As long as the WWE is doing their countdown to Wrestlemania I thought I would jump on the bandwagon. In five-and-a-half weeks, Vince McMahon’s personal Super Bowl will come to Hollywood – well, not really Hollywood, but why argue the semantics of it all? The fun little vignettes they are using for advertising ‘Mania are incorporating the movie industry, and doing a good job of it too, in my opinion. Besides, all of the crossing over of late ties in with McMahon’s movie making endeavors utilizing the acting talents (well, that remains to be seen once those movies come out) of Triple H, Kane, and the like. So just what is in store for us come April the 3rd?
The biggest decision of course, came from Batista. At No Way Out we were teased with the possibility of this big man dropping Raw and moving over to SmackDown!. He made his appearance at the end of the show, cleaning house and taking names. As he and John Cena had one of the longest stare-offs we have seen in a long time, we were excitedly told that there would be a Triple Threat Match for the WWE Championship at WM between the challengers Cena and Batista against current champ, John Bradshaw Layfield. Oh boy, everyone was happy about this, particularly Theodore Long, whose job was supposedly in jeopardy unless he signed Batista. And as I was watching all this activity, all I could think of was, “Can’t happen!” After all of the time that the company took to build up the tension between Batista and HHH I just couldn’t believe that match wouldn’t take place. Oh yeah, I’ve been fooled before, that’s for sure, but I was certain that would not be the case this time.
So I waited for Monday night to give me the answer I wanted, and I was not to be denied. Eric Bischoff did his best to talk Batista into staying on Raw to face Triple H at WM, and Long did the same to try to coax him over to Thursday’s show. But of course, the star on the mic here was HHH himself. He pleaded his case as only he can saying, and I paraphrase, things like, “Look how strong Evolution will be when I’m the World Heavyweight Champion on Raw and you are the WWE Champion over at SmackDown!. Evolution will run the WWE. No one can stop us.” On and on and on he went, and it was a good case, as long as you didn’t know that his whole motivation comes from the fact that he doesn’t want to face off against his Evolution member, plain and simple. Imagine my enjoyment when Batista gave 3H a taste of his own medicine as he showed him the thumbs up sign, then turned it over and attacked the Cerebral Assassin. Good stuff here, and while I know things are always subject to change, I think this match is going to stick – hooray!
Since I mentioned No Way Out, let me explore that pay-per-view for a moment. We were treated to two super matches. The first one was the opening match of the night. Tag Team Champions the Bashams had to battle Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero for the title. This match had everything – great wrestling, a lot of action, and some humor thrown in as well. And the finish was classic, what with Mysterio not wanting Guerrero to cheat, then helping him to do so for the win. Congrats to the NEW Tag Team Champions!
The second match was as important as a title one would be, as it was to determine who would get to be in the main event at Wrestlemania. Kurt Angle faced off against Cena, and even though John came out on top in this one, Angle shined as well. I really liked these two together, and while I still think there is a question of the health of Kurt, he did as he always does and gave us his all. I really enjoyed this match.
We saw another title change hands as Chavo Guerrero won the Cruiserweight belt away from Funaki, defeating the champ and four others in this six-way dance. Funaki, Spike Dudley, Akio, and Shannon Moore fell by the wayside, leaving Guerrero alone in the ring with Paul London. When the dust settled it was Chavo who had his hand raised in victory. I liked this match too, but I wish it could have been a little bit longer.
There is not too much to say about the Heidenreich / Booker T match, because it wasn’t much of a match at all. Booker won due to a disqualification, as Heidenreich proved once again that he isn’t capable of much. That might be harsh, for perhaps he still hasn’t had the opportunity to show himself off, but I don’t think that’s the case. He’s good at playing the loony, but just how many crazies do we need in the WWE? Poor Booker, he is so much better than that, and it appears that he is being pushed down the same road as a Rob Van Dam – good wrestlers and entertainers not being utilized. But then that’s a whole other column.
The Undertaker took on and defeated Luther Reigns, and while this might not have been the best match on the card, I thought it was better than I had expected. Yes, I’m a ‘Taker mark, but I do think I can be open-minded anyway. Men of this size generally have slow matches, and I thought that this one had a bit more action than normal. While UT might be getting a little shall I say, long in the tooth by active wrestling standards, he still has a lot of education to offer those willing to accept it. If I can be honest (God, I sound like Simon Cowell!) it was not as slow a match as the…
Barbed Wire Steel Cage Match for the WWE Championship! Believe it or not, I’m not criticizing either Big Show or JBL here, for they left blood, sweat and tears in the ring and around the building, no doubt about that. But for the most part they are slow, methodical workers, and while I appreciate the job they do, many of the fans do not. If there is not a lot of high-flying action many people get bored quickly and do not appreciate the slower matches for what they are. The only thing that left me a bit flat was the ending, and from the sounds of things, those in attendance felt the same way. Not that I thought Show would get the win – as with Triple H, too much has been done to keep JBL the champion at least until ‘Mania. And while that was a tough bump he took to go through the mat, I still wasn’t sold on the fact that he rolled out of the ring before Show got out of the cage.
But some kudos to JBL for a moment. I have said many times that he is not my favorite wrestler, but I have to give him credit where it is due. Not only do I think he has risen to the opportunities given to him, but he has become a great heel. Totally different from Triple H mind you, but great none the less. He knows just how to get the fans riled up, doing whatever he has to do to create more heat on himself. The more I watch him work the more I appreciate what he does. In this business one is successful for many different reasons, and with his mic skills and actions, JBL has elevated himself to be one of the better heels in the company today.
As matches for Wrestlemania become set in stone – well, as much as they can be – I’ll discuss more of them. Suffice it to say that I am really looking forward to being there in person. It should be a great show.
Be safe and God Bless,
Barb.
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