Let's Be Pro-Realistic SPECIAL EDITION
Wrestlemania is the most exciting time for me, and I want to share my thoughts about the Big Time. This is my effort to show you all what I see. I hope you enjoy this, I really thought alot about a few matches specifically and how this really is the Big Time for their competitors. Other matches, like HBK vs Vince, Edge vs Foley, are all fine but don't need this Big Time moment more than others. So get ready to be hyped up.
Wrestlemania. The very word sends shivers down my spine. Ever since November, I have been in a hyped up mood anticipating the big event. During this ‘playoff’ time between Survivor Series and Wrestlemania, I watch the WWE closer and more observantly with each passing week. This is when (in theory) the best storylines are to come out, the best wrestlers get chosen for the best feuds. So the question I pose for you all, is to think if the goal of delivering a very exciting finale will be paid off this year? Has these last 4 months delivered us the top quality of time and effort? Is this the Big Time? This will be a story of the past few months and how it effected a few people and their matches at ‘Mania, and if it may or may not have paid off.
November 13th, 2005, to me and to many people around the world was one of the darkest days in pro wrestling history. Former WWE Champion Eddie Guerrero died suddenly and unexpectedly. Eddie that week was booked to face Randy Orton & Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship on the next Smackdown. It was at this time Batista, one of the most popular superstars for the past 8 months since he turned on HHH and Evolution, was hurt and needed to drop the title so he could rest his injuries. But then Eddie died, the match was called off, and Batista dealt with his pain while joining forces with Eddie’s close friend Rey Mysterio. What if Eddie didn’t die? Eddie might have won and then carried on a great feud with Randy Orton. But it didn’t happen. Eddie’s legacy ended physically, but the unexpected occurred that would not end with Eddie’s death. Rey Mysterio embraced sorrow and turned it into hope. Mysterio, Chavo Guerrero, and Chris Benoit all reignited their careers as Eddie’s death brought promise to three other people’s lives, along with the passion and respect we should owe all our current stars.
Rey Mysterio then went on to face Big Show & Kane with Batista in tag team action in Armageddon, lost, but rebounded again to win the Royal Rumble on his own, with nothing but Eddie’s spirit fueling his drive. Randy Orton, bitter that his championship future was further delayed, took it out on the only person who seemed to possess what should have been his, Rey Mysterio. Orton took a drastic change in his demeanor after the loss to Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell, and following a few bouts with Benoit, went on an angered streak and made Mysterio his target. Kurt Angle’s debut on Smackdown, and winning of the World Title, didn’t make things any easier. Mysterio won the Rumble, but lost his spot to Randy Orton at No Way Out. A compassionate General Manager thought Orton’s actions deserved justification, and regardless of the win at No Way Out, made Wrestlemania a triple threat for the World Title. Rey Mysterio, once believed to be the greatest cruiserweight of all time now had a main event shot at a Heavyweight title. Eddie’s death, although premature and unexpected, elevated his best friend’s own future so that both he & Eddie may live even more comfortably long past their mortal lives.
Meanwhile, the legendary phenom, The Undertaker, would not rest in peace this year. Wrestlemania XX brought back the Dead Man in the Undertaker, and his hellfire burned down Kane’s second attempt to end his brother’s career. He then forced Paul Bearer to be buried in concrete, challenged JBL’s title reign, and even faced the Legend Killer himself, Randy Orton. They met in Wrestlemania 21, and after a breathtaking fight, Undertaker defeated Randy Orton. Orton would not let this slide. Orton challenged Undertaker again at Summer Slam, where he finally beat the Dead Man! But it was not over, they met again in a Handicap Casket Match, then for a final time in a Hell in a Cell. Undertaker proved he still had it. He even had enough in him to challenge Kurt Angle once again for a championship belt. At No Way Out, Undertaker and Kurt Angle met in arguably one of the greatest battles in modern professional wrestling today. Undertaker came up short, but he got a rematch on an edition of Smackdown. Just as the Phenom had the match won, Mark Henry made his impact felt. Mark Henry has had a long history in the WWE himself. Henry was known for his alliance with the Nation of Domination, then as a tag team partner with D’Lo Brown. Henry became a big Sexual Chocolate and got involved in some… nasty storylines that hurt his legitimacy. Henry returned refocused several years later, and made his impact known when he faced Goldberg without concern for his wellbeing. Mark Henry could care less who he faced, and wanted to make a new name for himself. He finally did when he got a World Title shot at the Rumble this year. He lost. When he saw The Undertaker go for the title, Henry found another target, The Undertaker. A man who faced most big names on both Raw & Smackdown finally has a chance to break a 13 year streak, and end the greatest Wrestlemania legacy of all time. But does he have a chance?
Chris Benoit, the man who got HHH to tap out at Wrestlemania XX to win his first (and so far only) World Heavyweight Championship, has done it all in the WWE. Benoit has faced all the greats, Triple H, Undertaker, Kurt Angle, Eddie Guerrero, Chris Jericho, Booker T, Shawn Michaels, and so many more. Benoit debuted at Wrestlemania 19, missing 18 to an injury. All Benoit wanted to do was wrestle at the biggest stage of all. He & Rhyno teamed up to face Los Guerreros & Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas for the WWE Tag Team Titles. He & Rhyno did not win the belts that year. But the following year Benoit won the big time gold. Benoit may have won all the titles needed to establish a career, but he has not done one thing. He has not defended a title for very long. When he won the World Title, he lost it Randy Orton a few months later. During this time, he defended it against questionable threats, like Kane. Even when he won the US title, it seemed to be lost quickly. His tag title reigns never went for long either. Benoit won titles but lost them just as easily. Once again, Chris Benoit has a title he won at No Way Out from Booker T, but he faces a challenger who wins titles when no one is looking. He stole the belt from Eddie when no one thought it possible, and could again from Benoit. JBL’s storied past two years brought him from half of a tag team to defending a World Title at Wrestlemania, and now challenging for another title a year later. If Benoit does not beat the Wrestling God, Benoit may be forever seen as a champion who couldn’t defend his title.
Speaking of Kane, he & Big Show have gone for months unopposed as Tag Team Champions, and have held the belts high over the heads of everyone. The rookie tag team of Murdoch & Cade were destroyed by Kane & Big Show at Taboo Tuesday. Kane & Show went on to Survivor Series as the most dominant force on the Raw side of their team. Facing Batista & Mysterio and MNM from Smackdown, they looked impressive as well. These two giants became known as the title warmers, but soon, the belts became cold. Finally, two men not on the same page but focused nonetheless came together for a purpose. Two men wanting to make their Wrestlemania debut one filled with title gold have united to wage war with the giant monsters. In a shocking return, one week before Wrestlemania, Cade & Murdoch returned as a tag team to help Chris Masters & Carlito attack the champs. Months after these two former World Champions teamed up to unfairly destroy the weak tag team division, the people they have scorned in their path on Raw have begun to rally. Could the new Mega Powers be facing a full scale rebellion?
The Championship, a title belt that reigns supreme on either Raw or Smackdown, is the most sought after title in pro wrestling. A chance to win the belt at any time is an opportunity worth giving up years of someone’s career for. Last year, people like Benoit, Shelton Benjamin, Chris Jericho, and Edge gave a piece of their lives to win the Money in the Bank. This year, 6 new stars are giving their all. Ric Flair wants to deny critics and win one last title, a historic 17th World Championship reign. Rob Van Dam has just missed several title shots by an inch, mostly due to Stone Cold or Triple H. Alot of people say RVD deserves the World Title, many do not This could be RVD's chance to show one of these groups their right. Lashley & Finlay are both in their rookie year in the WWE and nothing would help their careers more than a World Title shot. Matt Hardy has had a hell of year, with his public issues involving Edge & Lita, then his firing and rehiring, Hardy has everything to gain this year, especially after being screwed out of last year’s Money in the Bank. Shelton Benjamin, a 4 year Wrestlemania veteran, has walked in and out of 2 Big Time events with a title, and this will be his third. This year, he faces the Ladder again, and might be his year. Shelton's Mama has lit a fire under his ass that can't seem to be snuffed out. Can these 6 guys change their destiny and go for the gold?
And although I could go on and on, we will get to the point of this long column. Triple H versus John Cena. Nothing is more important than proving yourself to haters. Cena enjoyed early success as a rookie, against two guys he would later beat 4 years later, Jericho & Angle. Cena won the US Title a few times and even had his chances for World Title gold. As many of the greatest stars in the WWE all had their first title win after a hellacious match (HBK, Stone Cold, Ultimate Warrior) John Cena got it easy. His win over JBL was at first viewed as JBL's fault, that he was the reason it sucked. But after a year, it seems it wasn't JBL, it was John Cena. Cena got a refreshing new opponent in Edge, who even stole the title from him after an Elimination CHamber match at New Year's Resolution. Cena seemed to have the crowd on his side again, and it paid off as Cena regained the WWE Title when he beat Edge at the Royal Rumble. Instead of continuing the hunt, Edge went off against the man who cost him his title, Mick Foley. Their hardcore match at Mania became more imprtant than his chase for the title. Cena endured quite the career over the years. Cena had the fans behind him without many problems as he rose, but upon reaching Raw and the World Title, his style and skill became under fire. The hatred against an unbeatable and stale champion began, and over the last few months Cena has had the hardest face run experienced by any top star. John Cena was losing it. But the last few weeks have saved him. He showed real potential facing HHH, the same kind of potential seen when he first uttered the words ‘ruthless agression’. HHH has nothing to prove, except no future star can ever continue on until they beat him. Orton failed to beat HHH and hasn’t seen the World Title since. Batista beat him, and enjoyed great success. The man who makes and breaks careers will now test the man who is facing his greatest challenge, the fans. If John Cena does not impress Chicago, his career will suffer greatly for the next few years. If John Cena fails to impress, everything he worked for will seem fruitless. Triple H vs John Cena is the most important feud in his career, and this match may be the most important in his career.
Just like all the other Big Time feuds mentioned above have all had long time build ups, but it has been subtly rather than forcefully. Just stop and think about the matches, and read between the lines. This is the Big Time, and a lot of people have a lot of things to prove. Henry, Orton, Mysterio, Cena, Carlito, Masters, and many others who hold the future of the WWE have to go for it now… or never. Others, like Benoit, Undertaker, Vince McMahon, Kane, & Big Show have legacies they need to defend. The Big Time was built up unlike any other Wrestlemania before. This isn’t where it all begins again, it is where it all goes from here.
Thanks for reading this epic, and I hoped you enjoyed it. I will be back to writing normal columns after Wrestlemania, until then, enjoy the hope, and wait to see who makes it in the Big Time.
Copyright © 2005; TheWrestlingVoice.com & Douglas Nunnally.
All Rights Reserved.
Disclaimer & Privacy Statement
| What Did You Think About WWE Backlash 2008? |
|
|