C.M. Punk’s “Announcement”

The “buzz” throughout the wrestling world is the reaction to the end of the 6/20 Raw, and the “Nexus” of that buzz is C.M. Punk (pun intended). To set it up: Punk, at the top of Raw, came out to the ring and stated that he is now the#1 Contender to John Cena and the WWE Championship, based on his (Punk’s) win over Cena last week and his win over Rey Mysterio at Capitol Punishment. He staged a “sit-in” in the ring until the Raw GM officially made him top contender. Raw GM told him to leave; Punk made Snow Angels in the ring. GM then told Punk that, due to his “slight disrespect”, he would now have to face Alberto del Rio for the spot. Punk mocked del Rio and the GM; GM then added Mysterio to the match.

We now get to the match:

The announcement afterwards:

Annonucement

A couple of sites have also picked up the story, including one back in April:

Sports Entertainment Scoops

Wrestling News Source

What does this mean for the WWE Title (possibly) and Raw? Well, for starters, it may pretty much kill off the (New) Nexus finally. Who, on Raw, has the mic skills, the heat, and the talent, to lead them? Who could replace C.M. Punk, in general, on the Raw roster? He is/was one of the most well-rounded stars in the WWE, much less the Raw brand. His agility, speed, and ruthlessness made him an excellent match for just about any style of offense an opponent could throw at him. Throw him some cunning and a Master mind-gamesman, and you have a very dangerous man on your hands.

With the WWE Title: would Punk win the title only to lose it that night to the MITB winner (it’s very possible)? Would he win, “retire” as Champion, only to come back at next year’s WM as part of the Main Event (doubtful)? Would he lose to Cena and be humiliated on the way out the door (ala Lita vs. Trish Stratus)?

One thing is for sure: if C.M. Punk leaves, it will be a big blow to the WWE Universe.

Dissecting the Wrestlemania XXVII Corpse

…because the 2011 version of Wrestlemania was just like a corpse: dead. Lifeless, semi-dull, bloated- it was not a pretty site to behold, at times. Let’s take this mass of matches apart and see what we find, shall we?

Not Impressed… So Far

Only 2 weeks away from the grandest spectacle in wrestling. No, I’m not talking about *that promotion with Tazz and Mike Tenay as commentators* (I’m not even mentioning the name until the Nelson’s self-imposed coverage exile is up)… I’m talking about Wrestlemania! There’s only one problem with this year’s version:

I’m not really impressed with the card.

PPV Preview: WWE Elimination Chamber 2011

Here we are at the lone pit-stop on the Road to WrestleMania.  Try to get some souvenirs from when it was called No Way Out if you please.  To make nice with the rest of the WWE’s gimmick-based PPVs, this one has been tooled around the massive Elimination Chamber match.  Introduced years ago by Eric Bischoff, the Elimination Chamber is a mix of a battle royal and the old War Games match in which six guys are in the ring with two starting and the other four held in cages on the four corners of the ring.  At regular intervals, they are released int0 the match, with anyone being able to be eliminated by pinfall or submission at any time.

With the WWE split into two brands, this PPV has become essential in deciding the main event for WrestleMania for the brand that doesn’t feature the Royal Rumble winner.  Once Elimination Chamber is done, the card for the biggest show of the year is essentially set.  So let’s run down the card!

ELIMINATION CHAMBER MATCH FOR #1 CONTENDER AT WRESTLEMANIA
John Cena vs. John Morrison vs. R-Truth vs. Randy Orton vs. King Sheamus vs. CM Punk
Since Alberto Del Rio won the Royal Rumble, Raw needs a challenger for the WWE Championship to be decided in the Elimination Chamber.  Raw held a series of qualifier matches for the event and this is what they got.  Since their announcements, CM Punk has been leading his Nexus forces to attack the other participants and weaken them up, so all involved likely want a piece of Punk before all else.

But as for a prediction – I’d say the  safe bet is for John Cena to take the Raw Elimination Chamber and drift straight into a title match against the Miz at WrestleMania.  All signs seem to be pointing towards that inevitability – the Rock even targeted both Cena and the Miz specifically during his return promo.  Look for Randy Orton and CM Punk to increase their feud in the process.  Do you who’s not going to win?  R-Truth.

 

Del Rio beats the odds: WWE Royal Rumble 2011

The newly expanded Royal Rumble match had thrills, chills and excitement, and even a shocking finisher when relative newcomer Alberto Del Rio survived the onslaught of talent, last eliminating both Randy Orton and Wade Barrett to earn his way to the main event of WrestleMania XXVII.  John Cena rounded out the final four, but while the referees were busy trying to break up a brawl outside of the ring, The Miz, who had joined the commertary team upon the entrance of his protege Alex Riley, slid into the ring and dumped Cena over the ropes.  Before leaving the ringside area, Cena left an ominous message with Miz’s biggest fan, Michael Cole, that he’d had enough.

The Rumble almost ended with the most shocking upset ever when Santino Marella, who had earlier been knocked through the ropes, returned to the ring after Del Rio had seemingly captured the match.  Marella loaded up the Cobra and nailed Del Rio, but as he tried to throw him over the ropes for the win, Del Rio shifted his weight and sent Santino flying.  And with that, Del Rio claimed victory and was heading to WrestleMania.

Rest of the show after the jump.

Preview: WWE Royal Rumble 2011

It’s finally here!  The Royal Rumble is my absolute FAVORITE PPV of the year.  The co-writers of this blog will tell you that I won’t shut up about the damn thing.  Finally!

Like it needs to be said, the Royal Rumble is the beginning of the “Road to WrestleMania” that will continue until the big event itself in April.  The event is highlighted by its namesake match, a gauntlet-style battle royal in which two men start in the ring and an additional one comes out at fixed intervals (usually 90 seconds) until all participants have entered.  At that point, the last person still in the ring wins a main event title shot for either brand’s championship at WrestleMania.

But you already knew that, didn’t you?  Let’s run down the card.

WWE Championship Match
The Miz (c) (w/Alex Riley) vs. Randy Orton
After defeating John Morrison, who won a title shot at last month’s TLC, the Miz thought he would have smooth sailing through the Royal Rumble.  Not so, said the anonymous GM of Raw, who set up a triple threat steel cage match between Randy Orton, King Sheamus and Wade Barrett.  The match was more noteworthy in that it featured CM Punk costing Barrett his leadership of Nexus (and subsequently his spot on the Raw roster), but it still led Orton to take the win and the title shot.

This is the second straight PPV title shot for Orton, who is still looking to reclaim the WWE title which was taken from him when The Miz cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase after Orton suffered a beating at the hands of the Nexus.  Miz managed to pull out a win by using his apprentice Alex Riley to knock Orton from the ring apron through a table to cost him the match.  This match features no such stipulations, so if Miz wants to retain his belt, he’ll have to pin Orton or make him submit.

Or get himself disqualified, which is what I have a sneaky suspicion is exactly what he’s going to do.  Don’t be surprised if whomever doesn’t win the title shows up in the Rumble match.

Royal Rumble participants – chances of victory

As of this writing, WWE.com has announced 28 names who will officially be participating in the Royal Rumble – 19 from Raw and 9 from Smackdown.  While there are some obvious choices yet unnamed – such as Kane, Big Show and Kofi Kingston – these are the ones officially named, and thus these are the ones we’ll be covering.

Though we still have two episodes – one of Supertstars and Smackdown – to go before the Rumble itself, today we’ll be going through the list of participants and gauging their possible chances for victory and a shot at the main event of WrestleManis XXVII.

FAVORITES (MORE THAN A SAFE BET TO CLAIM VICTORY)

CM Punk (Raw)
CM Punk has been riding a wave of momentum since taking over the Nexus, and he’s held the main event spot before, so it’s likely that he may have earned his spot to take the Rumble.  The problem here is that Raw’s champion, The Miz, is a pretty heavy heel and it’s unlikely to be a bash of the baddies to headline the biggest show of the year.  Though a lot can change between January and April, so there’s a chance that the scene my shift to favor a Punk challenge.  The February PPV Elimination Chamber’s scene-changer will be a running theme here.

John Cena (Raw)
This one should really go without saying.  John Cena is the face of the WWE and he will most certainly have a prominent role in WrestleMania.  But challenging for the WWE Championship?  He’s as good of a bet as anyone and a feud between him and the Miz would certainly be a good one.  But of course anyone looking for a storyline of their own has an excellent starting point with eliminating Cena.  Anyway, he’s THE favorite, as he is with any other match he’s in.

Rey Mysterio (Smackdown)
One of the top three babyfaces on Smackdown, Rey has claimed Rumble victory before and even went the entire distance to do so, setting the record for longest Royal performance in 2006.  Like Punk above, Rey Mysterio’s problem comes with that he’s not a fitting challenger should the champion remain the same through ‘Mania.  Rey’s currently in a feud against Alberto Del Rio, whom will quite possibly cause his elimination.  But until Kane or Big Show get announced, Rey’s Smackdown’s safest bet to bring home the win.

Great Moments In Championship History: United States VIII

“The Champ… Begins” (WWE WrestleMania XX)

Setup: The “Nelson Time Travel Machine” takes  us back only a handful of years: 2004. We start at the Royal Rumble, where rookie John Cena is surviving longer than most people would have believed. Cena ends up in the final 6 to be eliminated, thrown out by the United States champ, The Big Show. Thus, like almost all Royal Rumble matches with a big elimination, a feud was born. It didn’t help matters that Show was aligned with then-WWE Champion Brock Lesnar, who Cena had feuded with, earlier in the year. Cena would go on to chase Big Show and the U.S. Title, until he finally caught up with him at WM XX:

Great Moments In Championship History: United States Title V

“64 Seconds”

The last “Moment” posted was the ending of Lex Luger’s 17-month reign as U.S. Champ. These next “Moments” are on the other side of the spectrum: the 2 shortest U.S. Title changes ever. One match involved a Hall-Of-Famer, the other involved one that should be in it.

Part 1: The Old Record

Setup: WCW Fall Brawl 1994 was the scene of this crime. The participants: ”Stunning” Steve Austin and Ricky Steamboat. Austin and Steamboat were involved in a GREAT feud throughout the majority of 1994 for the title, with Austin losing it to Steamboat at Clash of the Champions in August. Fall Brawl would be Austin’s rematch.

Match: Steamboat did not make the Fall Brawl match, due to an injury. As a result, Austin was awarded the U.S. Title. However, he still needed an opponent. In steps…

Aftermath: …”Hacksaw” Jim Duggan, debuting in WCW. The match was a total squash. Duggan pins Austin in 37 seconds! This was the shortest U.S. Championship match in history (until it was broken 21 years later). Steve Austin also earned another dubious honor from this match: the shortest reign as U.S. Champion- it lasted just under 5 minutes. As for Duggan, he successfully defended the title twice against Austin (DQ wins), ultimately drooping the belt to Vader at Starcade 1994.

Part 2: The New Record(s) (WWE Summerslam 2005)

Setup: Fast-forward 21 years. The U.S. Champion is now Orlando Jordan. He earned the title with a win over John Cena on a March episode of Smackdown!. He was set to defend the title at Summerslam against Chris Benoit:

Aftermath: This is one of the most famous (or infamous, depending on how you want to look at it) moments in WWE history. It led to some pretty hilarious segment with Benoit- he would compare the match length with other things you could do in under 30 seconds, like make a cup of coffee or take a leak.

This actually wasn’t the shortest match between the 2. Jordan got a rematch and lost in 23.4 seconds; a second rematch lasted 22 seconds. A 3rd (and final) title match versus Benoit saw Jordan make progress: he only lost in about 50 seconds.

Cena’s fate sealed?: WWE Survivor Series 2010

A lot was riding on the championship match between WWE Champion Randy Orton and Wade Barrett, leader of the Nexus, but far moreso for special guest referee John Cena than either of the participants.  Forced into the Nexus two months ago, Cena was under strict orders from Wade Barrett that if he did not win the WWE Championship, he would use his authority to fire Cena from the WWE.  Randy Orton was well aware of the stakes at hand but had tired of worrying about Cena’s decision and instead vowed to do what he had to do to retain his championship.

The two engaged in a fierce match (with no-DQ in effect to prevent what occurred at Bragging Rights last month) with Cena staying true to his word and calling it straight down the middle.  Barrett seemed to have the championship won after he nailed Wasteland on Orton, but the champion managed to grab the ropes, causing Cena to break up the pin.  Barrett allowed his frustration to get the better of him and slapped Cena, which caused the ref to shove Barrett back, right into the waiting Orton’s RKO.  Cena then made his final decision and counted the three count for Orton to retain.

Orton and Cena stood side by side to fight off the attacking Nexus.  With them dispatched, Cena handed Orton his title and the two embraced.  As Orton headed to the back, Cena thanked the fans, then took off through the crowd for perhaps the final time.  Yeah, right.

Rest of the show after the jump.