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

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

Raw 1-24

Since the beginning of the year, Raw has gone downhill. We needed a spark for the Rumble and didn't get anything from Monday night. Raw and this coming Friday Night Smackdown are the last two shows before the second biggest pay per view of the year. The first one was a giant letdown and dare I say boring. The what should have been main event was fantastic. The rest of the show didn't do a damn thing. Raw did add a Diva title match but it was the wrong one. So what the hell happened? A whole lot of nothing.

I kind of forgot about Edge and the GM having their story. You had to know Edge was eliminating those three. I find it really funny fans screamed for Edge to break the computer. I've gotten use to the anonymous GM. I hate Cole and he is a giant tool. However, I can handle the laptop. It doesn't bother me like it use to. Nexus gained a new member last week. We now know he is Mason Ryan, the FCW world champion. Can't we change his name to Matista? They are brothers. I've heard Ryan is very young and green. He's got the physical attributes but I'll wait to crown him the next big thing until I see him wrestle. The Corre is a lame name. They stole it from TNA. I've heard rumors WWE booking a Nexus Corre match at Mania. I'm all for it. I'd love to see a 4 on 4 match. The Corre would have to add one more though since Barrett is taking on Taker, if he's healthy. The opener was too damn long and seemed to get us no where. The announcement of Cena as special ref made me about hurl. I saw enough of that crap last year.

Del Rio and Sheamus created a new odd couple. The WWE has done a nice job of elevating Morrison and Del Rio. I thought Sheamus's push died a little until the King of the Ring. The tournament win brought new life. He was floundering before that win. He's had a great run with Morrison. Come Sunday, Triple H returns to feud with the Irish Ghost. The bigger question is what will happen to Del Rio and Morrison? I'm not sure how fans will feel about Del Rio facing Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania. I think it would be to fast. Still, Smackdown doesn't have a lot of main event players. Del Rio and Ziggler are the two biggest heels and one is headlining the Rumble. Maybe the time is right to allow a young guy like Del Rio to face a veteran Edge. I'm fine with that. The match would be a great contrast in styles. The match wasn't all that terrible. Sheamus or Del Rio should have attacked the other to end the segment. Standing there celebrating was stupid. You are bad guys, attack each other. Prove who is dominant.

The Diva match would have been perfect for Sunday. This is what I meant in the Rumble blog. They add 10 more guys which eliminates time for other things that are more meaningful. They've spent time changing Melina's character and the building the story. Raw provided a crappy 4 minute match between Natalya and Melina. You buried Melina in 5 minutes and turn the momentum straight to LayCool. Look, I like LayCool. They are the best duo on TV. I don't like building up Melina, a quality in and out of the ring performer, and tear her down in one segment. Horrible! LayCool hasn't even been strong on Smackdown. They've lost consecutive weeks to Beth Phoenix. Worst segment of the night.

Edge and Miz, as predicted, had a great match. They gave the champs three segments and none of it disappointed. My only complaint is it didn't end Raw. The match deserved the final spot. Orton received a huge pop from the crowd. I don't think Ziggler should say anything about the backdoor with Vicki around. The ending set everything up nicely for a tag team match on Smackdown. Everyone got involved, just as they should. I understand the Rumble match takes precedents over the WWE/WHC titles. I also know that the winner of the Royal Rumble gets a shot at one of those belts. So which is more important? Hell, taking a look at history, the winner of the Rumble hasn't had good luck in capturing the title at the big event. I will continue to say nothing is more important than those two titles. I'm pumped for both main events scheduled for Sunday. I wonder how Miz will weasel his way to keeping his title and I believe Edge will successfully defend over Ziggler in a show stealing match. Ziggler has proved his worth. This year is really important especially for guys like Ziggler, Miz, Drew, Morrison and a few others. I'll admit I've lost a little interest in wrestling and those guys need to bring me back. I wonder sometimes if they can. After all, the wrestlers are only as good as the writers.

What was more impressive Maryse picking up a victory or Gail Kim getting camera time? Thinking...thinking...moving on.

Husky and McGillicuty received some nice exposure by taking on the tag champs. I guess creating a feud with these four makes to much sense. I'd prefer to see the same match only for the tag titles than having them in the Rumble match. Harris and McGillicuty were my picks as most talented in NXT Season 2. Okay, I didn't watch NXT. Who does? I will keep my eye on those two. Otunga, eh not so much.

Barrett's new music sucks. The Nexus theme worked better with Wade's character. The whole main event was complete crap. No wrestling, Cena acting like an idiot and none of it matter. None! Why, because the Raw GM announces Cena sucked as a ref and changed the entire decision. The only thing the finish accomplished was the same thing it always accomplishes the Monday night before the Rumble, total chaos. Way to book something new writers. I could tell they through the entire show together in a matter of hours. WCW use to do that same thing. Thankfully, Smackdown will save everything since it's been the better show for months. I see people are recognizing that as the ratings have slowly climbed.

I will have my Royal Rumble pick blog up sometime on Thursday. If you want in on the Rumble picks, e-mail me at jcall@bigbadsportsdaddy.com. You better check out ShowStoppers on BBSD for even more Rumble predictions. You can also follow me on blogger.com. The significance on blogger is the Raw blog is usually posted about an hour after Raw. Hot off the presses right after Raw is over with depending on where you live. I'm just trying to live up to the standards of being the best damn WWE blogger on the planet.

J Call