The BVS WWE: 2004-05

[The Third Dukes]

WWE.com

ONE LAST THING

March 31, 2005

With just three days to go before WrestleMania 21, the superstars of SmackDown! had just one more day to prove their point. Some of them were a lot more successful than others.

WWE Champion Matt Hardy assumed his point had been proven the previous week, when he injured Edge with a piledriver. But the heir to Hulkamania came back strong, stating that weak neck or no neck, he'd be at the Staples Center to claim what he'd been wanting all his life -- the WWE Title!

Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar proved they were the dominant team heading into WrestleMania, but how they did it is something they will never forget! Roddy Piper, never one to allow people to rest comfortably, put the four members of Team Angle against each other in 2-on-2 competition. After a hard-fought battle, Brock brought the pain by dropping Charlie Haas in the F-5.

It was a great night to be Paul Heyman, though. He had three men in action, and his men went a convincing 2-1! First, Minoru Fujita knocked off Paul London in a thrilling Cruiserweight battle. Ultimo Dragon then held his own against Eddie Guerrero, but Latino Heat prevailed by going back to his roots -- cheating to win! To finish it off, Tajiri KO'd Rey Misterio, but not without help -- Kurt Angle emerged sight unseen to try to take out someone, anyone, in the SuperCage match!

Now all eight men will put their lives on the line as they enter the blue death known as the SuperCage, Sunday on Pay-Per-View!

That's not the only death-defying match at WrestleMania, though. WWE cameras caught Billy Kidman preparing a living will before his Hell in a Cell encounter with the Undertaker! When asked about it, he said he had something dangerous planned in his attempt to take from the Taker what was most precious to him. It took Edge overhearing the remark to deduce what was meant -- the Undertaker's claim to fame, his unbelievable 11-0 mark at the biggest stage of them all! Can Kidman be the one to do it?

The final card for WrestleMania 21 was confirmed, and it stands at only four matches from the SmackDown! side. Despite Heyman's pleadings, Minoru Fujita was denied a spot at the Showcase of the Immortals by outgoing General Manager Roddy Piper. Heyman even offered to put Fujita against Scott Colt as an exhibition, but the Rowdy One said no can do.

Speaking of Piper, he assumes his role on the Board of Governors after Sunday's extravaganza. When asked if a successor had been named, Piper announced that this was indeed the case -- and that the man would be introduced by Piper himself next week on SmackDown! What figure could possibly fill the Hot Rod's shoes? Let the speculation begin!

The night ended on a sour note, though, as the Undertaker's Army of Darkness left Kidman in a pool of blood. Undertaker informed Kidman that Sunday might very well be his final day alive, and that he could not stand before the invincible power of the Darkside. Can he?

MATCH RESULTS

Minoru Fujita d. Paul London to retain the Cruiserweight title

Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar d. World's Greatest Tag Team

Eddie Guerrero d. Ultimo Dragon

Tajiri d. Rey Mysterio

Nathan Jones and Right to Censor d. Nick Mondo, Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane when Bull pinned Mondo

*****

WrestleMania.com/Matches

April 1, 2005

MATCH LIST

World Heavyweight Title match:

Chris Benoit © vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

Chris Benoit won the title in the Elimination Chamber at Survivor Series (which Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels were a part of). Jericho executed his rematch clause at Armageddon, and it wound up being an Iron Man match, which Benoit won by the narrowest of margins. It seemed like Y2J's last chance had slipped him by.

When SmackDown! won the Royal Rumble, Eric Bischoff instituted a 16-person tournament. Jericho and Michaels were the finalists, but after a 35-minute war, the match ended in a double KO. Board of Governors member The Rock, who just happened to be in the building, declared both men would be put in the match at WrestleMania, and to make sure there would be no inconclusive result, he declared that there was no disqualification, no countout, and no time limit. Further, anyone interfering would promptly be fired!

However, Eric Bischoff fixed a loophole: should there be a double pin (as was the case in the closing minute of the Iron Man match) or a double submission (the kind which Benoit and Jericho combined for in the Chamber), Benoit would retain, no questions asked.

Each of these three men prides himself on going the distance, and each one would love a chance to leave WrestleMania a champion. While only one -- the Heartbreak Kid -- has done so before, all three have proven they can beat the odds. Who will be THE World Champion?

WWE Heavyweight Title match:

Matt Hardy Version 2 © vs. Edge

Matt Hardy doesn't want to face Edge.

When the Sensei won a #1 Contender's tournament in September, he had the Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge title match thrown out due to interference, which meant he faced Eddie (and beat him, in a match dedicated to Ray Traylor). Then, when Edge tried to qualify for the Rumble, Mattitude thwarted his chance every time. Well, ALMOST every time, as Shannon Moore and Evan Karagias couldn't get to the ring fast enough to stop Edge from beating Kenzo Suzuki to qualify.

Sure enough, Edge won the Royal Rumble, and soon we found out why Matt was ducking him: Matt Hardy was responsible for Edge's neck injury back in February 2003! Isn't that old news, you ask? Not when Edge gets a Memphis piledriver two weeks before the event!

Matt blames Edge for holding him back after the TLC bonanzas and says now, 6 years later, will be the final revenge. It's been brewing in one form or another since 1999 -- but who will win in what just might be the final chapter of this legendary rivalry? Will it be the Sensei of Mattitude or the Heir to Hulkamania?

Randy Orton vs. The Rock

Randy Orton doesn't like the Rock. It goes beyond Rock constantly ruining his good ideas on his RNN interview show.

See, Randy Orton is just like the Rock in many ways: a third-generation superstar who grew up in the business and wants to go farther than either his father or grandfather ever did. Of course, Orton says it stops there. Orton will tell you Rock sold out by choosing Hollywood over the WWE, and for that he must be held accountable.

Rock still believes he has passion for the business, or else wouldn't he just resign from the Board of Governors? Not good enough, says Orton, who thinks Rock has gone from being a dues-paying family businessman to being a stuck-up phony Hollywood type.

Can Orton back his words up with a win at WrestleMania 21, or is the Rock still at the top of his game?

Hell in a Cell:

Billy Kidman vs. Undertaker

It's been 10 months in the making, some would say.

It was at Judgment Day that the Undertaker and Torrie Wilson fought Nathan Jones and Shannon Ward. They came out for the match, not as the Badass and the Bunny, but as the Deadman and the Creature. Now, Torrie was merely acting, but Taker was back to being the Phenom of old.

At SummerSlam, Torrie wanted to be at Taker's side one last time for his appearance in the Interpromotional All-Star Match. No problem, right? Wrong. Torrie was there for that match and every match following, remaining as the Creature, unwavering, speaking with the voice from the beyond.

Kidman (who was managed by Torrie and who gave her permission for Just That Once) was peeved and determined to get his manager -- heck, his wife -- back. The quest went through No Way Out (where Taker won a triple threat match with Kidman and Right to Censor's Bull Buchanan), through Survivor Series (where someone got the bright idea to make them teammates -- that didn't go well), and up to the Royal Rumble, where Kidman finally revealed the truth -- Taker's connection with the Darkside had caused Torrie to be his mindslave as long as she wore the necklace on her costume!

So once Kidman yanked it off, Torrie was back to herself. Taker responded by Tombstoning the Diva and embarking on a Path of Destruction, with Kidman as his first target. After a huge brawl at No Way Out went nowhere, Kidman got this, in which he hopes not just to get revenge, but to do it in grand fashion -- by putting a dent in the amazing 11-0 record of the Phenom!

There's only one way to settle this, and it's inside the cruelest structure known to man. Can either one survive?

Molly Holly vs. Kane

Former Intercontinental Champion Molly Holly is scared. Kane does that to people.

Kane especially does that to Molly, seeing as how their encounter at Unforgiven ended when Kane threw a fireball in Molly's face. Kane's acts became so demented that Christian even raced to Molly's aid -- the same Christian that Molly beat for the title in June! Both of them hoped to stop Kane's wanton acts of destruction, but in Japan, Kane did the unthinkable -- he got Christian nearly crippled with the help of Chris Benoit and a Burning Hammer head drop (needless to say, Benoit was happy to oblige).

Christian may be on the shelf, but that didn't stop Kane; as Christian and Molly were going clubbing, Kane arrived and threatened to choke the life out of Christian if Molly wouldn't take a match with him at WrestleMania. Molly accepted, naturally, and now she meets her biggest fear.

But is she focused on it? Over the past few weeks, she has found herself wondering about Christian. As in, does she have feelings for him? And can she, after her previous interaction with a guy went all wrong?

SuperCage II for the WWE Tag Team Championships:

Ultimo Dragon and Tajiri © vs. Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar vs. Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin vs. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio

Eddie and Rey won a #1 Contenders match on SmackDown!, entitling them to a showdown with Team JAPAN. But, the World's Greatest Tag Team feel they should've won it. After all, it was Haas who knocked out Rob Conway, not Eddie, although Señor Mexico took the pinfall. Kurt Angle, acting on their behalf, challenged Eddie and Rey, hoping to take the #1 Contendership -- not for his teammates, but for himself and Brock Lesnar.

Kurt and Brock cheated to beat Eddie and Rey, but General Manager Roddy Piper ordered a restart. That match went nowhere fast, as not only did the almost-wronged Haas and Shelton storm the ring, but so did the champs! Piper decided that a 2-on-2 match would never be satisfactory, and instead brought back the structure within which the WWE thrilled the audiences at WrestleMania XX.

From the outside, the SuperCage looks like the old classic WWE cage. But this cage has bars along the top -- two of them, each running from the center of one side to the center of the opposite side, looking like this + from above. To win, you have to climb the cage, make your way to the intersection of the bars, and somehow stand on them to reach the WWE Tag Team titles. Falling down is not recommended, clearly!

Intercontinental Title:

Lance Storm © vs. Michael Shane

In RAW's 16-person tournament, these two were first-round foes. Shane won. Even though he lost in the next round to Shawn Michaels, the precedent had been set. Shane continued demanding a title match, and he made his case even stronger by pinning Storm in a 6-man tag.

Finally, Storm accepted. Now can he get even with the cocky young member of Evolution, or will the Little Heartbreaker take out the Master of the Headlock?

Ron Simmons (WWE United States Champion), Rob Van Dam, and the Hurricane vs. Right to Censor (Jonathan Bradshaw, Bull Buchanan, and Sean Morley)

Ron Simmons won the US Title during the visit to Iraq. He has defended it against brutes like Nathan Jones, Brock Lesnar, and his former partner Bradshaw, who defected to the RTC. However, it was then that the RTC unleashed their master plan to get their message across: get a McMahon on their side.

They decided on Stephanie, who happened to be Simmons' manager, as well as the manager of Rob Van Dam and the Hurricane. Although the kidnapping worked, the brainwashing didn't, and after the Hurricane saved the day (with help from Gregory Helms), this match was made.

To ensure total fairness, Stephanie McMahon and Steven Richards will be handcuffed to each other at ringside. Since outside interference is almost guaranteed not to happen, whose crew will prove to be stronger? Can the motley crew assembled by the Billion-Dollar Princess previal, or is Steven's squad of enforcers of censorship too strong?

Double Title match for the World Tag Team titles AND the Women's title:

La Résistance (René Dupree and Sylvain Grenier, World Tag Team champions) and Lucille LaChienne vs. Sting and Chris Harris and Alexis Laree (Women's champion) vs. Booker T and Scott Hall and Stacy Keibler vs. Joey Matthews and Chris Matthews and Jackie Gayda

Where to begin?

So La Résistance won the belts from Sting and Chris Harris at Armageddon, then defended them against Booker T and Scott Hall at the Rumble despite interference from Stacy Keibler (for the challengers) and Lucille LaChienne (for the champs). Meanwhile, Alexis Laree defeated Jackie Gayda at the Rumble, but was taken to the limit by Lucille. The Matthewses then got on a roll, scoring a pin over Sting and Harris to make the Royal Rumble, plus getting under the skin of Booker T and Scott Hall. But the WCW veterans preferred a title shot to messing around with two punks, so they went after the French.

Confused yet?

Well, as a La Résistance beatdown occurred on Laree, Sting and Harris stormed the ring and reminded us that they hadn't used their rematch clause yet. Eventually, Eric Bischoff decided the best answer was to kill two birds with one stone. Stealing an idea from the AWA, he has placed all 12 of these individuals in one match under four corners elimination rules. For the team left at the end, it's gold: the men get the World Tag Team titles, and the woman becomes Women's Champion.

Never before have four teams of three competed in a WWE ring, and never before have two titles been on the line in one match at WrestleMania. Who's your money on to get the Double Title honor?

*****

April 1, 2005

InsidePulse.com

The Bottom Line:

A slew of good matches brings us with all the momentum in the world to WrestleMania. Both RAW and SmackDown! seem to be peaking at just the right time, and with only 9 matches designed to go the four hours, we could be looking at a display of workrate, bumping, brawling, marking out, and much more. On paper, it's a great card, but how will it finish? Here's one hack's thoughts:

Hardy/Edge -- This pretty much has to be the main event, and we all know who's winning because 20 years of tradition says so. The only suspense will be if the WWE screws up and makes Hogan a factor in this match, but given that the story only tangentially involves Hulkamania, I don't see it happening. What I do see, though, is a whole lot of neck work from Matt leading up to the comeback, which will put the onus on Edge to sell it.

PROJECTED RATING: ***

Benoit/Jericho/Michaels -- Probably the most intriguing match on the card from a mark's perspective. Both Jericho and Michaels have been booked to come back from tremendous amounts of punishment over the past few weeks, and with the no-DQ, no-countout stip, Benoit is free to deliver even more damage to both people's famously injured body parts (Jericho's leg and Michaels' back), although turnabout (Benoit's neck) is fair play. The "tie goes to the champ" stip sounds like a screwjob waiting to happen, but hopefully they'll be sane and only use for a few false finishes. Subplot: how long will the match be?

PROJECTED RATING: ****1/4

Orton/Rock -- Perhaps the easiest match to call, as a loss here would bury Orton to midcard act for at least another year. This is the perfect culmination of his "housecleaning" routine over the past year, and a Rock win -- much like Shawn's win at Armageddon -- would be a big setback. Given that Rock has nothing to gain and Orton everything to lose, WWE should know what to do.

PROJECTED RATING: **1/2

Kidman/Taker -- The debates on the messageboards have been intense over where this one's going. On the one hand, Taker doesn't lose at WrestleMania. On the other, we all know that Kidman's CPR is credited with pulling Vince back from the dead, so wouldn't this be the biggest thank you short of giving Kidman the WWE title (which would be completely not believable)? There is a compromise, of course, which is that Taker wins but Kidman steals the show with a double shooting star or something even more spectacular. But inside Hell in a Cell, the focus should be on a bloody brawl, something the Undertaker can still do decently.

PROJECTED RATING: **

Molly/Kane -- Since they're transitioning Molly back to the Women's ranks, this one is a no-brainer. Besides, Molly can get her heat back after the match if her side plot with Christian pans out. The potential for a WM7 flashback here should save this match from being totally forgettable.

PROJECTED RATING: *

Storm/Shane -- I'm not even sure the WWE knows which way to go with this one. Lance Storm's title reign has been uninspiring, and as is often the case, the chase was more fun than the conclusion. A win would put Shane in rarefied air, but with Benoit and Orton already looking like main eventers, things may be too crowded at the top. Still, Evolution is the big stable right now, and what better than having Benoit start throwing challengers at Jericho (starting with Orton at Backlash) in an attempt to soften him up?

PROJECTED RATING: *** (although this depends on if Shane lets Storm carry him)

SuperCage II -- SmackDown!'s tag team division has been an absolute godsend this year, with Angle and Brock moonlighting in it. Clearly, neither of them needs the belts, nor do Eddie and Rey, although separate Brock/Eddie and Kurt/Rey feuds would be fun. Given the champs' short reign thus far, and the fact that still haven't been pinned as a team, it would seem ludicrous to have a title change here. Granted, I thought that last year, and they switched the titles anyway.

PROJECTED RATING: ***3/4 -- don't see this one being as good

Steph/Steven -- I won't lie to you; Bradshaw and Bull have been a great idea as a tag team. That said, this match will likely be the shortest on the card, given the limitations of half the participants. Look for Hurricane to be the one beaten up here, and look for Steven to get kicked in the junk a few times by Stephanie. This would be a great opportunity to elevate Morley into a US title feud with Simmons, but I don't see it happening.

PROJECTED RATING: **

Double Titles -- Wow, this one is a car wreck just waiting to happen. With 12 people in the match -- and with that list including Hall, Grenier, Gayda, and Stacy -- this one is going to have to be booked very carefully or else disintegrate. I think that the two non-champion sides will be eliminated fast, but beyond that you can't go wrong either way. On a side note, the Women's Division looks better than ever now: not only are Alexis and Lucille going at a great pace, but with Trish and Tracy waiting in the wings -- and rumors of a Lita return after WM21 -- anything can happen.

PROJECTED RATING: 1/2*

*****

PREDICTION CONTEST TIME! Okay, here we go: the person who gets the most matches correct will help me with the BVS scenario in a small way. To enter, predict the results of the nine matches, and order them from first to last. 2 points for every match you get right. 1 point for every match in the right place. Ready? Here's the list:

* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. some other guy

* Randy Orton v. The Rock

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

* Molly Holly v. Kane

* WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

* Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

* Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

*****

Keep sending me questions if you have any, and keep voting for the awards! Here's that awards ballot again, so that you only need reply to one post:

SWERVE OF THE YEAR

Chris Benoit giftwraps the tag belts to Evolution (SummerSlam)

Eric Angle betrays his brother (SmackDown! in the ECW Arena)

Evolution comes to Molly's... rescue? (Armageddon)

Jonathan Bradshaw joins the RTC (SmackDown! in Baltimore)

Steve Austin orders the IC title match restarted (Badd Blood)

Undertaker goes from American Badass back to the Phenom (Judgment Day)

MOST IMPROVED

Billy Kidman

Eric Angle

Lance Storm

Nick Mondo

Randy Orton

Ron Simmons

GOOKER AWARD

Halloween Havoc -- The fans decided on this ABC show... and the WWE thanked them by delivering a series of inconclusive matches.

Main Event Molly -- Five foot five, one fifty soaking wet, average-looking body... clearly the #1 Contender to one of the two biggest titles in the wrestling business.

Mike Barton -- Nothing against the former Brawl for All winner, but when you need to replace Brock Lesnar, you do NOT go to Mike Barton.

Noble vs. Gunn -- Two men go on a losing streak and put Nidia in a bind. Such a good idea the fanbase demanded I drop it immeidately.

Torrie Possessed -- Torrie Wilson as a Creature of the Night was a nice touch. Torrie Wilson being taken over by a piece of jewelry wasn't.

Trips, Trish, and Tracy -- Our favorite politician gets two smoking hot Divas fighting each other over his affection so he can screw them both and squash them in a handicap match. And this was AFTER the divorce.

BEST TALKER

Chris Jericho

Christian

Edge

Kurt Angle

Randy Orton

Roddy Piper

GIMMICK OF THE YEAR

Bull Buchanan: Censorship's enforcer

Kane: Your worst fear

Nathan Jones: Super striker

Randy Orton: You were, I am

Roddy Piper: GM with an attitude

Victoria: Two Faces of Eve

BEST NON-MATCH MOMENT

Eddie Guerrero and Billy Kidman brawl (SD! in Dayton)

Hulk Hogan destroys the Team Angle van (SD! in Wichita)

Randy Orton challenges the Rock (RAW in Raleigh)

Rock crashes the party and stops "Be a Diva" (RAW in San Diego)

Roddy Piper recounts Ron Simmons' WCW Title win (SD! in Rochester)

Shawn Michaels defends Bret Hart (really) on RNN (RAW in Calgary)

BEST MATCH (Wrestling Quality Division)

Benoit 2, Jericho 1 (Armageddon)

Edge goes to WrestleMania (Royal Rumble)

HBK and Y2J best Evolution (RAW in Atlanta)

Kidman and Rey survive the World's Greatest (Vengeance)

Sting and Orton go to Hell (Unforgiven)

Ultimo and Noble go three falls (SummerSlam)

BEST MATCH (Crowd Reaction Division)

Eric is the better brother (No Way Out)

Hogan wins his farewell match (No Mercy)

Jericho completes the comeback (SummerSlam)

Molly is finally champion (Badd Blood)

Mondo thrown off the TitanTron (Unforgiven)

Tajiri and Asai win in Japan (SD! in Saitama)

SPOT OF THE YEAR

Molly Holly's flying elbow on Christian (RAW in San Diego)

Chris Benoit's ten-story powerbomb drop on Nick Mondo (Unforgiven)

Billy Kidman's Shooting Star DDT on Team JAPAN (Judgment Day)

Tag Team Turmoil's quadruple flying headbutt on Ron Simmons (No Mercy)

Kane's top-rope Burning Hammer drop on Shawn Michaels (Badd Blood)

Matt Hardy's table piledriver on Edge (SmackDown! in Memphis)

And the final two awards are write-in only:

SHOW OF THE YEAR

WWE MVP

Catch you soon!

Dukes

[Ace]

1. WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

2. World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. some other guy

3. Molly Holly v. Kane

4. SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

5. World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

6. Randy Orton v. The Rock

7. Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

8. Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor - Steph Turns

9. Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

[K.O.T.W]

Ok, Here we go:

From Opening Match -> Main Event..If I read correctly.

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

* Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v.Right to Censor

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

* Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

* Molly Holly v. Kane

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. some other guy

* Randy Orton v. The Rock

* WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

[Guest Zed619]

I suck at prediction contests, hence why i've never done one in BVS, but what the hell, it's Wrestlemania! Great diary Dukes, my favourite on the board, just one question though. I know this is a fantasy world and all but how would they do both a HIAC and a SuperCage, aren't both lowered from the ceiling? Predictions go from first to last:

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

* Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Mysterio v. WGTT

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

* Molly Holly v. Kane

* Randy Orton v. The Rock

* Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. HBK

* WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

SWERVE OF THE YEAR

Chris Benoit giftwraps the tag belts to Evolution (SummerSlam)

MOST IMPROVED

Randy Orton

GOOKER AWARD

Trips, Trish, and Tracy -- Our favorite politician gets two smoking hot Divas fighting each other over his affection so he can screw them both and squash them in a handicap match. And this was AFTER the divorce.

BEST TALKER

Chris Jericho

GIMMICK OF THE YEAR

Randy Orton: You were, I am

BEST NON-MATCH MOMENT

Rock crashes the party and stops "Be a Diva" (RAW in San Diego)

BEST MATCH (Wrestling Quality Division)

Benoit 2, Jericho 1 (Armageddon)

BEST MATCH (Crowd Reaction Division)

Jericho completes the comeback (SummerSlam)

SPOT OF THE YEAR

Chris Benoit's ten-story powerbomb drop on Nick Mondo (Unforgiven)

SHOW OF THE YEAR

Wrestlemania (You know it will be), if that's not OK than No Way Out

WWE MVP

Chris Jericho

[GCCWolverine]

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: WGTT

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm

* Kane

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree

* Hell in a Cell: Billy Kidman

* Randy Orton

* World Title Match: Chris Jericho

* Right to Censor

* WWE Title: Edge

[Guest Majick]

Opener: Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor - Perversely, one of the hardest to call, as there's a lot of stories to tell in this match.

2. World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie - Two female non-workers means that this match effectively comes down to LaRes and Sting/Harris, and I think that Harris needs toget the duke to move up a level

3. Molly Holly v. Kane - Burning Hammer, Christian run in, kiss... A Christian heel turn would be nice, but not now

4. SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT - Team JAPAN are just too damned good to lose this one. Spotfest galore, though...

5. Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane - If any match is crying out for a screwy finish, this is it. Evolution make their presence known.

6. Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman - Kidman can't win this if the Taker is to maintain any credibility, but I can see him getting his revenge in one manner or another - almost a Cactus/HHH Street Fight in the making, here, in that both men will take a hell of a lot of punishment. In the end, though, it's the Dead Man, and maybe his 11-0 streak isn't what's most important?

7. Randy Orton v. The Rock - Given how far Orton has come, it makes sense for him to take the next step up, and a win would make him a viable World Title contender, whoever comes out of the main event as champion.

8. WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge - Edge for the popular victory in a match that won't be as good as anticipated. What has Matt done with the belt? His reign will only be remembered for how it ends, sadly...

Main Event: World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. Shawn Michaels - With Benoit facing his two biggest challengers, and that stip hopefully a red herring, he has to lose, or else who can realistically beat him? Although you could have the Orton and Shane wins causing agitation in Evolution, I can see the same story unfolding with a face champion. Of the two, Jericho is the better worker nowadays, while Michaels would make an excellent new GM on Smackdown...

*

SWERVE OF THE YEAR

Steve Austin orders the IC title match restarted (Badd Blood) - Simply because it was a true mark out moment

MOST IMPROVED

Randy Orton - Kidman's acting lessons notwithstanding, Orton has been on fire all year long, and RNN is gold.

GOOKER AWARD

Noble vs. Gunn -- Two men go on a losing streak and put Nidia in a bind. Such a good idea the fanbase demanded I drop it immeidately - And they were right. Billy Gunn?

BEST TALKER

Randy Orton - RNN is gold. Enough said.

GIMMICK OF THE YEAR

Roddy Piper: GM with an attitude - I got a huge kick out of it, at least.

BEST NON-MATCH MOMENT

Randy Orton challenges the Rock (RAW in Raleigh)

Roddy Piper recounts Ron Simmons' WCW Title win (SD! in Rochester) - I can't choose (and 'Be a Diva' was close for Rock's singing and gargling) so I have to split the vote here. Orton was never better than in that promo, but Piper was on fire when talking about Simmons.

BEST MATCH (Wrestling Quality Division)

Ultimo and Noble go three falls (SummerSlam) - I may be the only person to vote for this, but it was exceptional storytelling

BEST MATCH (Crowd Reaction Division)

Jericho completes the comeback (SummerSlam) - Jericho mark, right here

SPOT OF THE YEAR

Matt Hardy's table piledriver on Edge (SmackDown! in Memphis) - Hardy channels Ric Flair and Jerry Lawler? Just edges out the Burning Hammer

And the final two awards are write-in only:

SHOW OF THE YEAR

Royal Rumble (changed from SummerSlam, 'cos your Rumble was awesome)

WWE MVP

Chris Jericho has put it all on the line throughout the year and has been there or thereabouts. Impressive consistency, and here's to a big win at WM!

Edited April 28, 2005 by Majick

[Jam]

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

* Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

* Molly Holly v. Kane

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. some other guy

* Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

* Randy Orton v. The Rock

* WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

[Guest LilJoeyPez]

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

* Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

* Molly Holly v. Kane

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. Shawn Michaels

* Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

* Randy Orton v. The Rock

* WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

[DonaldMick]

Re-ordered predictions:

Projected Heat Matches:

~ Christopher Nowinski v. Johnny LeRoux

~ Nick Mondo and the dreaded mystery partner v. True World's Greatest Tag Team (Nathan Jones and Kenzo Suzuki).

1) World Tag Team Titles AND Women's Title: René Dupree © and Sylvain Grenier © and Lucille LaChienne vs. Sting and Chris Harris and Alexis Laree © vs. Booker T and Scott Hall and Stacy Keibler vs. Joey Matthews and Chris Matthews and Jackie Gayda

- Elimination rules

- Men on winning team get World Tag Team Titles

- Woman on winning team gets Women's Title

2) Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane vs. Jonathan Bradshaw, Bull Buchanan, and Sean Morley

3) SuperCage II for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Ultimo Dragon and Tajiri © vs. Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar vs. Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin vs. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Misterio

4) Molly Holly vs. Kane

5) Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm © vs. Michael Shane

6) Randy Orton vs. The Rock

7) World Heavyweight Title: Chris Benoit © vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

- No disqualification

- No countout

- No time limit

- Any inconclusive finish results in the champ retaining

8) Hell In A Cell: Undertaker vs. Billy Kidman

9) WWE Heavyweight Title: Matt Hardy © vs. Edge

[Steve Corino]

SWERVE OF THE YEAR

Steve Austin orders the IC title match restarted (Badd Blood)

MOST IMPROVED

Ron Simmons

It would have been Kidman or Storm....but Kidman's been against Taker seemingly all year, and Storm going FOR the title was great, but after he won it? Well....you even said yourself that it's been uneventful.

GOOKER AWARD

Torrie Possessed -- Torrie Wilson as a Creature of the Night was a nice touch. Torrie Wilson being taken over by a piece of jewelry wasn't.

To be honest, Noble vs Gunn may have been better if it hadn't been for Gunn.

BEST TALKER

Randy Orton

Going against my better judgement here. I can't stand Orton, either here or in real life. But I guess it happens.

GIMMICK OF THE YEAR

Roddy Piper: GM with an attitude

Course maybe I just like how you write him. It sounds a lot like Piper.

BEST NON-MATCH MOMENT

Shawn Michaels defends Bret Hart (really) on RNN (RAW in Calgary)

No contest. Well, I almost went for Simmons, but otherwise, no contest.

BEST MATCH (Wrestling Quality Division)

Benoit 2, Jericho 1 (Armageddon)

BEST MATCH (Crowd Reaction Division)

Molly is finally champion (Badd Blood)

SPOT OF THE YEAR

Chris Benoit's ten-story powerbomb drop on Nick Mondo (Unforgiven)

And the final two awards are write-in only:

SHOW OF THE YEAR

Armageddon. Hey, it was built as a one-match show, and I loved that one match.

WWE MVP

If you had done more with him, I'd be saying Rhyno here. But alas, it was not to be. Where is he, anyways? I must have missed something. But that's beside the point. I guess I'll say Benoit. Why? Because it's Benoit, does there have to be a reason?

[Blehschmidt]

Opener first, main event last......

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

* Molly Holly v. Kane

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

* Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

* Randy Orton v. The Rock

* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. some other guy

* Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

* WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

[crazybrain]

WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. Shawn Michaels

Randy Orton v. The Rock

SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

Molly Holly v. Kane

Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

[Kane's Mullet Slacker]

9. World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. Shawn Michaels

8. WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

7. Randy Orton v. The Rock

6. Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

5. Molly Holly v. Kane

4. SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

3. Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

2. Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

1. World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SWERVE OF THE YEAR

Chris Benoit giftwraps the tag belts to Evolution (SummerSlam)

MOST IMPROVED

Randy Orton

GOOKER AWARD

Trips, Trish, and Tracy

BEST TALKER

Roddy Piper

GIMMICK OF THE YEAR

Randy Orton: You were, I am

BEST NON-MATCH MOMENT

Shawn Michaels defends Bret Hart (really) on RNN (RAW in Calgary)

BEST MATCH (Wrestling Quality Division)

Benoit 2, Jericho 1 (Armageddon)

BEST MATCH (Crowd Reaction Division)

Jericho completes the comeback (SummerSlam)

SPOT OF THE YEAR

Chris Benoit's ten-story powerbomb drop on Nick Mondo (Unforgiven)

SHOW OF THE YEAR

Armageddon

WWE MVP

Chris Jericho

[Guest Rygar Frost]

WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. Shawn Michaels

Randy Orton v. The Rock

SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

Molly Holly v. Kane

Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

[TMM]

*RAW*

World Heavyweight Title: Chris Benoit © vs. Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm © vs. Michael Shane

Molly Holly vs. Kane

World Tag Team Titles AND Women's Title: René Dupree © and Sylvain Grenier © and Lucille LaChienne vs. Sting and Chris Harris and Alexis Laree © vs. Booker T and Scott Hall and Stacy Keibler vs. Joey Matthews and Chris Matthews and Jackie Gayda

*SD!*

WWE Heavyweight Title: Matt Hardy © vs. Edge

SuperCage II for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Ultimo Dragon and Tajiri © vs. Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar vs. Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin vs. Eddie Guerrero and Rey Misterio

Hell In A Cell: Undertaker vs. Billy Kidman

Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane vs. Jonathan Bradshaw, Bull Buchanan, and Sean Morley

*PLUS*

Randy Orton vs. The Rock

[Captain Kirk]

I just read this whole thread for the first time and I gotta say this is one hell of a diary.

*RAW*

World Heavyweight Title: Chris Benoit

Michael Shane

Kane

Sting and Chris Harris and Alexis Laree ©

*SD!*

Edge

Charlie Haas and Shelton Benjamin

Hell In A Cell: Undertaker

Jonathan Bradshaw, Bull Buchanan, and Sean Morley

*PLUS*

Randy Orton

[tristy]

SWERVE OF THE YEAR:

Jonathan Bradshaw joins the RTC (SmackDown! in Baltimore)

MOST IMPROVED:

Randy Orton

GOOKER AWARD:

Trips, Trish, and Tracy -- Our favorite politician gets two smoking hot Divas fighting each other over his affection so he can screw them both and squash them in a handicap match. And this was AFTER the divorce.

BEST TALKER:

Randy Orton

GIMMICK OF THE YEAR:

Randy Orton: You were, I am

BEST NON-MATCH MOMENT:

Shawn Michaels defends Bret Hart (really) on RNN (RAW in Calgary)

BEST MATCH (Wrestling Quality Division):

Benoit 2, Jericho 1 (Armageddon)

BEST MATCH (Crowd Reaction Division):

Mondo thrown off the TitanTron (Unforgiven)

SPOT OF THE YEAR:

Chris Benoit's ten-story powerbomb drop on Nick Mondo (Unforgiven)

SHOW OF THE YEAR:

Armageddon

I admit, I only remember the Benoit/Jericho match. But it was damn good.

WWE MVP:

Chris Benoit

Personally, he's been one of your better heels. I don't know about leading Evolution, but he just reeks of a heel, for me atleast. And you brought that out in Benoit flawlessly.

Edited April 28, 2005 by Tristof

[Guest Botmaster4lyfe]

My first prediction attempt, so I'll probably fail. But anyway....

OPENER: * World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

2: * Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

3: Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm © vs. Michael Shane

4: * Molly Holly v. Kane

5: * Randy Orton v. The Rock

6: WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

7: * Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman Less because I really like Kidman, more because I really hate Undertaker

8: * SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

9:* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. Shawn Michaels

[grind your soul]

* Ron Simmons, Rob Van Dam, and Hurricane v. Right to Censor

* World Tag + Women's Title: Sting/Harris/Laree v. La Résistance v. Team WCW v. Joey/Chris/Jackie

* Hell in a Cell: Undertaker v. Billy Kidman

* Intercontinental Title: Lance Storm v. Michael Shane

* Molly Holly v. Kane

* WWE Title: Matt Hardy v. Edge

* SuperCage for the WWE Tag Team Titles: Team JAPAN v. Kurt and Brock v. Eddie and Rey Rey v. WGTT

* Randy Orton v. The Rock

* World Title Match: Chris Benoit v. Chris Jericho v. some other guy

There are so many high-quality matches here, it's hard to order them in a way that would leave the crowd wanting more. The SuperCage will be the show-stealer, and anything that follows would have to be nuts to get a crowd reaction - hence, the Rock. You might suffer a problem by using the Title match after that, however, but I guess we'll see.

[The Third Dukes]

WrestleMania forthcoming this weekend.

BUT FIRST:

Some questions and answers from the general public, plus a few I just made up.

Tazz, I gotta ask, what made you want to come back, and will any other of your Port Authority guys be joining you?

Tazz: (laughs) "Well, the first reason I went into the ring was to get away from Michael Cole, of course." (overblown laughter) "Nah, nah, just kiddin'. I missed da ring, ya know? It's in your blood. You talk ta any of these guys here and they'll tell ya, it's really hard to forget your roots and take a retirement path. Why ya think we had Hogan wrestling at 50-whatever? It happens, right? As for the other boys, I'll try to bring 'em in, but a lotta those guys ain't ready. Ya know, they're too soft. I knew we could rely on Numbahs cuz he got the Tough Enough trainin' and he got the skills down at OVW, so he was a no-brainer. He an' I are tearin' up Velocity right now, hopin' a spot opens up in the big-time. It's hard to break through -- this is a very competitive league, ya know?"

Triple H, what have you been doing since you left the WWE?

Triple H: "Well, mainly I've just been trying to hold on right now, dealing with a bunch of legal issues. It's tough, man. I thought I was set for life, so you don't really think after a while. But I got a few good years left in me and I can provide a nice draw for a company -- I got Wildside and XPW talkin' to me, so it's not a complete loss. Now's just a hard time, though."

Molly, how did you feel about Triple H when he was doing the woman-hating gimmick?

Molly: "Well, I thought it was just his character so it didn't bother me much. I mean, we've all met guys who feel like they're disrespected, and we've all had those general feelings towards the other sex, right? But, you know, when I heard those tapes... I had no idea he... I was ready to go after him. I'm glad Trish and the other girls held me back or I might not be able to perform at WrestleMania."

Paul E., you've seen a lot of great teams in your time. Where does Team JAPAN rank?

Heyman: "It's hard to say, really. Of course, if you take their current talent, you'd have to say they're the best -- they're the champs. But if you mean all time, in their prime? Wow. I mean, you had the Dudley Boyz, the Eliminators, Sabu and Van Dam, the Enforcers, Austin and Rude, the Pitbulls... I've seen a ton of teams come and go that could lay claim to being the #1 team under my watch. I couldn't pick just one. And I'm not just saying that because RVD's over there on the dais." (laughter)

Vince, now that it's been two months, do you regret the manner in which HHH's dismissal was handled?

Vince: "A little, yes. I would be lying to you if I didn't say I acted emotionally at times. Heck, if you didn't put emotion into this business, you could never -- never -- succeed. So when I planned this whole thing, I was only thinking that I was going to 'get' him, you know, show him up for what he did and what he meant. The match itself -- well, I knew that HHH had been built up for a long time in the company as the man you loved to hate, so to see all these heroes help to dispose of him and have him lose to his ex-girlfriend -- that should've been enough. So yes, I went too far. I've tried to make it up to him -- I've given him the rights to the "HHH" moniker -- because I feel I've hurt him. I was emotional, and this was a time when emotion wasn't called for."

Rob, you're Mr. ECW to a lot of people. Does it frustrate you that you can't make the leap in the WWE?

RVD: "Not really. I mean, you know, I go out there and I give the fans what they wanna see every night, and they wanna see RVD. Whether it's on my own, or with Hurricane or Big Ron, I can only give my best. And let's face it, I think I have made the leap, cuz the fans wanna go out there and see Rob - Van - Dam."

Molly, you've been the subject of a lot of press, both good and bad, with respect to your situation. How much do you pay attention to it?

Molly: "Only as much as I have to. There are people out there who say we're exploiting what happened to me -- who say I'm exploiting it -- and there are people out there who say I've inspired them to change their lives. After a while, it all just began to sound the same. I stopped keeping track of how much fan mail or hate mail I got... I mean, it's overwhelming."

Kidman, are you going to try to top yourself this year?

Kidman: "Wait and see." (winks)

Matt, do you still talk to Lita?

Matt: "When I can. She's busy right now, taking care of little JD and working out for a possible comeback. I wanna be able to talk to her more, but... man, it's never gonna be the same. She knows it, I know it -- it's hard to get over something like this. I mean, at least she's with the Flairs, so I know she's in good hands."

Paul E -- Ultimo Dragon, Tajiri, Scott Colt, and Minoru Fujita. That's four. You had Arn Anderson, Steve Austin, Larry Zbyszko, Bobby Eaton, and Rick Rude. Five. Will there be a fifth member of this Dangerous Alliance?

Heyman: "Well, I can tell you this much. I'm not just going to go get someone for the sake of rounding out the numbers. If I'm going to go get a superstar to fit within the DA, it's going to be a real superstar -- someone I believe is at his peak and who can challenge for gold right now. That's why I lobbied so hard to get Colt and Fujita on the WrestleMania program -- I believe they belong."

Lucy, how do you feel about the success of your old company -- FLI, now Pro Wrestling Canada?

LaChienne: "Tres magnifique, non? It's wonderful to see them break through from being such a small group in Quebec. It shows that really, we are the future of the sport. And I hope that we continue to grow and excel as we go along."

Would you consider going back?

LaChienne: "Someday, but I am enjoying the opportunities here. America and the world would not be accessible through FL -- I mean, through PWC. So I'm taking what I can."

So Edge, do you feel any added pressure on you due to being the leader of the Hulkamaniacs?

Edge: "Oh, believe me, the pressure of WrestleMania is more than enough. Having to fight my way through the nerves, the pressure, the expectations -- and on top of that, now I'm leading the same group I was a part of when I was a kid -- it's a lot of pressure. Bad enough that Matt Hardy's a tough opponent; now I gotta fight him and fight expectations."

Vince, logistically speaking, how do you plan on running both the SuperCage and the Hell in a Cell? Aren't they both lowered from the ceiling?

Vince: "Yes, they are, but right now, the one we use first will be dismantled on the ground when we are done with it -- we'll fold it up and carry it to the back -- then the other one will lower unimpeded. So, yes, we thought about how we would do this, and this is the best solution (we believe) for the situation."

Scott, your 1-year deal expires after WrestleMania. Are you planning on renewing it?

Hall: "I dunno man. I owe these guys a lot to what I am now, but... honestly? What more can I do, ya know, man? I wouldn't mind coming back, but unless I win the title, I don' see what's left to accomplish. I proven to myself I can still go at the highest level, and I got offers from the Jarretts, from Philly, from Atlanta, LA, up north... I mean, I'm a hot commodity chico. We'll see what happens."

Shawn, how do you respond to critics who say you're too old and that you don't belong in the World Title picture?

Shawn: "I say listen to the people. They wanna see the Heartbreak Kid. And they're gonna get him."

*****

A couple that were directed to me...

Where are the angels now?

They're still working on Vince. I haven't gotten a "Vince has found religion" incident, so I assume the progress is slow but steady.

Is there anyone you regret not making a champion?

I wanted to put the title on Goldberg early on, but that was vetoed, and he never recovered. I think Goldberg as champion would've certainly changed the year and a half that I've done since. I'm kinda surprised I was never able to think of a way for Rob Van Dam to make it to the main event, but when your whole character is as aloof as RVD's is, it's hard to write a real feud for him -- and it takes a good feud to elevate someone. I really dropped the ball with Nick Dinsmore, who should've been at least US champ by now -- instead, he's a superstar in the NWA. But recently, I'm satisfied with what I've done.

*****

Okay, for those who are wondering where the "training camp graduates" will be in the scenario, I eliminated them all and replaced them with other wrestlers whom Adam Ryland did not have in his original data. It just strikes me that you'd rather use Top Gun Talwar or Chris Bosh than Italian Dutton or Walt Canada. So when the scenario is ready -- which will be soon after WM21 is posted, since I need the help of the contest winner -- you'll be able to bring in some up-and-comers, Japanese moonlighters, old favorites, and guilty pleasures of mine. Not necessarily in that order.

If you have more questions, awards ballots, or predictions, send them in. I begin work on the WrestleMania card tomorrow morning.

Dukes