WrestleMania 25 is fast-approaching

WrestleMania 25 is less than a month away, and while the number of matches is quite low at this point the intrigue of several are worth the money.

I’m probably not the first to say this, but the Shawn Michaels-Undertaker match would be worth the price alone. This is going to be a great match, with both great workers who know how to tell a story in the ring.

Both of them also are healthy, which should lead to an epic encounter. Odds point to Undertaker continuing the streak, but WWE missed out on a perfect opportunity to have that in doubt.

Michaels defeated the previously unbeaten Vladimir Kozlov cleanly, one week after Undertaker lost to the Russian. This should have been the end of it, with Michaels holding his victory over Undertaker, telling the Dead Man that not only has he never beaten the Showstopper, but he didn’t beat Kozlov, either.

WWE ruined this by allowing Undertaker to beat Kozlov on Smackdown. Oh well, the buildup should still be good and it will be interesting to see if Michaels reverts to his heel form like he did for a brief time against Ric Flair last year.

Their promo on Raw this Monday was decent. Undertaker flubbed a line but he was effective. He’s best as an intimidating figure, however, but Michaels is not one to cower.

The Triple H-Randy Orton program is heading down slippery territory. Not only is WWE giving Orton “Intermittent Explosive Disorder,” but now Triple H is not above home invasion.

In a predictable move, Triple H wasn’t at Raw on Monday. Instead, he banged down Orton’s “front door” as Orton’s wife, who looked disinterested the whole night by the way, fakely screamed and watched. Orton being thrown throug a window was nice, but obviously not close to realistic as he probably wouldn’t have been able to get up.

Triple H in a police car at the end of the show was a nice touch. If this is how the program has started, one can only imagine where it’s going.

Final thought before the Wrankings. The word is Chris Jericho will be facing a big-name legend at WrestleMania 25. Flair has said it won’t be him and Hulk Hogan reportedly had recent back surgery. My guess? The Rock.

He looked to be in great shape on Saturday Night Live and this is the 25th Anniversary of the Grand Daddy of Them All. The Rock would dole out justice to Jericho and his name would be a huge draw.

Other rumors have it being Jerry Lawler, but there’s no way you’d have a feasible win by him unless all the legends that Jericho has humiliated getting involved. It needs to be The Rock, though I bet I’m in the minority on that.

Now to the latest Wrankings:

1. Triple H (WWE Champion): He is out of control. He wants revenge for Orton RKO’ing his wife, Stephanie McMahon. But I’m thinking he won’t get it, completely.

2. Randy Orton: He’s clearly the top heel and has proved he is the guy who can carry the torch into the next 10 years.

3. Edge (WWE World Champion): Edge is blurring the lines between heel and semi-face in his Triple Threat title match. His wife, who he wed to gain an advantage, is cheating on him with The Big Show. All this does is clear the way for John Cena to win.

4. John Cena: Speaking of Cena, he had a great promo on Raw. There was no doubt he’d be involved in a main event. The only question remains is will he go back to SmackDown in the 2009 WWE Draft?

5. Shawn Michaels: They scrapped the JBL storyline quickly (JBL is boring anyhow) and now Mr. WrestleMania will try and do what no one has: beat the Undertaker at Mania. It won’t happen, but ….

(tie) Undertaker: …. as I said in the last Wrankings, it would be good if WWE put Undertaker against someone with “a chance” to win. Michaels fits the bill.

7. Jack Swagger (ECW Champion): No one really cares about ECW and it’s just hanging around. But, perhaps this guy could be a start someday.

8. Sting (TNA Champion): Sting’s what? 60 now? Seriously. He should not be a world champion, but you have to give him his due. You know, no one cares about ECW and even less care about TNA, which has turned into a rehash of storylines from 1995.

9. CM Punk: How’s this for crazy booking? He wins the World Championship a few months back and defeats JBL cleanly in his first defense. Then on Raw, JBL beats Punk for the Intercontinental title. That not withstanding, Punk is still a better star than JBL.

10. Chris Jericho: I’m loving his in-your-face attitude with the legends. He’ll get his soon, but who will it be?

Falling out: Jeff Hardy (4 last time), Miz and Morrison (5 last time), JBL (7 last time), Glamorella (8 last time).

Closing in: JBL (WWE Intercontinental Champion), Christian, Miz and Morrison (WWE World Tag Team Champions), Kane, Rey Mysterio, Shelton Benjamin (WWE United States Champion), Vladimir Kozlov, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy.

Post from: Organized Chaos

The Wrasslin Wrankings are back.

Yes, yes, yes. I know. It’s been a while since my last Wrasslin’ Wrankings.

My only excuse is there is no excuse. But, a slight one might be that fall is dominated by football. I did, however, manage to have some wrestling posts and I’m hoping to have more in 2009.

So, let’s see. A lot has happened over the last several months.

John Cena returned and is now the top face on Raw. Over on Smackdown, Triple H held down the show for a long while before Jeff Hardy finally earned his title reign.

And what an interesting run it is becoming. The latest story line has Hardy and his girlfriend in a car accident, which was shown on Smackdown on Friday. Hardy said he and several other wrestlers were at a party, so you know they may try to work alcohol into the story somewhere.

Plus, we need to know who ran him off the road. My guess is they’ll say it was Edge to spice up their program.

Hardy has done a lot of good to work his way back into the WWE’s good graces. He was given several main event matches early in 2008, but his suspension midway through put his rise on hold.

He won the title, but the question is how long will it last?

The most intriguing current story line is that of Shawn Michaels and JBL. The Heartbreak Kid went “broke” and is now a paid employee of JBL. Michaels helped JBL earn a title shot at the Royal Rumble and WWE writers have done a good job of allowing Michaels to save his pride without being a complete sellout.

Of course, this will all lead to a culmination of the rivalry between Michaels and JBL, as you know he will eventually hate being a hired gun and decide that his fanily will be able to make it through anything. The way it looks is the match will take place at WrestleMania, but I’m hoping it won’t.

But, Michaels has a way of bringing the best out in his opponents and he might be able to make a match with JBL good enough to be included on a historic 25th anniversary card. If it weren’t historic, I could see JBL having the title and Michaels winning it, but that won’t happen.

Here’s a few more quick hits before I get on with the show:

– Batista’s injury is bad but it won’t hurt Raw too much. There are plenty of top stars still on the show, but this kills the Batista-Cena WrestleMania match, which was an obvious goal before the injury.

– Those wondering where Ted DiBiase has been should know he’s been filming the Marine 2, which is going to be released straight to DVD like Mr. Kennedy’s movie.

– Speaking of Kennedy, he needs to get back into the ring. I’m sure he wasn’t overly excited to constantly promote a low-budget DVD offering.

Now to the first Wrankings of the year:

1. John Cena (WWE World Champion): Cena returned with a bang, beating Chris Jericho for the title. I’m liking Cena’s attitude these days, which is more of a cross between a face and heel. He’s even more brutal in the ring, which is good to see.

2. Triple H: Even without the belt he’s a major draw for WWE’s second show. He nearly made it through his Triple Jeopardy on Friday.

3. Randy Orton: I understand he’s lost some of late, but he is Raw’s top heel. It’s interesting to see the formation of his new power group, which if done right could be this generation’s Four Horseman, especially since he’s the future of the company.

4. Jeff Hardy (WWE Champion): Hardy has more lives than a cat. He’s been in and out of favor in WWE numerous times and he finally has the belt. Like I said, for how long?

5. Morrison and the Miz (WWE World Tag Team Champions): Like them or not, they are everywhere. And they are entertaining. Also, the Miz has come a long way since being that annoying guy on the Real World who pretended to have this persona called, The Miz. Now, both are at the top of their game and will be around a while should they keep their noses clean.

6. Edge: He also was sorely missed and has returned to being Smackdown’s top heel. He also is the future of the company. Can you imagine the WrestleMania main events in say three to four years involving Edge and Orton? Can’t wait.

7. JBL (along with Shawn Michaels): JBL is reaping the rewards, but Michaels is still the compelling part of this story.

8. Galmorella (Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix): OK. I know what you’re thinking. Yes, Beth Phoenix is the best of the pair, but Santino is hilarious. From what I’ve heard, Santino showed great prowess on his way up to WWE but has only been allowed to be a jobber with a pretty girlfriend. He’d need a major makeover, but it would be nice to see him start winning more matches.

9. Undertaker: Now begins the annual push to WrestleMania for the Dead Man. I doubt he’ll be involved in a title fight, but the streak will be on the line. Hopefully it will be against a worthy opponent with a “chance” to break the streak.

10. The Big Show: More of a mercenary now who has been quiet in the title picture. He’s shown he can stay in shape and could receive a boost in the coming months.

Closing in: Vladimir Kozlov, Chris Jericho, Kane, Sting (TNA World Champion), Shelton Benjamin (WWE United States Champion), William Regal (WWE Intercontinental Champion), Booker T (TNA Legends Champion), CM Punk.

Post from: Organized Chaos

The main event pitted Chris Jericho and Lance Cade against Degeneration X. This was expected, as they annoucned Shawn Michaels would have a mystery partner of his choosing at the top of the show. Once he said he had to find someone “who liked him” I knew it was Triple H.

The conclusion of the main event also was predictable, with Jericho retreating while DX took apart Cade and Michaels did a spot from the ladder, which appeared to actually hurt him. He is getting too old to be the daredevil, and it’s costing him in the ring.

That said, their main event for No Mercy could be worth the price of the pay-per-view.

The biggest news of the night was the announcement that WrestleMania 24 will be shown in its entirety on national television. It will appear on MyNetwork TV Thursday night, followed by the debut of SmackDown on the network on Friday.

More thoughts after the jump:

I just can’t get into a Kane-Rey Mysterio program. The back story was flimsy and we’ve seen the David vs. Goliath thing way too much. Kane did receive a nice reaction when he pinned Kofi Kingston, which was odd.

Santino was given ample time on the mic prior to his match with Batista. The match lasted a little longer than I thought it would.

Charlie Haas did it again with his Great Khali impression. It was entertaining and I actually laughed a few times. The addition of Khali’s manager made the bit go off even better.

They did their best to pump up the Batista-JBl match, asking “how big of a brawl will this be?” Well, I think we’ll get one like we did a few years back when both were on SmackDown and fighting for the World Championship. There will be a lot of punches and JBL won’t bleed because he doesn’t want to. Batista will win a lackluster match.

Jamie Noble is dangerous with the armlock. Give me a break.

When will Dolph Zigler (sp?) get into the ring?

It appears as if Vinny Mac isn’t pleased with Mike Adamle’s television persona. Adamle has been on less and less each week, though I thought he had his moments.

It was another average show. WWE needs John Cena and Randy Orton back soon.

Post from: Organized Chaos

Lace Cade, who finally appeared on Raw after being in the background for weeks, pinned HBK in a 3 on 2 handicap match. Of course, thise may not have anything to do with the title match, but it’s not a good sign. I fully expect Michaels to get the drop on Jericho next week, further solidifying my fears since a fallen champ one week is usually standing tall at the pay-per-view.

That said, their Ladder Match is going to be sick.

I don’t have official confirmation, but it sure looked like Jericho was toting around a new belt. It was a deeper gold and was much more shiny. The larger black belt set it off even more.

More thoughts after the jump:

Santino Marella continues his charge to break the Honky Tonk Man’s Intercontinental record. I don’t think it would happen, but the IC title isn’t really major by any stretch so I wouldn’t put it past WWE to let this ride for a while.

Marella dropped another funny line, telling Deuce, “Happy Days are over” after calling him Fonzie.

Randy Orton’s place as the top heel on Raw will be secure when he returns from injury. I like that he’s getting into everyone’s faces, including Jericho since the two of them had some heat a few months back.

I thought Orton was going to hurt himself when he tossed that huge ladder out of the ring. He shrugged his shoulder as if if wasn’t too pleasant. A few people in the back probably held their breath.

Could we see a potential Orton-Shane McMahon program reminiscent of his dad’s work with Stone Cold? You never know.

At least CM Punk was able to have a clean pin this week. Punk and Kofi Kingston, who made the save, now need a third member to face Priceless and Manu in the future.

Kelly Kelly is hot. Just throwing that out.

Batista has firmly placed himself in the role of a top star, where he really doesn’t need a title to go over. However, I think he’ll beat JBL and then Jericho down the road, setting up the eventual Cena rematch at WrestleMania.

Post from: Organized Chaos

Boy, the brass must have really not been pleased with punk’s title reign. He lost the “return” match, and as I write this first part of the entry (9:22 p.m.), it doesn’t appear he’ll be in the title picture at No Mercy.

Both had a good cage match. However, I hate when there’s no blood in a cage match. It’s a cage for crying out loud.

More thoughts follow after the jump (updated throughout the show):

The diva match was so-so. Jillian’s bad singing is getting old, though it’sfunny to see how the crowd reacts to her voice. Candace Michelle, who really isn’t the hottest diva, was OK and you could tell she has some ring rust. Nice save by the ref, who had to fasten her ring attire to avoid a show.

Speaking of falling far. What did Paul Burchill do? This was a guy who was unstoppable for a few weeks and he taps out to a Jamie Noble armlock? Wow.

Regal made an appearance with his new woman, Layla. Is the push coming again?

The filler with JBL, Randy Orton, Santino Marella and Beth was good. Marella’s always funny, “pologize to me!”

Batista had one of his better days on the mic. And the end was predictable, with Beth and Santino the victims of sidewalk slams.

JBL started the whole mess by saying he wanted a title match and he wasn’t leaving until he got one. Did anyone else notice that JBL’s mam glands are getting larger by the week?

Nice touch on the Red Cross public service announcements voiced over by Shawn Michaels.

Kane and Rey Mysterio are up now. This program could have been well served by video of the supposed attack. They could have shot it with a cell phone cam and said it was taken by a fan who sent it in.

As it stands now we’re not going to care about the match, especially as the main event.

OK, so Kane wins because Rey wasn’t defending himself, yet not two minutes later he is dropping the leg on Kane after help from Evan Bourne.

The announcement of the No Mercy main event is next.

Adamle’s all over himself. Spit it out already.

Jericho will face ………….. long pause ………………. YESSSSSSSSSSS Michaels at No Mercy. I may get my wish, but I can see Michaels winning and losing to Batista soon after. This was the logical choice. Now if WWE will come to its senses and give Michaels the strap already.

The stipulation ……….. Ladder Match. Of course. Jericho is near tears. He had something in his eye.

Nice ending. Now to the dishes and trash.

Post from: Organized Chaos

New World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho opened the show with a great promo. He is Raw’s top heel right now and it’s nice to see him get another chance with the gold. The only problem I have is the abscence of Shawn Michaels, who I was sure would get another title program.

However, Jericho will face CM Punk in a steel cage match next week, and this screams for a title change with Randy Orton moving back to television while he recovers from his latest injury. I could see Orton in a program with CM Punk without the title at stake, but the two chasing one another with the strap on the line would have more sizzle.

That’s my gut feeling. But I’d like Jericho to keep the belt and allow for one final Michaels title run. Yes, Michaels has said on several occasions that he doesn’t feel that he needs another title run, nor does he want the pressure, but even a small run would be a fitting homage. The only thing holding him back is recent injuries, which includes the triceps problem he suffered a few weeks back.

More Raw thoughts after the jump.

While there’s a lack of sheer numbers in the diva division, the matches with Mickie James and Beth Phoenix are pretty good. As odd as this sounds to say, I don’t care for sloppy diva matches (pardon the description).

I’m almost certain that Orton, Cody Rhodes, Ted Dibiase and Manu will join forces one day. But I’m digging the play between them, with Orton slapping Dibiase this week after slapping Rhodes the previous week. It’s good that Manu introduced himself as the son of Afa to give the crowd an understanding of who he is.

Boy has Cryme Tyme lost the luster of their rub from John Cena. No Cena no spice for Cryme Tyme.

Who did Jamie Noble peeve off to have to wrestle William Regal three times on TV? Regal is by far the stiffest worker on the roster and Noble paid for it. Hopefully Regal gets that push he was about to get before being suspended.

Santino Marella likes small victories. “That makes me 19 times better than the Mountie,” he said. Good stuff.

The main event was a tad boring. I’m growing tired of JBL. And man was that a shiny shirt Lance Cade had on.

Post from: Organized Chaos

WWE is using the injury in Cena’s program with Batista, saying it occured when the two met at SummerSlam. The injury has been lingering, though, with Cena saying he had numbness in his right arm for a while. He said his strength was leaving him by the day so the only outcome was surgery.

This is Cena’s second major injury in the past year. He tore a pectoral muscle last October and came back in January. There is no timetable for return from this latest injury, but you can bet it will be a few months before we see him again.

Cena’s place as a top star is a given, but his recent position on Raw was somewhere in the middle. He lost to Batista cleanly and hasn’t been in the title hunt in weeks. He was scheduled to be in the Championship Scramble at Unforgiven and I would have been surprised if the plan was for him to win.

Now Cena and Randy Orton are on the shelf. Raw will have to get by without Cena and Orton in the coming weeks, but that shouldn’t be much of a problem.

CM Punk is still an emerging, and increasingly popular champion who will undoubtedly be chased by Batista in the future. JBL has filled the role of top heel well, though his in-ring work hasn’t been the greatest all the time. And the tag team of Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase are both stars in the making.

Speaking of Raw, here are my thoughts on this week’s show after the jump:

This week’s show was average but not bad. The show opened with yet another CM Punk-JBL match, with Punk earning a clean pin for the third time.

It was nice to see Punk given a chance to shine offensively without having to be beaten up most of the match. However, Jerry Lawler still pointed out that Punk was in “trouble” at times, especially after a clothesline from JBL that led to a two-count.

Santino Marella is the funniest character in a long while. He now sports a unibrow and his “relationship” with Beth Phoenix is a rollercoaster ride. It went from her beating him up for costing him the match to a game of grabby grab after Santino was helped by Phoenix to defeat Kofi Kingston later in the show.

The program between Shawn Michaels and Chris Jericho has lived up to every expectation. The emotion was palpable as the two agreed to an unsanctioned match at Unforgiven. Just an aside, but it’s always funny to see “unsanctioned matches” promoted for a pay-per-view when they are supposed to be “illegal” matches with no insurance from the company.

The main event between Batista and Kane did well to set up tension for the Championship Scramble. Both men were reeling after repeated chair shots to their knees.

I think the Scramble is a good idea, but having only 20 minutes for each five-man match is not enough time. Plus they are saying that the format almost guarantees a new champion, which isn’t the case. Given more time, say 30 minutes or so, would lend to a more believable possibility for multiple pinfalls in one match. It’s a bit of a stretch to have the fans believe in this concept when other title matches routinely go 15-25 minutes with only one conclusion.

Post from: Organized Chaos

The only problem is the top billing of John Cena vs. Batista has been rushed. Their program quickly accelerated form a little disagreement to a full fledges hatred in a matter of week. I agree with many others who feel this match should have been teased for a long time and built up to a major clash at say, WrestleMania.

But we’re left with their first match this weekend. It won’t be the last by any stretch. Now we just need a clear heel in the thing, and I still think it should be Cena.

Anyhow, here are my SummerSlam predictions.

To the quick stuff, ya know, the matches that are so-so: Matt Hardy will squeak out a win against Mark Henry for the ECW Championship; MVP cheats to win against Jeff Hardy, though this program will be fun to watch in the future; Santino Marella (the funniest man on the roster) and Beth Phoenix (who can be really pretty when she wants to) win the winner-take-all match against Kofi Kingston and Mickie James; and Shawn Michaels will begin to announce his “retirement” only to be interrupted by Chris Jericho.

The big stuff after the jump.

CM Punk vs. JBL for the World Heavyweight Championship: WWE gave away this match on Punk’s first night as champ, as he defeated JBL cleanly. However, they played it off as JBL was “distracted” by Cena and Cryme Tyme beating on his security guards so it comes off as a disputed finish.

WWE has done a good job of painting Punk as a lucky champ, but in recent weeks he has stood up well in the ring and on the mic. It was good they got his clean liftestyle into the storyline.

It would be a major step back for him if he loses to JBL. Yes, WWE needs a heel champ, but JBL isn’t the answer. Punk wins cleanly.

Triple H vs. the Great Khali for the WWE Championship: Boy Vince McMahon loves the big men, even if they have ran their course as oppressive giants. This is the biggest throwaway match on the card. There’s no way Triple H loses here.

Edge vs Undertaker in a Hell in a Cell Match: Edge is back to his terrible ways, and his destruction of La Familia last week was fun to watch. Edge already is the top heel in the company and he showed why he is so when he scared his “wife” Vickie to death on SmackDown.

But despite the rage he won’t win, especially since Undertaker is returning in his marquee match. Edge won the TLC Match, which is his own, and Undertaker wins here. But let me tell you this could be the greatest Hell in a Cell ever, even rivaling the one where Mick Foley nearly fell to his demise.

John Cena vs. Batista: There’s no way we get a clean finish in their first match. The supposed new injury to Randy Orton is key here.

For those who are unaware, Orton, who was recently cleared to begin preparations to come back from a broken collarbone, rebroke the bone in a motorcycle accident earlier this week. WWE put a story on its Web site and the debate is raging if it’s true.

If it is then you won’t see him, obviously. If it’s not then expect to see him cost Cena the match.

If Orton isn’t present, we’ll see the heel turn. I would love it to be Cena, but it will be Batista, who will earn the victory in a less than nice manner.

Post from: Organized Chaos

I disagree.

Adamle was hired a few months ago as “sideline” reporter. The seasoned television announcer appeared out of his league and it showed on camera as he was uneasy and appeared nervous. He was soon named the play-by-play announcer for ECW, and this is where the storyline takes off or takes a tailspin however you look at it.

Adamle was (or really is?!?) a bumbling fool. He was so bad he “walked off” the set because of the criticism. He messed up wrestling hold names, and uses words like “bam” and “boom” to describe big spots during matches.

Some began to think Adamle was just that bad. I think he was told to mess up, making his character into a train wreck, where people would tune in to see how bad he actually became.

His new role is perfect. He already has shown signs of playing a heel GM by putting Raw announcer Michael Cole, who is even worse to listen to than Adamle, into a tag team match with dire consequences. Of course Cole took a huge shot and was attended to in the back when Adamle strolled to ringside.

It was at this time that it started becoming obvious that he was the likely GM. He claimed he was asked to show up when Jerry Lawler inquired about his showing up. Jim Ross also was asked to attend, and I fully expected him to put back on Raw, but the move never came.

Adamle’s final big decision of the night came when he made a match between John Cena and Batista for SummerSlam. His introduction as GM was met by a quiet crowd and “surprise” by Cena and Batista.

Now many people are fearing how bad Raw will get with Adamle in “power.” I think it can be better if Adamle’s character is taken to the next level.

Here’s my take on how it should play out, giving Raw a heel GM that rivals Vickie on SmackDown.

Adamle harbors a grudge for the criticism he received, both from management and the fans. He is in power now and can use that to exact revenge on everyone. Eventually his hatred is skewed to both heels and faces, and he makes no clear bounds as to who will receiver his wrath.

He should take the broadcast position from time to time just because he can. WWE should drop the whole bumbling idiot thing and let him go with the flow. He may even turn in some stellar broadcasts, then walk away to let Cole or whoever else fail.

Adamle will generate a ton of heat and could eventually be a tweener GM, crossing the line between heel and face when necessary. That’s what the WWE needs. I like the direction storylines are going, and Adamle will be at the forefront of these, even taking the glory for the success.

He can be a great GM if WWE allows that to happen. I may be in the minority, but I like the move.

Oh, and one final note about Adamle: It’s obvious the other announcers pointing out his mistakes is part of the storyline. However, Jim Ross, who is not the JR of old, called Mickie James Jillian Hall during a replay a few moments after correcting Adamle. The legit mistake, which has become more common for JR, made him look pretty bad.

I’m not as sold on JR as some people. He may have been the best, but he’s not any more.

Post from: Organized Chaos

The Draft took place two weeks ago, with Mr. McMahon the victim of a “tragic” accident. It overshadowed the final draft pick, Triple H to SmackDown.

We all recall how Triple H talked his way back onto Raw when he was drafted to the B show a few years back. My immediate thought was we would see the same, but I’m glad he made the switch.

I’ll get to Triple H in a moment.

The huge news was CM Punk’s World Championship victory on Raw last week.

Batista gained revenge on Edge, who was cocky and said he would never appear on Raw again. Batista left and CM Punk’s music hit. It was a genuine surprise (at least to me), and you knew what was coming once he walked out.

CM Punk laid out Edge, pinned him and won the title. This was even more surprising due to how CM Punk has been used in recent weeks. He was on the losing end of several tag matches and wasn’t near the level of what the Money in the Bank winner should be.

Enter JBL, who for some reason took it upon himself to “control” Raw for the night. I’d hope for a deeper explanation, but WWE has been known to leave things flat. His championship match with CM Punk was lackluster and it was good to see Punk retain, though the ending with John Cena and Cryme Tyme against the bodyguards was a bit convoluted.

What next?

Obvious choices are Cena and/or Batista in a title program with Punk in the near future. Punk is an interesting choice for champion and I don’t see this lasting too long.

On to Smackdown, which I watched for the first time in ages last Friday.  I wanted to see Triple H, who was relegated to an opening segment on MVP’s show. We had an appearance from hideous Vickie, who told us the expected Edge-Triple H match would be coming up for the Great American Bash.

The rest of the night played out with Edge taking out his frustrations on anyone, including “the love of his life.” He called off the wedding at the end of the show, but this could all be a “plan” to take the title from Triple H.

I think it sets up an unclean finish with Vickie gaining revenge on Edge and Triple H retaining. I see this program going all summer, though the dynamic of the jilted lover (if the angle is played out as such) would make for a distraction in what would be a great set of matches.

I think the future points to a longer title run for Triple H. Programs with Kennedy and Undertaker, when he returns, could be interesting.

Over on Raw I still think it’s time for a Cena heel turn. It would give some needed heat to a match with Punk.

And it will be interesting to see if Orton joins Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes in a staple of second-generation wrestlers.

The changes on both Raw and SmackDown should breathe new life into storylines. This was a needed shot in the arm. Without it, WWE would be suffering more.

Look for another Wrasslin’ Wrankings in the coming weeks. I’m letting things shake out before choosing the new Top 10.

Enjoy Raw tonight. I know I will in crystal clear HD for the first time.

Post from: Organized Chaos

At first glance this was an obvious way to attract viewers since ratings have dipped in recent months. It also was too good to be true. This had to be some kind of work, right?

Not so my friend. Several people were called during the broadcast, were asked to give the password (given at the opening and sporadically throughout the show) and then they earned the cash. Some won $200,000, others won around $52,000 and another was the unfortunate victim of the Door No. 3 gag. You know, the one with the prize you don’t want.

Sarah Furhmann won a whopping $2, but she said it was still fun to be called. She received a free trip to New York as a consolation prize, but then again all of the other winners did, too.

It’s easy to enter. Head over to wwe.com. You’re required to give them your address, a working e-mail address and the phone number where you can be phoned at between 8 p.m. to about 10:15 p.m.

Once your info is stored, you can go back each day and receive an entry by typing in the e-mail address you registered with.

Simple as pie and you may walk away with some nice cash, just like $250,000 winner Steve Rosenzweig, though he said he’s going through a divorce and we’ll only see half. But, half is better than nothing.

Post from: Organized Chaos

Orton took a bad bump after being thrown over the top rope. Orton grabbed his left shoulder and was later put down in the match with a sledgehammer shot.

The word is a broken left collarbone. There was no word early Monday as to how long Orton will be on the shelf.

This puts JBL as the top heel on Raw, and a match with Triple H could be upcoming. However, this is the perfect time for a John Cena heel turn. He already takes a lot of heat from the crowd, and the fans who like him will still do so.

Orton being out is a fresh start for some of the other guys. Even though his matches with Triple H were all good, it’s time for something different. This latest injury all but insures Triple H will keep the title until at least SummerSlam and likely beyond.

I’ll update Orton’s status as news trickles out.

Post from: Organized Chaos