(Gustimania) Looking Back and Looking Forward: WWF No Way Out 2001

10.31 a.m 18.5.2011

We are back again to another installment of Gustimania. This is a new thing that I'm trying to do, which is to look back at the best of the best in past WWF/WWE PPVs and analyze what was so good about these PPVs compared to today's WWE PPVs. The first item is to analyze the whole PPV from top to the bottom. Then, I will give an overall view of the PPV and finally, I will take the positives from the PPV and discuss it in parallel with the current WWE PPVs. These past PPVs are actually of my collections of the past 11 years. That is a huge collection indeed. Without further adieu, let's start with the last PPV event of the then-WWF before the epic Wrestlemania 17: WWF No Way Out 2001. It was probably my first actual PPV that I bought, although on delay through VCD back then. Let's start with the actual card, shall we? (Note that the numbers are the duration of the whole match)

a) The Big Show defeated Raven (c) Singles match for the WWF Hardcore Championship (04:20)

This was a really fun Hardcore match during the time whereby everyone is gunning for the Hardcore Title, especially the former champions. What was supposed to be a one-on-one contest between the Big Show and Raven turned into an all-out brawl involving the lights of Hardcore Holly, Steve Blackman, Crash Holly and Billy Gunn. In the end though, the Big Show won, heading to Wrestlemania as the Hardcore Champion.

Match Rating: C+

A fun match with lots of Hardcore action. The interference was a surprising factor indeed. A nice opening to warm things up a bit as more action will be happening throughout the night.

b) Chris Jericho (c) defeated Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, and X-Pac Fatal Four-Way match for the WWF Intercontinental Championship (12:17)

This is my favorite Fatal Four Way match of all time. It featured three future WWE/World Heavyweight Champions in Jericho, Benoit, and Guerrero. Then, it also involves X-Pac, a much underrated worker at that time. The match was a result of the 'interest of fairness' policy made by Mr. McMahon, as all three challengers had some sort of beef going on with the Intercontinental Champion. It resulted in an absolute blast of a match from start to finish. Everyone was very solid from start to finish and not one of them stood out, which was a good thing in my book. This is what you get if you let your best workers do what they do best, just wrestle their @$$ off. After a grueling contest, Jericho somehow managed to retain the Intercontinental Title. It also planted the seed for the breaking up of the Radicalz faction (Benoit and Guerrero).

Match Rating: A-

It started of with your basic one match inside the ring and one match outside the ring. But then, it turned into a fantastic contest that showed how much these guys wanted to win the Intercontinental Title. Near fall after near fall, submission after submission, it was nicely paced and exciting as well. In my opinion, this match should be the blueprint for a solid fatal four-way match in the future.

c) Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley defeated Trish Stratus Singles match (08:29)

This was the match to determine who the most dominant female in WWF is at that time, between the daughter of the boss, Stephanie and the mistress of the boss, Trish Stratus. For a match between two women who never actually wrestled before, it was very surprising. These two had a very intense cat-fight with some really good wrestling moves along the way. The crowd was very into it, which helped the match as well. In the end though, William Regal, the WWF Comissioner at that time, interfered and handed the win to Stephanie.

Match Rating: B-

As I said before, it was a surprisingly good match between these two. They showed in that match how much they hate each other and how much they want to be the dominant female at that point of time. A pretty good women's match in the end though, which was the appetizer for the following match.

d) Triple H defeated Steve Austin Three Stages of Hell match (39:27)

This was a match that culminated a feud that was more than one year in the making. It was the true focal point of this entire PPV. It was really a very simple feud actually. Triple H crippled Stone Cold via a planned hit-and-run with a car, Austin vows for revenge, Triple H retaliated, add in the WWF Championship factor into the mix as well, and you got yourself a damn good feud. This was a Three Stage of Hell match, which was a fancy name for 2 out of 3 falls match. The first fall was straight wrestling, the second fall was a street fight and the third fall was a Steel Cage match. Austin won the first fall. In the end though, Triple H won the next two falls, thus became the winner in this grueling match.

Match Rating: A

This match showed you how to end such long, intense and personal feud between two wrestlers. It featured two of the best ever in this business and they just went all out in this match, which was basically three matches combined into one. The first match was a solid wrestling match, albeit it was more of a brawl between the Game and Austin. The second match was a brutal Street Fight with all types of weapons involved. The third match was a Steel Cage match that showed which one had the will to win the contest. If there are any gimmick matches that worth to end a feud, these are the ones to look at.

e) Steven Richards defeated Jerry Lawler Singles match (05:32)

During these times, Right To Censor was the most hated faction in the WWF. They were against any profanity and whatsoever in the WWF. Jerry Lawler or the King stood up against these guys and challenged them to a match at No Way Out with the stipulation that if the King wins, WWF Diva the Kat (his real life spouse at that time) will be allowed to strip naked, but if the King lost, the Kat is forced to join RTC. After a short match with a lot of interference on behalf of the leader of RTC, Stevie Richards, the King lost. This paved his way to quit the WWF in the coming weeks.

Match rating: C-

It was just a filler match to calm things down after a stellar match that happened before it, which was a good thing since there was still one more main event left in this PPV. It was just a match to solidify the status of RTC as a midcard heel stable at that point of time.

f) The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) (c) defeated Edge and Christian and The Brothers of Destruction (Kane and The Undertaker) Tables match for the WWF Tag Team Championship (12:04)

This was a solid tornado style tag team table match between three great tag teams. There were lots of brawling between these three teams with some near spots involving the tables. It was during the golden years of tag team wrestling in the WWF so you are in for a treat. It was a pleasant sight indeed watching the Brothers of Destruction back together and kicking @$$. In the end though, due to interference by Haku and Rikishi, the Dudley Boyz managed to retain the title, heading to Wrestlemania as the Tag Team Champions.

Match Rating: B-

Again, this was a match served to warm up the audience back for the main event. It was brawl from start to finish. You know you are going to get that kind of match if you have teams like Kane and Undertaker, and also the Dudley Boyz. It showcased how good the tag-teams were back then.

g) The Rock defeated Kurt Angle (c) Singles match for the WWF Championship (16:53)

It was pretty much straightforward. The Rock wants to headline Wrestlemania again. Standing in his way was Kurt Angle, the fastest rising superstar in the WWF, and also the WWF Champion. This resulted in one of the one-on-one matches that I had ever seen. This was also one of the first matches whereby Kurt Angle utilized his Ankle Lock hold. Both of these guys worked their @$$ off throughout the match, even though there was an interference by the Big Show midway through the match. But it served as a breather so that a great ending can be done by both The Rock and Kurt Angle. After not one, but two Rock Bottoms, Kurt Angle was finally defeated and The Rock became the WWF Champion, on course for a major epic match with Stone Cold at Wrestlemania 17.

Match Rating: A

What a match that these two had. It was very underrated due to the Triple H - Stone Cold match that happened earlier on. The Rock continued to show why he was main eventer not thorugh his promo, but through his in ring work as well. Kurt Angle also showed why he deserved to be the guy that was pushed so hard and fast back then because he was that damn good (no pun intended) in the ring. The pace of the match was good and the psychology of the match was good as well, in particular the desire of the Rock to win the WWF Title back and the desperation of Kurt Angle to hold on to the WWF Title.

Overall View

This was a solid PPV from start to finish. The card was also very well structured because of the up and down flow of it. All of the matches were pretty much solid with two main events that met and even exceeded the expectation of many. The undercard matches were also good, not spectacular but they were PPV quality matches. The show was a one of the crucial stops on the Road to Wrestlemania 17 and it served its purpose as many feuds ended and many feuds also began on this PPV. A great PPV and I was glad that I got the opportunity to watch it on PPV and also to have it as one of my precious WWF/WWE PPV collections.

Overall Rating: A-

What can be learned from this PPV that can be used in Today's WWE PPVs

There were many aspects from this particular PPV had that the current WWE PPVs can learn from. One of it is in terms of feuds. A lot of the feuds in this PPV was a result of consistent storylines that ranged from more than a year (Triple H - Austin) to mere weeks (Rock - Angle). The result of such consistency is a match at PPV that meant something that was very significant. Nowadays, PPV matches lacked that meaningfulness as we can expect a rematch of sort down the line at the next PPV. PPV matches are meant to end a feud or even spark a new feud, with the television shows such as Raw and Smackdown to develop those feuds into a compelling storyline that makes the fans care about it. This basic formula is something that the WWE lacks due to inconsistent storyline and weird booking decisions.

That is why outside the big 4 PPvs (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam and Survivor Series), WWE PPVs looked to be just a filler, lacking in importance. Results are very predictable due to the logic of the feud. To go forward, there is a need to make these PPvs feel important again, whereby all matches from top to bottom has an impact towards the storylines that happens week in and week out on Raw and Smackdown. That is something that this particular fan wants, no less and no more.

Au Revoir.

(Gustimania) The Best Things That Happened in WWE for 2010

8.56 a.m 13.12.2010

Finally, another installment of Gustimania is written after months and months of not writing one. Although I was not able write one for a long time does not mean that the passion for wrestling has burned out in this man’s soul. The passion still burning as bright as it was before. Moving on, 2010 has been somewhat a lackluster for WWE in my opinion, with few and far between things, moments or matches that can be considered as memorable and unforgettable. However, there were some bright spots that I think is good enough to be featured here. There are my top 3 best thing that happened in WWE this year. What I considered as the best thing is the things that happened in WWE in 2010 that can be a starting point for major changes in WWE for the coming and following years. Considering that WWE is in a transition period of sort with many established superstars leaving the company (Shawn Michaels, Batista, Chris Jericho) and many more considering to do the same action by next year and beyond (Edge, Randy Orton, Rey Mysterio), the things that I want to highlight signifies the rise of young and fresh superstars in the WWE that will be at the main event picture of the WWE for a very long time, replacing the aforementioned established superstars.

3) The rise and establishment of indy wrestlers in the WWE

With WWE boasting with their ability to develop their own talents from scratch for so many years through their own developmental promotions such as the OVW, it is very encouraging of them to give a chance to those wrestlers who perfected their crafts at the independent scene to shine in the WWE. Case and point for this argument is Daniel Bryan or Bryan Danielson to be more accurate. After the success that CM Punk has coming from the indy scene and eventually becoming one of the top guys in the WWE, Daniel Bryan has been given the opportunity to do the same. The current US Champion started out this year through WWE NXT. Although he was out or several months due to the ‘Tiegate’ incident, he came back strong as the mystery member in the Cena-led team at SummerSlam and the rest is history. He truly brought out the best of him in every match that he had. He is in a role that is similar to that of the late great Eddie Guerrero, the late Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle back in the days. Simply to emphasize the second ‘W’ in the WWE and only bigger and better things will come to him in the near future. I will not be surprised if he is given the shot for the major titles next year.

Another indy wrestler apart from Daniel Bryan that shone this year is Alberto Del Rio. He was one of the top luchadores in the lucha libre scene in Mexico and USA. Brought in by the WWE, he transformed himself from a masked luchadore into a Mexican royalty that is Alberto Del Rio. I was one of the skeptics during the airing of his vignettes, thinking that he was not worth all of the vignettes that were up for more than a month. Boy, I was wrong. He was worth every single vignette that he had. He has a persona and charisma that oozes confidence and makes me want to say that he can be in the main event picture of Smackdown for years to come. I am expecting big things to happen to him next year, perhaps a title run is in store for him.

It is really nice to see that WWE is offering the opportunity to established and seasoned indy wrestler to bring their talent to the big leagues. With Kaval (or Low-Ki as he was known in the independent scene) at Smackdown and Tyler Back (former ROH World Champion) at OVW, there will be more to come. I think the WWE finally understand that the talent that excels in the ring is the most important towards having a great overall product and not just depending heavily on characters alone.

2) New faces in the WWE/World Heavyweight Titles picture

Again, as I said before the WWE needs fresh faces to replace the outgoing main eventers. This year, although there are only one or two guys that were given the golden opportunity to win the WWE or World Heavyweight title, it is still something that is refreshing and can be the basis for a successful breakthrough to the main event picture. There are many wrestlers that were given a push this year. Some are not that successful due to lack of steam to their run or mistakes being made by the creative guys at the WWE. Thankfully, there is one guy that managed to breakthrough this year. After Sheamus managed to do it last year, 2010 belongs to the man of awesomeness, The Miz.

The Miz had a very awesome year for his standard. His push throughout the year is very typical of the WWE. His push was not at the very fast-paced, yet not as slow-paced either. He started the year as the U.S Champion and the co-holders of the Unified Tag Team Titles. Then, he went on to being a Pro at WWE NXT, having a feud with Daniel Bryan in the process. After that, he won the Money in the Bank match and went on to cash it in after the Survivor Series PPV, completing his push to the main event picture. One can tell that the WWE has a lot of faith on him by giving him this kind of push. He proved a lot of people who doubted his capability as a wrestler with solid performances in the ring. If you told me that The Miz will become the WWE Champion 3 or 4 years ago, I would laugh to that statement. How wrong I was. The Miz is one of the best example of a talent that always thrive to prove his doubters wrong and this year belongs to him, that is for sure. I would love to buy his DVD if there is one just to know about his hardship in rising to the upper echelons of the WWE.

Hopefully, by next year more and more wrestlers would be given a push like The Miz had, especially those who are in the upper mid-cards of both Raw and Smackdown. Guys like John Morrison, Kofi Kingston and such are long overdue of breaking through that glass ceiling, especially Morrison. He is the only guy within the same developmental period as The Miz and CM Punk who has not burst onto the main event scene. I sincerely hope that he will get that push next year because for me, he has the entire package to be a successful and significant main event guy for the WWE.

1) The Nexus Saga

It all started during a special Raw in the middle of the year. It was John Cena versus CM Punk when suddenly there was an ambush by a group of wrestlers from the first season of WWE’s newly established NXT. Led by the winner of the competition Wade Barrett, they started this long-lasting feud with John Cena throughout the summer period and even up until now. This angle is one of the best in 2010 simply because it is very refreshing and also proving a point that WWE would took a gamble by having fresh, green and inexperienced talents competing against Cena and the rest of the seasoned main event and mid card talents of the WWE. This particular feud ignited Raw to being back to the a show that is fuul of surprises and no one cannot foresee what is going to happen next, something that is very hard to do during this era of information technology, whereby so many things can be leaked and shared among pro wrestling fans throughout the entire world.

The best payoff from this Nexus angle is the establishment of Wade Barrett as a true blue heel main event talent at Raw. He has all the tools needed to have a very successful run as the main heel of Raw. Of all the new talents, he easily has the best mic skills and can make the feud seemed revitalized week in and week out by using that skill of his. A decent in-ring skills to boot, he is definitely one for the future along with the rest of the Nexus. In my opinion, he is the breakout star of the year in the WWE. With this feud far from over as we are heading towards the exciting period of the year for much of the wrestling fans, expect this guy to go from strength to strength and be an even bigger of a factor in the main event scene of the WWE in 2011.

Well, that is just about it from me in this edition of Gustimania. I really hope that I would still have the time to write more about the WWE and pro wrestling in general in the weeks to come.

Au Revoir!

(Gustimania) A Two Cents Worth of WWE

22.5.2010 9.14 a.m

How things have changed so much ever since the draft that happened a month ago. I have to say that I only watched recent WWE programming for only 3 weeks into my semester break and had not watch it for a long time due to my studies. Let's not forget the pledge I made to not watch it until I had finish watching Wrestlemania 26. That review will be up soon. But now, it's time to see how the future holds for the WWE.

Wrestlemania marks the end of an era of both Shawn Michaels and the Undertaker. I do think that Shawn is done and the Undertaker will only have one last run in the WWE by the end of this year and culminates it at next year's Wrestlemania. With Triple H taking a long time rest (hence he was brutally attacked by Sheamus at Extreme Rules), one has to say that the old guards of the Attitude Era has gone and it is up to the current main eventers to step up to the next evel and be the so-called 'ring generals' that these people were.

The draft has established the status quo of WWE programming. Raw as the flagship show had so much star power in it with guys like Edge and Chris Jericho adding to the many main eventers that Raw has already had. Smackdown, though many people see as the loser of the Draft, seem to be the show whereby younger guys are given the opportunity to truly shine. Case and point Jack Swagger, who is now the World Heavyweight Champion heading into his second PPV as the top dog of the brand.

I do think that we will be going into a very interesting summer period of WWE programming. Out of the two brands, Raw seem to have so much potential with the current roster that they have. Hopefully the storylines will suit the guys on Raw because it will be such a disaster if it does not fall through in a right way. For Smackdown that is seen as the building blocks for the young upstarts such as Swagger, Dolph Ziggler, Drew McIntyre and many more, the programming would be solid as ever, but I do hope that they do not try and come up with experimental storylines that are very risky and not worth taking.

Well, that is a bit of my thoughts so far regarding WWE. There are many more to come, that is for sure.

Au Revoir.

(Gustimania) The Smackdown Road Continues…

10.02 a.m 5.12.2009

Now we move on to the last, but not the least of the shows in WWE, Smackdown.

Smackdown was the first wrestling show that I truly follow since my childhood and made me open my eyes about the world of wrestling and how exciting it was and still is. I can’t believe that this year marks the 10th year running of the show. This year, by far this show is the best of the three that WWE have. Great wrestling matches, combined by intense rivalries and also interesting clash of persona had truly shape it as the best wrestling show not just in the WWE, but perhaps all of the wrestling world today. However, heading towards the New Year I have several doubts about the ability of this show to maintain its performance.

Let’s face it, the loss of Jeff Hardy, Edge earlier this year and the Undertaker holding on to the World Heavyweight Championship title had truly hurt the main event scene of Smackdown really badly. Jeff Hardy left a big hole to fill in the babyface department and apart from Rey Mysterio, there are no other guys that can carry that true blue babyface role effectively among the main event players. I think that the Undertaker is on borrowed time. His mobility in the ring is severely lacking after his latest return from injury and he needs multiple men type of matches to hide this weakness. It is interesting to see how he fares against Batista in the upcoming TLC PPV. Fingers-crossed, it will be a good match considering how good they really were when they were feuding back in 2007. Also, the fear of the same wrestler locking it up week aftere week could lead to the main event scene to be stagnant.

The midcards of Smackdown have been solid throughout this year. But, again the same problem as the main eventers; things are getting stagnant yet again. Also, the young and new superstars do not have the full support from the WWE Creative. The proof of this statement can be seen at the switch of team members of Smackdown prior to the Bragging Rights PPV. Out of all of them, I can only see John Morisson as the next breakout guy from Smackdown next year. In my book, he is one of my top three superstars of the year. He consistently delivered in the ring, having great feuds with a lot of superstars in Smackdown, and has the total package to make that step up. I also predict that he will make a big impact earlier next year because he is ready to do that. Drew McIntyre reminds me a lot of a young Triple H back in the day. No wonder he is highly regarded by Mr Mcmahon, Shawn Michaels and Triple H himself. He needs at least one more year of experience and great consistence showing to really become a force to be wrecking with in the future. To make things interesting on Smackdown, they need to inject new ideas to the mix. Maybe face or heel turn among the superstars could make the midcards look better heading towards the New Year.

The Women’s Division of Smackdown, though have more in terms of physical appearance, they do lacking in terms of in-ring performances. Sure, Michelle McCool is a deserved WWE Women’s champion, but she needs better competition. Perhaps having the Glamazon, Beth Pheonix in the title mix could make it very interesting. I wish that they can bring back Maria as soon as possible so that I can finally see my two favorite Divas right now, Maryse and Maria. Though I still consider Trish as the greatest Diva that WWE ever had.

All in all, the WWE need to freshen up Smackdown right now because it is in a slump. Again, as I said before, they need to inject something to kick start the show again. Edge returning could help but that is still far away from materializing. Elevating guys like R-Truth or Matt Hardy to the main event status could help also. Quick shout outs to the best commentary team right now, Todd Grisham and Matt Striker. I wish that they would be the one calling the Royal Rumble next year because that would be great, unlike that buffoon on Raw.

Well, that is all I can say about the WWE right now. In the next installment, I will discuss an in-depth look about my favorite 60 minutes of sport entertainment, the Royal Rumble of this past decade as we head towards the 2010 Royal Rumble.

Au Revoir..

(Gustimania) The ECW Road Continues…

9.49 a.m 2.12.2009

ECW

Let’s move on to discuss about the state of a wrestling show that always fill up the wrestling fans’ appettite avery Tuesday night, ECW. Ever since the WWE draft earlier this year, we have seen several new faces that have truly shine towards the end of this year and no mistake about it, could ptentially move on to the bigger shows next year. Two in particular the Japanese superstar Yoshi Tatsu and of course the guy with the Power of Woo Woo Woo, Zack Ryder.

It has been a long time since we have a Japanese superstar. In the past we have seen the lights of Kai En Tai, Kenzo Suzuki (remember him?), and Tajiri were among them. This year saw the emergence of Yoshi Tatsu, with his simple persona and also full of determination in the ring, he has won several matches against the best of ECW superstars such as Shelton Benjamin, William Regal and others. He even came close to win the ECW championship from Christian. He does have the potential, but I have my doubts about his ability to step up because of his lack if mic skills and inability to vary his style in the ring. Maybe with a mouthpiece, or a manager in his corner to speak on his behalf, he might possess that tool to move further up the order in the WWE. Where is unaki when we need him?

Then comes Zack Ryder, in my view the most improved superstar this year. From being one of Edge’s lackey, with his quirky gimmick and athletism in the ring, he heads towards next year looking up, rather than looking down. Honestly, we need more of this kind of persona in the ring today, with weird but acceptable personality paired up with good in-ring works. He also came close to taste the ECW championship at one time against Christian. I love his entrance theme song. Perhaps the best in all of the WWE. Believe me, he might get a run at the ECW title early next year before moving on.

The Abraham Washington show has grown up in me and I am startng to love it. It brings fresh air to an ordinary wrestling show that is ECW. Abraham Washington reminds me a lot of Chris Tucker. A great talker, he manages to bring a lot of heat from the crowd. With the addition of the hilarious Tony Atlas to the show, every week it becomes one of the better segments in WWE today. I just hope, if he is capable though, that Abraham Washington does his talking in the ring sooner rather than later so that his persona does not become lame.

The main event scene in ECW has been revolving around one man and one man only, Christian. The departure of superstars such as Mark Henry and Jack Swagger during the WWE draft have left huge gap in the main event scene of that show. Sure, we have the lights of Regal, Finlay and Tommy Dreamer (where is he by the way?) but the title is still in the hands of Christian. I don’t know why but perhaps it maybe that the WWE creative trying to stall Christian’s progress and wait until the return of the Rated R Superstar. Yes you heard me right. The reunion of Edge and Christian maybe in the works. That will be as big, if not bigger that the reun ion of the Hardys a while back. The upcoming WWE TLC sees the return of the ECW championship match after being left out for four straight PPVs. The ladder match for the ECW title between Shelton Benjamin and Christian will steal the show given the huge experience that Christian has in terms of ladder matches and also the great athletism of Shelton Benjamin when it comes to this type of match.

Tifanny, as the General Manager of ECW has done a pretty good job as the autoritative figure of the show. All in all, ECW maybe look as the weakest show of all the WWE, but one cannot hide the fact that it has been the platform for a lot of superstars in the past. Just look at the amount of talent that originated in ECW that participated in the elimination matches at Survivor Series. Hopefully next year the planned brand revamping of the show will be scrap up because I like the way it is now.

Next we will see through the state of Smackdown, the best show of this calendar year but by the looks of it, may start the next year on a very bad state indeed.

Au Revoir.

(Gustimania) The RAW Road Continues…

6.03 p.m 1.12.2009

After a long time layoff due to foreseen circumstances, finally I’m back to give my two cents about the world of wrestling and its current state, especially in the WWE. Even though I haven’t spent that much time watching wrestling as I did before I went to pursue my studies further, I still follow the current situation that is happening thanks to constant access to websites such as Wrestleview.com and Nodq.com. My how the landscape of the WWE world (I will not use the term ‘WWE Universe’, sounds too cheesy and weird for me) changes rapidly this year. Now, let’s start our journey in looking through the annals of the flagship brand of the WWE, RAW.

RAW

The aftermath of Survivor Series saw the emergence of two particular superstars who became the survivors in their elimination matches respectively, Kofi Kingston and the Celtic Warrior, Sheamus. Kofi Kingston is still in a brewing feud with Randy Orton, which is for me the breakthrough feud that he needs to be a main event player in the WWE. Out goes the Jamaican happy-go-lucky persona and in comes the determined, fired-up attitude of a Ghanaian. Attitude that is needed if one wants to be on top. Hopefully that this feud will continue at least until the Royal Rumble, whereby I predict that he will win it to further establish his main event status.

On the other hand, we have Sheamus. His mini-Lesnar push at RAW has rewarded him with a WWE title shot against John Cena at WWE TLC pay-per-view. I was impressed with this guy from his earlier exploits in ECW whereby he was feuding with Goldust. However, I do have several doubts about his ability to really become the main event player. Does he have the needed move set to really perform in the ring? And does he have the sustain substance to keep him in the upper echelons of the WWE? These questions will hopefully be answered when he lock horns with Cena.

Let’s face it. D-X is on its last feet. Unless the Unified Tag Team Championship changes hand at the upcoming PPV, I just can’t see this tag team exploits of Shawn Michaels and Triple H last beyond the end of this year. It has run out of steam and I hope that this D-X thing will come to and end, paving the way for a Shawn Michaels-Triple H confrontation at Wrestlemania, the match that supposed to be held at WM20, only for Chris Benoit to ruin it.

In terms of the midcarders, aside from The Miz, whom I predict, will have at least a shot at the World titles in the near future after such a stellar year, it has been a solid, if not spectacular showing by them in the second half of this year. Some of them may not be as fully prepared to be the next main eventer, but with hard work and better booking by the WWE creative team, some of these guys could be next in line to have a World title shot by next year.

Maryse is back. This return is perhaps the best thing that could happen to the Women’s division at RAW. Let’s face it. This division has gone to a downward spiral ever since Maryse got injured at the start of the summer. Her presence will bring back the much needed drama and competitive quality in the Diva’s title picture. She is my new favorite Diva after the loss of such great Divas like Trish and Lita.

From the looks of thing, RAW finally gets its act together toward the end of this year and heading towards the New Year looking a lot stronger than Smackdown, as a result of the emergence of new superstars to the main event scene and solid storylines. All of that aside, I still pray that they would fire Michael Cole right away because he has been damn awful these days. Even Mcmahon and Jesse Ventura, as guest commentators a while ago, performed miles better than Cole and Jerry Lawler.

There’s my two cents on the current state of RAW. Other shows will be featured in the coming entries.

Au Revoir.

(Gustimania) Top 5 Favorite (and perhaps Greatest) Wrestlers of All Time (part 1)

22.5.2009 5.59 p.m

Here I am again. After several days of not writing, finally I have the conscious, idea and will to write about something. Guess that several days of preoccupying myself with other things other than writing, somehow makes me want to write again. It is not about the amount of entries that I have in this blog that matters, but the quality of it. That is one of the reasons why I put up this blog, to train and to enhance my writing skills. Anywhoo, this entry will focus on my favorite wrestlers of all time.

For any given wrestling fans (such as myself), that individual will develop a liking for any wrestler. Whether he wrestler is a high-flyer, a powerhouse, or even a technician, he or she will have a favorite wrestler. It also depends on when they watch pro wrestling. One may like the lights of Hogan, Macho Man or Ric Flair because the individual followed wrestling during the 80’s. Maybe present superstars such as John Cena, Batista or Randy Orton are the ones that present fans love.
For me personally, I like all types of wrestlers, but I am more of the Attitude Era fan. So, without further adieu…

5) Stone Cold Steve Austin

Stone Cold, perhaps one of the greatest wrestlers that ever graced the WWE ring. The recently inducted hall of famer single handedly saved WWE (then known as WWF) from losing out to WCW back in the late 90’s (Monday Night War period). He was one of the faces during the Attitude Era. With a rebel character and defying authorities, he was one of the first ‘face’ wrestlers that had attitude of a ‘heel’ wrestler. A trend that changed the landscape of wrestling world, in terms of characterization.

In the ring, he was a pure brawler. I like his style in the ring because it fits his character perfectly. Feuds with Mr. Mcmahon was one of the best feuds ever in the history of pro wrestling. However, in tems of in ring performance, I adore his performance during the period between his introduction at King of The Ring back in 1996 or 1997 up until he broke his neck at Summerslam, thanks to Tombstone Piledriver by the late Owen Hart. That was a period where he wrestled with all types of wrestlers, yet his brawling style fitted very well in those matches. Case and point, Wrestlemania 13 during his submission match with the legendary Bret Hart.

He was also one of those wrestlers that are gifted with mic skills. The infamous 3:16 quote during his coronation as King of The Ring is still one of the best promo, at least in my eyes. He can also be very funny indeed. He showed that side during the days of WWF versus the Alliance (coalition of WCW and ECW wrestlers) back in 2001. His career was cut short a bit due to injury, but he is still one of the most kick ass wrestlers ever.

4) Jeff Hardy

Of all types of wrestlers out there, I have a fondness with the high flyers, the lucha libres, X divisions’, whatever they call it these days. I rate this guy very highly. A daredevil, Jeff Hardy always come up with something so unpredictable and amazing, that I just can’t stop supporting this guy. The ‘Unique Enigma’ is certainly on his way to become a legend.

He was one half of the awesome tag team, the Hardy Boyz, alongside his brother Matt, they are on ethe first tag teams to employ death defying moves that was not common before in the WWE. Who would ever forget their epic feud with Edge and Christian and also the Dudley Boyz from 1999 up to 2001. That was the golden era of tag team division. They produced amazing displays everytime all of them stepped into the ring. The best ones were of course the TLC matches. Two memorable moments that I still remember; 1) Edge spearing Jeff Hardy who was dangling in mid air and 2) Jeff doing the Swanton Bomb from the top of a 20 feet ladder hitting Spike Dudley and Rhyno. All of that moments happened during the TLC match at Wrestlemania 17 (still the greatest PPV in this century).

Jeff Hardy came close so many times as a major champion before. One of his closest moments was the Ladder match against the Undertaker for the WWE Undisputed Championship back in 2002. That was the match that showed his potential as a main eventer. His wish finally came true last year, when he won the WWE title at Armaggedon. I am still amazed that WWE did not recognized him as a Grand Slam winner (achieved when a wrestler won every title in the WWE), alongside Shawn Michaels and Kurt Angle. All in all, he is still one of the best in this business.

Damn, felt a bit exhausted after all of this writing. Part 2 coming up shortly.

Tidbits:

-I don’t know about you, but I think WWE Extreme Rules is one of the worst names ever for a PPV since the In Your House days.

-Just watched the debut of Davey Hart Smith yesterday in ECW. Very impressive and I predict a lot of good things happening for him and the rest of Hart Trilogy.

-Please stop this Santina Marella angle. At first, it does look funny but after some times, it started to be very nauseating to watch.

-In terms of storyline, Smackdown is a way much better show to watch than Raw. Even ECW is better. And this comes from a guy who watches full length Raw every single week.

-Watching ROH on Youtube, I was amazed at the talent on display, perhaps in years to come and with better exposure, they can overtake TNA as THE rival to WWE. Now I am a huge fan of Bryan Danielson.

(Gustimania) Kenapa aku sangat interested dengan wrestling..

13.5.2009 6.05 p.m

Akhirnya, hujan yang ditunggu selama ini telahpun tiba. I was so grateful for that sebab malam ni, aku tak perlu tidur dalam keadaan yang mengaibkan sebab malam ni pasti akan terasa sejuk. Other than that, today aku terasa sedikit bosan, unlike other days during this particular period of time. Petang aku selalu diisi dengan menghadap laptop kuno ku ini dan watch things, either video clips, movies or others. Unlike any other day, I am not in the mood to watch all of that. Mungkin sebab itu aku was drawn untuk menulis entri ini, yang khusus membicarakan hal kegemaranku, yakni wrestling. Gusti, dalam bahasa ibunda kita.

Orang selalu bertanya kepada aku, “Kenapala kau minat sangat dengan wrestling ni? Kalau masa kecik dulu aku pahamla tapi kau umur 20 kot?”. Quote direct dari salah seorang member aku. Aku tersenyum sahaja, malas nak answer back. Sebab kalau aku explain, mahu tak sampai esok pagi penjelasannya. Banyak reasons sebenarnya mengapa aku sangat suka dengan dunia pro wrestling ini. Sejarahnya bermula masa aku darjah satu lagi. Masa tu selalunya TV1 akan menayangkan show wrestling WCW, sebaik sahaja tamat berita dunia. If not mistaken, tiap hari Rabu.

Ingatan aku agak kabur nak remember balik zaman tu. But one memory stuck in my mind. That memory was masa show tu, ada highlights menunjukkan tentang satu wrestler ni, Sting yang menyelamatkan 2 atau 3 wrestler dari attack from nWo. Siap buat flying fox tu di dalam arena. Memang gempak. Sadly, rancangan tu tak bertahan lama. So, minat aku terkubur sekejap di situ.
Fast forward ke zaman aku sekolah rendah. Year 4 to be exact. Rokok Winston menaja rancangan WWF Superstars di kaca TV3. I was so excited. Boleh dikatakan setiap hari Khamis aku akan terpacak melihat rancangan tu. Melihat the lights of Stone Cold, The Rock, Undertaker, DX dan macam2 lagi, tak tergambar keseronokan dan keexcitedannya (perkataan baru tu). Di sekolah, mulalah semua orang nak imitate gaya wrestler kegemaran. Teringat aku selalu membuat crotch chop kepada budak kelas sebelah. Memang kelakar.

Show tu berhenti sekejap, tapi kemudiannya digantikan dengan WWF Smackdown. Rancangan yang still bertahan sehinggalah ke hari ini. Aku still mengikutinya. Wrestling experience aku semakin menjadi lebih hebat dengan adanya WWE Raw di Astro, yang kemudiannya diikuti dengan ECW. Sekarang, aku akan mengikuti kesemua tiga show ini. Dari segi PPV pula, aku akan order The Big Four sahaja (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, Summerslam, Survivor Series). PPV yang lain hanya akan aku ikuti kalau the cards are solid and interesting. Also, hamper setiap minggu aku akan berInternet mengikuti perkembangan dunia pro wrestling.

Berbalik kepada persoalan tadi, bagi aku pro wrestling adalah satu benda ynag Berjaya menggabungkan both sports and entertainment. Wrestler adalah atlit, serta pelakon yang memainkan watak mereka yang berkesan. Every storyline in wrestling is unique and enjoyable. Even the scripted moves in the ring can be portrayed as acts that can have a deep impact towards those who watch it. Kalu tak percaya try tengok matches yang legendary dan gempak. Sebagai contoh, Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels masa Wrestlemania yang lepas. Crowd sangat involved dalam match itu. The adrenaline rush apabila melihat sequence leading to the end of that match is indescribable.

Adrenaline rush, this is the thing that feeds and makes this form of sport or entertainment as unique. Jarang aku tengok entertainment atau sports yang memberi aku adrenalin rush sehebat pro wrestling. Also, benda ni juga bermain dengan emosi. So, you will be very fond untuk mengikuti pro wrestling sebaik sahaja you are hooked to it.

Aku rasa sampai sini sahaja dulu explanation aku. Insya Allah, dalam coming entries aku akan berbicara dengan lebih lagi tentang subjek ini. Maybe giving some thoughts about the ongoing things in the pro wrestling world and other stuffs.

Until then.

Ciao.

(Gustimania) Wrestlemania 25 Review

23.4.2009 6.14 p.m

Hello there! This is actually the first entry in this blog that has to do with something that I have a passion about for the past decade or so; wrestling. Yes, two men fighting each other in a scripted environment is something that I really like. This is the first of perhaps many more reviews of WWE Pay-per-View events. Something that I want to do in the past, but can’t due to my other commitments. Luckily now, I am free to do this. Before the start of the review, let’s lay down some aspects that I will comment on.

The matches itself will be commented in several traits. First, the back story, which is the storyline leading up to the match. Secondly, the match itself. The flow of it, techniques used, characterization and many more. The last trait will be the outcome of the match, the post match actions, whether the result is justified or not. I will also have a say about several aspects of the PPV itself. The aspects are the commentaries, the flow of event and finally the overall verdict. Now, let’s move on with the review of the 25th Wrestlemania, the grand daddy of them all.

#1 Match

Money In the Bank Ladder Match

Kofi Kingston vs Mark Henry vs Shelton Benjamin vs MVP vs CM Punk vs Kane vs Christian vs Finlay

My Pick: Christian

The Back Story: Very simple. Fight for a briefcase containing a contract that gives opportunity for the winner to cash it in for a shot at any world championship within a year. The lead up for this match started right after No Way Out, and we had the complete participants within a month prior to Wrestlemania. It was good in a sense that we know who the actual participants were early on and start to speculate who is going to win it. But, it does not have that excitement factor like past MITB matches where the participants are only confirmed within a week or two before Wrestlemania. It makes for a stalling progress towards Wrestlemania, with matches between the participants of MITB week in, week out.

The Match: A great way to kick off the show. Surprisingly solid, that is for sure. At first, I was worried because it had two big men (Kane and Mark Henry) who will never do any crazy spotfest, first-timer Kofi Kingston, the returning Christian and 4 veterans of this match. It was a spotfest from start to finish, with Holy Sh#t moments left and right. Hornswoggle also helped, with the Tadpole Splash. The sickest one has got to be Shelton Benjamin’s suicide dive from the top of a huge ladder towards his opponents. He was actually nearly landed on his head, which made it sicker. However, the Gold Standard was actually at fault for a botched attempt of a Sunset Flip Powerbomb on MVP. But, props to him for improvising it spontaneously and powerbomb throw MVP to the outside towards Mark Henry and Tony Atlas. MVP was solid. Kofi Kingston showed a lot of his athleticism, Finlay and Kane were the brawlers, and finally Christian and CM Punk bringing out the balance in this match. The flow was good, from the start, elimination of each competitors towards the end, and the finish itself. However, this is NOT the best MITB match, but a solid one, nonetheless.

The Result: CM Punk winning it after knocking Kane off the ladder, becoming the first ever back-to-back MITB winner. First reaction by me was ‘what?’. I really thought that Christian will win it, paving the way for him to go to main event status. Or maybe MVP, as a reward after enduring that losing streak at the end of last year. Then again, I was wrong. I thought that Vince will give that chance. But no, they went back to CM Punk. Perhaps, by this way, Punk will get a better run at the World Championship than last year’s botched attempt. The crowd in Houston, Texas was not into it either, booing CM Punk. A heel turn might be on the cards for the Straight Edge Superstar.

Ratings: 4 Stars (Spotfest!)

#2 Match

25 Diva Battle Royal. Winner will be crowned Miss Wrestlemania.

So many participants that I can’t remember them all.

My Pick: Beth Pheonix

The Back Story: It was basically an idea to put all of the divas of the WWE into one match at Wrestlemania. I was actually disappointed when this match was announced because I want a proper match for the Women’s Title. They even tease for a unification match between Women’s Champion Melina and Diva’s Champion Maryse. And then there was a matter of Santino wanting to get into this match, which I find funny at first, but disturbing later.

The Match: Started off pretty suddenly, at least in my DVD copy. Guess that I missed the performance by Kid Rock prior to this match. Messy all around, which what Battle Royal always does. This one was actually so ugly, it makes the Gimmick Battle Royal back in Wrestlemania 17 looks gold. The crowd was pretty dead for this match. For a match that supposed to feature past and present WWE Divas, my favorite Divas of all time, Lita and Trish Stratus, weren’t even in the damn match. What a bummer. Then I notice that Santino was in this match, looking very ‘mak nyah’ indeed. Crowd even chanting his name. The only highlight of the match really.

The Result: Santino winning it after dumping out his girlfriend, Beth Pheonix. Post-match, he introduced himself as ‘Santina’, twin sister of Santino. ‘Santina’ was crowned as Miss Wrestlemania and started to do some crazy dancing move. I was laughing at first, and then felt disturbed, finally feeling mad. Santino winning it really degrading the current Divas divison to a whole new low. It even mocks and humiliates the history of WWE’s Women Division. Now wonder there were no Trish and Lita.

Ratings: 1 Star (for the entertainment value)

#3 Match

3 on 1 Handicap Elimination Match

Chris Jericho vs Jimmy ‘Superfly’ Snuka, Roddy ‘Rowdy’ Piper, and Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat (with ’Nature Boy’ Ric Flair in their Corner)

My Pick: Chris Jericho

The Back Story: This one revolved around a movie called ‘The Wrestler’ (great movie, I might add). Jericho, in a narcissist character, condemning the movie and the lead actor Mickey Rourke for actually supporting the past generation of wrestler and accusing the movie to be misleading. Out comes the Legends and week by week Jericho punishing and insulting these legendary wrestlers. The outcome was this match. Supposed to be a match between Jericho and Rourke, but Rourke declined the offer. So, WWE planned an escape rout and we have this match. A very emotional back story and I think appealed the past generation of wrestling fans. It was also filled with emotion which makes it a much anticipated contest.

The Match: Another surprisingly solid match. I thought it was going to bowling shoe ugly, due to the fact that the legends are not in their best shape and Jericho was not very solid since Royal Rumble. But, boy d they really do put on a show. Snuka and Piper was eliminated early, basically because they were out of shape. Then, Steamboat appeared and he truly excelled in this match. This came from a veteran that had his last match at a grand scale more than 15 years ago! I got goose bumps watching him doing the legendary arm drag, the dives of the top rope and many more. The only other match that I watched involving him was back in Wrestlemania 3, in one of the greatest Wrestlemania matches of all time against the ‘Macho Man’ Randy Savage for the Intercontinental Title. He hung on with Jericho until the end. Props also to Jericho who truly carried the match all the way. This performance justified him as one of the top competitors in the WWE right now.

The Result: In the end, Jericho defeated Steamboat with the Codeberaker. Post-match, Flair was beaten down. Then, Jericho called out Mickey Rourke. Confrontation ensued and with a let hand hook, Rourke knocked out Y2J. A crowd pleasing moment. And it was the best way to end this story line with the two that actually started it. All came out strong in the end, especially Jericho. Now, he has another achievement that he can boast about other than the ‘beating The Rock and Stone Cold in one night’ rant. I foresee something special in offer for Y2J this year.

Rating: 3 Stars (4 Stars for the Steamboat performance and the post-match)

#4 Match

Extreme Rules Match (fancy name for a Hardcore Match)

Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy

My Pick: Jeff Hardy

The Back Story: Jealousy is the theme of this sibling rivalry. Jeff came out from the end of last year as the WWE Champion. Then several mishaps followed. At the Royal Rumble, Matt screwed his brother out of the WWE Championship and held responsible for the mishaps. This lead to this match. Reminds me of the Owen vs Bret Hart feud back in early 90’s that produced many memorable matches. I was afraid that this one will go down in a wrong way because both of them are fan favorites. But, Matt held his own and had been a very good heel in this program which leads to another emotional build up for this particular match. Great video package before this match, I have to say.

The Match: When the match is Hardcore, and you get the Hardys, it will always going to end up as a spotfest. It was, actually. From start to finish, these two brothers from North Carolina delivered a heck of a show. Extreme offense with weapons and many more. So many spots, the sickest was actually near the end of the match, where Jeff missed his leg drop from the top of the mega huge ladder. I forgot about the splash by Jeff Hardy on two tables stacked with Matt laying between them. They were very innovative with the weapons. I am sure that both of them will be very proud fighting each other at this historic stage.

The Result: Eventually, Matt won the match with a sickening Twist of Fate while Jeff’s head was in between a folded steel chair. A sick move to end a sick match. I think there are more to offer in this feud with Matt winning this one. Hopefully it can be furthered for the rest of the year, and it does not end here. Well, if it ends here, what a match to finish it.

Ratings: 4 Stars (For the Hardcore spots)

#5 Match

Intercontinental Title Match

JBL (c) vs Rey Mysterio

My Pick: Rey Mysterio

The Back Story: The storyline seemed to be pretty patched up for this one. JBL just won the IC title from CM Punk weeks before Wrestlemania, then challenging Rey Mysterio and gave him the shot at the title, promising the most dominating win ever on the grandest stage of them all. The outcome of this match is very predictable, with JBL stating that he would retire for good and Rey pretty much do not have anything to do for Wrestlemania. Not a very good back story for an IC title match, which by the way was last contested at Wrestlemania during Wrestlemania 17, a very long time ago.

The Match: First of all, I love the Heath Ledger’s ‘Joker’ look of Rey Mysterio. He always came up with something special in terms of attire for Wrestlemania. This one was the best of them all. The match, was not a match at all. Ended in just 21 seconds, with Rey hitting 619 and a splash from the top rope to end it. Very short, and perhaps devalued the IC title even more. A sad thing considering the history behind this prestigious title.

The Result: Rey winning it, thus becoming the smallest triple crown winner ever in the WWE. Post-match, a shell-shocked JBL announced that he quit. Wow, what a way to retire by announcing it at Wrestlemania. That was pretty historic. I hope that he will come back in an announcing role, considering the lack of heel commentators these days. He was a pretty darn good commentator at Smackdown before. With that win, the IC title picture will be interesting for sure, with the Masked One holding it.

Ratings: 1 Star (2 stars for Rey’s mask)

#6 Match

Shawn Michaels vs Undertaker

My Pick: The Undertaker

The Back Story: This epic battle can be summed up as the battle of ‘Light against Darkness’. Shawn Michaels challenging the Phenom at Wrestlemania, vowing to end the 16-0 streak of the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. Weeks before Wrestlemania, the Heart Break Kid gaining psychological advantage over the Undertaker, something that usually the Phenom does. I was very excited when the match was confirmed. This was Mr. Wrestlemania against the guy who never loses at Wrestlemania. What more can you ask for? A very intriguing contest with some people genuinely believes that Michaels could be the one that can end the streak.

The Match: The entrance said it all. Michaels ascending from the top, and Undertaker appearing from beneath. A simple act that summed up what this feud is all about. The match itself, for me is THE legitimate candidate for Match of The Year by some miles. This came from two wrestlers who are well into their 40’s! 5 minutes into the match and I knew this was a special match. The chemistry between this two were very good, reminiscing the days their feud which culminated with the first Hell in A Cell a decade ago. It was all about one-upsmanship and ‘I am better than you’ kind of deal at the start. Then, the last third of the match were pure classic. Started of with Michaels missing the Moonsault, followed by Undertaker missing his patented Torpedo dive (landed on his head, which was pretty sick indeed). Then both competitors kicking out of signature moves (Chokeslam, Last Ride and Sweet Chin Music). Then, Undertaker managed to hit the Tombstone Piledriver. 1…2… and Michaels kick out! JR’s commentary said it all, “I just got an out-of-body experience!!” I was feeling that too. That moment made me love wrestling all over again. Michaels was only the second gut to straightfully kick out from a Tombstone Piledriver. The other was Undertaker’s brother, Kane. After several back and forth action, finally the match ended. The crowd was so into this match. Actually, this match was the only of the night that the crowd was emotionally and deeply involved in. Damn, a classic match indeed. I would rate it as one of the top three matches of this decade, the others are Rock-Hogan and Rock-Austin at Wrestlemania 18 and Wrestlemania 17.

The Result: Undertaker winning after the second Tombstone Piledriver, extending his Wrestlemania streak to 17-0. A reasonable result in the end, Undertaker keeping his streak intact. But you have got to give credit to Shawn Michaels. He truly is Mr. Wrestlemania. Since returning at Wrestlemania 20, he always be the guy who stole the show. This edition of Wrestlemania is no different either. I would love to see what is in store for both of these future hall-of-famers, since they are both in the twilight of their careers. I hope that both of them will end their career on a high, because they deserved it.

Ratings: 5 Stars (more if I can give it)

#7 Match

Triple Threat Match for the World Heavyweight Championship

Edge (c) vs John Cena vs Big Show

My Pick: John Cena

The Back Story: First, I thought it was going to be a one-on-one contest between Cena and Edge, then they put the Big Show into the title picture and we have got a storyline similar to the Rock-Triple H-Kurt Angle situation back leading up to Summerslam in the year 2000. Only in this case, Cena played the role of Rock, Edge as Triple H, Big Show as Angle, and the last piece of the puzzle, Vickie Guerrero as Stephanie Mcmahon. You know what I mean, the triangle love story affair. For my taste, I think that it is fresh, albeit copying the storyline that has been done 9 years ago, because this one was the lead up for Wrestlemania. We had solid entertainment and matches between all who were involved in this storyline weeks prior to Wrestlemania.

The Match: The first time I saw it, I thought that this was not a solid match. Looking at it again, I realized that this match was after an epic battle that was hard to follow. It was actually a good triple threat match, using the structure of a triple threat match effectively. The structure was one-on-one matchup with the other combatant at the outside, then the spell of domination by all of the combatants at one point or another, the inadvertent teamwork, and the finishing sequence. This match however, was not as solid as other triple threats that happened in the past Wrestlemanias (the best one had got to be Triple H-Shawn Michaels-Chris Benoit back in Wrestlmania 20), but it was very good nonetheless. I wished that the ending sequence can be stretched a little bit more. Cena was solid, Big Show was as agile as I can remember, and Edge basically doing his thing. Ended in a tad too short for me.

The Result: Cena winning after hitting the FU (I will never call it the ‘Attitude Adjustment’, sounds too corny to me) on Big Show, and then on Edge. Not a popular result, as you saw the mixed reactions of the crowd, which pretty much something that Cena always get since his arrival to the main event stage. I wonder if this year, they turn Cena heel. That will lead up to many more interesting programs throughout the year. Big Show might fall back to upper mid card status and for Edge will continue as the main heel of Smackdown.

Ratings: 3 ½ Stars (Good, but not a great triple threat match)

Introduction of WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2009

The inductees were the Funk brothers (the ones who define what ‘Hardcore’ is all about), Cowboy Bill Watts (promoter and influential figure during the territorial wrestling days), Howard Finkel (the voice of the WWE for so many damn years), Koko B Ware (before there was the Rock, he was the one that bring out the entertainment factor into wrestling), the Von Erichs (before there was the Mcmahons, they were the people who brought the whole family thing into wrestling), Ricky ‘The Dragon’ Steamboat (the most technically gifted and truly one of the legendary figures during the 80’s and early 90’s), and last but not least, Stone Cold Steve Austin, in my book, one of the greatest wrestlers of all time. He was the one who carried WWE during the war against WCW and defined what anti-face character is. He was the face of the Attitude Era. That is for sure. I only have one thing to say. I will definitely be mad if they do not induct The Rock next year.

#8 Match

WWE Championship Match

Triple H (c) vs Randy Orton
(If Triple H gets disqualified or counted out, the title changes hand)

My Pick: Randy Orton

The Back Story: Revenge, anger, retribution. Several words that can be associated with this feud. 5 years ago, after Orton became the youngest World Champion in the history of the WWE, Triple H screwed him out. Now, he is out for revenge. Starting it all of by punting the head The Game’s father-in-law, Vince Mcmahon, a week before Royal Rumble. Then, he does it again, a few weeks later, this time on Shane Mcmahon. It culminated with the RKO on Triple H’s wife, Stephanie Mcmahon. The feud ensued. On eof the longest back story leading up to Wrestlemania. This one was really emotionally-driven, with Triple H had revenge on his mind for everything that Orton had done towards his family. And so does the Legend Killer, after Triple H screwing him out years ago. This feud was really fresh, using the Austin-Mcmahon formula, but this time the role was reversed, with Orton as the heel character and Mcmahons as the faces. It builded up nicely for an intense, grueling match at Wrestlemania.

The Match: A huge letdown, to say the least. The intensity level never reached the heights that it supposed to have. Started of nicely, with both men trading signature moves. Then, it went a bit downhill in terms of pace and crowd involvement. For the majority of the match, the crowd was pretty dead. Few spots here and there, then the ending sequence was very short indeed. Made me wondered for a rivalry that was so intense, the match itself ended very abruptly. There was not even blood shredded in this match, which does not justify the rivalry again. This was about revenge and rage. Even weapons were not used frequently, with one sledgehammer shot in the end. The stipulation for this match does not help either.

The Result: Triple H retaining the title, after a Pedigree. I felt pretty bummed with this result. I really thought that Orton going to win it and cement his place as the top heel for this year. Guess that I am wrong. A lot of people were truly upset with this outcome. But, come to think of it, The Game’s last Wrestlemania victory was back in Wrestlemania 19. So, this victory was long overdue for Triple H. I guess this will prolong the feud between these two guys and generally, the feud between the Mcmahons and Legacy. Hopefully, it will retain the level of intensity and give us a more quality match than this one.

Ratings: 3 Stars (Solid, but the match does not justify the back story)

Now that I am done reviewing the matches, the two cents on the event shall now be given.

Commentaries: The commentary team was Jim Ross, Michael Cole and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler. At first, I had doubts over this team because of the below par performance of Cole and Lawler over at Raw. But, they actually deliver a pretty strong and solid commentary throughout the event. With the exception of the Divas Battle Royal (can’t blame them really), they truly delivered on every match. The most solid one was definitely the HBK-Taker match. They even tried to make the main event interesting, despite the uneventfulness of the match. Cole was pretty solid doin the play-by-play, which makes me wondered why he can’t do this on a consistent note at Raw. JR doing the color commentary was also solid, showing good emotions in some of the matches. WWE is going to have a hard time finding JR’s replacement if he decided to retire. Lawler was surprisingly good. He gave further input in every matches and very compatible with both Cole and JR. But I missed the days during the period where he played the heel commentator role. That was his golden period. All in all, a pretty strong showing by the team for this Wrestlemania.

Flow of Event: The flow of event was very weak indeed and does not flow very well. Started of nicely with the MITB match, but then it was all over the place. The main event should have been the HBK-Taker match. Yet, they put that match earlier than the two title matches. Totally misplaced that because the crowd was so into that match that they were pretty exhausted when it came to the title matches. Lack of filler segments also made the event seemed pretty rushed. The biggest mistake was perhaps launching the triple threat right after HBK-Taker, and not putting a filler match or segment in between them. I think this was the weakest Wrestlemania in terms of flow (the best was definitely at Wrestlemania 17 and Wrestlemania 22).

Overall: Not the best Wrestlemania, but definitely not the worst Wrestlemania. But one can say that it does not justify the celebration of a quarter of century celebration of the Superbowl of Wrestling. This particular Wrestlemania were saved by the epic battle between the HBK-Taker and the matches before it. The main events were a disappointment, considering the huge amount of build up to them. Hopefully, in future Wrestlemanias, the event will live up to its expectation, not like this one.

Overall Ratings: B (good, but not great)

Wow, that was long. Thanks to those who bear with me reading this entry. More on wrestling in the future. That is a promise.

Ciao.