The worst of those injures as we know now is Finn Balor. Less than 24 hours after winning the first WWE Universal Championship, the Demon King had to relinquish the belt.

Point of impact
Courtesy: WWE

Early in the match against Seth Rollins, Balor suffered a dislocated shoulder. It's after Rollins performed a running powerbomb on Balor and tossed him into the ringside barricade. You can see the exact moment, but little did fans know at the time that blow would put Balor out of action for potentially six months. 

Courtesy: WWE

Within seconds of the announcement, many fans blamed Rollins for the accident. But if you look closely at the replay, Balor's body doesn't seem to be positioned right before the blow. I've only wrestled once and it was a low bumping affair, so I don't know how Finn was supposed to actually hit. Despite other injuries seemingly at the hands of Rollins (Sting and John Cena), I still chalk this up to an unfortunate accident. 

Courtesy: WWE

It's unfortunate for a number of reasons. Balor has finally reached the promise land after years of toiling around the world. His championship victory was historic because Balor is the first Universal Champion. He's also (according to Michael Cole and I think he's right) the first WWE Superstar to win the world title (or it's equivalent) in a pay per view debut.

Here's to hoping for a speedy recovery and another shot at redemption when he returns. How cool would it be to see Balor return at WrestleMania 33 in Orlando? It'll be very close to the six months mark. But whatever happens, I hope the Demon King is back stronger than ever before. 

Sting Gets Stung

Sting vs. Rollins
Courtesy: WWE 

By Kevin Hunsperger
@kevinhunsperger & @my123cents on Twitter
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Going into the Night of Champions pay per view I had no idea if Seth Rollins was going to retain his WWE World Heavyweight title against Sting.  In my opinion, not knowing is a good thing.  Yes, Sting is 56 and-a-half years old and had he won the gold, he would have become the company's oldest heavyweight champ ever.  I would have been fine with that on a very short term basis.  I'm glad it didn't go that way and Rollins is still the champion.

The bigger issue now is the injury Sting suffered during the course of this championship match.  I believe I'm correct in saying the Night of Champions event was just Sting's fourth match in WWE.  He lost to Triple H at Wrestlemania 31, beat The Big Show by disqualification on Raw and later that same night teamed with John Cena to beat Show and Rollins in a tag team match.  So he's .500 in WWE and after getting hurt against Rollins, he may be done.

Sting flyin' high
Courtesy: WWE

There is speculation the injury to Sting's neck could be career threatening.  I take online "reports" with a grain of salt, but at the same time I know Sting likely didn't have that many matches left in him anyway.  My hope is that he's not done just yet and has a chance to go out his way.  I'd love for that to be at Wrestlemania 32, where I intend to be among the 100,000 other members of the WWE Universe at AT&T Stadium in April.  It'd be fitting to induct him into the Hall of Fame the night before and have him go out in style although these days most retirement matches end with the retiree putting over the opponent to keep the circle of life going.

Courtesy: WWE

Sting's tenure in WWE has been short.  Like most fans, I wish he would have signed sooner.  And like most fans I hope he still has at least a few more matches in him.  However Sting has nothing left to prove to any of us, but most fans today weren't even alive during Sting's first run as WCW heavyweight champions 25 years ago.  Wow, I'm old...  No matter what the future holds for the Icon, I wish him nothing but the best.

What a Week!

Sting debuts in WWE
Photo by WWE

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

It's been an exciting week with Wrestlemania starting things off for us. Here are a few of the highlights in My 1-2-3 Cents...

Wrestlemania 31 sets several records:

According to a WWE press release, this year's Wrestlemania was the most watched in the company's history.  More than 1.3 million WWE Network subscribers watched (plus factor in those who hosted parties).  The total number of fans at Levi's Stadium was 76,976 which is also a record for that facility.  Wrestlemania was also the most tweeted event in WWE history.  The Raw after Mania was the highest rated episode since Raw 1,000 nearly three years ago.  Five-point-four million people tuned in Monday night.  

Rock looks amazed
Photo by WWE

Ronda Rousey appears at Wrestlemania

Honestly, Ronda Rousey is the only current UFC athlete I know.  And I actually heard of her before she showed up at Wrestlemania Sunday.  But don't expect the leader of the Four Horsewomen to leave the octagon for the squared circle, it's been reported by several her appearance was a "one-off."  However, I wouldn't be surprised if we see her back in the WWE in time for next year's event in Dallas.

New champion
Photo by WWE

Three new champs are crowned

Seth Rollins, John Cena and Daniel Bryan are all wearing WWE gold again.  I think this is a good way to reboot things and I expect the U.S. and Intercontinental titles to get a little more shine as a result.  I still think Rusev should have won, but I like Rollins as champ and think the WWE needs to back him 100%.  Bryan as IC champ is cool by me too.

AJ Lee taps...
Photo by WWE

AJ Lee retires

A bit of breaking news as I write this.  WWE put out a statement Friday afternoon that AJ Lee has retired from the ring.  There's already plenty of speculation online, but nothing official.  I'm curious to see what's next for the former Divas champion and who on the roster will benefit from one of the top stars in that division leaving.  (I'm looking at you Charlotte.) 

LuchaDragons debut
Photo by WWE

NXT stars debut on Raw

The tag team of the LuchaDragons appeared on the Raw after Mania.  The division quite honestly needs some help.  Hopefully with the work that Sin Cara and Kalisto have done on NXT will translate on the grander stage, same goes for one of my favorites, Neville.  You can read more about my thoughts on him here.  

Wrestlemania 31 MVP: The Invisible Man

By Chad Smart
@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter

So far this year, my attempts to blog more haven’t been that successful. Really need to get Kevin to let me appear on the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast (part of the Jittery Monkey network and available on iTunes) more so I can share the thoughts I have trouble getting motivated to write about.  But as we’re now on the Road to Wrestlemania, it’s about time I start writing about how I feel Wrestlemania 31 could go down as the least exciting Mania since 11.

Based on what has been announced so far for Wrestlemania 31 and on one match which hasn’t been confirmed but gets a weekly build on RAW and Smackdown, I think it’s safe to say the three top matches are the epitome of WWE’s lack of forward thinking and dismal storytelling. Not to mention that of the six competitors in these matches, only three are on TV on a weekly basis and after Wrestlemania, unless something changes, only two of the wrestlers will be wrestling on a regular basis. Let’s take a look at these three matches and let me explain why none of them interest me.

Not official

Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker: While this match hasn’t officially been announced, if it doesn’t happen, WWE has wasted a lot of airtime for nothing. While the idea of The Undertaker being challenged by Bray and actually passing the torch, or supernatural powers, to the next generation may look good on paper, the intrigue of this match is hampered by Undertaker’s lost to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania XXX.  

Without “The Streak,” what interest is there in The Undertaker’s once a year appearance? Even with “The Streak,” I had grown tired of Taker’s yearly Wrestlemania match since Wrestlemania 25. Each match followed the same formula and held so little suspense that I wasn’t even paying attention to the match with Brock Lesnar when Lesnar pinned Taker.

Now that Taker has a 1 in the loss column, what does it matter if he wins again at Wrestlemania? If Bray were to beat Taker, would it tarnish “The Streak” even more to have two losses in consecutive years? Given how Taker looked last year, and how Bray has been saying Taker has one foot in the grave already, would it really be that big of an accomplishment to beat The Undertaker? Or if Bray loses, will it do more harm to Bray in the long run that he wasn’t able to beat a geriatric, half dead Phenom?  Hindsight being 20/20, this match either should have happened last year with Bray ending the streak and becoming the new Lord of Darkness, or Taker should have beat Brock. As it stands now, instead of being a meaningful match, this is just another not even part-time wrestler getting a match at Wrestlemania due to his legacy.  I see this as a no win situation for either wrestler and will do little to build for the future of WWE.

Sting vs. Triple H: Long time readers know I wasn’t impressed with the way Sting arrived in WWE. If the storyline for this match is the best that WWE Creative could come up with then it’s time to get a whole new creative team. I have no problem with Sting being in WWE. I have no problem with Sting wrestling at Wrestlemania. In all honesty, seeing Sting at Wrestlemania is the biggest reason I’d be interested in going to Wrestlemania 31. But seeing Sting battle Triple H over the death of WCW is not something I care to see in 2015.  If Sting is so upset over WWE buying WCW why did he wait 14 years to show up?  After all the power plays done by Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H over the past 14 years, why did Sting decide November 2014 to be the time to stand up to The Authority?  These are questions that would be nice to get answers to but since Sting has only showed up three times so far and hasn’t uttered as much as a Stinger yell, I still don’t know why Sting is in WWE.

Kevin and I have discussed Sting being in WWE before and I also have the same comment. Having Sting’s first match at Wrestlemania is a no win situation. Well, actually that was when the general consensus was Sting would be facing The Undertaker. The only advantage I can see of having Sting face Hunter is if Sting wins he’s not breaking “The Streak” or beating a younger talent who could use the win. If Sting loses, then Sting becomes just another WCW reject in the eyes of WWE fans as someone who wasn’t good enough to be in WWE.  Seriously though, 14 years after the demise of WCW and NOW Sting shows up?

Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns: I don’t know if I even need to write anything about this one. Reigns has been put into a position he’s not ready for and if he fails it’s not his fault. Hopefully I’m wrong and Reigns will be a credible main eventer. After only two and a half years in WWE, I believe Reigns will be the fastest person to win the WWE title after only Brock Lesnar. The difference is Brock has the aura about him that screams badass. Reigns does not exude that persona.

I’ll admit I’m also one of the people who felt a Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan match made more sense from a storytelling perspective and would have made for a more compelling David vs. Goliath match. 

While I accept someone in WWE apparently doesn’t view Daniel Bryan in the same regards as the fans, I still question the judgment to push Roman Reigns to the top so quickly. Sadly, the only interest I have in this match is to see how the fans react. Given the overall snarkiness of the typical Wrestlemania crowd, I can see this being a rehash of the Goldberg/Lesnar match from Wrestlemania XX. 

These are the top three matches for Wrestlemania 31. Why WWE feels the need to bring in part time wrestlers to fill out the major spots in the show baffles me. Not to mention that most of the rest of the roster is being put into one of two matches. The “name” talent is going into the Not-MITB Ladder match and the “not taken seriously” talent is going into the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. What happens in 3-4 years when WWE runs out of part time talent to bring back? Who is going to be the selling point for Wrestlemania then? This is a serious question and one I would hope WWE would answer before it gets to that point.

Does the use of part timers make you more or less interested in Wrestlemania? Share your thoughts on the My 1-2-3 Cents Facebook page, or tweet us @my123cents.