It came, it went, and now we’re left to deal with the aftermath. I think it’s pretty fair to say that we were left a tad disappointed when the copyright logo came up on April 1st. Wrestlemania 28 wasn’t all that it was hyped to be, but then again this WWE and dashing hopes is there business. Which explains why they took such a hefty loss in the forth quarter of 2011 (just over $8 Million if you want to know). Maybe we have no one else to blame but ourselves. Did we put too much faith in the seemingly strong match card? Did we expect too much from the biggest event of the year? No! We didn’t! It’s our job to expect the very best of each and every wrestling pay per view, no matter how many times we’ve been disappointed in the past. Still Wrestlemania 28 did yield some fine moments even if it did just about kill off as many careers as it made.
WWE seem to have a knack of taking one step forward and twenty eight miles back. And when we’re told why the World Heavyweight Championship Match was over in seconds, you’ll wonder why they even bothered to book it. Anyway, the big even is over and now we must endure another three hundred and sixty five days until number twenty nine. Just before we examine what’s in store for the rest of the year, I would like it noted that I did predict six out of eight of the winners correctly. Now eye spy with my little eye...
The Rock Defeated John Cena
The Rock Defeated John Cena
Now, I’ve said a lot of this in my Wrestlemania predictions. As it’s the end now, I will just add a little more and then be done with it completely.
This match meant so much to me personally. More than any match has. Because I have been a Rock fan since he first debuted in 1996. To me he is an icon and to many others as well. He has the whole package and I was amazed how good he looked when he came back at Survivor Series and at Wrestlemania 28. The Brahma Bull had lost nothing in the ring or on the mic.
It was interesting to see just how many people disliked the Rock in the run up to Wrestlemania. People writing on message boards how they were looking forward to seeing John Cena whip the Rock’s arse and beat him. Even though us, the people who know more than those who dress up in shirts endorsed by the merchandise man, knew all along that in the ring and on the mic, the Rock was ten times better than John Cena was.
In the run in to Mania, John Cena did come alive, and for that I will give him credit. What the ‘Cenation’, whose members are mostly made up of children who know no different, ‘hormonally imbalanced’ women along with just the odd smattering of ‘desperate to believe in something’ men. Usually I can not discern between John Cena and let’s say...a Cyberman when the artist formally known as the ‘Doctor of Thuganomics’ (those were the days, before he became a poster boy for pricks) delivers his promos. They’re either filled with lines that would sound cheesy in the playground or expressions straight from a Looney Tunes comic. Opposed with the Rock though, Cena, on occasion pulled it out of the bag. When Cena stripped the Rock down with a few harsh words which the Rock sold wonderfully, it finally looked like we were getting the old John Cena back. Sadly though that lasted just seven days.
One week later, Cena, the moron that he is, decided that instead of putting more heat on the feud when the Rock came out to tear him to shreds with words, he’d instead ignore the respect the Rock showed him a week earlier and not sell the insults and put downs as the Rock did for him. In my eyes, and the eyes of every wrestling professional that was the height of disrespect. As the Rock tore into John Cena and told him; “John! I see fear in your eyes!” John Cena thought it would be far more amusing to smirk like a jobber, pull faces that would go down well on CBBC and interact with his wife and father who were at ringside. It was totally unbelievable how a man who is meant to be the poster boy for the company showed no respect for someone who had come before him (can you imagine Cena getting away with something like that with Undertaker?). Sadly this was no angle. Cena just refused to show the Rock the proper amount of respect and anyone who says different deserves to be checked into the Smackdown hotel – morons. The Rock should have thrown the script out of the window and gone into business for himself, nailing Cena with a mighty slap and demanding that the stupid little disrespectful idiot, wipe the smirk off of his face. For someone of Cena’s standing in the business, this was unforgivable.
What makes it even more infuriating is that WWE and Vince McMahon didn’t reprimand Cena for going into business for himself, like they would anyone else, they didn’t even say one word to him. That’s not only disrespectful to the people who pay to see WWE, but also to the Rock who WWE seem to enjoy spitting in the face of. In 2004 WWE refused to renew the Rock’s contract and didn’t bother to let him know. A man that had given eight years of his life to Vince McMahon, and he was treated like the shit on Vince’s shoe because he did the one thing no one else had the bottle or guts to do. Make it on his own! Vince saw it as a sign of disrespect that the Rock, instead of beating his body up every night for little money, decided to venture into pastures new and step into Hollywood. The last laugh was with the Rock however, who makes more money from one film than anyone in WWE does in one year.
The point I’m trying to get at is that WWE are so scared of doing something new with Cena, because the money from his merchandise will plummet, that they’re willing to let him do as he pleases even if means disrespecting other talent. They’re harming Cena so much that it’s a miracle he has any fans left. For example: in the run up to Wrestlemania, John Cena waxed lyrical on the Rock, the only problem was that everything he accused the Rock of being, Cena is himself. Do people not bother to read what they’ve written in WWE? John Cena came out and accused the Rock of the following: ‘being a self centred, see through son of a bitch, that didn’t give a rat’s ass if the company closed its doors tomorrow’. That’s is ridiculous and a complete lie. Why, my good people? Because of that’s how the Rock really felt (and who could blame him after everything WWE has done to him), then Vince McMahon would never have been able to lure the Rock and put his reputation on line against a far inferior opponent. If the Rock didn’t care then he wouldn’t have given up four weeks of his time to promote the match and appear on WWE television in the run in to Mania. The Rock doesn’t need WWE anymore, WWE need the Rock. Who else would they have gotten to fight Cena in what was billed as a ‘Once in a lifetime’ match? No one would have come close. The Rock cares about WWE, his legacy and his fans, if he didn’t he wouldn’t have bothered – he had other offers from much larger films. Cena sees all three as an easy way of making money. Not many people know this, but Cena’s heart isn’t in wrestling, it’s in bodybuilding. That’s where Cena’s interests lie. Those who like him or know better appreciate that he appears in WWE when he can. And Every WWE performer including C.M. Punk should also appreciate it too, because they paid a cut of what revenue the Rock bring in, on a sliding percentage basis.
So Cena was talking bullshit – again. Only it wasn’t the first time. Other things Cena threw at the Rock were that; ‘The Rock hires someone to write is material for him’ (All of John Cena’s material is written for him by WWE)’; he accused the Rock of ‘leaving WWE for Hollywood’ (Cena’s dream was to be an actor but he never made it because he’s as bad at that as he is wrestling – if Hollywood had have offered Cena a job he’d have been gone quicker than a Bushwhacker from a Royal Rumble Match); then an accusation that ‘The Rock returned in 2011 to promote ‘Fast Five’ and his twitter account (when John Cena returned to WWE from filming those awful WWE Films, he did so just to promote them and I’ve lost count of the times Cena has promoted his own social network site account); after all of that, Cena stared the Rock out and said “I’ll see you next week movie star!” Now what’s that tangy scent I can smell? Oh yes, sour grapes. The truth is Cena is jealous of the Rock. Of everything the Rock has accomplished and that is just pathetic. Though the blame can’t fall squarely on Cena’s shoulders, because those who hate the Rock, do so for the same reasons, because he had the nerve to do something they never could have. And you are one of those people, then just get over it. There are far bigger things in this world than jealousy. How the ‘Cenation’ can stand by and support this rubbish is baffling to me.
The problem with John Cena is that he knows he’s crap. He’s admitted it himself. There are wrestlers that could have great matches with broom handles. You give it to John Cena and the fans will cheer for the stick made of wood. John Cena couldn’t even have a great match with Kane at Elimination Chamber 2012, even when there was no wrestling involved and they could have filled the match with stunts and props. But no, the merchandise machine couldn’t even do that – and as the top line star in that match, he should have led from the front. Then again that’s always been Cena’s downfall. If he doesn’t have an opponent who is superior to him then the match falls apart. His Wrestlemania matches against Shawn Michaels and Triple H only succeeded because both opponents were ring generals that could dictate the match and carry Cena. Look at all the matches that could have been great if Cena had bothered to learn anything else about his craft. Yet the lazy sod doesn’t care. Which is why he’s destroyed so many careers beyond repair! Give undercard talent to anyone else, Michaels, Undertaker, Orton, Triple H and they can make that person shine and look like a star. Give them to John Cena and he makes them look like a bag of shit. And you’re probably thinking that it’s not Cena’s job to make them look good – you’re wrong. As a headline star and the WWE’s top man, it is Cena’s job to elevate talent below him, he jus lacks the ability.
Cases in point are Wade Barrett and Nexus and the Miz. In 2010 John Cena had the chance to play a huge part in one of the hottest storylines in a decade. To an extent he did a little to help it along, the problem was he did even more to extinguish it. After WWE had spent months building up Barrett and Nexus, it was down to Cena to elevate them to the next level at SummerSlam 2010. After a so-so match, Barrett and Gabriel delivered a devastating DDT to the concrete on Cena. Not thirty seconds later Cena was back up on his feet, not selling the move and had dispatched both men in under a minute. Tell me ‘Cenation’, where’s the respect there? Cena made them look like jobbers. Because he can’t sell moves. If he could sell moves the way he sells merchandise then we wouldn’t be complaining. The Miz suffered at the hands of the selfish side of Cena who simply refused to let the Miz have the spotlight, even though it wouldn’t have hurt Cena’s career any at all. But no, because he’s a selfish man with very little talent, he ran through Miz and afterwards, no one could take him seriously. Fortunately for Barrett, he had Randy Orton to kick start his career again as where a year later from the ‘Cena treatment’, The Miz is only just getting his career back on track. He has a lot more work to do before he can be taken seriously as a World Champion again.
On top of all of this, Cena is clumsy. His hip tosses make us wince, his punches look like they’re being thrown by a girl (Beth Phoenix throws better punches), his ring attire is awful and he has hurt more wrestlers than he ever should have been allowed to. Mark Henry just at the end of last year received a ripped groin muscle because Cena messed up a move. And this is professionalism? Pathetic.
On the plus side, and there is one, The Rock has made John Cena look like a million dollars. Every angle, the Rock has forced Cena to up his game. No doubt it will drop again after Wrestlemania though, but that’s something for Cena to work on I suppose. When a wrestler / actor comes in and outshine your top star in every segment they’re together, then the warning bells should be ringing. For Vince, the only bells that are ringing are those of the cash register. I will give WWE this though. It was a very clever move to bring in a man with more heat than Cena to face him in the main event of Wrestlemania. Very clever! It’s also worth mentioning that John Cena deserves a lot of credit for putting on a decent match with the Rock at Wrestlemania 28, but you’ll never convince me that he’s anything more than a walking, talking, merchandise selling (his latest shirt is obviously inspired by Starbucks), overgrown schoolboy, who could couldn’t beat Stephen Hawkings with both hands tied behind his back.
I once had a very heated argument with someone about Cena, which I just thought I’d mention to show you how shallow the ‘Cenation’ are. I mentioned the fact that Cena was only where he is because of the money he puts in Vince’s pocket, which by the way is true. That he was an awful wrestler blah, blah, blah. And the person who we shall simple know as ‘Numnuts’, and if you are reading then you’ll know it’s you, tried to argue that Cena is at the top because he is a superior wrestler that has been voted ‘Best Wrestler of the Year’ in some polls. They neglected to think about (or maybe the short sighted bigot just didn’t want to admit he was wrong) all the polls he came last in or in fact the numerous polls that vote his ‘Worst wrester of the year’ and ‘Worst Match of the Year’ for which there are exceedingly more of. If you want to argue the toss with me that Cena isn’t bad, then I’ll argue with you. Just bare in mind you won’t win.
Of course, the die hard WWE fan – the ones WWE likes to label marks or even smarks (smart marks), knew that the Rock had won before he even stepped foot into Wrestlemania. In the end he won, so no harm was done. If he had have lost then he would have been credited for putting over a tired and lacklustre career and injecting it with some va-va-voom.
So now I’ve had my moan, onto the future.
After that vicious Rock Bottom that put Cena down for the three, there is only one place for Cena to go and that’s over to the dark side, if WWE are serious about doing something different. It worked for the Rock when he joined nation of domination and it will work for Cena. In his not so distance future Cena is set to tangle with Brock Lesnar (who returned and F5’d Cena on April 2nd raw) which you can be sure will be hyped and planned to final detail, and it should be decent. The feud should take him up to SummerSlam with the returning Matt Bloom who you’ll know better as Albert or A-Train or now Lord Tensai. The man has been in NJPW for years and let me tell you, if WWE don’t put the clamps on what he can do now, then Albert could take the main event scene to the next level. He’s gotten better, if a little larger. The perfect opponent for John Cena, the David versus goliath story! Only this time goliath should win. If WWE play on Cena’s ‘Once in a lifetime’ loss to the Rock, keep mentioning it, put Cena on a losing streak (which won’t harm his career one bit), have talent tease him, push him to the limit, then using the loss WWE can turn Cena heel off of it. That’s if they’re serious about changing the WWE for the better. If not then you can expect a soulless run with Albert and Henry until he finally regains the WWE Championship sometime around August or October. At least the feud with the Rock has kept Cena out of the title picture so he couldn’t devalue the name of the title anymore (need proof: look at that awful belt after he got his hands on it).
Can Cena succeed without superior opposition on the other side of the ring? That’s up to John Cena to prove to us. And even after nearly 10 years, he still has a lot to prove and learn. With a little push and a point in the right direction, then maybe 2012 will be the year John Cena finally shines. Just don’t hold your hopes out too much.
For the Rock? He’ll go back to Hollywood, to make more box office smashes (Journey 2: grossed just over $300 Million) including Fast and the Furious Six and Seven, and the upcoming Hercules movie which I’m looking forward to immensely. We’ll see the Rock again, possibly at SummerSlam, and almost certainly at Wrestlemania 29. Although, just a thought. After his win at Mania 28, the Rock doesn’t actually need to return. ‘The Great one’ has had his storybook ending, beating the most obnoxious wrestler since Hulk Hogan, on the grandest stage of them all (where he has now beaten all three of the men credited for revolutionizing the wrestling business: Hulk Hogan – Wrestlemania 18: Stone Cold Steve Austin – Wrestlemania 19 and John Cena – Wrestlemania 28), in front of his hometown – should he make this his final match. It doesn’t get much better than that. I don’t think any return could ever eclipse an ending as fitting as that. Of course the Rock disagrees. And on April 2nd Raw, vowed to be WWE Champion again.
Hell in a Cell Match
Special Guest Referee: Shawn Michaels
The Undertaker Defeated Triple H
Let’s be honest now. This match was always going to be the show stealer of the night. It was last year and it was this year. It comes then as no small coincidence that it’s the match we never need to see again. At any event, on any house show at any pay per view. Triple H and the Undertaker have given us more than enough to justify twenty Wrestlemania events.
It was a foregone conclusion that the Undertaker (who, as I predicted, came out bald on the night) was always going to leave the winner. His streak is too heavily protected for anything else to conceivably happen. So the emphasis was on Triple H’s struggle to end the streak and prove that he was the best. Which of course we could never take seriously since The Undertaker now beaten Triple H at Wrestlemania 17, Wrestlemania 27 and Wrestlemania 28. The mach was exceptional and WWE even broke their own rule and allowed Triple H to bleed.
It surprised me that Shawn Michaels played a minor role, since he was booked so heavily going in as well. I guess the Triple H vs Shawn Michaels Wrestlemania 29 plans are off the table. Because WWE have found a better alternative.
Now to the future: Triple H will take a back sat once again, concentrating his time on the running’s of WWE backstage, appearing on television in his authority role as John Laurientis predictably gets too big for his boots. Triple H is at least wise enough to know that his body is too injured and beaten to compete in today’s current scene. And if we’re being honest, we’d rather see C.M Punk and the stars of today than a selfish Triple H taking all of the spotlight for himself, like he’s done on so many occasions. It won’t be the last we see of ‘The Game’ in the ring though, expect him to step up again at SummerSlam and possibly Survivor Series. As much as he’s taken a back seat to the other talent, even Triple H knows that the four main shows of the year (Royal Rumble, Wrestlemania, SummerSlam and Survivor Series) are too steeped in grandeur for him not to be on them somehow.
Shawn Michaels will no doubt be back in some capacity. He’s promised us his wrestling days are over, so if he’s looking to come back in a non wrestling capacity then maybe a replacement for old Johnny L somewhere down the line. Of course he could stick the yearly appearance at Wrestlemania and be done with it, but I seriously doubt that will ever happen. Shawn Michaels was always too good to stand in the shadow while a truly groundbreaking storyline passed him by. By his own admission HBK was a greatly selfish man when it came it giving the spotlight to someone else (as he proved in 1998, when after Stone Cold Steve Austin defeated him for the WWE Championship – HBK barged into the press room and started shouting and yelling, throwing furniture about. For those who think everything in WWE is a worked angle – this wasn’t. Michaels was off his nut on painkillers and somas and god knows what else. He truly felt that Austin shouldn’t have beat him for the title), Bret Hart felt the true force of that ego in 1997.
WWE Championship Match
C.M Punk (Champion) Defeated Chris Jericho
The major problem we faced going into this match was the ego of both men, which is sizable, inside the ring and out. The match was billed around both men’s belief that they are the best in world right now. C.M. Punk and Chris Jericho both believe this outside the ring and will argue with anyone who disagrees. Punk may have a case, his wrestling is exceptional and he’s as near flawless as he can get right now. Jericho on the other hand isn’t anymore. Maybe he might have been at one point in time, now, Chris should step out of the leather trousers and into the real world. No doubt he looks great physically and he’s lost nothing in the squared circle, but come on Chris, the best? Not by a long shot.
I was impressed by the way both men approached this match, vowing to make it the show stealer, and it may have been good, but it certainly wasn’t anything that would have made me sit and look up at twice. And as I mentioned in my Mania preview, Chris Jericho’s curse of having disappointing Wrestlemania matches was only halted by the skill of Punk. Others believe Jericho should have won this to extend the feud, I believe different. There’s no way fans were going to be as enthusiastic for another Jericho world title win, after his last one was so uneventful.
For Chris Jericho, the feud is far from over. Jericho and Punk will clash at ‘Extreme Rules’ and ‘Over the Limit’, providing both matches have other rules added, such as ‘Last Man Standing’ or ‘Steel Cage’ then on both pay per views, the match should steel the show. Both have a great reputation for performing better on the smaller shows than the larger ones. After ‘Over the Limit’, Jericho should join John Laurientis and his motley crew to prolong the feud and maybe walk away with the WWE Championship sometime after SummerSlam. I wouldn’t be at all surprised to se Chris Jericho disappear again to concentrate on his band and personal life.
C.M. Punk, at this moment in time, has one of the brightest futures in WWE. The guy is on a lengthily WWE Championship run which looks set to continue until at least SummerSlam, when he’ll either lose it to Jericho or another of Johnny L’s stable mates (as long as its not Mark Henry we’ll be fine) to prolong the feud between Punk and Johnny L, which could be just huge if WWE do it correctly, and we all know they have the ability. Of course the other alternative is to have Punk drop the belt to Brock Lesnar in what will be a cracking encounter should it happen. Apart from Lesnar and Cena (please god no), I can think of no other superstar ready to dethrone Punk before August. If he hasn’t lost the belt by then, it will probably go to the winner of the next Money in the Bank Ladder Match (scheduled for SummerSlam: Money in the Bank pay per view has been cancel this year and replaced with ‘No Way Out’) which will be won by a returning Wade Barrett.
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Sheamus Defeated Daniel Bryan (Champion)
I was expecting great things from this match. A hotly contested matchup which would put both men on track! And what did we get for the weeks of build up? A match that not only went on first, but lasted no longer than five seconds! Nice, Vince! I guess we can add this match to the growing list of cock-ups and blown chances.
I could understand if both men were working with injury. Or even if one of them had come down with a serious illness before the event went live. Did WWE give us a five second, blink you’ll miss it match because of that? Bollocks did it. WWE’s reason for cutting one of the most important matches in both men’s career short were because it wanted to create a new record for shortest Championship Match at Wrestlemania (and it seems quickest career nose dive in history). Kane vs Chavo Guerrero held the title when Kane defeated Chavo for the ECW Championship in what was a blessing of a short encounter due to decreasing interest in the belt and brand. This though was a slap in the face, especially after their U.S Title match last year was relegated to the pre-show.
As Bryan was kissing A.J on the ring apron, Sheamus nailed him with a Brogue Kick when he turned around and made the cover. Are the WWE dumb? I’m seriously starting to wonder. This match should have gone at least twenty minutes. Both men have the ability to do that. Daniel Bryan must have wondered what happened to his big push and title reign that was starting to actually register with the fans. Although when Bryan started to become a whipping boy Big Show, the bells should have sounded for him them. To end the match for such a dumb reason was simply idiotic, a slap to our face and the talents face. How are we meant to take Bryan seriously as a contender to the gold now? I do think it’s worth pointing out that WWE should have scheduled this match for later on in the show, when the light had faded, and not when Sheamus’ skin blended in with the background.
Daniel Bryan’s future looks bleak. He’ll continue to feud with Sheamus at least until ‘Over the Limit’ and then WWE are going to have to find a new opponent for Sheamus. I don’t believe that anyone can take Bryan seriously as a contender or even a champion again. After his demeaning loss it looks like the under card is calling. Turning face again would be a good idea, atoning for his sins as champion – blaming it on the pressure of the title brings would be a great excuse. Saying that fans couldn’t totally trust Bryan should WWE award him with another title run, which is unlikely! If Daniel Bryan hasn’t done anything of note by SummerSlam, then I seriously worry if he ever will again. All the success has come at one for Bryan, who is a much better wrestler than most on the roster, and that could be damaging. I’d give it until August and if WWE hasn’t done anything of note with him by then, I’d be asking for my contract release and return to Ring of Honor or got to Japan where they love him and respect his talent.
Sheamus has caught the break of his life. He looks to have a lengthily title reign that will stretch to SummerSlam and possibly beyond. This is partly because he is the apple of Triple H’s eye (in a wrestling way). After his feud with Bryan, Sheamus should turn heel and begin a feud with someone who he would look great against. I don’t see a Sheamus / Wade Barrett feud lighting up the WWE any time soon, so Sheamus may be lumbered with Cena again – but then do we really need to them in another feud? My ideal candidate for a main even run with Sheamus would be Cody Rhodes. But when have WWE ever listened to what’s best for them?
WWE Intercontinental Championship
Big Show Defeated Cody Rhodes (Champion)
In the words of Victor Meldrew “I don’t believe it!” WWE actually gave the I.C title to a galumphing great vat of no talent. The third most important championship in the company and they take it off of the one man who was actually flourishing with it (the first for years) and in the blink of an eye make it unimportant again. You know, sometimes I wonder why we bother watching this crap.
What can Big Show possibly do that’s going to be classed as ‘Must watch’ television? His knees are shot, they hardly work anymore. He can take a few bumps which look awful and his offense is made up almost completely of a slam, a head but, choke slam and a punch. It would have been a better match id Rhodes had have been matched up with the announcers table. The only reason WWE took the title from Rhodes, give me strength, was to make history and end the Big Show’s Wrestlemania loss. Hang on...didn’t Big Show come out victorious at Wrestlemania 26? Ah, so Cody Rhodes lost the title for nothing. And a spectacular return to form for WWE.
Cody Rhodes can only go from strength to strength, hopefully. I doubt this is the end of the Big Show feud, and if its note then WWE need get that belt back onto him as soon as possible. Another loss to Big Show and it could set his career back even further. Winning the title back would be a great reason for Rhodes to challenge Sheamus for the WWE Championship in a Champion vs Champion series (not a champion vs champion series where both men are holding the same title: Note: John Cena and C.M Punk did this in 2011 – as Punk was the official WWE Champion, John Cena’s reign with the fake WWE Championship is not recognized). Rhodes has no where left to go in the mid card. He needs to be pushed into the main event as soon as possible and maybe even credited for putting Big Show out with an injury. If Cody Rhodes hasn’t been WWE or World Champion by Wrestlemania 29, I’ll eat my hat.
Big Show should retire. He’s too broken and beat up to continue. The Intercontinental Championship demands a hefty schedule, house shows, appearances and so on. Big Show is in no shape to fulfil these obligations and should be stripped of the I.C title as soon as possible – Extreme Rules would be ideal. After that, if I were Vince McMahon I’d demand Big Show go home for six months, smarten himself up, lose that weight (he’s done it before), rehabilitate the injuries and if he still wants to wrestle after that, then find him a non punishing schedule that will be easy on his legs and health. Apart from that, there’s no way Big Show can do anything with the I.C Title.
12 Man Tag Team Match
Team Johnny: David Otunga (Captain), The Miz, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger and Drew McIntyre Defeated Team Teddy: Santino Marella (Captain), Kofi Kingston, R-Truth, Zack Ryder, The Great Khali and Booker T.
I’m glad to see WWE saw sense and allocated this match at least enough time, make most look half decent. There’s not much more I can say about this match. The result was correct and it was the right move to allow the Miz to collect the pin and victory. Now Johnny L rules both Smackdown and Raw and the J.L feud with C.M Punk can go full throttle!
David Otunga: it has come to this. David Otunga, by virtue of being selected captain is seen as one of WWE hottest prospects. Remember at the beginning of this I mentioned the one step forward and twenty eight miles back? Otunga is the best case I can think of. After a poor start to his career, Otunga showed no skill, talent or personality at all. WWE shelved him and then bring him back to try again – guess what guys? It didn’t work. This is all because Otunga is married to a celebrity and WWE has an unnatural obsession with American celebrities. Otunga is going nowhere fast. He’s got a U.S Championship series coming his way and WWE sees he can’t get through that, they’ll shelf him once again.
Mark Henry: just the sound of his name sends me to sleep. Like Big Show, Henry is going nowhere. He’s talentless and lacks a personality. The guy has been given 16 years to do something of note and failed at every turn. His world title reign was dull, his matches are awful and yet because of his size WWE continue to try to get him over. Henry even had the cheek to complain that WWE had asked him to do too much when he was champion. Too much? You were the champion Henry, who was getting paid a six figure sum! It’s your god damn job you moron!!! Henry is thinking of leaving WWE when his contract comes up. Shall we have whip around for his bus fair, anyone?
Drew McIntyre: it’s hard to believe that Drew was Vince’s pick to head a new generation a few years ago. Given every opportunity, including an Intercontinental Championship reign which was lifeless, Drew has failed like Henry, to ignite that spark. Fans are unresponsive and all we can expect from the Scotsman this year is for a swift exit from the company.
Jack Swagger: since WWE hijacked what could have been a terrific World Heavyweight title run in 2010, Swagger has been unable to get his career back on track. Being relegated to ‘Superstars’ for most of 2011, Swagger’s career seemed doomed! In 2012, Jack needs a meaty feud with someone like Kofi Kingston to reaffirm himself and after Cody Rhodes has finished with it an Intercontinental Championship reign that is memorable like Rhodes has been. Personally, I’d give Swagger Orton again and let them make magic. Otherwise Jack Swagger could be the first name to be ‘Future Endeavoured’ in WWE’s annual cutbacks.
Dolph Ziggler: one of the brightest stars in this match and in WWE itself is Dolph Ziggler. Today’s Mr. Perfect has all the tools to go straight to the top, which is where he’s heading in the months after Wrestlemania 28. It looks like Dolph will reaffirm his feud with C.M Punk or even challenge Sheamus after both men’s feuds have subsided. Until then Ziggler needs something great and I can think no better of a feud with Kofi Kingston to build him back up to the top. You can expect Ziggler to come out of his next World Title feud as champion.
The Miz: finally! The Miz’s career is back on track and instead of being labelled this generations King Kong Bundy (career wise at least), he can finally get back into the main picture. Many people hate the Miz but they cannot deny he is a great talent. Keep him away from John Cena and he can be great. For the Miz to climb back onto the wagon a feud with Booker T would do him wonders and maybe an Intercontinental title reign. WWE can’t give the belt to everyone if they want a meaningful reign, so the Miz would be the ideal candidate. He’s not ready yet to be WWE Champion again after his awful treatment at the hand of Cena Career killer, so seeing out the year as I.C Champ would be ideal – as long as WWE has the wrestlers to pit him against.
Zack Ryder: it’s looking bleak isn’t it? Betrayed by his best friend (John Cena), lost the United States Championship, almost supposedly disabled by Kane and then turned on by his girlfriend, Eve which cost him the match at Wrestlemania, and then pinned to end the match – Zack Ryder is a victim of WWE’s hatred for anyone who tries to get themselves over with the audience without WWE’s assistance. If only the bigwigs could see that they’ve not got the plans to get Ryder over and the way Ryder went about doing their job for them was a touch of genius. Still WWE don’t see things like that: spiteful bastards! Ryder’s 2012 can go one of two ways. Either he can redeem himself in a feud with Eve and some other male talent and recapture the U.S Title, or he’ll be relegated to ‘Superstars’ and then ‘Future Endeavoured’. Seeing as he is a real life pal of John Cena, then I have faith that WWE will push him once again. What Cena wants, Cena gets.
The Great Khali: retire!!!
Santino Marella: the comedy act is growing old now. Really WWE, do something different. Santino really does have the skills to wrestle, its a shame WWE don’t utilise them. Santino is a real life hard man (as hard as it to believe), he once punched JBL out on a WWE flight from Afghanistan to America. Still WWE prefer to make him look like the biggest dickhead in the world. In fact they’re trying to say that Italians are all stupid. They’re not! Santino needs to lose the U.S title and then turn heel. The fact that WWE doesn’t have anything planned for him in 2012, tells you all you need to know about their faith in undercard wrestlers. Next please!!!
Booker T: I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Booker T in the ring since his return. He hasn’t lost a beat and is much better than he was in TNA. WWE need to bring Booker T out from behind the announce table and stick him with the Miz in the ring in 2012.
R – Truth: after being pushed in the main event of Capitol Punishment 2011 against Cena, R Truth has showed me nothing to suggest he deserves a swift return there. His chance was at Wrestlemania, perform well, show a different side. He didn’t. In 2012 R-Truth will tread water in the undercard until he finally realizes that he’s not going to make it in WWE.
Kofi Kingston: the brightest prospect on Team Teddy. WWE could have and should have booked The Miz to pin either Kingston or Booker T, so to initialize a feud. They missed a trick there. Still I have high hopes for Kingston, and if WWE can resist another stop start push then Kingston in 2012 should have a great feud with Dolph Ziggler, a heel Evan Bourne (when he returns) and finally end the year with a WWE Championship win against his buddy C.M. Punk.
Kofi Kingston: the brightest prospect on Team Teddy. WWE could have and should have booked The Miz to pin either Kingston or Booker T, so to initialize a feud. They missed a trick there. Still I have high hopes for Kingston, and if WWE can resist another stop start push then Kingston in 2012 should have a great feud with Dolph Ziggler, a heel Evan Bourne (when he returns) and finally end the year with a WWE Championship win against his buddy C.M. Punk.
Kane Defeated Randy Orton
I didn’t see Kane beating Orton coming. Still in WWE, I’ve given up trying to guess what comes next. As Orton is working injured, then maybe it was the best result if WWE insist on extending the feud (which they do). Why they’ve Randy Orton, Kane is anyone’s guess. Secretly Vince is still hoping after 16 years that Kane can do something of note. I think that ship sailed a long time ago Vinny Mac.
Kane can only ponder in 2012: after a feud with Orton which we can only hope will be mercifully short, I expect Kane to be pushed into the main event spot, which is the wrong choice. Kane is not good enough to hold the marquee on a PPV anymore. Considering his face is on the Extreme Rules poster, then expect he and Orton to contest a huge match (possibly Last Man Standing) at Extreme Rules. I don’t see where Kane can go, except challenge Punk – do we really to see Kane in the main event again?
Randy Orton has had his future bandied about more than anyone. Hit hard with an injury he cannot keep working on, Orton’s best bet would be to take a hiatus to recover and then come back as a heel.
Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos Defeated Beth Phoenix and Eve
This was a pointless little encounter. That’s all I’ll add. Kelly Kelly will be Women’s champion again in 2012 and Eve will feud with Ryder. Beth Phoneix should feud with Kharma when she returns and Maria will return to her celeb life. That's really all there is to say on this one.
So that was Wrestlemania: the night after held some surprises and disappointments. Brock Lesnar returning to start a feud with John Cena (guess who’ll win), Lord Tensai after the build up got to defeat Alex Riley (that must have been disappointing for him). The Rock vowed to be WWE Champion again (maybe it will happen, even though he would need to be in WWE for at least a year non stop to build a feud, win the title, defend it and then lose it or retire champion).
So let’s see how many opportunities WWE can squander this year. For once, I’d like to be pleasantly surprised. Just to finish off, because all the Cena heads wouldn’t let us forget if Cena had beaten the Rock. Listen ‘Cenation’, you finally smelt what we were cooking. Here comes the pain!
To the future...
Onwards and Upwards...
