Raw 6-13

I sit here a humble writer tonight. I'm suppose to write about Raw and why this 3 hour Raw is going to be sweet. Austin will be awesome to see in a role he once had. Do you remember the 4 wheeler? I can't stop thinking about the Mavs since I hate them. I'm sorry and I will do my best to move on. This blog is for wrestling and I will do my best to stick with that topic. I will say Sunday night was good for one reason, Misterrrrrrr Anderson....Anderson is the new TNA Impact Wrestling Champion. WWE should focus on building some under card, oh crap I forgot Cena is the champion so that sells a WWE pay per view. Well at least WWE thought it did (more in a minute). The 3 hour Raw might have some All-Star wrestlers showing up and some STUNNERS!! OH HELL YEAH!

The WWE found out some not so good news earlier last week when the numbers for Over the Limit buys were released. Over the Limit featured Cena and Miz for the WWE title and Christian attempting to regain the World Title against Orton. In fact, I heard the Showstoppers had walked out on the show at Wings. Hell they were in for free. Over the Limit had 65,000 buys for $40 a person. The grand total is $2.6 million and that doesn't include the tickets sold at the arena. To say the WWE failed would be a failure on my part. Anyone getting over $3 million for one show is doing well. However this is the lowest buy rate for any WWE pay per view since ECW December to Dismember. I'm no rocket scientist but that show was pretty damn terrible. TNA had even worse news as their Sacrifice show got 7,000 buys. Wow throw a party. Holy crap this is bad news for the wrestling companies but good news for fans. Whoa what? Yes this is great news for fans. You see people make a difference and are tired of watching the same crap over and over and over again. Wrestling promotions focus much more on television than pay per views. The marketing for TV and ads give them much more money weekly then any pay per view aside from Wrestlemania, which did over a million buys. If the pay per view buys continue to plummet, the two companies may turn to an alternative. Eric Bischoff actually said at one time no company should create 12 pay per views.

I've written about this before and the solution is simple especially for TNA. WWE does enough buys to cut down on pay per views. TNA could pitch to Spike TV about the possibility of returning Clash of the Champions. Now it could be called something else, perhaps Wrestling Matters. Hell that's creative enough for Bischoff. TNA could eliminate 4 shows and do major shows on 4 Sundays in the year. Few wrestling, booked as big as a pay per view and will further story lines. TNA could really benefit from something like this. They will always receive criticism no matter what they do. You can't fault a company for trying something different. This is a great alternative and be fan friendly. If they leave the Impact Zone each of those 4 shows, the crowds get bigger, more revenue from the gate and a possibility of gaining more fans. WWE will never do this because their pay per views still get okay buy rates. If it keeps going down, maybe they will do something. I keep the hope they are actually listening to you, the wrestling fan, keep up the good work. I don't want to be one of those guys that say back in the attitude era or my generation was better. All I'm saying is if the product is crappy to you, you're not alone. Speak up, don't buy bad shows and maybe soon the WWE and TNA will listen.

An awesome opening to Raw. Austin owned the promo with Miz. It's a true shame Miz didn't get to talk back and have some fun with Austin. Instead he was owned and didn't receive a stunner. I can't have everything. I wasn't disappointed though because Alberto Del Rio got a rub on Austin too. Del Rio finally got a match. I kind of figured out who his opponent was way before the fire lite up the entrance ramp. Del Rio is in a really crappy story right now. I would prefer to see him face anyone else right now. I never would have seen a Big Show return. I guess I can be excited about that. As long as Del Rio goes over and gains some momentum back that was lost from his push on Smackdown, I'm good with it.

The only way Dibiase ever made it to Raw, get drafted to Smackdown. I've really enjoyed Cody Rhodes and Dibiase on Smackdown. They've been a must see tandem again. Daniel Bryan is getting his chance to shine inside the ring on Friday nights. It's been a treat for a man who can wrestle with anyone, be able to showcase his talents. Raw focuses to little on the inside the ring talent and Smackdown is letting Bryan do his thing. He needs some character to development but for the most part he will speak the most inside the ropes. All 6 of those men in the match are getting an opportunity and aren't wasting it. Smackdown has been the better show aside from the guest stars showing up only on Raw. Good match to further all those stories. So far, so good on Raw.

What makes R-Truth great? Let me count the ways: He's an old school character, larger than life and is much more unique than over three-quarters of the roster. Truth doesn't have entrance music which is sweetness. His character is nuts and that makes him memorable. Everything he is doing right now is greatness. I've become a big fan of Truth and his turn. It's been great. Larry Stanley got his JoMo boner on since Morrison made his return. I'm sure Austin introducing him made him pop as much as his little Mavs winning the ring Sunday night. It's nice to have him back but wouldn't it have made more since to save the surprise return and screw Truth out of his shot. Truth would have a field day with that.

The Irish Ghost must be getting pointers from Dean Malenko. I love the fact Sheamus found a new finisher. There aren't many wrestlers using submission moves so the Cloverleaf returns. I popped big for that. Sheamus is really under used right now. He and Del Rio are in the same boat. Christian officially turning heel on Friday, pushes Sheamus down the poll a little. Maybe after Zeke takes the belt from Barrett, he can wrestle Zeke for the strap. A triple threat at Summerslam would be fine too for the World Title.

I questioned whether Christian was a heel last week, alas Smackdown proved he is now. His promo on Friday was fantastic and I'm enjoying the complete turn. Orton was great at the low blow on the Edge remark. Other than that, I cheered and will continue to cheer for Christian. He was correct on his promo of hard work and busting his ass. Christian has done everything except get his long title reign. WWE reached on the concussion angle. I mean TNA ran that same crap with Mister Anderson a few months back. Concussions are a serious business in the professional sports world. They shouldn't be a fake story in wrestling. It's not hard to come up with something else. One thing Christian has going for him is wrestling skills. He has to work on the heel character and develop into something more than a generic heel. For now, he's getting cheap heat. He doesn't need to work on his wrestling skills. Christian and (Insert Opponent except Great Kahli) is a good match. The ending sucked. I don't like dq's and 2 in 1 night is never good. Nexus could have easily cost Rey the match and it wouldn't hurt his chances for Sunday. Nexus would have gained heat, Christian gains momentum and Rey gains sympathy and support.

Morrison wasn't ready to come back obviously. I thought his neck injury was suppose to leave him out until August. Summerslam it will be Truth and Morrison. Meanwhile the entire segment R-Truth was playing Zach Morris talking into the camera while everything else was frozen. Take that Little Jimmy may have been the best line of the night. Truth is absolutely insane and I love every minute of it.

Sweetness Dolph Ziggler got a video package and got to wrestle on Raw. The video package was great. The package for Kofi and Ziggler is an easy way to push their match Sunday without the 2 of them interacting. Plus Kevin Dunn and the staff do such a great job at those packages. I would love to see Ziggler take the belt off Kofi on Sunday. Bourne and Ziggler would be fun to watch. Drew McIntyre could come in as well. Bourne would turn into the under dog champion defending off all bigger competitors for the title. This would be a fantastic way to boost Bourne and use everyone else on the Raw roster.

The Hot Rod Rowdy Roddy Piper back on Raw was very cool. Piper will never get tired of taking shots at Mr. T. Miz really got a chance to battle two of the best talkers in wrestling history, Piper and Austin. Miz held his own with both men, Cena can't say that. I didn't need to see Piper wrestle though. The money challenge sounds like a Dusty Rhodes booking story. Rhodes was the booker for the old NWA and that's what this felt like to me. Riley has been getting the better of Miz for 3 straight weeks. Miz is putting over Riley but Sunday may be another story. Miz character doesn't really depend on wins and losses. He's a pompous jerk no matter what. Riley needs a big win to get his push kick started. I think it continues no matter who wins after Capitol Punishment.

I thought Eve was a heel. I wanted to see Natalya and Beth Phoenix in the ring wrestling. Raw failed at that. Until they use Phoenix or Natalya, I won't be writing to much on the Diva division.
The WWE went from pure crap to pure entertainment. Punk and Austin were absolute money together. Punk using the what was funny and Austin being Austin. No reason to start the whole this match will happen rumors. Let's be happy they were on television together and that's all. I whip ass backwards is the line of the evening. Austin gave the power to the people next week. I'm in favor of that but it won't work out as well as the concept should. Steve was solid as the GM. I wouldn't want him to be the GM each week though because then it wouldn't be special.

Main event with Cena and Punk was familiar as these two have gone at it several times. The boos and We Want Ryder chants from the live crowd was fantastic. The New York crowds are always very vocal and it makes the broadcasts that much better. CM Punk really had to carry Cena in a close to 15 minute match. It reminded me of Hogan being carried by Macho Man. Punk getting the victory was super sweet. Truth has no shot to win on Sunday. I hate to tell you that. I really hope WWE can keep Punk. Truth and Punk are making Raw watchable. I hope it continues.

Well I hate to end on a sad note but I have too. I am going on vacation next week and won't be able to provide a solid Raw blog. I believe John or Larry from Showstoppers will step up and try and fill the void on BBSD. They will fail but give them a break they can't beat the best damn WWE blogger on the planet. You can still follow me on twitter @mccall316 or email me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. Thanks for the hits and keep them coming. Stunners for everyone.

J Call

Raw 6-6

I must have been in the minority or at least the minority on BBSD because I liked last week's episode of Raw. The WWE focused on a little more wrestling and I will take that anytime. The big news seems to be everyone leaving TNA that shouldn't. Foley has announced he requested and granted his release. Tommy Dreamer, who is in the middle of a giant story, is leaving in another week. Now I am all for certain guys leaving the company. For example, Flair, Hogan, Bischoff and Russo. However, Foley and Dreamer have a place. Foley is a mastermind and the people behind the curtain should have listened and used Foley's ideas. Dreamer isn't the biggest character on television or the most charismatic individual. Dreamer is more of a trainer and could have helped in that way. Hopefully, TNA bounces back and uses the young men they have in place. Raw needs to do the same and tonight gets us one week closer to Capitol Punishment. I'm not into the pay per view yet, maybe tonight changes my opinion.

The other somewhat big news is the recent uh heel turn if you will. I don't think you can really call this a heel turn.

I don't see how Christian is now a heel. I get that he hit Orton in the head with the title. Absolutely blindsided him actually. In reality, most of the Internet Wrestling Community should be applauding the move. Christian has been a push over for several weeks. He got a great reaction from the live crowd, even if the WWE filtered in some boos. Jim Ross blogged about how this moves Christian into the top heel status in WWE. I disagree. I think Christian will still be cheered soundly as he is so well respected. The only people who are going to boo him are kids. As I've said before, they are stupid. If kids boo him and older folks cheer Captain Charisma, I'll have a new name for him, the anti-Cena.

I didn't like the finish to Tough Enough. Andy was a better story to win as he has a family. Luke will end up being a bigger star. Andy got bitch slapped and stunned in a matter of 30 seconds. Way to bury new talent right away. Truth has a stolen the Confederate Warrior from Cena. He one upped him wearing the Confederate uniform. Truth is a show stealer right now. No matter what he does, he is remembered. Riley's music is solid and definable. I like it a lot. To bad the whole segment was messed up by the real Confederate Warrior John Cena. Main event announcement was greatness. Vince and Austin in the same ring is a reunion and fond memories of yesteryear. It can never be that good again. The main event was a great way to progress Riley and Miz and finally start Truth and Cena.

I really don't have to much to say about Santino, Kozlov and the Nexus tag team titles. I would rather see a tag match for the titles. I enjoy Santino and his mini push seems to be going over well. I just don't see much point unless we see either more tag teams or they get the titles back. Otherwise it's just going to be pretty boring.

I was very happy to see Beth Phoenix on Raw. I believe she hasn't been on Monday night for about 6 months. With Kharma out of action, Beth and Natalya are the only dominate females in the WWE right now. The WWE always wonders why the Divas don't matter. I got an idea, focus on those two I just mentioned and let them oh I don't know wrestle. That's a hell of a concept. Beth needs to be the focus for Raw for the next several months. She can at least make the Bellas matter in a story.

CM Punk and Rey could wrestle every week. One thing that amazes me is WWE memory. They can't remember half the stuff that happened a week ago. Yet there's Michael Cole recapping the entire history of Punk and Rey. WWE should recall the history of many stories, then again nothing would feel fresh ever. They've done about everything you can do with everyone on the roster. Another great match between two of the best performers on the WWE roster. If Punk leaves, I may not have a reason to watch Raw. He's the best persona in the WWE period.

I haven't read much about the Best of Nitro DVD. I don't need to read much as it is a must own for anyone older than 20. We lived through the best wrestling era of all time. I'm sure the moments on the DVD will make us feel like we are back in our youth. I look forward to checking it out. The only gripe I will probably have is Diamond Dallas Page. Not a big fan.

I have no idea how it happened but Del Rio went from being one of the brightest star on Friday Night to being completely underutilized on Raw. The fake Show was a giant failure. Del Rio is talented enough to be in the upper card fighting for the title. The WWE did a great job elevating R-Truth but in return, Del Rio fell. I'm a big Del Rio fan but you already knew that. Kane and him will battle next week and every little kid can go crazy for a return of The Big Show. I want it over as quickly as possible.

Zack Ryder and Dolph Ziggler in the same segment is a dream come true. Ryder has been on Superstars for quite a few weeks and got about a minute of air time last week on Raw. The match might not have been the longest or best, it wasn't about that. Cole got to mention the Ryder YouTube videos and that's what it was all about. WWE.com is likely getting those videos so better to expose them on television then on Superstars.

I will never complain about a Booker T wrestling match. I'd rather watch him wrestle than commentate. I worried Evan Bourne wouldn't get used. Luckily Raw did it right with air bourne and a double spinarooni. It was also a fantastic way for Bourne to get a nice rub.

I mentioned early I liked the main event. Both these feuds needed something and Austin in the mix is always a good rub for anyone. I tweeted (follow me @mccall316) before Raw that the biggest pop of the night won't even be on Raw. I was half right as Austin received a great reaction on the live Tough Enough Finale but also on Raw. If Austin would have stunned Cena at the end of the show, this would have been the greatest Raw in the history of Raw. The opposite happened. Miz took a horribly looking briefcase shot. I enjoy stunners as much as the next guy. I just wanted that to happen to Cena. The ending was a little confusing. I get the GM being pissed that Austin didn't call it down the middle. So why on earth would he appoint him special GM the following week? That made zero sense.

I will say I'm looking forward to a 3 hour special next week. More Austin is a good thing and maybe that will get Jim Ross at the broadcast table. Overall, this week was a solid effort. We got some nostalgic moments and some progression in stories. With all the stars next week, it will probably be a complete cluster. WWE needs to stay focused. You can find more wrestling opinions on Showstoppers on BBSD. You can follow me on Twitter @mccall316 or email me jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. I'll see you next week. Oh Hell Yeah. Stunners for everyone.

J Call

Raw 5-30

This was a nice quiet week in the wrestling world. I think we could all use it after the last few weeks. WWE needs to push ahead with a new number 1 contender for the WWE championship since I don't foresee Rey Mysterio sticking. The biggest interest I have is Riley and Miz. Riley really got over on his face turn last Monday night. I'm not sure where it is heading and that's what is exciting. I won't go so far as to say Riley is a future star but these next few weeks might shed light on his potential. Raw has plenty of potential with Ziggler, Ryder and a few others not being used. Maybe tonight will change the direction as Raw comes from my backyard in Omaha Nebraska.

First off I want to say thank you to anyone who has ever served or is currently serving this great country. Freedom isn't free and the price is young men and women dying for what we sometimes take for granted. I may not always agree with the war or why we fight over there. That part is your own judgement. I think we can all agree to support the troops. As a News director for a local radio station in my area, I've read the horrors of death overseas. It saddens me to think of all the men and women who sacrificed their lives. I am a proud citizen of the United States of America and damn proud I have a right to speak my mind.



Raw got off to an auspicious start with a ton of technical problems. We missed half the Truth promo while he was out trying to sell Legendary to some little Jimmy. The Raw GM is all about unprotected sex apparently. He banned jimmies from ringside. In all seriousness, this was the worst way Raw could start. The technical problems, Truth maybe cutting a good promo and then Super Confederate Warrior Cena ruining everything. This was not the way to satisfy my wrestling taste buds.

Dolph Ziggler being used on Raw helped savor my appetite. Ziggler is very underutilized and it's good to see he is back to his blond ways. Even better, Kofi and Dolph were given time to develop a story and show off why they should be used each week. Kofi does get exposure usually in small doses. They did have a few minor problems in the match, nothing more than hiccups. I would expect that when Ziggler hasn't wrestled in weeks. The match was fantastic and entertaining. Kofi and Dolph are great workers inside the ring and deserved a long match on Raw. Great showing by them and Dolph should get a shot to run with the U.S. title on Raw.

Del Rio got the opportunity to finally have a program with someone on Raw. He's done nothing since coming over from Friday Night. He should wrestle Kane down the line with Show returning. This gives him some sort of direction. I would prefer Del Rio to face someone a little higher on the totem pole. The reports were Del Rio taking on Cena at Summerslam for the WWE title. If that is true, then Del Rio should be facing a top tier Raw star. Oh crap, I forgot that Cena is the only high face on the roster. Raw is really missing John Morrison at this moment. Morrison would fill in nicely with Del Rio until August. I'm not downplaying Kane or Show, just wish new faces were established on Raw.

The Divas are getting quite a bit of worthy time on WWE programming. They aren't ever going to be the highlight of the show as Michael Cole graciously called them. With Kharma going off television for the next 9 months to give birth to a monster, the live crowds are going to be disappointed in the diva matches. There won't be anything to look forward to except hot chicks. Oh darn. I know Kharma leaving sucks and hurts everything she was building. However, let's not say it's the worst thing ever. I don't mind watching hot chicks toss each other around each week on Raw. They aren't the most talented but they are the best looking on Raw. Once Kharma returns, she will destroy again. I feel your letdown right now. In a few weeks after you don't see her for a while, it will fade into the night. Let me ask you a question, are you dreaming of Edge every Friday night? Be honest. I miss him but don't think about him each week. It's a lot like Macho Man, may he rest in peace. I love Macho man and even went back to watch some of his greatest moments. Think about it though. Nobody would even mention Macho if he hadn't died last week. It will fade is all I'm saying.

Alex Riley got new music and titan tron video after a week of being a face. Truth has been a heel for month and can't get any intro music. I guess there really is a conspiracy going on. Joking aside, Riley got a great reaction from the crowd and I liked the music and video. The whole story actually feels personal. I dig that a lot. WWE hasn't had a personal story that actually feels like it in a long time. I have to give props to both men. I hope this leads to several matches between the two. Riley needs to win but not right away. The fans will give him more sympathy if he loses the first match with Miz cheating to win. I never thought the fans would get behind Riley so quickly.

Rey and Punk had one of the best under card matches I've seen back at Armageddon 2008. I remember Rey got a bloody nose from the GTS that night. They also had a long feud with a Wrestlemania match included in the story. The chemistry between the two is outstanding. Punk must not be getting the WWE title shot against Cena as predicted by the dirt sheets. I'm just happy Punk is getting used and winning matches. As much as he is used, he could really be the best guy on the entire WWE roster. I've always liked Punk and the tribute to Macho last week made me respect the man more.

The pregnancy of Kharma does really hurt her character. We don't need to see a human side of her. I want her to destroy. She did give a great promo. A year sounds a long ways away and I look forward to Kharma's return and kill the Bellas and the rest of the Divas. I still wish we could have had Beth Phoenix take on Kharma before she left us.

I must be dreaming. Swagger and Dolph got used on Raw. I was hoping for McIntyre but he will be on Superstars taking on Chris Masters for the 3rd time in 4 weeks. Bourne got the upset win and I loved it. This little mini feud needs to continue. Now if only the WWE could find more than 2 seconds for Zach Ryder. WWWYKI Broski.

I was hoping to hear a lets go Jimmy chant during Truth's match. I think that would be hilarious. I was also waiting for the Trojan plug during the main event featuring no Jimmies. Raw was a giant letdown in the main event. I'm certain a drugged up er tired Jeff Hardy and Sting gave more in their TNA main event a few months back.

Raw featured a lot of talent in the ring which was a nice change. The ending was just a complete cluster. I like what they are doing with Truth just not that type of ending. I can't complain to much though. Dolph, Bourne and Swagger were used along with a 3 second Zach Ryder sighting. If you need more wrestling opinions, stay with BBSD for our other blogger Justin and you can hear the Showstoppers host bitch about my perfection picks at the Over the Limit pay per view. You can follow me on Twitter @mccall316 or email me jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. Stunners for everyone.

J Call

Raw 5-16

The wrestling world had a pretty darn good week. Raw wasn't fantastic or anything. Smackdown and Impact Wrestling/TNA whatever they want to be called was solid episodes. Smackdown focused on bringing some good in ring action. Daniel Bryan and Sin Cara was the best match on television and I would love to see them wrestle, er entertain in a pay per view rematch for about 40 minutes. I did mention TNA and they did a nice job Thursday and at Sacrifice. Raw must serve a purpose for the under card as the main event has been announced for Over the Limit.

Before heading down the WWE trail and write about Raw, I need to focus on TNA. I actually liked what they are doing right now. Yes, me the so called "WWE Homer" is praising TNA. I'm not a big fan of certain things. I would like to kick Flair and Hogan off television and take Bischoff with them. Foley is back but that's not important either. The changing of TNA to Impact Wrestling on Thursday is a decent move. My only problem is if you are going to switch your brand name, you better be certain you are well prepared. They weren't. I love the slogan 'where wrestling matters.' Others are going to piss all over since it was TNA that came up with it. However, I am the one who yells and screams in this blog about wanting more wrestling. If TNA is for real and focuses a lot more on wrestling, I will be happy to tune in every Thursday evening to Spike TV. Over the past few months, the Jeff Jarrett Kurt Angle saga has taken several turns. Most of them coming in losses for Angle. Thursday, Chyna returning to wrestling and getting involved was dare I say brilliant. I'm not joking. WWE has Kharma who is making the biggest push a Diva has ever had. TNA responds with a woman who has not been seen on pro wrestling television in years. Angle finally got over at Sacrifice with the help of Chyna. The story should end now and Angle can move on to bigger fish. I sure hope Chyna sticks around as well.
The other guy I stay interested in with TNA is Misterrrrr Anderson....Anderson. TNA did a wonderful job pissing me off by keeping Anderson down. I text my buddy Larry from ShowStoppers (heard every Wednesday on BBSD) during the battle royal and I said Bubba Ray will win. He said Anderson and I'm glad I was wrong. Anderson has the most breakout star potential in TNA. His character is fantastic, although asshole is probably not the best word for merchandise. Ken has gotten better in ring ability too. He may never got the shot at WWE for many reasons, injuries, drug policy and politics. Anderson has a chance to win the title again and TNA should pull the trigger on a long title run. Let's see Mr. Potential run with the ball for a while.

The opening promo was way to long and pretty pointless. Super Cena with the same crap about fear I've heard 7500 times before. I give credit to Riley for giving a decent promo and working the crowd with cheap heat. I'm just sick of Raw being all about Super Cena and Miz for the WWE title. We've seen it too long. At least on Smackdown, Orton and Christian is new and fresh. They will have a better wrestling match at Over the Limit too. Raw should focus on some new talent. I liked what Bret Hart tweeted last week about McIntyre being thrown on Superstars was a mistake. I couldn't agree more. Drew is solid all the way around and being drafted to Raw might have been a mistake when he can't make it on the damn show. He was used every week on Smackdown.

I couldn't believe Punk dismantled the U.S. champion so quickly. I would love to see a long feud with those two. Well hell I would be happy with any feud for the U.S. title. Kofi hasn't done squat since heading to Raw. WWE might know how to push a WWE title match but they've forgotten all about the important under card matches. In the 90's, the intercontinental matches were better than most of the WWE title matches. Mr. Perfect, Bret Hart, Jake the Snake, Piper and many more sold shows because of their matches not the main event. WCW was a prime example when they had their Cruiserweight division. Now the WWE focuses on one story and can't figure out how to put anything else together. It is such a waste. Then they wonder around scratching their ass when they say they don't have new stars.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the way the WWE has used Kharma. The live crowds are even giving a huge pop every time she comes down. She feels like an event every moment she is on television. I have no clue where it goes with Kelly Kelly and I don't give a crap. I just want to see more Kharma. She doesn't need to be a heel or face just DESTROY!

Rey is much better on the stick then people give him credit for. He's really not that bad. I've sure heard a lot worse. I don't like him speaking in Spanish because I don't understand it. I understand why he does it for obvious reasons. I think I've whined about showcasing new talent and keeping things fresh. As I typed that, Del Rio and Rey were talking. We've seen this as well. WWE needs to book Del Rio, Rey and Truth for the number 1 contender to Super Cena's WWE title. That way Raw won't open with a 20 minute promo about who deserves a shot. I shouldn't complain to much since Del Rio and Rey was a solid effort in the ring. R-Truth looked a lot like The Pope from TNA with the do-rag on. Truth is getting a bigger response than ever before so at least something positive is coming out of his heel turn. I just can't understand half the stuff Rey or Truth says. The poor people typing the closed caption with ???? during that entire segment.

Cole and Lawler are going to battle in a kiss my foot match is not a bad idea. Michael Cole made the impossible happen, Texans rooting for a Sooner. People wanted to see Swagger turn on Cole. I'm all for Swagger face turn. He's got nothing else going on and Raw seems to be full of heels. You could easily turn Swagger and have him face Del Rio, Miz, McIntyre or Punk. Instead, the WWE probably teased us to hose us over at Over the Limit. I'm already passed my limit on Cole and Lawler matches. This needs to end on Sunday!

Speaking of Sunday's Over the Limit, I will be blogging my ppv picks Thursday morning for the entire wrestling world to see. They usually suck but I'll continue to bring them to you. The entire card seems pretty damn boring. Randy Orton and Christian will be the best match but we know the finish. Orton will win and Christian will turn heel. Raw announced an actual tag team championship match for OTL like it matters. McGillicuty needs to be repackaged so he can look like his dad Mr. Perfect. He's a solid in ring promo but his look and finisher is weak. A running neckbreaker is not a finisher. WWE neglects his past which is mistake.

Once again Zach Ryder gets shown on WWE TV for less than 15 seconds. Yet another missed opportunity as Ryder continues to gain more momentum on Twitter and Youtube. I figured Miz would choose a gauntlet match. I was wrong. Swagger went from a potential face turn to facing the most over man in WWE. I guess it does help Swagger get passed the sidekick role. Swagger had a sweet bump into the chair. That was about the only thing I enjoyed out of their match. Cena hit a record 7 shoulder tackles so that's something to gloat about. Actually Swagger wasn't bad at all. If that were a lead pipe, it sure bounced like it was rubber on the mat. Raw ends with Super Cena on top, no surprise there.

Raw was boring. The overall show didn't bring anything to the table. Over the Limit is a filler pay per view. Cena and Miz in the main event is not getting me to purchase the show. I love Orton and Christian but Christian has about as much chance as I have of winning the lottery. WWE is on cruise control and not giving us anything special during these summer months. They won't for several months. SAVE US Y2J! I know you need more wrestling and you can find that on BBSD with Showstoppers and our other blogger Justin. I'll come back for my Over the Limit picks which might be my shortest blog in history. Stunners for everyone.

J Call

Raw 5-9

What a difference a week makes. I went from being a happy pro wrestling fan and then last Tuesday evening changed everything. The debacle didn't actually air until Friday night but hell everyone knew before then. Oh, excuse me Showstoppers host don't read spoilers. I'll have more on Christian in a moment. Raw is going to be missing one of their big faces as John Morrison needs neck surgery. Sad news for sure in the WWE. The good thing is Raw is packed with stars so hopefully hmm, maybe Raw will use Dolph Ziggler. Raw has to be better than last week's birthday bore-a-thon. Okay, we can move on and discuss what I felt was a giant hose job Friday night.

I read the spoilers and I was super pissed. Christian winning the title at Extreme Rules was a heartfelt moment for Edge, Christian and the fans. I'm not going to sit here and tell you 'Christian deserved better.' The fact is we deserved better, the fans. I believe we were ready to back Christian as a real star and our world champion. He's a hard worker, solid mic skills and a great wrestler. The last one doesn't mean squat anymore. Captain Charisma may have fled to TNA but he was smart to do it. He saw the writing on the wall back then. He wasn't being used as more than a mid carder. His return brought hope that he was going to be properly used. Instead, he was thrown on the C show, ECW. Once again, he proved himself there and then Smackdown. Christian has a great fan base. The match with Randy Orton on Smackdown was fantastic. Nobody should doubt the quality of the contest. I was just pissed off WWE, namely Vincent Kennedy McMahon would pull the rug out from under us so fast. I understand Randy Orton wanting to be the face of Smackdown. John Cena is the face of Raw. Cena has also had long ass runs without the belt and stayed the face of Monday night. Orton doesn't need the belt. He's an established star in the wrestling world's eyes. You know why Orton is established? Because Vince and Triple H pushed his ass when he was in Evolution and then Orton branched off to be a star. Christian isn't as established because the brilliant writers and one Vince McMahon don't see dollar signs when looking at Christian. I, and I'm guessing I'm not alone, bought Extreme Rules only to see if Christian was going to win the whole damn thing. The part that pisses me off is saying Christian can't make money. I heard plenty of folks say kids buy the products, tickets and pay per views. Kids beg their parents and they don't want to see Christian. Yes, I read this crap. Here's some new information for you, kids are stupid! They will like whomever you want them to like. If Christian was facing the giant Hamburgler Mark Henry, kids would be chanting Christian's name. If Christian was facing the Giant Gonzalez part 2, The Great Kahli, kids would be chanting for Christian. Every wrestler could work a crowd with kids because they are simple minded and so is the WWE! One tweet by WWE Universe said blame WWE Universe. Well, let's see I spent $50 for a ticket, $20 on a t-shirt and $10 on nachos and a soda, yep I want to witness Christian vs. Kahli. Give me a freaking break. Swagger kept the damn World Heavyweight title longer.

I apparently know nothing about wrestling anymore. If the writers, Vince and no one else in the company believes in Christian, I would walk. The example I can make is an owner losing confidence in his manager. When the organization has zero confidence in you as the guy, then you're set into the mid card "mechanic" role for the rest of the time you are going to be there. If WWE ever throws Christian into the world title picture, he will never win. Why would I ever care then? WWE blew their load with the great moment at Extreme Rules. I will continue to root for Christian and Randy Orton. Christian might as well turn heel. It's the only chance he has. Please, don't write the hate tweets to Orton. You need to direct them to WWE and VKM. I did and do blame Vince and the higher ups. However long Christian's contract is, I'd split right after it's over and head back to TNA. I'd rather be a world champion in TNA than a mid card wrestler in WWE being used to push others over that doesn't deserve a top spot. TNA focuses on something completely different than WWE, wrestling! Mr. Kennedy was released, headed to TNA and that worked out. WWE, pull your head out of your ass and realize there are more than kids watching your product. The ratings suck compared to the Attitude era when the WWE catered to........young adults. Crazy concept! I need a pick me up.



Alright, I feel better and patriotic.

I was and still am all for Alberto Del Rio on Raw. I was just hoping for something fresh and exciting. Rey and Del Rio is neither. We saw a long program between the two of them on Smackdown. I don't want you to read that wrong, their program was great on Smackdown and got Del Rio over. Del Rio is over with the crowd now and needs to be facing bigger names. John Morrison injury saddens me. Morrison has yet to get the real push he deserves. Morrison really did have surgery. However, I had heard he was going to be out months. The diagnosis is he will only be out 4 to 6 weeks. I smell a Summerslam return. Raw started out with quite a racist promo. Miz laying down the Taco Bell parking lot line to Rey and Del Rio. R-Truth tells Del Rio he has Mexican Liver Lips. Amazing. Even better, Truth started out with Hospital food talk. I didn't get much but here's what I understood after the segment, Rey and Truth will battle at the next pay per view as will Miz and Cena. It was set up to obviously. The only thing I loved was Ricardo Rodriguez interrupting Miz at the very end. I laughed at that. Del Rio is the wildcard because if he's not in the main event and not facing Rey, then what the hell does he do?

Kharma really had her first victim on Friday night Smackdown. Alisha Fox received a separated shoulder after the clothesline she received from Kharma. I've really enjoyed this debut of Kharma. Vince is finally making the Divas relevant, although it's by destroying them. I think that's called irony. More heads flying off the Divas bodies is always good. Kharma shouldn't even be in a real match for at least another month or two. The mystery will be lost if she starts having matches. The WWE is smart by keeping her away from Beth, Natalya and Gail Kim as well. The WWE will never recognize the history between Kim and Kharma, it's long and good. Kharma's first match needs to be with one of those three lovely ladies. She can continue to squash the others before then.

The jokes keep on rolling on CM Punk. According to the dirt sheets, Punk's contract is up and is in a battle with Vince about his name. Well you can tell because since Mania, Punk has done nothing. Mason Ryan and Batista jokes seem to pop up everywhere. I actually like the kid. I don't care that he looks like Batista. He has a good look and surprising agile inside the ropes. He has a great future. In the end, his look might get him moved up quicker.

I'd prefer to see Ziggler to go back to being a blond. On Raw, I was simply happy he was used. I thought WWE forgot about him. He and Kofi need to be in a feud immediately. The U.S. title is doing nothing on Kofi. Ziggler needs a jumpstart and giving him the title would do it. Kofi is fine as a face chasing but then it's over. He doesn't do well just carrying the title.

Zach Ryder sighting on Raw was the best part of the night. WWWYKI Bro! Ryder is developing a cult following on his YouTube videos. Twitter blew up when Ryder was on TV. It's amazing. His videos have over 100,000 hits while Superstars has like 4,000. WWE needs to push him. I kinda liked what Riley did. He is the red headed step child so it's cool that he came out to challenge Cena. A shame Cena only had one more move that was original in his match. Hell, Dolph did a fireman's carry on his knees (If you're not familiar with actually wrestling, Cena's finisher is weak as pea soup, a standing fireman's carry) then Riley hit a back suplex during the match. Luckily, Cena still had his shoulder tackles to be original since Sheamus is on Smackdown. If you haven't figured it out, I hate Cena.

Lawler and Cole continues and Jimmy Crack Corn and I don't care. The mom card is played out and disrespectful to Jerry and his family. How is it possible talking about a dead mother is PG and saying ass and bitch is to harsh! I don't get the logic. Yabba Dabba *beep*. Hey Jerry, what did you do yesterday for mother's day? Oops forgot she's dead. I know which one I'd rather have my kid say to another. Kofi and Swagger wasn't bad at all. I had to put Raw on mute because of Cole but the match was decent.

The triple threat match main event was a solid effort from all 3 men. It was really pay per view quality. I'd been much happier had Truth and Cena stayed away. Nonetheless, Raw had to end somehow. I have no plans to buy Over the Limit with a Cena Miz, Rey Truth match. I have no idea what Smackdown has planned. Miz and Cena have been in the main event in nearly every pay per view so far in 2011. The WWE draft should have changed things up and yet the main event picture stays the same. Del Rio is now the x-factor. He has nothing. Maybe Over the Limit features Rey, Del Rio and Truth for the number 1 contender spot. I would be fine with that. Raw wouldn't start with a 20 minute promo the night after Over the Limit featuring 3 or 4 guys whining about getting their shot.

I think I've ranted enough for this blog. Raw was better than last week which is a backhanded complement. Over the Limit starts to shape up and I'll ignore it for the most part. WWE is getting a little stale. I don't understand if you have a draft and then keep half the guys off the show, then there was no point. WWE usually doesn't have a point to anything. If you enjoyed this Raw blog, follow me on Twitter @mccall316, email me jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com and keeping hitting BBSD for more great stuff from our other blogger Justin and Showstoppers. Stunners for everyone!

J Call

Raw 5-2

I am a very happy pro wrestling fan. For my money, Extreme Rules was a better overall pay per view then Wrestlemania 27. I did well on my picks as well. The wrestlers got their opportunity to shine. WWE did a much better job at pacing the show. I loved everything except Michael Cole. I wasn't going to like him no matter what. I really felt Christian and Del Rio should have ended the show. The pop of Christian winning the World Heavyweight Championship was the biggest of the night. Christian's win was one of the last pure moment for me. Edge and Christian celebrating in the ring reminded me of Wrestlemania 20. A wonderful pure moment and I don't care how the hell it happened, it happened. The People's Champ parties like it's 1999 and Raw has an Extreme Rules WWE Championship rematch.

I had an amazing weekend when it comes to wrestling. Before Sunday's Extreme Rules, I ventured to Council Bluffs, IA for a little independent show called PWP or Pro Wrestling Phoenix. I had seen them before but I hadn't gone in for quite a while. I was pleasantly surprised. The show featured a Dragon Gate wrestler named Akira Tozawa. He walked around the building several times so I had a good look at him before he entered the ring. He was in a tag team contest with "Babyface" Tony Cortez. Tony has been their for years and is a solid performer. The man I really came to watch was one of their opponents, Jaysin Strife who partnered with David C.....lark. Please, don't ask about David's name because I have no idea why they write it that way. I've seen Jaysin several times and I am never disappointed. He's one of the best independent wrestlers I've ever seen. They put on a damn good main event tag match. The star of the night that shined brightest was the match between "The Anarchist" Arik Cannon and Zack Sabre Jr. I've never seen Sabre Jr. I have to say I was thoroughly impressed. Zack had a good look, crisp in ring performance and left me hoping he was going to be a regular. Unfortunately, my buddies and I were told he was only in the states for a New York minute. This was the only opportunity to see him. I was glad I was there. Zack and Cannon, who I've seen several times and always has a good match, was by far the best match of the night. Now, if you don't live in or around my area, check around to find an indy show in your area. These independent wrestling shows, such as PWP or MPX, are all over the place and focus on something other companies have forgot about, WRESTLING! You never know who you might see at an Indy show. It might be a big star someday in the WWE or TNA.

A Patriotic Raw started with the best National Anthem of all time with Lillian Garcia. She always does a great job with it. I had chills watching and listening to her sing the Anthem. I couldn't believe the People's Champ was first to arrive on scene. I figured for certain the Champ would be first. The Rock delivered the goods in his promo. The People's Pledge was mentioned on Twitter. I got chills during that as well. The Rock and Cole in the ring was pretty cool. I certainly enjoyed the Rock Bottom and People's Elbow. However, the damn segment was a quarter of the show. I hate the Heat, never heard of Pitbull and didn't need to see the Nitro err Heat dancers. I guess Vince thought there was to much wrestling on Extreme Rules. Raw didn't need any for 30 minutes.

I figured I would give the WWE some credit since Morrison and Truth were announced before the commercial. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Truth and Morrison didn't even get in the ring. No bell ringing except for Morrison's after Truth beat the crap out of him. I will say this segment worked for both men. Even without the match, Morrison gains more sympathy from fans. R-Truth has plenty of heat on him. I guess it was action and not talking. Jim Ross was back at the table too so it wasn't all bad.

Maryse made it back on TV which was great. The bad news was the only reason was to get squashed by Kharma. This is exactly what WWE needed to do with Kharma Kong. She destroyed McCool at Extreme Rules and then Maryse on Raw. I hope this continues. I want her to keep destroying other Divas and then have Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix and Natalya start grouping up to try and defeat her. The one thing I don't want to see is Kharma wrestling dudes. Keep them separate or mix tag matches only.

I did see Zac Ryder in the background at the Rock's party. If you haven't checked out his YouTube videos, you are really missing out. Ryder has more charisma then over half the WWE roster. He's funny and creative. I hope he gets a chance to shine inside the ring soon and not Superstars. Hour number 1 ended without one single complete match.

The Champ didn't even get to speak. Miz and Cena were the semi main event and also the very actually match on Raw. After over an hour, we finally got a match. The cage match with Morrison, Miz and Cena was a damn good match as well. I felt Morrison was a little disappointing though. Miz brought it though. I still think Miz should have kept the WWE title. I figured Cena and Rock would have a face to face with the WWE title in Cena's hand as a future sight of what could be at Wrestlemania 28. When the hell does a ref actually reverse his decision? We hardly ever see it. The ending was weak. I didn't care for the reverse decision. We don't ever see it and it's stupid. We see guys win by cheating constantly. I know I'm suppose to suspend realism watching wrestling. Still, show some consistency.

As I stated in the opening paragraph, I enjoyed to the fullest the Del Rio Christian ladder match. Del Rio will have the WWE title soon. The WWE hasn't pulled the trigger on giving Del Rio a title yet. It will happen before Summerslam. The tag match gives me hope for a few things. Kofi and Drew could easily mix it up for the U.S. title right away. Swagger and Rey doesn't do anything for me though. We saw that last year around the same time when Swagger was the World champion. The only thing I didn't want was Del Rio and Rey again. Smackdown had the longest feud of the year with those two guys. Raw is going to rectify it and I'm super pissed.

I was pretty stoked to see Dolph Ziggler on Raw. Ziggler actually responded to a few tweets I sent him a few nights ago on Twitter. @HeelZiggler is his id. I found out he's a big Archer fan. The reason Twitter is so cool is because guys like Ziggler and Mick Foley respond to tweets. It gives you a feeling that they care about you. By the way, I'm on Twitter @mccall316 (cheap plug). Actually I told Ziggler I would give him a shout out in my next WWE blog.

WWE must be pretty high on Mason Ryan. He over powered Kane and Big Show. Ryan might branch off Nexus and move on to Goldberg like terror through the under card. The WWE needs to step up and make new stars. Ryan might be one of those guys. We all see the resemblance of Batista. Well, Batista didn't do a whole lot of pure wrestling but the looks is all he needed. I kinda like it though. Nexus is stale as is the Corre. Stables only work when the guys in the stables actually win. Ryan and McGillicuty have futures. Ryan's is a little easier since he has a better look and name. McGillicuty needs to be taken off TV for a while, I paused to write that since Raw was the first time I'd seen him in weeks, and have his name and look changed.

Vincent Kennedy McMahon was a special treat. One thing nobody can say is WWE can't produce sweet videos. Their tribute to The Rock was damn good. I'd never heard of Mia but I'd like her pie. I figured some big name was going to come out and interrupt The Rock. I was disappointed. I wanted Jericho, Austin or someone. At least more than Vince. Raw let me down.

The entire show wasn't all that great. I know this birthday celebration was special and gave us a few moments. It didn't give us what I wanted which is wrestling and being entertained. I don't care about the Heat, Hurricanes or Pitbull. You have to cater to the Miami fans but you also have to cater to the audience at home. I don't think the WWE did that at all. You can catch more hot wrestling opinions on BBSD with the boys from Showstoppers. You can follow me on Twitter @mccall316 or our legend Larry @bigbadlarry. If you don't have Twitter, email me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. Stunners for everyone.

J Call

A Night of Extreme PG Rules

The final pay per view before the new rosters go into effect is this Sunday. Extreme Rules use to be one of my favorite shows of the year. I always enjoyed the gimmick matches and the hardcore contests the WWE through out for this one night. However, Extreme Rules isn't much different than any other show. The card for this year is much of the same as Wrestlemania, except no Rocky. I'm not mad about this as Wrestlemania left me hungry for a few rematches and hopefully a few longer matches. We still have questions about the World Heavyweight Championship and WWE title potentially being on the same show as is the U.S. and I.C. titles. Extreme Rules will sort all of that out.

Falls Count Anywhere

Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes

I feel this match will likely start off the show on Sunday. This has been a great story for months. Rhodes has developed into one of the finest heels on Smackdown and frankly I figured Rhodes not Rey would be on Raw. Rhodes seems to be the obvious choice since it doesn't do Rey any good to win this match. Rhodes needs the momentum to keep his character moving forward. BUT, I know I wrote that in caps, somehow someway I think Rey gets the win to end the feud.

Loser Leaves Smackdown

Michelle McCool vs. Layla

The rumors going around is McCool is heading out of the WWE for a while so she can be with her husband, The Undertaker. I understand that especially when no one knows when Taker will return. Layla may have a face feeling after this match. I would hate to see that, she's a much better heel. I was puzzled as to why LayCool would break up but it makes since now. Layla wins and McCool heads home.

Last Man Standing

Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

I've enjoyed the Punk Orton story to the fullest. The story has ran its course and time for both men to move on. Orton has battled Nexus and Punk since the Rumble. The draft split them apart which is a good thing. The dirt sheets have Punk possibly leaving the company which would make this WWE blogger very upset. Punk is a talented individual in and out of the ring. Punk is stands out from the crowd. In today's wrestling world, everyone acts and does the same crap. Not Punk though. If he really is leaving, WWE won't give him a win over their newest big name on Friday Nights. Orton wins.

Country Whipping Match

Jerry Lawler and Jim Ross vs. Michael Cole and Jack Swagger

I have no idea what the hell a country whipping match is. I'm assuming it's like a leather strap match. There is no way to give Michael Cole enough knots from a belt to even the score. To say Cole is annoying is the understatement of the Century. Cole never received a stunner, won't get a piledriver so what else is there? It'd be great to see something vial like the leather belt being shoved up his ass. If this goes any further than Sunday, it won't be in my blog. I will ignore all of it. I don't care if that means I have to mute Raw to avoid Cole. Please end this crap. King and JR get the win.

World Heavyweight Championship Ladder Match

Alberto Del Rio vs. Christian

Del Rio is heading to Raw so the choice is Christian right? RIGHT?!? Hold on a second because it may not be that easy. WWE could pull the fast one and give Raw both major titles for a month or so and then get the belt on Randy Orton. I want to be wrong. Seriously, I love Christian. He deserves a chance to hold onto the World Heavyweight title. I wanted Del Rio and Christian to wrestle for several months. I rarely get what I want and I won't get that. Del Rio and Cena are almost a lock for Summerslam. My picks have sucked so I hope the opposite happens. I'm picking Alberto Del Rio.

WWE Championship Triple Threat Cage Match

Miz (c) vs. John Cena vs. John Morrison

I've really grown to like Miz as the WWE champion. He's had a good run and it should continue for the next few months. However, The Rock's return to Raw on Monday may spell the end of Miz title reign. What the hell does The Rock have to do with Miz? Good question. Well, the WWE wants to push hard The Rock and Cena match at Wrestlemania 28. During The Rock's birthday bash, Cena interrupting The Rock with the title on his shoulder would be huge. This image would be plastered all over. On the other hand, say Cena interrupts but without the belt. The Rock can make fun of him for not winning the match. Which one makes a bigger impact? Cena holding the belt. Cena wins the WWE title.

J Call

Raw 4-25

The WWE made a rash decision and decided to do the Draft without much hype. I'm sure most of it has to do Edge's retirement. I said a lot of what I wanted in the Raw preview. I was hoping for some drastic moves and Smackdown gaining some bigger names. The Draft has to help some of the mid card wrestlers especially guys like Dibiase, McIntyre and Daniel Bryan. At the end of Raw, I was pleased with several moves and disappointed in the ending. I have to tell you this is my 2nd draft of the blog. I had one complete but this piece of crap website called Blogger sucks donkey balls and erased nearly everything I wrote.

Before Raw, you have to be watching Tough Enough. The first few weeks, I had my doubts but last week and this with Bret Hart have been superb. I am a little biased since Bret has always been my favorite wrestler of all time. If you're not on twitter, you missed this epic video. The song says 'I'm going to make you cry', well I cried laughing my ass off. There is some talent on Tough Enough and I look forward to seeing what happens with some of these young men and women.

Raw started off nicely with the battle royal. The whole thing was forgettable except for Kofi and Bourne's interaction near the end. I don't remember anything else after this since afterwards John Cena was drafted to Smackdown. This moment was a giant shocker for everyone. The entire Internet Wrestling Community was stunned. I was on twitter and I thought it was going to blow up. Everyone thought this was a good move for WWE and Smackdown. I was on the fence. I didn't want to see Cena move to Smackdown. I felt it would hurt Christian's chances of becoming the face of Friday Night. WWE needs to show they are committed to Captain Charisma. Luckily the disappointment from the main event and final draft pick, lifted my spirits.

R-Truth really stepped his game up with his on stage promo. Truth saying he is finally himself is a good thing. The whole rap gimmick was played out. Truth's little kid voice made me laugh. The crowd responded hot with plenty of boos and WHAT chants. Morrison and Truth can have a hell of a story. Morrison will have to step up his mic skills. One thing was proven tonight, Morrison has the crowd behind him. I don't know whether to credit Morrison or Truth.

All I can say about Cody Rhodes is DAMN! He's completely turned me into a fan.

I was really hoping the Irish Ghost would move over to Smackdown. At the end of the night, Orton and Sin Cara were the big names heading to Smackdown. They didn't add a big heel and lost Del Rio. Sheamus can easily move over and be back into the main event picture. Sheamus has gotten the giant shaft on Raw. The match proved that with Sheamus taking two Trouble in Paradise for the loss. Obviously, Smackdown did gain one big name with Randy Orton. He was one guy I said in my Raw preview would be perfect to go over to Smackdown. I finally got one right.

The Cole and JR segment lasted way too long. Anything with Cole lasts way to long. I did find it very funny Cole received a black eye and bloody lip. Ross may have ended up with a broken hand. Lawler mentioned it later on and I saw some pictures of it on twitter. It didn't look good.

I couldn't even tell who Randy and who Ziggler were in their match. Ziggler's unique look is gone and it sucks. I know I mentioned it last week but I will continue mentioning it because I hate it. I would love to see Ziggler get a long term program with someone, anyone on Raw. He's still dinking around doing nothing.

I would have rather seen Del Rio stay on Smackdown. Friday Night seemed to feel like Del Rio's show anymore. I realize it makes sense because Del Rio's star is rising and everyone sees Raw as the "A" Show. The main event isn't much of a main event with Mark Henry involved. Mark Henry, R-Truth and Big Zeke are all heels, I'm just saying. The 6 man tag was pretty good though. The turn by Henry makes zero sense and I hope it doesn't lead to anything with Christian. He's got bigger things to do. As I mentioned, Cena being drafted back to Raw was pretty lame.

WWE has that supplemental draft coming up on Tuesday. You can expect several under card wrestlers moving in that draft. I hope guys like McIntryre and Dibiase get a chance to show they can become stars on a different show. They need to first be put in front of our eyes. If you need more wrestling be sure to check out Showstoppers on BBSD every Wednesday. You can follow me on Twitter @mccall316 or email me jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. I will come back later in the week for my Extreme Rules picks. Stunner for everyone!

J Call

Wrestlemania Pick Blog

The time has come, Wrestlemania is upon us. The WWE fell short for weeks until Monday. Raw did exactly what its purpose was and that is to get me ready for this Sunday. I don't remember a better go home show ever. Okay, I'm exaggerating a bit. Stone Cold did the beer truck promo the Raw before Wrestlemania XV. Still, Monday did its job and I am ready for the biggest wrestling show of the year. I expect some twists, turns and swerves on Sunday. A few I want to see and one I hope doesn't happen. I know it is early to talk about Wrestlemania 28 since I'm just getting to Mania 27 picks. The WWE prepares for next years Mania right after so I thought I would help out.

In the last 3 years, The Undertaker has wrestled HBK twice and HHH this year. Who the hell is left for Taker? I read some reports that Taker was going to wrestle Wade Barrett this year. Of course, then 2-21-11 was going to be Sting and Taker. We know that was all smoke and mirrors now. Maybe Barrett was a lie and the WWE always knew Triple H was going to face Taker. That may never be solved. The real problem is who can take Triple H spot next year and be victim number 20?

The current roster only has two studs and one of them has already faced Undertaker. Randy Orton won't be getting a rematch against Taker anytime soon. They wrestled at Wrestlemania 21 in a phenomenal contest. John Cena on the other hand is a different story. Cena is the only mega star left the WWE has yet to use in the streak. I think it could happen. If WWE really wanted to get Cena heel, have him beat Taker and do it by cheating. WWE would have a riot on their hands. I look at Cena versus Taker the same way as Austin vs. Taker. It's not going to happen. The payoff isn't there. In all the years of the streak, Taker has only faced 2 mega stars, HBK and HHH. Edge, Orton and Batista aren't quite up to that level. Cena is a likely candidate but I don't see it.

Miz might be an option. He's certainly proved he can deliver during this Rock/Cena/Miz triangle mess. Miz has looked, played and acted like a main event player. The build would have to be perfect in order for fans to buy Wrestlemania for that match. Miz could team up with the owner Vincent Kennedy McMahon to help the fans believe he has a shot. Hell, if Vince weren't rising past 60, he could end up being an option. I'm kind of surprised that never happened.

Wade Barrett has a chance for redemption. Again, it's all about the story. The story would have worked this year. Nexus buried Taker and the set up was there. To be able to replicate that for next year may be difficult. Wade would have to "injure" Taker or something to that affect. It seems like the current roster may not have the star. What about the guy hosting this years Wrestlemania?

The People's Champ says he is going to stick around forever. I'm sure forever means a few months after Wrestlemania. He has said he would wrestle again. Okay, take on Cena at Summerslam in August and create some magic with The Deadman. I would love this match and I don't care who the bad guy is. They would be a lot like Triple H and HBK where neither were a heel. The Rock would sell tickets, as he is this year. This is a pipe dream but then again so is this next guy.

My pick on a 'No chance in hell but a fan can dream' vote for The Undertaker's opponent at Wrestlemania 28 is Kurt Angle. What! I said Kurt Angle! I am aware Angle is currently on the TNA roster. I know he has said he is loyal to TNA. He has also said he doesn't want to work full time once his contract ends this summer. The Olympic Gold medalist would be hard pressed to turn down an offer from the WWE if they said we want you to face The Undertaker. That is a huge vote of confidence in Angle. If Angle were to sign a contract in say October, I wouldn't reveal him until the Royal Rumble. Sure it's a hot shot angle (pun intended) but it would work. Kurt would eliminate Taker and brawl it on the outside. Angle would come through the crowd as opposed to be one of the participants. Security gets Angle and Taker separated. The promo begins on Friday Night Smackdown with The Undertaker saying Angle is a dead man. He wanted one more shot at Wrestlemania for the world title. Angle comes to the ring with a huge smile on his face. He starts talking about how all he ever hears about around this time is the streak. The rest writes itself. Angle and The Undertaker would rock. I would love to see it.

The Corre vs. The Freaks er Kozlov, Santino, Kane, Show

This match should be Corre vs. Show, Kane and Kofi. They take the belt off Kofi and keep him off the card. I hate it. Anyway, Corre is wasting away. I like Barrett and Gabriel. The Gabriel Slater tag team has a decent future. I'm not into this match at all. I thought it was funny on Raw with everyone doing the trumpet thing. That's the only thing I remember of this entire story. The Corre win.

Rey Mysterio vs Cody Rhodes

This match has great potential. I loved the build. Dusty Rhodes was involved, Cody has been much darker and Rey always plays his role well. Rey and Cody deserve at least 15 minutes of in ring time. I wouldn't be surprised if the American Dream tries to help his son. I will watch this match with complete focus to see if Rhodes can handle the spotlight and bring a great match. I think he will. In the end, dial it up R-E-Y with the win.

United States Championship Match

Sheamus (c) vs. Daniel Bryan

The match that should kick off Wrestlemania. The build hasn't been all there. I hated the squash match with Sheamus and Bourne. Both men have a bright future in the WWE. I said it in my Raw blog that these two can provide a spark and get the crowd involved from the start of Wrestlemania. I love this match and the competitors. I hope they give me what I want, a back and forth contest. I think they will and the Irish Ghost steals a victory.

Jerry The King Lawler vs. Michael Cole w/Swagger in his corner and Stone Cold as the ref

This could go one way, which is a beer bash and Lawler beating the crap out of Cole from the bell, or the other way, which is Hart/Vince from last year. I don't think there is much middle ground. Steve hits a stunner or 12 and Lawler wins. The match is better than last years Hart vs. Vince.

Randy Orton vs. CM Punk

A match with show stealing potential. These two have had the best overall story on Raw. WWE actually used the history to add a different flavor. Nexus members have been gone for quite a while, we might see one of them return to help Punk. They may hold that off for Raw. I think the story continues. I'm torn but I'll say Punk gets the victory.

Dolph Ziggler and LayCool vs. John Morrison, Trish Stratus and Jersey Whore

Celebrities don't normally lose. In fact, I'm not sure if they ever have. The only thing I can hope for is a lot of Ziggler Morrison and less the Divas. They are the future and should get a shot to shine. Morrison and crew take down the heels. Although, I will be rooting for Ziggler.

World Heavyweight Championship

Edge (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

It is Del RRRRRRio's destiny to win the World heavyweight championship at Wrestlemania. I sound like a broken record but don't turn Christian heel. He shouldn't be a heel. I believe this is a sure bet, Del Rio will be the World Heavyweight Champion.

WWE Title Match

Miz (c) vs. John Cena

How does Rock get involved? He is definitely going to be in the match some way, shape or form. WWE has used a lot of time to build him up with Cena and Miz. He has to do something. I just don't know what that is. If he is going wrestle, he could cost Cena the match. Miz would get a major boast if he walks out with the belt. For some reason, the picture of Cena raising the WWE title and then receiving a Rock Bottom is in my mind. That's what I will go with. Cena wins.

The Undertaker vs. Triple H

I do think this match will end Wrestlemania. Raw brought me back into this story. I was drifting away. Shawn Michaels made be in the mix for an appearance during the match. He's done wrestling though so where would the payoff be if he cost Triple H? There isn't one. I've yelled it on ShowStoppers, I've wrote it several times and I am telling you right now, The Streak will never die. Triple H and HBK can do anything in this match but the outcome will remain. I hope I'm wrong because I smell a disappointment in this match. 19-0 will happen on Sunday. Enjoy the festivities with your buddies. No wrestling fan deserves to be alone on Sunday night. Get your ass to a party or create one. This is WRESTLEMANIA!

J Call

Elimination Picks and The Return of the Great One

I was planning on a very simple Elimination Chamber blog. I figured I would give you a few laughs, miss several picks and wait for 2-21-11. I can't do that now. I'm forced to go off because some people piss me off. This is going to be about the Great One's return on Raw. I'm so sick of the negativity I get when I search around the Internet. I realize I am not a professional writer. I know I don't have real insight to the world of professional wrestling. I am a man with a blog on a sports website, allowed to speak freely when I damn well please. This is one of those times.

The Rock returning on Raw was the best thing to happen in the WWE in a very long time. I figured the IWC (Internet Wrestling Community, follow me) would be chanting the Rock's name and going crazy. I couldn't imagine anyone not liking it. I know you can't please everyone but this was the F'N ROCK! No, no some need to see the bad things that happened once "If Ya Smell..." hit the sound system. I heard 'he out shined the youth' or 'the rest of Raw was meaningless' and the list goes on and on. Why can't we simply enjoy a moment without beating to death the negatives?

Did the Rock outshine everyone? You damn right he did. He walked out and Cena crapped his pants when he heard the pop. That's a wrestling pop people! The crowd went berserk as they should. His return was the biggest shock and real surprise in years. His promo was flawless. Timing impeccable. Everything done to the core of ripping Cole, Cena and Miz were beautifully crafted. Why ruin it by saying he just made fun of the top guys? He's the F'N Rock. That's his character. He made fun of everyone back in his prime. The Rock is easily in the top 5 of mic skills of all time and could be number 1 depending on who you speak to.

Did the Rock give you amnesia? If you forget everything that happened on Raw besides the Rock, then the answer is yes. The Rock gave you amnesia. The fact is the episode wasn't the greatest but there were positives. Miz and Bryan had a great 2 segment match and Miz boosted the Lawler match for EC by himself. Punk and Cena started the night off in the right direction and Orton and Sheamus did their part to build up the Raw Elimination Chamber match. Of course the highlight of the night was Rocky. It's been 7 damn years! The next time appreciate the moment. Take it all in. Breath near the speakers of your television and smell the aroma. If you don't want to do that, then take a cue from the People's Champ and KNOW YOUR ROLE AND SHUT YOUR MOUTH!

Intercontinental Championship
Kofi Kingston (c) vs. Alberto Del Rio

Can Alberto win the IC belt and face the World Champ at Mania for both titles? It's only been done one other time and it was the Warrior vs. Hogan Mania VI. I can't see the reasoning unless you want to build Alberto up even more. I don't think you need to do that. The real reason to have him face Kofi is for exposure. Alberto's the Royal Rumble winner and needed to be on the card. Somehow I see Kofi keeping the belt.

WWE Championship
The Miz (c) vs. Jerry the King Lawler

I gave away my pick on ShowStoppers but someone forgot to put it in the segment. I chose Lawler on SS and am sticking to it. I know I'm going to be wrong. Miz is going to win. However, for the sake of fun and pure enjoyment, I want King to win. I think it would be shocking and surprising. The following night, 2-21-11, the Miz gets a rematch, wins the title back with help from Riley and Cole and bingo! You have a payoff at Wrestlemania with Lawler taking on Riley and Cole. It's not going to happen and I know I'm going to be wrong. I don't care. Lawler is my pick.

World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber Match
Edge (c) vs Kane vs Rey vs Barrett vs Drew vs ?

I won't spoil anything from Smackdown but Ziggler will not be in this match. The setup has been Edge and Del Rio for weeks. I can't see the WWE changing it. The only way this changes is if the mystery man is say Sting, Jericho or Triple H. Otherwise, Ziggler probably weasels back in during the pay per view and gets one more shot. You have a heel waiting in the wings so a face makes sense to win this match. WWE don't throw the curveball here. Edge wins.

Raw Elimination Chamber match for the right to face the WWE champion at Mania
Cena vs. Morrison vs Sheamus vs Orton vs Truth vs Punk

This match will likely be the finale to the show. Some speculate the Rock is going to wrestle Cena at Mania so anyone is fair game in this match. You are gravely mistaken. Rock said he would see Cena and Miz at Wrestlemania. I don't think he meant a Triple Threat Match either. What did he mean? More than likely, Rock is the special guest ref in their main event match or something to that affect. The match should come down to Orton and Cena. WWE could test the waters of a potential feud between the two down the line depending on the response. Personally, I'd rather see Punk vs Orton vs Miz vs Cena for the WWE title at Mania. They have all been feuding in someway. Throw them into a Fatal Four Way and be unique. The 4 way dance hasn't happened since Wrestlemania 2000 or XVI. The Super human Cena will walk out with the victory.

J Call

Raw 2-7

I was somewhat upset after the previous Raw which gave Lawler the number 1 contender to Miz's title. Otherwise, Raw and Smackdown weren't all that bad. Smackdown provided some compelling wrestling in their main event. Elimination Chamber is setting up nicely. Raw can continue to build momentum and hype for something very big on 2-21-11. It succeeded in one aspect but failed in another.

Vincent Kennedy McMahon showing up was certainly a surprise. I would love to see McMahon back each week. My guess is Bob Barker will host Mania. I've heard rumors he was coming back. Plus, he did an excellent job as celebrity host on Raw. Let the speculation begin. Randall Orton did indeed cost Punk his WHC back in '08. I love the WWE bringing that footage into this feud. It adds more elements to the story. Hell, usually the WWE forgets what happened a month ago. The opener worked out well. Punk received a bloody nose but got revenge on Orton. As I said about Miz and Orton, the heel needs revenge. The story gets boring if the face always gets the better. If you compare Corre and Nexus, Raw has built up their group a lot more than Smackdown has used Corre. They've looked pretty average.

The Raw GM could e-mail during the commercials every time. I wouldn't have to deal hearing Michael Cole. Cena stole my joke about the Aguilera national anthem when it came to Truth. Damn you Cena and your joke stealing ways. Anyway, I found it funny Cole lead the cheer of Milwaukee. Mason Ryan got some much needed ring time. I wanted to see what he can do. You can tell he's very green. I liked his submission, haven't seen that in years. I especially liked the torture rack to Truth's leg. I didn't care about the decision. Crowd didn't care either. They were to busy mocking Truth to feel sorry for him.

Holy crap balls, Gail Kim got to wrestle. Divas match was forgettable. I just can't get over Kim got to wrestle. I know your not going to miss Raw next week for the showdown of Eve vs. Natalya for the Diva's title. Okay, maybe that's not high on the list. Still, it's a title match and we can hope it will last longer than 5 minutes.

The new 2-21-11 video makes me believe its The Undertaker. The video plays the same Johnny Cash song as the promo for last years' Taker HBK match. The lyrics brought more hints, "There ain't no grave that can hold my body down." Taker was last seen buried alive.

I know the WWE thought about eliminating Hell in a Cell. I read they felt it was old. I disagree. The Chamber and the Cell are to unique structures to quit using them. I wish the Cell was build up a little more. They throw two guys in there like Orton and Sheamus and try to make it feel special. It didn't work. The Chamber does feel special because of when its used. The pay per view before Mania needs a gimmick. The Chamber executes that to perfection.

Starship pain was beautifully executed. Morrison doesn't always hit that move perfectly. Perhaps that is why he developed the running knee. The match wasn't anything special. It seemed Raw was filling time with a matches less than 7 minutes. I'm okay with that when it comes to Ryan and McGillicuty. Those two are young and shouldn't be exposed to a long match. They are helping get the point across without long bouts. At this moment, Punk was ruling Raw.

The Miz and King were compelling television. They did an excellent job playing off the other. Miz shocked me saying he patterned his success after King. I figured he would agree that King was the weakest challenger. Bryan and Dibiase getting involved made it all that much better. They've had a mini feud for a long time but never meant anything. Pairing the two with the number 1 contender and WWE champion means something. Best of all, the four men were given time. King and Miz had the best promo and the tag match was the best match on Raw. I'm not sure what it is. Call it childhood memories, nostalgia whatever you want, I'm starting to believe in King. The chances are slim and high unlikely the WWE would put the belt on King. But say it did happen. 2-21-11 Raw begins with King walking out as WWE champion. Michael Cole is flipping out. King starts to talk about earning it...Miz interrupts and asks for his rematch tonight. The Raw GM chimes in and makes the match. Miz wins back the belt with some help from Cole and Riley. The scenario sets up Miz and Cena and a handicap match at Mania. Now, you can do the same thing at the Elimination Chamber. You may get farther by giving Lawler the win first and then crumble the dreams on free TV.

Mark Henry has started to be built up quite a bit. A beat down on Sheamus is a pretty big thing. The Irish Ghost will get revenge next week. The big disappointment was the crowds reaction.

The crowd got hot for Santino. We might not see Del Rio much on Raw after the EC. It's a great idea to keep him in the spotlight until then. Once the Chamber is over, Del Rio should focus on the WHC. I'm just hoping its still Edge. I don't want Rey and Del Rio.

If you haven't seen it on BBSD, check out the locker room in the TNA subject. Larry and I have had a big debate on Ziggler. I know, its the wrong company. I believe Larry brought Ziggler up so it's his fault. He doesn't remember much at his old age. Cole said (and I quote), "Cena is starting to bore me." Thanks Cole for reading the blog. I've been saying that for a long ass time. Cena is boring. An assist can go to King for Cena getting the best of Nexus. They made everyone in the Elimination Chamber match look weak except Cena. Typical. He's probably going to win anyway.

Raw wasn't bad, it wasn't good either. King and Miz provided the best segment and were part of the best match. I'm sure the IWC is going nuts over the new 2-21-11 video. The rest of Raw was nothing to remember. Even VKM's announcement didn't wow me. Be sure to hit up the locker room on BBSD. There is always some good debates on sports and wrestling. You can find the best wrestling radio show on their as well in ShowStoppers. If you want to e-mail me, send it to jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. Wooooo!

J Call

Raw 1-31

The Road to Wrestlemania has kicked off. Raw set up two stories at the rumble. No doubt Cena and Miz will headline in a WWE title match. Randy Orton and Punk are locked as well. Tonight, we will see where guys like Morrison, Sheamus and others will fall. The Rumble certainly brought a few surprises. I wondered what Raw would bring before the pyro hit. Well, I was certainly surprised by the end of the broadcast. Before we get there, we must take a closer look at what was the Royal Rumble.

Did I notice the Rumble having extra men? Yes, the rumble match was too long. It dragged on and didn't bring any excitement at the finish (except Santino which was brilliant). In the end, I'm extremely happy Del Rio won. I understand casual fans didn't like the Rumble match. Nexus dominated for a span and the ring never filled up much. I felt having Nexus dominate helped the group gain some momentum they had previously lost. On the flip side, Corre was rather weak aside from Barrett. Miz got the cheap win, as I predicted. Edge and Ziggler stole the show. Their opener was a fantastic match. They developed a story inside the ring, a few close calls and provided doubt that Edge may not survive. Ziggler sells as well as Mr. Perfect back in the day. Dolph was the big winner on Sunday night. The loser was John Morrison. I know he pulled off a miracle move and it was special. Fans believed he was a dark horse to win. Instead, he was easy pickings for Nexus and didn't end up close to the finish. I said in a previous blog, Morrison could look stronger than Ziggler. I still believe that but the writers didn't allow it. He's the most interesting guy on Raw, as in I have no idea where his future is headed.

The opening celebration was fantastic. Del Rio is the perfect heel with his combo of JBL with a 100 more times the charisma. I was a little surprised they made the announcement so quickly of Edge and Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Title. The WWE has done a great job building a new star in Del Rio. Del Rio and Edge will provide a match worthy of a great main event. I wish Christian can comeback in time to get involved. Most of the time, I'd be pissed if Raw spent the opening segment on a Smackdown star. This time, it didn't bother me. Del Rio's announcement gives us 2 months to salivate over the potential match.

Raw has done a good job of exposing Harris and McGillicuty. In the beginning of Nexus, these two were nothings. They are something now. The truth is the tag division will never be as good as TNA. Their division is strong and loaded. I don't care that the WWE doesn't have 10 teams. I just want to see them use the ones they have. If they keep Harris and McGillicuty together, that's a start. I still wish they kept Cryme Tyme. Santino and Kozlov have grown on me. The cobra is hilarious. The crowd even gets pumped to see the odd couple. A good win and then..

Boy, did things switch gears in a hurry? The crowd jumped to their feet for Orton. As much as I hated the end of Orton and Miz title match at the Rumble, it still leads to Punk Orton at Mania. I'd rather see them duke it out than Miz and Cena. Orton said he was to nice in 2010. Good to see the cold calculating Orton return in 2011. He won't punt them all because the Nexus needs to be together for their showdown versus the Corre at Wrestlemania. However, in one punt Orton succeeded something Cena never could, actually get rid of a Nexus member.

The whole Dibiase segment leads to Maryse perhaps changing to a face and the thought of a Lawler Dibiase match down the line. That thought went away at the end of Raw. It still could be in the works as Lawler could help Dibiase get over. This is the exact reason you keep guys like Lawler and Booker around. They helped elevate the young talent. They've pushed Lawler to much (more later) and Booker could come in on Friday night to help Drew.

Bryan and Kidd was meaningless as was the Uso Henry Kahli dance off pants off. Just have Gail Kim wrestle Kong already.

Edge and Miz had a nice match. Cena's little tactics are stupid and yet it worked tonight. Cena had to get a little revenge. I thought Miz might try to get involved in the main event. Alas, it was not to be and Cena got the last laugh on Miz this evening.

Sunday night, I was disappointed Awesome Kong didn't debut. I felt giving Eve the belt made no sense. After time to deliberate my thought process, I was wrong. Nobody saw it coming. Everyone felt Triple H and Kong were returning/debuting at the Rumble. The WWE held off and I'm even more excited in anticipation for them. Meanwhile, Eve gives LayCool someone new.

I don't know who or what will happen on 2-21-11 or what those little videos are. I want to believe it's the Undertaker. That's a complete guess. The 21st is a Monday so that wouldn't make sense. I'll crap my pants if it's Sting.

Wow, Truth eliminating Orton was a total shock, in a good way. Miz and Orton is over so moving forward is a great move. Plus, the air in the arena was sucked out when Truth did that. A total shock move. I didn't like the finish of Sunday's Rumble as it didn't give any real moments such as Truth's moment on Raw. Raw's battle royal did a nice job adding suspense. I loved everything except Lawler winning. It's to much. He's had a shot in the TLC match a few months back. He shouldn't headline a ppv, especially one that is prior to Mania. I'd rather see Sheamus or Morrison get that shot. As it is, Lawler will get the opportunity and that's not going to change. We have to deal with it. He's over with the crowd and I'm sure that was a major factor in this decision. I will just have to disagree with it. If it leads to Lawler's first ever Mania match with Cole and Riley, then I might change my mind.

Well that's it for this WWE blogger. I will return next week. Are you still waiting for another round of wrestling mailbag? Well, your chances are slowly dwindling. Email me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com and maybe you will get in the next one coming to a computer near you. Make sure you're hitting up www.bigbadsportsdaddy.com for all the good stuff we have to offer, I guess that includes the fellas from ShowStoppers.

J Call

Royal Rumble Picks

As much as the WWE has failed to build the Rumble, I'm still pumped for the pay per view. The Rumble match is obviously the main event which is fine. The WWE/WHC are bigger but nothing is bigger than the now 40 guys in the match. I was upset over the addition of 10 men and I don't love the idea. I feel there will be another match thrown together at the last minute, because we never need the whole card announced ever. WWE is simply lazy and it's shown over the last several months. The road to Wrestlemania usually brings out the best of the WWE. If that's the case, we should get some surprises on Sunday.

One quick plug before I get to the Rumble picks. You can email me your opinions on the Rumble or anything in wrestling at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. Be sure to come back on Tuesday morning for the weekly Raw blog.

Diva Championship Handicap Match
Natalya (c) vs LayCool

Apparently this is a handicap match. I didn't realize they made that announcement on Raw. I'm still pissed to what they did to Melina on Monday night. She should be in this match, not LayCool. Either way it's a Diva match so it doesn't matter in the long run. I hope Awesome Kong debuts. Natalya keeps.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Edge (c) vs Dolph Ziggler

I am perfection!! Perfection! This is the match I'm waiting to see more than anything even over the Rumble match. Dolph Ziggler is going to prove if he can headline, or life as a mid card wrestler. Make it or break it for the young man. Personally, he's my favorite heel in the WWE. The genius move was adding Vicki with Dolph. Vicki adds major heat to anyone she is aligned with. Edge will lead Dolph around in the match, provide the leadership and I believe they will steal the show. Edge keeps in a fantastic match. If you have any doubt about these two individuals putting on a quality match, look no further than right here.

WWE Title
Miz (c) vs. Randy Orton

A heel rarely picks up a clean victory over a face. The Miz gave Orton a severe beat down a few weeks ago on Raw and I loved it. We need to see more of that. The E caters to the faces to often. Don't give us a happy ending every week. You can be like a stripper, give us a good show but we leave pissed off at the end because we didn't get the happy ending. It's okay. Miz needs this win cleanly. Forget Riley or anything other way to screw Orton. Miz should hit his finisher and pin Orton cleanly. I doubt it will happen. Miz keeps the belt by either Orton getting pinned or someone gets dq'd. Either way, Miz keeps the belt.

40 man Battle Royal

28 men have been announced on WWE's website. I believe one of these men will win the Rumble. I'm not going to go down the list because it's pointless. The truth is we are likely to see a few surprises, perhaps a return or two and at the end of the night one man on that list already announced will stand tall. Who will that be? Well it's the guy I've been told no one can hate. It's the guy I've ripped a hundred different ways because guess what? I HATE HIM! You read the Raw blogs and you know who it is. I hate John Cena. I've heard from many fans and even several friends, how can you not like John Cena? He's the Anti-Stone Cold. His jokes are stupid and lame. If I was 12, I would laugh. I'm 27 so I find them retarded. His promos are all the same. Cena gets fired up, yells at the camera and little kids and cougars go wild. They are all the same crap. Oh and what's worst of all is Cena can't sell. Nobody ever looks good wrestling Cena because Cena isn't believable. I give John credit for developing a better repertoire in the ring. He's improved as a wrestler. That doesn't mean he can help the guy on the other side of the ring. He doesn't. Cena is the corporate man. Again, I commend him on doing a million charity things. Even so, I will never ever EEEEEVER like him. It's not going to happen. Go on, tell me I'm wrong. Tell me that Cena is the best thing in wrestling right now. In response, I will tell you that's why the product is suffering. The measuring stick for Cena is Stone Cold, Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels and Ric Flair. Cena can't hold a candle to those four guys. At the end of the Rumble, Cena will be victorious and it may look like he's a step close to becoming one of them. He's not.

J Call