Wrestlemania 25 - My Predictions

This weekend is the biggest weekend on the wrestling calendar as we all await Wrestlemania 25 this Sunday so with this in mind I thought you guys may like to know my thoughts and predictions on all the matches on the card.

Intercontinental Title Match
JBL vs. Rey Mysterio

Being in his home state could prove to be the deciding factor for JBL. WWE really haven’t done anything with Rey since his world title push and I don’t think he is in line for another crack at it so my predictions are a JBL win here. JBL hasn’t got that many memorable Wrestlemania wins under his belt and in what could and should be his last year I think he will get the win. As a match I am not expecting much from it and it could well be our opening match.

Winner: JBL

Tag Team Lumberjack Title Unification match

The Colons vs. The Miz and Morrison

This is a match I have been waiting for on PPV for some time. Over past months WWE haven’t really pushed any tag match at a PPV but hopefully now these two teams will have the stage to show why Vince should put more effort behind the tag scene. I am really torn in this one because I do think both teams are great. The only thing that will ruin this match is it being a Lumberjack Match, why WWE couldn’t just let these two teams bring the house down I don’t know, so I do fear that would could be a great match could get ruined.

Winner: The Miz and Morrison

Diva Battle Royal

The way they schedule Diva matches at Wrestlemania can sometimes be stupid. For many years they have sandwiched it in between the semi main event match and the main event match which instead of giving the fans some breathing space has killed them so I hope they get this one out of the way early. Expect Santino to get involved somehow and look out for a possible appearance from Trish Stratus but whatever you do don’t expect a great match.

Winner: Gail Kim

Money in the Bank
CM Punk vs. Kane vs. Mark Henry vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Kofi Kingston vs. Christian vs. Finlay

In this match expect Kofi, Shelton and Christian to provide you with some new and innovative bumps. Vince is down on Christian at the moment so don’t expect the obvious win for him given his history in ladder matches. If CM Punk were to win he would make history as first person to win it back to back but I don’t see WWE pushing him that hard. My thoughts are they could either give it to Kane as he hasn’t won before and is one of Vince’s most consistent stars, give it to MVP and finally give him the push they have been promising or an outside bet is Shelton Benjamin as I know a lot of people backstage are impressed with him right now.


Winner: Kane

Chris Jericho vs. Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat and Jimmy Snuka

What should have been a great entertaining match could be flop of the night, not many people want to see either of the legends wrestle let alone all three. Expect Jericho to go in to monster heel roll and beat on the legends a fair bit and then for them to have a heroic comeback with Flair helping them to the win.

Winners: The Legends

Extreme Rules Match: Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy

The only thing that was going to make this match great at Mania was if there was some heat between the two of them and a great feud which had been built up for months but instead this match has really limped in to mania. As a tag team there styles use to compliment each other but against each other I really don’t think it is going to work. The only thing that will make the match interesting is the extreme rules stipulation so expect some ladders to come in to play and for one of the brothers to be taken out of there on a stretcher.

Winner: Matt Hardy

World Heavyweight Championship
Edge vs. Big Show vs. John Cena

In this match I really like the Love Triangle storyline but not sure if I am looking forward to the match. Edge is really going to have to keep this match together as Big Show and Cena can provide entertainment but without Edge it would just be a mess. I think we are going to see Edge and Big Show trying to team up on Cena and then double crossing each other. If they want to finish the love triangle storyline at Mania they will have Vickie come out cost both Big Show and Edge the match, leave the ring and let Cena pick up the win.

Winner: John Cena

The Undertaker vs. HBK

This is match I am looking forward to more than anything else on the card the two biggest legends in WWE right now both going at it in their own home state. The build up has been immense and miles better than anything else on the card. The only problem is I think the build up has been too good and overshadowed the title matches, just have to be careful we don’t get another Hogan / Rock Wrestlemania 18 situation where this match wasn’t the main event but burned the fans out before the main event. HBK in the past got some big wins over Undertaker, In Your House 17 first hell in a Cell and Royal Rumble 1998 casket match so I expect The Undertaker to get his revenge and keep the streak. Last year HBK got to steal the show and get a win over Flair so I think he should do the job and the honors for The Undertaker this year.

Winner: The Undertaker


WWE Championship
Triple H vs. Randy Orton

I have been saying for some time now that I think it is time for the year of Orton and over the last four months Orton has delivered. The segments between him and HHH have been brilliant and that has mainly been down to Orton and not HHH. These two have told an intense storyline which makes us all believe they really hate each other which is what great storytelling is all about and these two have the ability to back it up with a great match. Now HHH has lost quite a few big matches at Mania over the last six years so he is more than in line for a big win at Mania which would give me cause to believe it was going to be HHH retaining but I think Orton is just to on his game at the moment.

Winner: Randy Orton

Other things to watch out for

We have both Ken Kennedy and Batista who could make an appearance. Kennedy has been doing a lot of international PR for Mania so would make sense to see him and news on Batista and his recovery from injury has been very quiet as of late. The night before Mania Steve Austin is getting inducted to the hall of fame so in his home state will he make a Wrestlemania appearance and make an impact? With mania you always get the rumor mill and gossip but I really think there is a strong possibility of one of these things happening.

WWE Unforgiven Preview

WWE Divas Championship match
Maryse vs. Michelle McCool

Raw still has by far the superior Women’s division but with the Divas title now on Smackdown at least there seems to be some point to having women wrestle on Smackdown. I wouldn’t have a Divas title match on PPV instead of having a Women’s Title match though. Michelle McCool should retain here as her off screen relationship with The Undertaker has obviously given her power backstage by association with the Phenom.

Championship Scramble for the ECW Championship
Mark Henry (c) vs. Matt Hardy vs. The Miz vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Finlay

Regardless of what you think of the current state of ECW that is a strong match to put out. I remember when the new ECW brand first started and you had matches with the likes of Kevin Thorn and others but now you have a match where all guys have experience on either Raw or Smackdown. I want to see Matt Hardy win but with Mark Henry’s current push I could see him retaining and there is always a outside chance that they could give it to Finlay as he comes nearer to the end of his career it may be nice to see him as a champion. Saying all this though I’m going to go with a gut instinct and go with Matt Hardy on this one.

World Tag Team Championship
Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase (c) vs. Cryme Time

For a tag match this has been built quite well over the last month on Raw with Cryme Time stealing the belts and then Rhodes and DiBiase attacking them to take them back. I for one am just glad they are doing something with Cryme Time at the moment as for weeks they were left with nothing. WWE at the moment are trying to mould DiBiase as the next star, the new Randy Orton if you will so I think this will be a successful title defence for the pairing.

Unsanctioned Match
Chris Jericho vs. Shawn Michaels

This has had the best build up for a match at a PPV in some time. The rivalry is so heated and has been crafted so well that you could easily believe that it’s real. Nothing about it has been rushed and we were all expecting a great match at Unforgiven but now with Michaels injury on Raw no one is sure how this match will pan out. People were expecting great things from this match but now if it doesn’t deliver it could undo a lot of the good work already done in this feud and affect the future storyline and matches this pair could have. My prediction is a win for Shawn Michaels.

Championship Scramble for the WWE Championship
Triple H (c) vs. The Brian Kendrik vs. MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy

Expect Triple H to easily retain in this one but that isn’t the interesting thing to watch for in this one. This match is a gauge for where Kendrik and Benjamin are at and if they can fit in to the main event scene. MVP has been waiting for a main event push for sometime but with his recent backstage antics I’m not sure if the wait will go on or not. The match also sees Hardy’s return to main event so will be interesting to see what he brings.

Championship Scramble for the World Heavyweight Championship
CM Punk (c) vs. Batista vs. Kane vs. JBL vs. Rey Mysterio

This has the potential to be an interesting match as it has many different storylines going on and unlike the Smackdown scramble match each competitor has been pushed as a potential winner. This match will be used to develop the Kane / Mysterio feud but I don’t see either of them winning as Rey has just come back from injury so won’t be put in to a main event feud. The match gives CM Punk the chance to lose the title without losing believability as he doesn’t have to be involved in the deciding decision afterwards he can then continue a feud with JBL. Leaving Batista as the winner as he has now been a while without the belt and will be a babyface champion ready in waiting for Orton’s return. Don’t even be surprised to see Orton get involved somehow in this one.

Overall

With three scramble matches all only going twenty minutes and a Divas match which won’t go much over ten minutes it leaves a lot of PPV to fill which I think they were expecting Jericho and Michaels to fill but with his injury will that be possible. Having three identical gimmick style matches on a PPV doesn’t work in this day and age, that’s why Survivor Series is not done how it use to be any more. This event was going to be remembered for Jericho vs. Michaels but now everyone is unsure how it is going to go down but I hope even with an injury they can steal the show.

My SummerSlam Predictions

Jeff Hardy vs. MVP

MVP is stuck going nowhere at the minute, at one point I thought they may give him a main event push but seem to be stalling with him here. This match does nothing for either guy really, I expect Hardy to get the win in his first major Smackdown feud and help propel him further up the card on Smackdown.

Mark Henry vs. Matt Hardy

Matt Hardy is going to be the new face of ECW so I expect him to win this one. To have him lose would ruin his position and with him winning Mark Henry can always have a rematch which would keep ECW moving nicely for the next month.

Kofi Kingston and Mickie James vs. Santino Marella and Beth Phoenix

I know WWE are really starting to push Santino and Beth as a couple so I wouldn’t be surprised to see the titles changing here. Love the concept for the match by having singles titles on the line in a tag match. Mickie James has got stale as champ and I’m not sure if Kofi is ready for a title yet but it will be a bold move by the creative team to switch both titles in one night.

John Cena vs. Batista

Since coming back and winning the Rumble Cena really hasn’t done much he has lost at Mania and on PPV to JBL. He really needs a win to get it back on track but WWE seem to be really pushing Batista at the moment. With this in mind I would probably go with a Batista win.

CM Punk vs JBL

I love CM Punk but with the undercard that Raw has at the moment with John Cena and Batista both being seen as faces it makes sense for JBL to win the title here to set up a feud with either or. CM Punk is only a transitional champ and has held the title for longer than I expected him to.

Triple H vs. The Great Khali

Word is that Khali is soon to be done with wrestling and after being booked in a shocking match I don’t think they are going to have the belt taken off Triple H as well. With no title change here it then makes sense for this title to stay the same.

The Undertaker vs. Edge

Makes no sense for The Undertaker to lose although when people get built up in a match for not being able to lose they normally have them lose to build the other guy. If Edge wins it will be a screw job type finish but my money is still on an Undertaker win.

One more thing to look out for

When Randy Orton got injured WWE originally said SummerSlam as his return date and this week there have been many stories circulating about Orton getting injured which could be a cover story for the fact that he will be at SummerSlam. If he is to get involved anywhere it will either be in the John Cena / Batista match or Hell in a Cell.

Wrestlemania: My Thoughts So Far

As we are now under four weeks away from the “Granddaddy of them all” I thought it was time to give you my thoughts on the way it is shaping up match by match.

Here are my thoughts on the confirmed matches so far and what the WWE could do with them:

Inter-Promotional match – Umaga (Raw) vs. Batista (Smackdown)

I can’t say that I am all that excited about this match because there is now back story to it and the only back story can be made in the next few weeks. These two guys have never feuded before and have no logical reason to fight each other. Last year at Wrestlemania Umaga had a prime match which was given a storyline thanks to the McMahon / Trump feud as there was no real feud between Umaga and his opponent Bobby Lashley. This is also a step down for Batista who last year lost out in his championship defence against the Undertaker. The way Batista has been pushed over the last few years it would make no sense for him to lose the match unless they were planning a Umaga / Batista long term feud.

Money in the Bank

After two great annual ‘Money in the Bank’ matches I didn’t rate last year’s that much. I think this year it will be much better as you have two guys who would make sense to come out as winners. First off is Kennedy, although not my pick the way they have been building him on raw recently it would be a knock to his character for him to come up short. Kennedy is a main eventer in waiting but after his win in this match last year I think winning this match could also damage his standing as it would prove his career is going round in circles. I think from a storyline point of view it would make sense for Jeff Hardy to win and then cash in his slot against Edge on Smackdown where he has a ready made back story thanks to his Brother’s feud with Edge and it would be a good chance experiment with him as champion on Smackdown to see if he is ready to be a regular Raw main eventer.

Big Show vs. Floyd Mayweather

The build up for this has been great as they have made many non or casual wrestling fans that now think this feud is for real in real life. In wresting any match that is pre-advertised will always been a work regardless of how much they make it look like a shoot. Due to the size difference and Floyd’s lack of ring experience I don’t see this being an exciting match by any means but that’s not its job on the card. This match is designed to get non wrestling fans to buy the PPV and it will be the other matches and wrestlers which they will get entertained by. With Floyd’s ego I am sure they have booked him to win against the big Show in this David vs. Goliath attraction.


Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels – Retirement match

Last year Ric came out and said he wanted to end his career with a main event match at Wrestlemania after not making the televised card of Wrestlemania 23. When he said this most including myself thought he was crazy and that his ego had got the better of him and not many people could see this happening after he wenton a brief hiatus from our screens. However it may not be a main event but he has has got his Wrestlemania wish. In all fairness I have enjoyed Ric’s run since it was announced that as soon as he lost a match he would be fired. It would be one of wrestling’s great swerves if Ric did beat HBK but for his character I think it is only fitting that he bows out at Wrestlemania. I just hope that the match will be a fitting send off for him.


Edge vs Undertaker

This is a great feud between a young brash fast talker against a member of the old guard who lets his actions speak louder than words. Although last year Batista and Undertaker surprised me with their title fight last year with how good it was I think this match could be even better. Some of Undertaker’s greatest matches of the modern era in my opinion have been his bouts against Shawn Michaels and I think Undertaker is great at working with people that are smaller and that have great athleticism. I would like Edge to win as it would push him and solidify him and his position of champion however with Undertaker’s backstage power and his Wrestlemania record I think it would be a brave move for the creative team to book an Edge win. I want to see this and I think it makes more sense but I am not holding my breath.

Randy Orton vs. HHH vs. John Cena

It has been a couple of years since we last had a triple threat title match at mania and a couple of years since HHH last headlined so I am looking forward to this one. If it was anywhere near as good as the triple threat title match from Wrestlemania 20 I will be happy. Now from a booking point of view it is quite interesting what they could do with this one. If the WWE are playing safe they will put the belt back on Cena as he is supposedly their most popular star. With the push they have been giving him and his rush back from surgery it would make for him to win. However it has been a long time since HHH was champion so I think viewing ratings would go up with HHH as champion. The reason HHH has been away from the title is because he is part of the booking team and it is an unwritten law that when you are booking you don’t book yourself on top but I don’t think anyone would begrudge HHH a title run. The only thing left off Orton’s resume is a win in a world title fight at Wrestlemania but I think the WWE are going to commit to a change of direction on Raw after mania as Orton has now had the belt for some months.

Still to be scheduled

There is still some space on the card to be filled so here are some other matches I think may happen. It has been reported that Matt Hardy is back after a recent appearance at a WWE live event so I would expect to see him re-ignite his feud with MVP for the US championship. With the poor state of the tag division I’m not sure if it is worth putting a match on the card if anything I would do a Raw Champions vs Smackdown Champions match. On top of this there will be a match in the storyline between JBL / McMahon / Hornswoggle and there might be an ECW title match.

Rumours

There are always a lot of rumours around Wrestlemania time some prove to be true but most don’t. Rumour is at the moment is that the Rock could make an appearance. He is going to be at the Hall of Fame inductions the night before and recently John Cena has badmouthed the Rock in the press to throw further fire on this rumour.

Overall

I am looking forward to Mania after a spate of disappointing Mania’s I think there are enough good quality wrestling matches and enough points of interest and possible entertaining moments to make this a memorable event.