What will Orton's Wrestlemania moment be?

At the moment, SmackDown's World Heavyweight Championship match is set as a standard singles match between the champion, Daniel Bryan, and the challenger, Sheamus. I would say that this one is not set in stone because not much has happened on screen to create a natural rivalry between the two. There is still room to set a new stipulation or, possibly, another challenger or challengers. Things could very well stay as they are, however, there is one SmackDown superstar in particular that would not surprise anyone if he got involved in this feud: Randy Orton.

Orton, for all intensive purposes, is considered a bigger babyface in the company than Sheamus. He has more of a pedigree and gets larger reactions than him. I would say the only two faces as big or bigger than Orton among regular competitors are John Cena and CM Punk. Orton suffered a concussion on February 13th and was removed from the Elimination Chamber because of it. Otherwise, Orton may very well have won World Heavyweight Championship at the Chamber. He is currently scheduled to be re-evaluated on February 27th, meaning he could return to action as early as next week's RAW.

Randy Orton has no scheduled Wrestlemania match at the moment nor is there much rumor as to who he could face. Rest assured, WWE will find a place on the card for one of their top stars. The question is where.

Could Orton possibly enter the world title feud and make it a triple threat match (or possibly a fatal four way if a heel enters as well)? Yes. I would even go so far as to say that Orton has motivation. The concussion that Orton suffered came in a match against the Big Show on RAW. Although I don't think a single instance in that match has ever been pin pointed as to where the concussion actually happened, the kayfabe reason is due to the post-match assault from Daniel Bryan. Bryan hit both Orton and Show over the head with the world title. Therefore, it could be said that Bryan costed Orton a world title opportunity and Orton has reason for retaliation. If he were to return on RAW next week or the Tuesday SmackDown taping and assault Bryan, it'd be very believable.

If Orton stays out of the main event picture, he may end up as part of the developing feud between Executive Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of RAW, John Laurinaitis, and SmackDown General Manager, Teddy Long. Where this meaningless feud is headed, no one knows. It may result in Long and Laurinaitis actually having a match at Mania (God forbid). However, there is a rumored Survivor Series styled tag match budding from this. The concept would be either an 8-man or 10-man tag team elimination match. One team would be dubbed "Team Long" (faces) and the other would be "Team Laurinaitis" (heels). The idea would feature a "winner take all" stipulation where the winning team's representative general manger would become full-time general manager of both RAW and SmackDown. Of course, this is just a rumor and may not happen. Personally, choosing between the elimination tag match or just Laurinaitis vs. Long is like choosing which way you want to die. They both sound excruciating and unnecessary. I suppose I'd rather take the singles match. That would take up less time and free up notable competitors like Orton (and CHRISTIAN) to do something more worthwhile for Wrestlemania.

There has long been talk of a Money in the Bank match occurring at this Wrestlemania, but that has died down recently; possibly due to the Team Long vs. Team Laurinaitis rumor picking up steam. If it does happen, I would think Orton would be a shoo-in just to give the match some star power. This match would also free up other notable names such as Christian, Alberto Del Rio, Dolph Ziggler, Kofi Kingston and possibly Zack Ryder to get away from the Long vs. Laurinaitis feud of pointlessness (which is what I'm hoping for as a Christian fan).

The final possibility is a standard feud and singles match with a heel - just as Orton had one year ago with then leader of the New Nexus, CM Punk. I feel this is the least likely course of action. If Orton were to have a feud, it'd likely have to be with a heel from SmackDown. That includes Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Mark Henry and Christian. The problem? Those are literally the past four guys Orton has feuded with since last summer and he went over all of them but Henry. Additionally, Rhodes may be in a budding program with the Big Show (likely dependent on whether Show vs. Shaq actually happens), and Barrett just suffered a dislocated elbow earlier this week and may not be ready in time for Wrestlemania at all.

Why do I focus on Randy Orton so much? To me, Orton is a linchpin as far as the rest of Wrestlemania's card is concerned. What is done with him in the coming two weeks will likely indicate what is to be done with others' favorite wrestlers such as Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Kofi Kingston, and, my own favorite, Christian. If Orton returns to television next week and gets involved with Daniel Bryan and Sheamus, that could open the door for one or maybe two other wrestlers to get into the world title match as well. If he gets pulled into the Long vs. Laurinaitis feud, it would be a strong indicator that the tag team match will likely come to fruition. If he sits back and has a random singles match or two on RAW or SmackDown, it may be a sign that he and others are being kept out of the Long/Laurinaitis angle and thus, a MITB match may take place.

As someone with a vested interest in what Christian's Road to Wrestlemania will look like, I care very much as to how Orton will be used. Also, as someone who is strongly hoping that Christian does not become a permanent fixture in this GM angle, I would like to see Orton stay as far away from Long and Laurinaitis as possible when he returns.

Mark my words, Randy Orton will be the first domino to fall in the creation of the rest of the Wrestlemania card.

Christian returns... Sorta

Well, I told you not to get your hopes up. Christian made his "triumphant" return at Elimination Chamber. How triumphant? Being included in John Laurinaitis' meaningless promo; that triumphant.

Laurinaitis came out with David Otunga to cut a promo about how Teddy Long should be subject to the same vote of confidence by the WWE Board of Directors that Laurinaitis was two weeks ago. Alberto Del Rio, also making his on-air return, then comes out and talks about how corrupt Long is and how he plays favorite. Mark Henry does the same and calls Long a "bully." Christian finally comes out and talks about how Teddy forced him to compete despite having legitimate and injuries and Sheamus "broke" his ankle. Christian said he'd be competing for the World Heavyweight Championship otherwise. Laurinaitis thanks them all for their support, takes a picture with them and that's the end of the segment.

Sorry if I don't sound excited. I guess some Christian is better than no Christian. But let's get real here. Not counting Christian's brief appearances at the 2011 Slammys and the 2011 Tribute to the Troops, Christian has been gone three months. Del Rio on the other hand was gone for just over one month and Henry's been on and off since the Rumble, so it's like he never left. Lumping Christian in with this story is ridiculous. They would've been better suited to stick in Drew McIntyre who's had his own back and forth with Long for the past several weeks. Instead, here's Christian in this awful promo - cementing the fact that not only will he not get any sort of title push for Wrestlemania XXVIII, but that he won't get any sort of singles match whatsoever.

For those of you who marked out for his return, good for you. The fact is, I got that out of the way yesterday when it became apparent Christian was in Milwaukee. It was even more obvious that he was returning when WWE.com ran a story about Christian's tweet today. By the time it actually happened, I wasn't cheering. I was burying my face into my palm - just like Christian's going to be buried back into mid-card hell for God knows how long.

Let's just get Edge's induction out of the way and move on from there.

Final fantasy Christian bookings

It should be noted that I started working on this post yesterday morning; I promise. I did not expect Christian to give away the fact that he's at the site of the Elimination Chamber last night. Just as we learned last month with the Royal Rumble, just because Christian is there, it doesn't mean he'll actually appear on camera. Nonetheless, I'll go forward with a couple of my ideas. My overall premise is to give two prominent story lines where Christian is involved in Edge's Hall of Fame induction, but still has a unique "Wrestlemania Moment" of his own.

My first idea involves Christian remaining a heel while still doing Edge's speech. He would imitate Edge's very own actions at the No Way Out pay-per-view's World Heavyweight Championship Elimination Chamber match in 2009. For those that don't recall, Edge forced his way into the match by assaulting Kofi Kingston and would go on to win. Christian could very well do the exact same thing tonight. Many are speculating (myself included) that another competitor will steal Santino Marella's spot in the match. If Christian were to do so and capture the World Heavyweight Championship just as Edge did, he could dub himself similar to the "Ultimate Opportunist." Edge would appear on a coming episode RAW or SmackDown and have a promo interrupted by Christian. After an awkward moment of silence/serious stare down, Edge would bust out with a smile and say something like, "Way to go dude, you totally did it!" They'd then proceed to have a throwback E&C styled promo. Sheamus would then interrupt and announce he's challenging Christian for the World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania XXVIII. 

My second idea is a way to turn Christian babyface. First, it would be announced on tomorrow's RAW that there will be a Money in the Bank Ladder Match at Wrestlemania XXVIII. RAW and SmackDown would then have qualifying matches for it. Before a qualifying match starts, a standard heel would be announced (like Jinder Mahal or Hunico). "And their opponent..." Christian's music hits and he gets the "return pop" from the live SmackDown audience. Christian wins the match and qualifies. The next week, Christian would have a promo to solidify his face turn. He'd talk about how he still wants "one more match" for the world title but is determined to earn it. He says something to the effect that he plans on winning Money in the Bank in honor of his best friend, Edge, who won two separate world championships from MITB cash-ins. After conducting Edge's induction speech the night before Wrestlemania, Christian would win Money in the Bank. From there, he can hold on to it for however long before become a three-time World Heavyweight Champion.

Will either of these things happen? Probably not. Although I'm not alone in predicting the first scenario. There's definitely some buzz that Christian could cause major shakeup at tonight's pay-per-view just because he tweeted that he was in Milwaukee. Of course, he could return in a significantly lesser role than the two I have outlined. Because of that, I don't want to get my hopes up and recommend you don't either. Hopefully we'll know by the end of Tuesday night, if not Sunday night, what Christian's Road to Wrestlemania will look like.

Christian tweets... From MILWAUKEE?

Oh ladies and gentlemen, here we go again. Just three weeks ago we received a report that Christian was spotted in St. Louis, the host of this year's Royal Rumble. Tonight? It seems Captain Charisma has done a little confirming of his own. 

At 10:51 p.m. EST, Christian tweeted the following picture:

Milwaukee, Wisconsin is of course the host of tomorrow's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. As any Christian mark would tell you, while incredibly kind to his fans, Christian is not one to tweet often or needlessly. 

Is Christian sending a message? Quite possibly yes. Peeps around the world are hearing him loud and clear.

It's time for Captain Charisma to return and take back what is rightfully his.

Is the wait over?

Here lies the magical question. The next three days are full of wrestling. Sunday is the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Monday night is the first RAW for Wrestlemania XXVIII buildup. Tuesday is a live edition of "Super" SmackDown. Is the wait over?

Will we see Christian?

WWE officials have been working on ideas for Christian’s return and how he will be involved with Edge’s 2012 WWE Hall of Fame induction. - wrestlenewz.com

I hope that means "yes" and it seems my hunch was correct. In an earlier post , I debated whether or not Christian could return as a babyface or turn face shortly after returning. Although that may never happen, I feel confident in saying that I was correct to believe Christian's role in Edge's upcoming Hall of Fame induction could have a big impact on his on-screen character.

As outlined previously, Edge and Christian's story line characters had a "parting of ways" at last year's SummerSlam. As a heel, Christian may not be suited to doing Edge's induction speech just yet. That doesn't necessarily mean he must turn face in order to get back on the Rated R Superstar's good side, however, it would certainly be the easier and thus more predictable story for creative management to write.

Either way, I would not be surprised to see Christian's Wrestlemania story this year to nearly revolve around Edge. That could mean a challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship, an entry into the rumored Money in the Bank Ladder Match, or a mid-card feud with another Superstar. I'll have a post tomorrow on my final "fantasy bookings" before Christian's return; or at least I hope they'll be final ones.

I will be surprised and highly disappointed if Christian has not returned by the time SmackDown goes off air on Tuesday night.

Elimination Chamber Predictions

The Elimination Chamber: The final stop on the Road to Wrestlemania. It's time to sew up the loose ends and adjust the title pictures before WWE's Superbowl. Historically, champions have roughly a 50% chance of retaining at the Chamber. Considering the match itself features six competitors, the champion actually winning 50% of the time is impressive.

Currently there are four matches on the card for the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. The two championship Chamber matches will take up a good portion of time, but we can still expect a couple of unadvertised matches to make their way onto the card. I would not be surprised to see a tag team title defense and/or a quick Sheamus match. Moving onto predictions...




Divas Championship: Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Tamina Snuka


Shortly after the Royal Rumble, WWE began selling the angle that Beth Phoenix was unstoppable and that no diva was truly a challenge to her Divas Championship. This of course made all of the fans assume that her next challenger would be Kharma who had made a surprise return during the Royal Rumble. We guessed wrong. Kharma has not been seen since the Rumble and Beth's challenger is Tamina Snuka; daughter of WWE Hall of Fame member, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka.  I think Beth is going to retain once again. The reason? I think a Beth Phoenix vs. Kharma match is in the works for Wrestlemania XXVIII.

Prediction: Beth Phoenix


Ambulance Match: John Cena vs. Kane

Unlike last month's match, there is no way to have a no-contest. The only way to finish an ambulance match is to incapacitate your opponent, load them into the back of an ambulance, and close the door. At the end of this week's RAW, Kane said John Cena had officially embraced the hate after Cena's own friend, Zack Ryder, had turned against him. Personally, I think all he did was "embrace the Eve." If that was truly the culmination of all of Kane's coaxing, then label me unimpressed. But then again, did anyone truly believe Cena would turn heel?

The fact is that it is time for this feud to end. WWE officially begins building the Wrestlemania story lines on next week's RAW. Cena will be in the show's main event against Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. Having Kane go over here makes no sense whatsoever. I know I said that about last month's match prior to the no-contest/double count out, but I'm even more sure of myself now. I'd be stunned to see anything but John Cena "rise above hate" and load Kane into an ambulance at the end of this match.

Prediction: John Cena


Elimination Chamber Match for the World Heavyweight Championship:


Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Great Khali vs. Santino Marella vs. Big Show

Despite the fact that Randy Orton is seemingly out of this match and that Santino Marella is now in, I'm sticking with my opinion that this is the most interesting match on the entire card. I think it'll be ugly and anything but enjoyable to watch while in progress, but all of the possible outcomes make it very intriguing.

I should just come out and say it. I don't think Santino Marella will seriously be in this match. I've had days to think about it and, in my opinion, something will happen on the night of the event that causes Santino to be taken out of the match and another competitor to enter. Who will it be? I can't say for sure. I don't really have a best guess. My personal candidates are Randy Orton, Sheamus, Mark Henry, Alberto Del Rio, and even Christian. The angle of Santino entering the match was filmed on Tuesday night. That leaves plenty of time for creative to think of a new strategy and give a surprise competitor, like Christian for example, a heads up to create travel arrangements to be at Chamber on Sunday. I will say that I like a heel's odds better to force their way into the match. If Santino is going to be forcibly removed by being injured or something, it's not logical to have a baby face take him out. It makes more sense for a heel. For me, that means either Alberto Del Rio, Mark Henry, or Christian.

There are only two competitors that I truly cannot see winning this match: Khali and Big Show. Khali because, well, he's the Great Khali and shouldn't be in this match let alone win it. Big Show because I do think that the rumored match between he and Shaquille O'Neal will happen at 'Mania. I'd add Santino if I was sure he's going to stay in, but I'm obviously not convinced of that. Either way he's not winning.

That leaves Daniel Bryan, Cody Rhodes, Wade Barrett and a potential surprise entrant. I'm not really sold on Rhodes or Barrett winning either, but this entire match is such a clusterf--- that I don't want to rule them out just yet. I give Barrett a better chance than I do Rhodes. Seeing the Barrett Barrage capture the world title would be a delight, but the writing over the weeks since the Rumble has not given the sense that he's getting a Wrestlemania push.

If I'm correct and a surprise entrant does enter, then I can definitely see them winning - regardless of who it is. I can also see Daniel Bryan retaining.

Truth be told, had it not been for Orton's concussion, I would be picking him right now. Maybe he shocks everyone, re-enters the match and still wins. If he's not in the match, this entire thing is a fiasco. There's no star power and even if someone replaces Santino, there will probably be an imbalance with too many heels. Without knowing the final lineup for sure, it's very difficult to make a prediction. If something happens during the show, I'll probably change mine on Twitter. For the moment, I'm taking the safe pick.

Prediction: Daniel Bryan


Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE Championship


CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. R-Truth vs. The Miz vs. Kofi Kingston

Let's get real. I think everyone and their mother knows CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho is going to happen at Wrestlemania. The odds of Ziggler, Truth, Miz or Kofi winning this match are slim to none. I never want to say never, but it just isn't going to happen for them. Therefore, there can only be two realistic winners here: Punk and Jericho.

This prediction shouldn't take long. I'm picking what, in my opinion, is the easiest story line to write. If Jericho defeats Punk here and picks up the WWE Championship, the fallout is incredibly easy to write. Punk, the baby face, then becomes challenger by default in the one month buildup to 'Mania. Historically, it's always been easier to sell baby faces winning the championship from a heel at Wrestlemania. If things go oppositely and Punk retains, I think the story becomes much more boring. They'd have to first figure out a way where Jericho earns no. 1 contender status despite losing at the Chamber. Then the one month or so build up would all be about Jericho being the challenger and the fan favorite, Punk, being the defender. To me, that's much less interesting. I'd rather see the fan favorite be in "chaser mode" in the final month before Wrestlemania.

Prediction: Chris Jericho

Orton injured, out of Elimination Chamber? (UPDATED)

Warning: Contains SmackDown spoiler

Rumors have surged on Tuesday night, prior to SmackDown tapings, that Randy Orton is injured and off of the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. The leading reported cause is from a concussion suffered on Monday's edition RAW. Orton had a match with Big Show and was assaulted by Daniel Bryan in the post-match. Bryan hit Orton over the head with the World Heavyweight Championship. Whether the rumored concussion was caused by that is purely speculation.

The other five competitors in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match are World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan, Big Show, Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, and The Great Khali.

One report has Mark Henry replacing Orton in the match. Henry was written off of television and removed from the Chamber match due to being "indefinitely suspended." The angle was a way to give him time off while he dealt with nagging injuries.

Other candidates to replace Orton could be Ted DiBiase and Justin Gabriel.

Christian may also be a candidate, but he's likely a long-shot. SmackDown is filming in Fresno, California tonight. It would've been a tough trip for Christian, who currently resides in Florida, to make on such short notice. Then again, the same could be said of Henry who is a native of Texas.

Updated 11:35 EST

This story has more or less been confirmed. WWE's own "@WWEUniverse" Twitter page has put out Tweets on the developments. There is also a story on WWE.com "confirming" that Orton has a concussion and is out of the Elimination Chamber match. On Twitter, WWE itself has reported that Mark Henry is currently at SmackDown, meaning he's all but guaranteed to be the replacement.

I say this story is "more or less" confirmed due to the fact that WWE is actually reporting it. Every word could be true. However, this also opens up the door to Orton's injury being kayfabe. This could be an angle where Orton still enters the match this Sunday. What better way to get back at the World Heavyweight Champion for "injuring" him than by taking away his title?

Then again, perhaps I am too paranoid...


Updated 1:05 EST


Welp. Disregard all of the stuff in the second update. Your new entrant is Santino Marella.

You read that correctly. Santino Marella. No trolling. It's Santino...

For real.

What is going on with Zack Ryder?

Let me preface everything by saying that I am in no way a Zack Ryder mark. I like him. I think he's a good guy with charisma and potential. When he finally received his push in late 2011, I was happy for him, but I would not go so far as to say that I have any sort of emotional investment in his performance.

After months of getting himself over with the fans via online social media sites, Zack Ryder began regularly appearing on television by October. By November, Ryder was officially in the hunt for the United States Championship. In December, at the TLC pay-per-view, Ryder challenged then U.S. Champion, Dolph Ziggler, and was victorious. The United States Championship was his first singles title of any kind in the WWE.

Two months later and Ryder has fallen off. (pun intended)

Only a few weeks after becoming U.S. Champion, Ryder was inserted into the Kane/John Cena angle. Kane used Cena's friendship with Ryder in attempts to get Cena to "embrace the hate." After a brutal assault by the Big Red Machine one week, Ryder was forced to defend his U.S. title against Jack Swagger the next. He would drop the strap to Swagger and face Kane the week after in a falls count anywhere match. The match resulted in a no-contest after Kane chokeslammed Ryder through the stage and Ryder suffered a "broken back." He has not competed since.

Ryder would appear at the Royal Rumble where he was once again assaulted by Kane. After another absence, Ryder re-appeared last night on RAW. Tying together a Valentine's Day theme, Zack looked to close the deal with his crush; WWE diva Eve Torres. Confined to a wheelchair, Ryder intended to give a Valentine's gift to Eve and tell her his true feelings. Before he could, Kane attempted to abduct Eve into the back of an ambulance. In comes John Cena for the rescue. After a skirmish, Kane gets into the front of the ambulance and begins to drive away with Eve in the back. At the last second, Eve jumps out and embraces John Cena. Her and Cena share a passionate kiss as Ryder looks on in shock. Zack wheels himself away in anger, only to have Eve chase him down. She says that she did not know Zack had those sort of feelings for her and hopes they can still be friends. Ryder got very angry and wheeled away again.

At the very end of the show, Cena came to the ring to apologize. Eventually, Ryder interrupted and made his way to the ring on crutches. The confrontation resulted in Ryder slapping Cena and Cena pushing him down in retaliation. Ryder went back to the stage and a video of Kane played on the titantron. After Kane said Cena would be leaving in an ambulance after their match this Sunday, he re-emerged behind Ryder. With Zack back in his wheelchair, Kane pushed him off the side of the stage. The show ended with Cena, Eve and trainers coming to his aid as he was put on a stretcher.

One month ago, many said Zack Ryder had nothing to worry about even when he lost the U.S. title. He was a key part in one of the most focused on story-lines in all of WWE. Now he's been reduced to WWE's Kenny McCormick-styled prop.

That begs the question: What's next?

It's fair to assume that the Kane/Cena angle will come to a head this Sunday at Elimination Chamber. Cena will soon begin to solely focus on his Wrestlemania match with the Rock - which is already getting much hype on Twitter and through on-air video packages. With the current feud coming to an end, what will Zack Ryder do? Will he simply be written off of television for the next couple of months? Will he take over Cena's place and begin feuding with Kane? Will he turn heel?

I may certainly be wrong, but my guess is that he won't be used in any sort of major package. Truth be told, I find that unfortunate. Zack Ryder seemed to be on top of the world when he became U.S. champion. That was quickly taken away and he was used as a tool in this Kane/Cena feud. If he doesn't resurface in some sort of way between now and Wrestlemania, I'm going to question the logic behind what has been done to him.

As I've said, I'm no Ryder mark. I can, however, recognize that he has lots of fans and was seemingly very over as recently as two months ago. Even if you personally do not like him, you still cannot deny him of that fact. I thought he'd for sure get some sort of spotlight for this year's Wrestlemania, even if it was a minor match. If the past month truly has been a fall from grace for him, label me disappointed in the decision making. Zack Ryder is not a main event caliber star. However, he was one of, if not the most over mid-card competitor on the entire roster. If taking away his championship (and subsequently making the U.S. title irrelevant by giving it to Swagger) was not a means to an end, I think it's safe to say that Ryder was screwed - and I'm not one to jump to such a conclusion (despite being a Christian mark). With that said, we'll have to wait and see what's in store for Long Island Iced Z.











HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

No surprise: Christian pulled from weekend show

Today's news is little more than a formality. Christian had been advertised in a house show match against Sheamus this weekend for over a month; however, The Cow Palace in San Francisco has officially announced that the match has been changed to Sheamus against returning star, Alberto Del Rio.

Christian suffered a severe high ankle sprain in November. Reports began surfacing in late January that he has been cleared to compete again. That continues to be the word now based on the most recent reports featuring backstage WWE sources. It may seem a little concerning that not only was Christian pulled from this weekend's match, he was pulled for a fellow Superstar who has also been out with an injury: Del Rio. However, this should provide for little surprise. Del Rio has been out for less time than Christian and, due to the budding feud between CM Punk and Chris Jericho, Del Rio is much less likely to get a main event push on the Road to Wrestlemania.

Christian is no lock for a push either, but with the main event scene on SmackDown possibly changing drastically in the next two weeks (particularly following the Elimination Chamber), you never know what kind of impact a returning competitor of Christian's magnitude can have. As already noted, SmackDown is set to have another live episode on February 21st - right off the heels of the Chamber match. Peeps everywhere are pegging that as the date of Captain Charisma's return and hopefully the beginning of a Wrestlemania push.

RAW Reaction - 2/6/12

I don't want to go too far into detail with this reaction. Simply put, the first hour sucked. Triple H did a fifteen minute promo that barely advanced any sort of story line, if at all. Basically, he just confirmed the conclusions that everyone came to at the end of last week's show when there was no dialogue. John Laurinaitis is still technically interim RAW General Manager and Triple H did in fact decline the Undertaker's challenge. At the end, the lights went out and an Undertaker video played. Taker sort of explained why he wants a rematch with Triple H. In layman's terms, Undertaker didn't want the image of him being carted out of Wrestlemania to be the lasting memory of him. He wants another match to erase that.

Big Show and Daniel Bryan had a match. It was completely uneventful and I felt it didn't really do much to further the story between the two. AJ came out again and was at ringside with a neck brace on. The match ended when Big Show almost ran AJ over again. Daniel Bryan grabbed her and walked her up the ramp, causing Bryan to lose via count out. After that, Bryan had a mic and cut another heel promo about how the Big Show is a freak and how Bryan is a vegan, etc. Same stuff as the last week or two.

David Otunga came out for a promo, asking the fans to pray with him for John Laurinaitis to keep his job. Otunga got on one knee and was basically "Tebowing." Justin Roberts interrupted him and said Triple H had scheduled a match for Otunga that would take place now. Sheamus came out. Same old Sheamus squash match. Thank God we only need three more television shows of this until the Elimination Chamber is over and Sheamus can pick the title he's challenging for. Sheamus won via an obligatory Brogue Kick - or as I'm now calling it, the Obrogueatory Kick.

At the halfway point things finally got interesting. Chris Jericho came out to cut his first full promo since returning. All the fans' assumptions were confirmed. Jericho is a heel. He's got a big problem with CM Punk too. Basically, Jericho is calling all the fans and current superstars posers. Rip offs. Copy cats. Plagiarists. Jericho wannabes. Jericho even confirmed and verbatim said he "trolled" the fans. CM Punk eventually interrupts, walks down to the ring with a mic, and stares down Jericho. Without saying a word, Punk drops the mic and raises the WWE Championship above his head. He turns around to walk out but pauses for a moment. Jericho looked like he was ready to strike Punk or potentially defend himself. Punk finally walks out. Jericho proceeds to lose his mind, telling him to come back or say something to him. Punk walks out without ever looking back and that is how the segment ends.

Next was a tag match with Wade Barrett and Cody Rhodes against Randy Orton and... The Great Khali. Awful match was awful. It was obvious that Orton and Khali weren't exactly getting along. Right when Orton was poised to finish the match, Khali forcefully tagged himself in and picked up the win. There was a Khali-Orton confrontation after the match that ended in Orton giving Khali an RKO.

An eight woman tag match followed. I'm not going to name everyone, but the face team beat the heel team via Tamina's Superfly Splash. The notable thing that happened was that, allegedly, Eve broke her nose during this match.

Backstage segment with Triple H and Johnny Ace aired. Ace said that Shawn Michaels would be on next week's RAW and that he's scheduled an Ambulance Match between John Cena and Kane for Elimination Chamber. The two bantered for a little while and that was it.

The main event followed: A six-pack challenge with all the RAW EC members (Punk, Jericho, Ziggler, Kofi, Miz, Truth). Decent match with cool spots. It didn't make up for the entire show, but this with the Jericho/Punk confrontation were the highlights of the show. There was an incident where the Miz failed to catch R-Truth on an outside dive. After the commercial break, it was shown that Truth had to be taken out of the match. He probably suffered a concussion. The match ended when Punk hit Ziggler with the GTS and went for the cover. Jericho broke it up from outside the ring, pulled Punk out, and threw him over the announce table. Jericho then went and picked up the scraps, covering Ziggler for the win. Because of that, Jericho will now enter as the final man in RAW's Elimination Chamber match.

After the match, Jericho got the WWE title and sat down in the middle of the ring, mocking CM Punk. We cut to some terrible (acting) shrieks of distress. Eve is backstage and is cornered by Kane. Kane talks about how Cena is close to embracing the hate. Kane then says for the first time in his life, he is afraid of his own self. That's the end of the show. Obviously, that was taped before RAW because Eve didn't exactly have a broken nose when we saw her.

Overall, RAW was bad. The only match that was enjoyable was the final match. The only promo that was intriguing was the Jericho/Punk one. Together, that's about 25% of the show tops. Dare I say, I missed John Cena. I'm not his biggest fan, but he and Kane doing something traditional on the screen in this episode would've helped fill out the two hours much more than a D-Bry/Show match or that terrible SmackDown tag match. Where was Cena? No clue. Maybe there's an answer on those dirt sheet sites, but I have not looked for it. They did air a video that was supposedly last week where NASCAR driver Carl Edwards told Cena that he'd be waving the green flag at this year's Daytona 500. Other than that, no Cena. Perhaps that'll lead to something bigger next week after the strange Kane/Eve finish to the show.

I'm hoping for a good SmackDown and a better RAW next week, but I'm not getting my hopes up.

Live SmackDown scheduled. Christian return?

Syfy has put out a programing note that WWE SmackDown will air live on Tuesday, February 21st. This will be the first SmackDown following the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view.

As I've said in previous posts, I do not expect Christian to return within the next two weeks. I believe he'll be held out until after the Chamber. With the revelation of SmackDown being live following EC, it certainly makes you wonder if it's time for Christian to return. 

We may already be on the Road to Wrestlemania, but once the Elimination Chamber is put to rest, things will officially begin to heat up. Feuds that will culminate at 'Mania begin budding on the first RAW and SmackDown following the Chamber. If Christian is to have any sort of role in this year's greatest pay-per-view, it makes perfect sense to have him comeback then and during the excitement of live "Super" SmackDown, no less. Returning then also improves his odds of possibly becoming a challenger for the World Heavyweight Championship, in my opinion. 

More updates as they come along.

Peace,

Daniel

Could Christian return as a face?

Since returning to the WWE in 2009, Christian has spent most of his time as a baby face. It wasn't until June of 2011 that Christian turned heel during his attempts to regain the World Heavyweight Championship from Randy Orton. Less than one year later, it seems far too soon to be suggesting yet another turn for Captain Charisma. However, you must consider one major factor:

Edge.

As most of us already know, Edge is part of the 2012 class that will be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before Wrestlemania XXVIII. When the Rated R Superstar was announced as an inductee in January, I think many people came to the same conclusion. It would only be fitting if the man to do his induction speech was his former partner and lifelong best friend, Christian. It would be a great moment and doing it any other way is sure to cause unrest among the fan base. There's one little problem, though.

Not only is Christian still a heel, but WWE specifically went out of their way last summer to break up Edge and Christian's story line relationship. You may recall the following happening before Christian's WHC defense versus Randy Orton at SummerSlam.

Edge and Christian would cross paths weeks later during a SmackDown that took place in the two's hometown of Toronto, Canada. The story was essentially the same. Christian attempted to use Edge so that he could get "one more match" for the world title. Edge once again called him a bitch, although it was cutoff that time to stay PG on television. E&C haven't been seen together on television since.

If Christian is to be the one who does Edge's induction speech, some on-air work may have to be done to his character. That alone could spell for a return and face turn for Captain Charisma in the near future. Whether or not it happens will likely depend on his Wrestlemania plans. If, like I predict, the World Heavyweight Championship match at 'Mania ends up being a non-singles match featuring three or more competitors, Christian will be a possible entry into that match. Those who make surprise returns (which Christian is capable of after the Elimination Chamber) typically are used for major programs. If this were to happen, I think it's unlikely Christian turns face.

On the other hand, if Christian returns and is not used in a major role, I think it ups the chance he does turn. Christian could become a contender in the rumored Money in the Bank match that will take place at Wrestlemania this year. He could turn face, do Edge's speech, and the be one of the few faces in that match at Wrestlemania. When I say few faces, I do mean few. We already know Cena will face the Rock at Mania. CM Punk will likely be in the WWE Championship match. Sheamus will be in the world title match. Orton could be in either the world title match or the ladder match, although I'm currently leaning toward the former due to a WHC match possibly not being attractive enough with just Sheamus and one heel. That leaves mid-card faces such as Zack Ryder and Kofi Kingston to fill out a potential six or eight man ladder match with heels such as the Miz, Dolph Ziggler, Kane, and Mark Henry. That's not good. Having someone such as Christian turn face beforehand would help make this proposed idea become more realistic.

We may also have to consider how heel heavy the WWE has become. SmackDown seems to be doing fine in terms of balance. There are top faces such as Randy Orton, Sheamus, and the Big Show. They're currently complimented by Mark Henry, Daniel Bryan, Wade Barrett, and Cody Rhodes. As mentioned in my Elimination Chamber piece, RAW is missing that kind of balance. There's CM Punk and John Cena without a true third baby face due to Zack Ryder being kayfabe injured. Even if that wasn't the case, he'd be a weak third man since he's not yet main event caliber. Heels on RAW include Kane, Dolph Ziggler, the Miz, Alberto Del Rio (although injured), and, seemingly, Chris Jericho.

Why do I bring up RAW's current imbalance? If 2012 is anything like 2011, Wrestlemania will be shortly followed by the WWE Draft. Last year's draft took place just weeks after 'Mania, right before Christian first won the world championship at Extreme Rules. Christian could be a prime candidate to switch to the red brand come draft time if he has turned face beforehand. This is just another Pandora's Box of possibilities.

As you can see, there's no easy way to predict this. Sorting through the logic of the potential scenarios is enough to make your head explode. WWE will need to decide whether or not to commit to having Christian do Edge's induction speech (which they should do by any means necessary). They must also decide if Christian can do the speech as is, or whether or not his onscreen persona should be adjusted for this specific role. It wouldn't surprise me to see him do the speech but nothing be done to his character, and thus this entire post would be much ado about nothing. But I think we could all agree that doing nothing would be very lazy writing on their part due to Edge and Christian's supposed damaged friendship in the most recent on-air stories.

If a face turn is in the works, I don't think I can complain. Christian's road to a third world championship seems difficult whether he be a heel or baby face. The mark in me wouldn't mind seeing the Christian that slaps his chest and puts on a big smile for the audience either. It seems crazy to think so, but we may be only months, if not weeks away from seeing Captain Charisma searching for his Peeps once again.

Peace,

Daniel

Talking Elimination Chamber

Now that SmackDown has aired, we can talk about both of the Chamber matches scheduled to take place at WWE's Elimination Chamber pay-per-view on February 19th. I'll start with RAW.


RAW ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR THE WWE CHAMPIONSHIP


CM Punk (c)
vs.
Dolph Ziggler
vs.
The Miz
vs.
Kofi Kingston
vs.
R-Truth
vs.
Chris Jericho




I have conflicting emotions over RAW's Chamber match. In other words, I find it both interesting and boring at the same time.

There are four guys in this match that I don't care about. They're good performers, but I know they won't win. Those men are Truth, Kingston, Miz, and Ziggler. I'm indifferent on Truth and Kofi is there as a spot monkey (no racist). Ziggler and Miz are two guys I like a lot, but I know they're not destined to be in a title match at Wrestlemania. I'm sure they'll put on a good show, but they're not in the spotlight.

On a side note, this must make it painfully obvious how much star-power RAW is lacking. After Punk and John Cena, RAW offers nothing in the way of a face - well there was Zack Ryder, but we know where he is currently. With Cena in a separate program, their next best face was Kofi Kingston and he hasn't even been a singles competitor in months! Ouch, WWE. Very ouch.

With all this said, it's obvious my attention will be on the current champion, CM Punk, and Chris Jericho. As we all know, Jericho promised that the Royal Rumble would mark the end of the world as we know it. That didn't exactly happen as Jericho was the final man eliminate by the Rumble winner, Sheamus. The following night on RAW, Jericho interrupted a match between Punk and Daniel Bryan, causing a disqualification finish. He then proceeded to deliver a Codebreaker to CM Punk before fleeing the scene of the crime. It's too early to say what Jericho's actions on RAW mean in the long term. A lot of people are assuming this is the beginning of the rumored massive feud between the two that has been talked about since Jericho's return in early January.

I do know that this is possibly (nay, probably?) the start of said feud. That's why in addition to Punk retaining his championship, the only other plausible outcome I can foresee is Jericho taking it from him. Personally, I'd be thrilled for the latter because I think it makes the one and a half month of build up to Wrestlemania more interesting (assuming we do get Punk and Jericho). It would also be easier to write than having Punk retain and coming up with a scenario where Jericho earns the #1 contender spot after losing in the Chamber match. It's too early for an official prediction, but I'm leaning toward Punk retaining, currently.



SMACKDOWN ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP


Daniel Bryan (c)
vs.
Big Show
vs.
Randy Orton
vs.
Wade Barrett
vs. 
Cody Rhodes
vs.
The Great Khali




This match is more interesting than the RAW match to me (believe it or not), but it's for much more different reasons. First, let me eliminate some of the competitors. Like the RAW match and all the other Chamber matches in history, you can tell beforehand who and who doesn't have a chance to win.

Khali is out. He has no business being in this match whatsoever; not that you didn't already know this from my spoiler update about Christian's absence. He's boring. He's too big. The audience doesn't care about him. His skill set (if you can call it that) especially does not mix with a Chamber match. I just pray to God he gets eliminated early.

Rhodes is out. Don't get me wrong. I love Cody Rhodes. I just don't see him truly "pulling an Ultimate Warrior" and holding both a world championship and the Intercontinental Championship at the same time. A lot like Ziggler and Miz for RAW, I think he'll put on a great show, but it's not his place to be in the WHC match at 'Mania.

Big Show is out. Yes, Show is out. To my own surprise, the Big Show has been very over with the crowd as of late. I wouldn't have complained over Show picking up the strap at the Rumble, but I was okay with him losing too. But the thing is, I just can't see him in a world title match at Wrestlemania. You also have to take into account his rumored match with Shaquille O'Neal (google it if you don't know). I can definitely see that match happening. It would be the same kind of match as last year's 6-person mixed gender tag match that featured Snooki. This Shaq match should be reason alone to not be counting on Show winning at the Chamber.

That leaves the current champion, Daniel Bryan, plus Randy Orton and Wade Barrett. Here's where the new dynamic comes in that helps make the SmackDown match more interesting than the RAW one:

Sheamus

Granted, Sheamus could technically choose to challenge for the WWE Championship on RAW, but I don't think anyone actually sees that happening (although never say never). Sheamus will likely be challenging to win his first ever World Heavyweight Championship at Wrestlemania XXVIII. Since Sheamus is a face, it would only make sense to have him challenge a heel - meaning in this scenario the winner would have to be either Bryan or Barrett.

Not so fast my friend. Unfortunately, I feel like we're getting dangerously close to not having a singles match for the World Heavy Weight Championship at 'Mania. I say unfortunately because I'm old school. I'm fine with triple threat and fatal four way matches for titles, just not at 'Mania. It also defeats the purpose of winning the Rumble if someone else is just also going to become the challenger, but I digress.

As you can probably tell, I feel like there could be a three or four-man match specifically because of Orton. If Orton isn't in the World Heavyweight Championship match, then what does he do? Who else is there for him to face at 'Mania? Rhodes? I don't think so. I just don't see any way that Randy Orton is not in that WHC match. Assuming that Sheamus is challenging for the WHC as well, that means two baby faces. There has to be at least one heel, if not two.

This is where the scenarios get crazy. You could have Orton win and then have a match of Orton vs. Sheamus vs. Bryan at 'Mania. Or you could have Orton win, Bryan get a rematch shortly after on SmackDown, Orton win again and then Bryan goes to the back of the line. Then you could create a scenario where another heel (like Barrett or maybe, dare I say, Christian) earns their way into a title match at 'Mania. Then you have Randy Orton (c) vs. Sheamus vs. < insert heel >.

For kicks and giggles, I'd love to see:

Orton wins the Chamber
Daniel Bryan gets a rematch on the following SmackDown
Christian interrupts the Orton/Bryan match, thus screwing Bryan out of his automatic rematch
The WHC match at 'Mania is booked as:

Randy Orton (c) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus vs. Christian in a Fatal Four Way match

Pretty good, no?

That's just one example and really, when you compile all the evidence, it's not that crazy. I may be wrong on the match, but I wouldn't be shocked to see something similar booked. Maybe a Championship Scramble. Who's to say? I'm just pointing out that the extenuating circumstances may make for a rather non-tradition title match at Wrestlemania.

That's why I say the SmackDown match is actually more interesting (for good or bad) than the RAW match.


Peace,

Daniel

How Long Must We Wait?

WARNING: SMACKDOWN SPOILERS INCLUDED


Another week of WWE television and still no Christian.

Christian was reportedly ready to return on Sunday at the Royal Rumble, but WWE kept him out of the Rumble match. Christian not being a surprise entrant created frustration, but the reports of him being available excited his fan base.

On Tuesday night's SmackDown tapings, Christian was once again absent. The SmackDown Elimination Chamber match was initially booked as a Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Big Show vs. Mark Henry vs. Randy Orton vs. Wade Barrett vs. Cody Rhodes. After a story-line angle during the show, Henry was taken out of the match and suspended indefinitely as a way to write him off of television while he deals with nagging injuries. That opened the door for hope that Christian's return would be announced later in the show as he takes the final spot in the Chamber match. Unfortunately, those hopes were dash by the Great Khali (seriously, the Great Khali - no joke).

We're back to square one. Allegedly, Christian is healthy. For whatever reason, WWE is reluctant to re-enter him onto television. My suspicion is that creative may not know what to do with him just yet. It's now too late for him to enter SmackDown's 6-man main event scene and his former rival, Sheamus, is beginning his push to Wrestlemania as the Royal Rumble winner. Christian could theoretically be brought back so that Sheamus has something to until after the Elimination Chamber, but remember, that's only eighteen days away as I write this. That would be only two more SmackDown tapings (four shows overall if you want to count RAW Supershow). It's quite possible that Christian could be held out until after the Elimination Chamber.

That is simply disappointing. I understand those who want to preach patience on this matter, but please understand this. There were two major opportunities for Christian to be re-written onto WWE television this week and WWE passed on both. Entering as one of the many "surprise entrants" for the Rumble would've been a believable return for him. Even with that off the board, there was still a prime opportunity to bring him back on SmackDown. What better time than while his rival Sheamus was coming off a Rumble win and needed something to do? Instead, Sheamus wins a pointless match with Cody Rhodes and doesn't get much mic time once again. It would've even worked to put him in the Chamber match right away - especially after Mark Henry was kicked out. How in the world can the Great Khali be a better option than Christian? Khali hasn't had a real match in several months and to make matters worse, he's as over with the audience as I am. I'm not just frustrated that Christian isn't back after two and a half months. I'm frustrated that WWE intentionally passed on two excellent opportunities.

At this point, I'm no longer concerned about Christian's hopes of re-entering SmackDown's main event. The focus now is whether or not he'll be included in Wrestlemania in anyway. Christian hasn't been in any 'Mania match since the 2010 Money in the Bank Ladder Match. He hasn't been in a singles match at 'Mania since his match with Chris Jericho at Wrestlemania XX. There are rumors of the MITB match returning to Wrestlemania. If that pans out, he's certainly a candidate for that. If not... 'Mania may be Christian-less once again.