I am going to talk about Wrestlemania and do a proper recap (Probably), but first I want to talk about tonight’s Raw. Well, not the whole show, just the farewell to Shawn Michaels.

In a word, it was phenomenal. It was a wonderful send-off for one of the all-time greats. I really liked the fact that not too many of the talent got involved. Having Bret Hart say a few words and The Undertaker tip his hat and Triple H give a speech, it felt right. They were the guys who were there for most of his career, the ones who knew him in the early days of his career and the ones who knew him best.

Triple H especially deserved to be part of the farewell, because while he might not have been there for the early years, he’s been there for sixteen years and has stood by Shawn’s side during those years. It was a touching moment, especially considering the genuine emotion on his face as he said his farewell to his best friend. Seamus’ interference was a smart move, though I hated that it took away from the sentimentality of the moment–though I know that was the point.

Shawn’s speech was perfect. You can’t thank everyone, it just isn’t possible and he didn’t try. Thanking the fans is a must and thanking the camera crew and announcers is a nice gesture, as for the three men he mentioned by name, they all fit. Thanking Vince is a nice thing to do and made sense, given that HBK worked for him for his entire career. Thanking Bret Hart made sense to, because I feel like Bret’s return allowed Shawn to be able to retire, to get closure and be able to finally move on. And again, thanking Hunter was a must, because their friendship is well documented and if anyone deserved to be singled out, it was him.

The part on the ramp brought tears to my eyes, when Triple H and Shawn Michaels embraced. It was the right move to have Triple H be the only one to embrace HBK on camera and share his moment with him, because that made it more genuine than anything else would have. The gesture with the glow sticks was a nice touch and brought a lump to my throat.

It was a beautiful send-off, not as elaborate as Ric Flair’s, but perfect just the way it was. Ric needed the elaborate send-off (and as since proved unable to walk away), I think this was the goodbye Shawn needed, a chance to thank the fans and those closest to him and then head on his way out. I suspect we’ll see him on our TV again someday, but I hope it’s not soon and I hope we never see him in the ring again, because if we do, it’ll tarnish this moment.

It’s that time again! Just an hour to the start of Wrestlemania XXVI and it’s time for me to do my favourite part of blogging, which is making PPV predictions. I’m not cray about the nitty gritty recapping, but I love making predictions and guessing where I see the storyline going. Maybe it’ s the writer in me, that I love the creative direction and this is the most exciting prediction yet, because there’s no bigger night of the year than Wrestlemania.

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
The stipulation is that if Mysterio loses he joins the Straight Edge Society. While that would be interesting, I don’t see that happening. Yet, Mysterio wanted a street-fight and I see that happening at Extreme Rules next month, so… I think Punk wins, thanks to interference from Luke Gallows and Serena and sets up a rematch next month.
My Pick: CM Punk

R-Truth and John Morrison vs. The Big Show and The Miz for the Unified Tag Team Titles
R-Truth and John Morrison don’t feel like a real team and they’re not the right choice to hold the tag team titles. The problem with the tag team division is that the only real tag team that The Miz and the Big Show have gone up against is DX and even then, Triple H and Shawn Michaels are singles stars who team together for kicks. I think the focus tonight will be the history between former partners John Morrison and The Miz, who are two of the company’s rising stars and I think tonight they’ll both be showcased well, but that the Miz will ultimately get the victory.
My Pick: ShowMiz

Vickie Guererro, Maryse, Michelle McCool, Layla, and Alicia Fox vs. Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, and Gail Kim
This match is a write-off and if it makes it on to the PPV, it’ll be brief. I think the face divas are winning, based on current TV schedules.
My Pick: Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, and Gail Kim

Money in the Bank Ladder Match- Christian vs. Evan Bourne vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. MVP vs. Matt Hardy vs. Kane vs. Shelton Benjamin
This is the biggest Money in the Bank match ever, but even with 10 competitors, only a few have a chance. Bourne and Kane have no chance. Kofi Kingston seemed a sure-in a couple months ago, but that push seems to have died off. Ziggler and Swagger seemed like up-and-comers in the summer, but like Kingston, their stock seems to have fallen. MVP and Matt Hardy are never making it out of the mid-card. Benjamin’s a possibility, but it’ll be either Christian or McIntyre who wins. McIntyre might be a safer bet, but I have to go with Christian, out of sentimentality of nothing else. He deserves the chance to shine and I hope he gets it tonight.
My Pick: Christian

Triple H vs. Sheamus
This could be an interesting match and could go a long-way to promote Sheamus as a legitimate contender. Triple H is said to be a big fan of Sheamus’ back stage and it wouldn’t surprise me if he put him over tonight.
My Pick: Sheamus

Randy Orton vs. Ted DiBiase Jr. vs. Cody Rhodes
Legacy will look strong, but they’ll start feuding with each other, though they’ll start as a cohesive unit, and Orton will capitilize.
My Pick: Randy Orton

Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker, Career vs. Streak
The Streak isn’t, and shouldn’t, end tonight. It’ll be a good match, Shawn Michaels will look strong, but he’s not winning tonight. Not sure if this will be the real end of his career or not, but he is losing tonight.
My Pick: The Undertaker

Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon
I don’t think there’s anyone in the entire world who thinks Vince is winning tonight. Bret Hart will win and the Montreal Screwjob will finally be put to rest after more than twelve years.
My Pick: Bret Hart

Edge vs. Chris Jericho for the World Heavy-Weight Championship
Edge winning makes for a feel-good story. Plus, I think Edge makes a better long-term champion than Jericho (who the WWE has never seemed to take seriously as a champion). After Edge’s miraculous return at the Royal Rumble, he seems to be a sure-in for victory, which could mean the opposite will happen, but I don’t think so.
My Pick: Edge

John Cena vs. Batista
John Cena is the poster child of the WWE and him winning makes for a feel-good moment and I think that’s what will happen. Plus, it’ll leave it open for a brutal rematch at Extreme Rules, which I think will just elevate the feud. This isn’t ending tonight, not by a long-shot.
My Pick: John Cena

Ok, I’ve finally admitted that the current format of this blog isn’t working. I can’t do weekly recaps, I just don’t have the time. So I’m going to stop trying, but don’t worry I’m not abandoning the blog–I’m just making some changes that I think will improve it.

I like making PPV predictions. I don’t even mind discussing the PPV the next day and I like talking about certain angles, so taht’s what I’m going to do from now on. Instead of blogging about a recap of Raw or Smackdown, I’m just going to write about angles that interest me. I might not write every week, but some weeks I might write several times. This gives me more creative freedom and more flexibility and I think in the long run it’ll make the blog better.

I hope you guys keep reading and I hope that you like the direction of the blog and that by doing it this way, I’ll be able to give you a better look at my perspective of wrestling!

Ok, so the second PPV of 2010 is just an hour away. This is a special one for me, because it marks a full-year of my return to watching wrestling. Last year, we watched No Way Out, making it the first PPV I watched in almost a decade. So this is a little sentimental for me, plus I like Elimination Chamber matches, I think they’re fun. Let’s see how I think it’s going to go tonight.

Kane vs. Drew McIntyre for the Intercontinental Championship
There’s no way Kane is wining this one. TPTB seem to have a lot of faith in McIntyre and I think he’s going to have a nice, long run with the IC, similiar to the one The Miz is enjoying on Raw with the U.S title. I think having him face Kane is a good move though, since Kane is still considered a big threat and a victory over him will help solidify McIntyre’s position.
My Pick: Drew McIntyre

Gail Kim vs. Maryse for the Divas Championship
I’d love to see a swerve and have Kim end up with the title. I think she’s a very talented wrestler who has been incredibly wasted on the WWE this last year. However, I don’t honestly think that’s happening. As soon as Maryse came back from injury, you knew they were going to put the title on her and I’m sure that’s what will happen tonight. I just hope it’s short, since I’ve made it perfectly clear how I feel about diva matches.
My Pick: Maryse

The Raw Elimination Chamber: Triple H vs. John Cena vs. Randy Orton vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Ted DiBiase vs. Seamus for the WWE Championship
If Kofi actually makes it into the chamber, then he’ll automatically improve on last year’s performance and I think that’s about all he can ask for. Same with DiBiase, who is likely going to be more focused on Orton, than on the title, which is why I don’t see either of them winning. So that leaves Cena, Triple H and Seamus. Cena’s got a program with Batista heating up and doesn’t need the title and I think it would make a mistake for Seamus to be champion going into Wrestlemania, so that means Triple H is winning tonight. He’s a good choice and this sort of match is where he’s at his best, plus it’s been a year since his last title victory, so I think it’s time.
My Pick: Triple H

The Smackdown Elimination Chamber: John Morrison, Chris Jericho, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk, R-Truth vs. The Undertaker for the World Heavyweight Championship
I wouldn’t be surprised if Morrison didn’t actually make it into the chamber. I think his ankle “injury” will make him unable to compete and Shawn Michaels will take his spot and go after The Undertaker. Honestly, unless the WWE pulls a big swerve, Jericho is winning this one. It’s the obvious next step in his feud with Edge, plus I think the time is right for a Jericho title run.
My Pick: Chris Jericho

Those are the only matches on the card, but I think we’ll also see a tag match of some kind, though not sure against who. Whoever it is, ShowMiz isn’t losing the titles, not this soon anyway. We’ll almost certainly see Edge in some sort of promo back stage, same with Batista. It’s a light card, so I’m counting on there being at least one surprise match.

I looked back at a month of plots on Raw, now we’ll do the same for Smackdown…

I am loving the Straight-Edge Society. CM Punk does a fantastically creepy job as the cult leader and Gallows and Deeb are great followers. I love Serena and I think her addition was pure gold for the Society, there’s just something about her fanatical devotion to Punk that sends shivers down my spine… I can’t wait to see where this is going next.

Edge is back! I can’t say enough how happy that makes me. Edge is back and dove straight into the waiting program with Chris Jericho. The confrontations between them have been perfect and I just can’t wait to see more. The only thing that would make me happier is if Christian somehow got involved, since he has history with both men.

I find the Matt Hardy/Great Khali tag team very, very odd, but strangely mesmerizing, especially when you consider the addition of Maria. I liked their match against the Hart Dynasty, especially since I got to see Natalya in action. I hope we see a lot more of the various tag teams, since I just like the idea that there seems to be more attention paid to the tag team division now, since it’s deteriorated a lot since the beginning of the 2000s and I’d like to see it restored to its former glory and have it mean something again.

I’ve always preferred Raw to Smackdown, but there seems to be a lot on Smackdown to feel optimistic about and I think Smackdown will benefit greatly from the end of ECW and a new influx of talent.

All right, bad blogger here now trying to catch up on a month worth of thoughts. My life has been hectic and I’ve been a bad blogger. I really want to make a commitment to this blog, but unfortunately too often it becomes the thing I can ignore. I’m going to spend the next month seeing if I can really do this on a weekly basis or if I have to abandon the idea all together.

Now though, it’s time for me to recap the last several weeks of Raw, or at least touch on the major ideas.

The guest host concept is all played out, they need to let it die. It was fun at first, but it’s gone on too long and the guest hosts no longer seem to have much to do with the tone of the episode. Let’s go back to having one regular General Manager and see where that takes us.

The Bret Hart/Vince McMahon stuff is sort of stupid. I was happy to see Bret Hart back, but I’m not enjoying his feud with Vince. It’s obvious that Vince is the one behind Bret’s “accident” and that Cena and Batista will get involved in the storyline. The Cena/Batista stuff is fine, I like seeing the intense Cena, but I wish it was done a bit differently.

I was sad to see DX drop the titles, but it was time. I’m enjoying Shawn Michael’s decent into craziness with his obsession over the Undertaker and watching Triple H be the calm one of the pair. I really, really want to see the two of them face each other at Wrestlemania, though I have no idea if that will happen or not. Regardless, this is the best way to handle the DX break-up, as it gives the WWE lots of material to work with going into Wrestlemania.

I was sad to see the Jerishow bromance end, but I am glad to see that The Big Show has found a replacement in The Miz. I love ShowMiz, am glad they have the titles, and I love how The Big Show is comparing it to this relationship with Jericho. I like this pair and I hope they stay together for sometime, since I think it’s just helping The Miz get ven more exposure and solidify is position as a major player.

On the other end of the spectrum, Legacy is falling apart, fast. It’s time, since they’ve been together for more than a year. I’m liking how it’s been handled, with Orton (weirdly enough) being the sympathetic one, Rhodes being the obvious villain and DiBiase being somewhere in the middle. A face turn for Orton would have to be handled very carefully, but I think it could work, because he could easily pull off the vengeful face character that Triple H often plays and it would be a nice change of pace. It’s also a chance for DiBiase and Rhodes to show what they’re made of and see if they can play with the big boys, which I think they can.

There, I’ve weighed in on the major Raw storylines of the last month. At least the ones I thought were worth commenting on. I’m hoping to go back to weekly recaps starting tomorrow, so we’ll see how that goes.

Edge is back! Edge is back! Can you tell I’m excited about that? According to The Man I nearly burst his eardrum with my shriek when I heard Edge’s theme music, but then he was pretty stoked too. We’re huge Edge fans and have both missed his presence these last few months and are glad to see him back in the ring, though I hope his return is because he’s truly ready and he didn’t rush himself to be back in time for the Road to Wrestlemania which officially kicked off tonight.

Christan b. Ezekial Jackson to retain the ECW title
Decent match, but I expect nothing less from Christian, who seems to be incapable of having a bad match, no matter who the opponent is. It’s one of the many reasons I think Christian is wasted on ECW, he really is one of the best performers in the WWE, and Jackson did a good job matching him. Not the most exciting match I’ve ever seen, but a good opener.

The Miz b. MVP to retain the US title
This was the surprise match of the night and it was ok, though I don’t get why it was a surprise. The Miz and MVP are talented enough that if it was advertised, it just would have built the hype for the Royal Rumble. Definitely a strong match and considering their interaction in the actual rumble, this won’t be the last time we see these two go at it, in fact I’m going to go on the record now and predict a Wrestlemania match for these two. If booked properly, it could be incredible, since there promos and in-ring chemistry up to this point have been phenomenal.

Side note- Does anyone else think the Teddy Long promo is a hint that the guest host concept is about to come to an end? The fact that at PPVs, it’s the Smackdown GM who has final say didn’t seem in Raw’s best interests and I expect that to be addressed in the weeks to come.

Mickie James b. Michelle McCool for the Women’s Championship
Either tomorrow or Tuesday, I’m going to have a whole post commenting about the Piggy James storyline and my issues with it, but for now… Well, I’m not sure this could really be qualified as a match, but given how bad most diva matches are, I consider that a blessing. I’m just glad that the Piggy James storyline seems to have come to an end.

Seamus b. Randy Orton to retain the WWE title
An okay match, though I really thought Orton would win, but for storyline purposes, the ending made more sense. After months of hinting, it seems that The Legacy split is truly amongst us. What I found most compelling about the whole thing is how torn Ted DiBiase appeared when it came down to his mentor and his tag team partner, he did end up siding with Cody and abandoned Orton in the ring after Seamus knocked him out, but from the way he kept glancing back at the ring, you could see he was torn about the decision and that is definitely the right way for the WWE to play it, no question about it.

The Undertaker b. Rey Mysterio to retain the World Heavy-Weight title
This was the weakest match of the night for me, maybe because I don’t really enjoy watching either man wrestle. It wasn’t a bad match, but it wasn’t great either.

The Royal Rumble
Well, Edge is back and he won the Rumble, so all right is in my world and in my opinion it was the perfect end to the Rumble. I enjoyed the Rumble. I liked that CM Punk was accompanied to the ring by Serena, so glad that she joined the Straight-Edge Society full-time because I think she’s super-talented. She’s also really hot, even with the shaved yet. Punk’s preaching between opponents was awesome and he was definitely highlighted through the first half of the rumble. I was surprised to see Triple H eliminated so early, but I wasn’t unhappy about it since I really didn’t want him to win. I like that Shawn Michaels was the one to eliminate him and Michaels’ breakdown after his elimination. Edge eliminating Jericho worked for me too, since it makes sense that Edge would come back gunning for Jericho, who has spent the last several months bad-mouthing him. Beth Phoenix’s entrance in the Royal Rumble was a surprise, since I think the only other woman to ever be in the Rumble was Chyna, but a welcome one. I love Beth Phoenix and I love that she’s a strong, capable wrestler who can hold her own with the men. Carlito seemed to get a nice little bit of exposure in the match, giving off a number of Back-stabbers before his elimination, which is a nice change.

All in all, it was a good match, with most people getting a good amount of exposure, though I’m not happy about Matt Hardy’s super-short exit, since I think he’s the most underused wrestler in the WWE. Still, for the most part the Rumble did a good job at touching at everyone, story line seeds were planted in some cases and moving forward in others, all leading to one place: Phoenix Arizona and Wrestlemania XXVI.

Other notes, The Big Show/Jericho promo was hilarious, I love how they’re playing the end of the bromance and hinting at a The Miz/The Big Show tag team. All the backstage action tonight was great, the Legacy interaction, the Jericho/Show moment, DX laying things on the line, it was all good, compelling storyline, the best we’ve seen from the WWE in a while. Probably since last ‘Mania season. If I was asked to pick the one thing I love best about the Road to Wrestlemania, I’d have to say it’s the fact that the WWE writing takes it up several notches from the drivel they normally give us. The Road to Wrestlemania officially kicked off tonight and I, for one, am pumped!

Remember how I said I was going to post every day? Oops. I’ve been sick, life has been crazy and my internet has been awful, so something had to give and unfortunately it was this blog. Oops.

Tomorrow I’m going to do a recap on the last couples weeks of Smackdown and Raw, giving my general thoughts (like how much I love Serena Deeb), but right now we’re focusing on the Royal Rumble and the kick off of the Road to Wrestlemania!

Christian vs. Ezekial Jackson for the ECW Title
How often do I predict Christian will finally drop the title and be saved from ECW? It’s a running thing with me, however I’d hate to see him as ECW champion going into Mania (since if nothing else I’d like him to be in Money in the Bank) and Ezekial Jackson winning the title could be a neat twist and further the Regal storyline, so I’m going to beat this dead horse once more and if I’m not right, I might curl up in a corner and cry over Christian’s wasted potential…
My Pick: Ezekial Jackson

Michelle McCool vs. Mickie James for the Women’s Championship
The WWE constantly amazes me with what they think is a good idea, but… If Michelle McCool wins tonight, that’ll be taken to a whole new level. McCool and Layla have humiliated Mickie at every turn for the last two months and Mickie definitely needs revenge. I’m betting Mickie James wins and that afterward McCool and Layla attempt a beat-down which is stopped either by Beth Phoenix finally turning face .
My Pick: Mickie James

The Undertaker vs. Rey Mysterio for the World Heavy-Weight Championship
No way Mysterio wins this, it just isn’t happening. I predict interference from Batista that allows the dead man to retain his title.
My Pick: The Undertaker

Seamus vs. Randy Orton for the WWE Championship
When I predicated a Seamus win at TLC, my reasoning was it was a good excuse to put the belt back on Orton,while still honouring the fact that Cena and Orton couldn’t wrestle, so I’m pretty confident in predicting an Orton victory tonight.
My Pick: Randy Orton

The Royal Rumble
30-men all wrestling for one title chance. There are some big names in the match and room for some surprise entrants (Edge???), so I’m expecting big things. I think I’m safe saying that Triple H and Shawn Michaels will eliminate each other. I’d love to see someone new, like The Miz or Kofi Kingston, win, but I think it’ll be John Cena and that he’ll end up facing The Undertaker at Wreslemania, as was hinted at months ago. The only way Cena won’t win is if unexpectedly comes back and I’m still predicting them as the final two then, with Triple H and HBK rounding out the final four, and if there is no Edge and I’m just wistful thinking, then Batista will be the final member of the final four.
My Pick: John Cena

So last night’s Raw wasn’t bad and it was certainly better than most of the shows that the WWE gives us on a weekly basis, but except for the beginning and the end, it didn’t feel special. In the end, when it came to going up against TNA’s Monday night special, the WWE failed to give us something extra special, so that we didn’t change the channel.

But that beginning… How good was it to see Bret Hart back on TV? And his promo with Shawn Michaels, it felt real, even the awkward hug. The Man and I both had tears in our eyes as we watched these two men finally bury the hatchet. It was the best moment I’ve seen on WWE TV in a very long time and mainly because it felt more real than scripted. This was two men hashing out a very real difference of opinion in public, after presumably already doing so back stage and it was very rewarding for the fans.

The Bret and Vince confrontation did not have that same feeling of closure. For me it actually ruined the whole feel of the show and made it end on a very sour note. I know that Vince and Bret made up a long time ago, unlike Bret and HBK, and that this was to build for a feud between the two, but… It still felt badly handled. That might just be me.

I noticed a little bit of tension between HBK and Triple H over Bret Hart and wonder if we’re going to see HBK/Bret Hart vs. Triple H/Vince McMahon in the weeks to come, after all Triple H is Vince’s son-in-law. It would be a good excuse for the DX split that I’ve seen coming for a while and an interesting use of real life tension to propel a storyline, because there was plenty of hard feelings between Bret Hart and Triple H in real life as well, feelings that have yet to be addressed on screen in any way, so Hunter taking Vince’s side would be a natural way to do that.

The Man made me laugh during the Bret Hart/Chris Jericho promo by commenting “by his sister’s kid, do you think he means Natalya?” Probably not how one was supposed to take it, but the idea of Natalya making Chris Jericho scream is pretty funny. I’m a little sad to see the end of Jerishow, but at least the DX/Jerishow match was very well done, definitely the match of the night. I wonder who DX will take on next? Maybe the Hart Dynasty???

So Legacy is definitely coming to an end soon, the only question now is when and who throws the first blow. I really want the WWE to handle this in a good way, because I think with a little bit of careful handling both DiBiase and Rhodes could be big stars. However, the WWe has already handled it badly–the split should have happened right after legacy’s feud with DX, where Legacy had a lot of momentum, instead of being back-burnered for several months, but that’s the WWE for you. They build the momentum and then rip it away, leaving the young superstar to stagnate and they wonder why the fans are getting bored. Kofi Kingston’s clean loss to Orton, is another example of this, as Kingston was very over a month ago, but is now rapidly losing steam.

All in all, it wasn’t a bad night, but except for the part with Hart, it didn’t feel like anything special and I spent a lot of time flipping back and forth between Raw and Impact, which I’m thinking is not what the WWE is hoping for. If last night’s Raw taught us nothing, it’s that after almost a decade of complacency, the WWE is going to have to remember how to bring it.

Almost a decade after the fall of WCW, tonight marks the resurgence of the Monday Night wars as TNA goes live on Monday night to go head to head with WWE. Tonight is a huge night for wrestling fans, since it marks the first effort by TNA to be legitimate competition for the WWE.

I do think TNA made a mistake right from the gate, not by going up against WWE, but by replaying the episode on Thursday. Now, there’s no motivation for fans to turn into TNA, they can just catch up on Thursday. If they had gone with a special tonight and another episode on Thursday then that would have been more of a bang. By not doing it, they seem weak, showing that they want to get their feet wet, but that they still expect to lose and that means they probably will.

I’ve made it clear I’m not a TNA watcher. However, I really want TNA to do well tonight, because I think competition is the best thing for the business. The WWE was never better than during the Monday Night War years and I’d love to see that happen again. Two viable companies, bringing the fans a superior product week after week.

When it comes to Hogan vs. Hart, well in this household the answer is easy. The Man is a huge Bret Hart fan and while I was once a Hulkamaniac, that was a long time ago. I’ll be checking out TNA for sure (at least the first hour), but I’ll be watching Raw. Still, I do hope TNA does well tonight and that in a few months, we’re seeing a true Monday Night War, because I think in that case the real winner will be the fans.