Lesner Can't Even Save Hell In A Cell...

                                                    


So, the WWE rumor-mill has a possible Brock Lesner return for this Sunday's Hell In a Cell, to help CM Punk retain his championship against the intimidating Ryback. Sure, this sounds like an exciting surprise to an overall lack-luster card...but it makes no sense.

Okay, Punk being a "Paul Heyman Guy" aligns him ith the other Heyman guy, Lesner. And a Lesner-Ryback match-up seems a bit intriguing, even though Ryback's too fast rise to the top of the WWE heap troubles me. I mean, this is Brock Lesner. And he is coming back for Ryback? And coming back for Ryback so he can make sure CM Punk retains the WWE title? Why would he want anyone to have the title besides himself?

With that said, and even though it is a lame segway, I feel certain this will happen. Why? Because the Hell in a Cell card is not worth the PPV price tag. Hell, it's not even Monday Night Raw worthy. Let's break this down match by match...

1) Randy Orton Vs Alberto Del Rio...Why is Del Rio still relevant...or better yet when will the WWE realize he is not. This is a Smackdown match at best.

2) Kofi Kingston Vs. The Miz... Okay, I love Kingston as much as the next person, and it about time the WWE gives this talent his due....but The Miz? I'd much rather see Dolph Ziggler and Kingston....but, since Ziggler does little else but hold on to that Money in the Bank briefcase these days, I can see why this feud hasn't made it to the forefront.

3) Team Hell No vs Rhodes Scholars. The team of Bryan/Kane is a much-needed comedy relief to the current, very long-winded three hour Raw episodes...and have the talent to back it up. Daniel Bryan impresses me more and more. The skill level of Hell No should make this no-brainer, but the WWE has to pretend that Sandow and Rhodes are compatible. (and besides the pathetic Prime Time Players seem to be the only other "heel" team around to face the crowd-loving Hell No team- and no one needed to see that)

4) Shaemus Vs Big Show...This feud was pulled out of thin air, and just reads forced every week we have to swallow it. Big Show just doesn't cut it as the heel anymore. Shaemus should win this one, and retain his title...it is really not a match people really seem to care about...and that is a big problem at the end of the PPV day.

Finally, the big one....CM Punk Vs. Ryback...which, I already covered...Lesner's return to spoil this match and set up a more fitting feud between himself and Ryback (yet giving up any belt hopes) will be how Punk keeps this title. Because there is no way Ryback should hold it.

So, is a possible Lesner's rumored return enough to help people want to buy into to this mess of a card? Not for me...but definitely enough for me to tune into the recently very-boring Monday Night Raw the next night.

RAW = YAWn

                                          

So, the WWE is concerned over the dismal ratings it has received the past couple of weeks. Well, they should be, but, are they really surprised? I had my finger on the fast forward button through about 85% of the show, and let me tell you I was damned grateful for DVR at the time.

What the hell are they doing to CM PUNK? He is even looks bored with the routine at this point. Ever since Heyman came around, this storyline has plummeted. Punk doesn't need a mouthpiece. He's one of the best on-mike talents in the WWE, and has been for some time. I get they needed Heyman to really cement the fact Punk was a heel, but at this point it's like they are force-feeding a toddler spinach. The WWE fans aren't complete morons. Punk, alone, against the WWE  made a more compelling storyline. This is predictably going to end with Ryback kicking Punk's ass...who knows how long that will take. And I'm really not that excited to tune in to find out.

Big Show? Um, what happened to that feud with CM Punk and Cena. All of a sudden, it's Sheamus and Big Show. Yawn. The WWE did a superb job of killing Big Show's fan base. He was much more effective as a good guy. I get it, the WWE is trying to mix things up, trying to get some drama going to make up for the lack of talent and charisma in the locker room. But, let's face it. It just isn't working.

So, what to do? Most likely, bring back a past Super Star. Or pull some aces from their back pocket storage, names like Triple H (but that probably won't happen til closer to Wrestlemania time), The Rock (Royal Rumble Time!), Brock Lesnar (I see this guy going against Ryback)...and maybe the return of Batista, who can eventually also face Lesnar. I've mentioned this before, but I'll say it again just for good measure. Please WWE, get Jeff Hardy back when his TNA contract runs out. Pretty please with sugar on top...We'll call it the return of the ratings, as well as a great super star.

Possible Opponents for CM PUNK?

Okay, I just read The Bleacher Report's article on possible opponents for CM PUNK at Hell In a Cell because John Cena, the WWE's seemingly only go-to title shot contender, is hurt. I would list the writer's name, but to tell you the truth I'm too embarassed of his picks to do that.

The only credible one on the list of 5 is Big Show. Why not? Before disappearing off the face of the WWE universe about a month or so ago, he was a huge contender (no pun intended), and in a major beef with both Punk and Cena. Why not give the big man a shot? His time is ticking.

Now to the other ridiculous options: (going from the yawn to the ludacris):

1. Rey Mysterio....Really? Now, I know he's a kid-pleaser and a main "good guy", but seriously? That's is like a third card match on any Monday Night Raw. Thinking of it puts me in a dream-like trance. Yawn.

2. Alberto Del Rio....I just don't know how this guy is continuously considered a top contender. His schtick is old, and quite frankly annoying. His skills are adequate, but he is no show-stopper. To me, Del Rio just isn't main event material. I just have to convince this to Vince McMahon.

3. Triple H....WTF? At this point in the article I was sure the writer may have been deep into a bowl of really intense weed. The Paul Heyman line of reasoning is ridiculous. Maybe the whole Brett Hart/ Cena/ Punk failed on-mike showdown where the WWE couldn't stop force-feeding us the parallels between the Hart/Shawn Micheals and Cena/Punk rivalry. Which would maybe bring in HHH to finally settle the King of Kings is better than HBK debate by defeating the new HBK in Punk because we all know the real HBK isn't coming back anytime soon. Yes, a huge stretch, like lycra over a fat lady's thighs.

4. The Undertaker????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????????
Doesn't this guy realize the WWE has to reserve this guy for Wrestlemania? What the hell kind of feud could possibly be construed to get these guys in a match? A very lame and far-fetched one indeed.


Putting so much faith in Cena year after year has proven to be risky for the WWE. Until now, he always seemed to be up for the task. Time to start putting more eggs in the squared-circle basket.
So, who would I say is the best contender? Seeing The rock is being saved for The Royal Rumble....I would have to say.....

-  Sheamus...why not? Title versus title, that and Punk's bowing out of the match on Labor Day just adds feul to the fire. I think this would be a very worthy top-notch Hell In a Cell Match....and believable. At this point, the WWE really has little or no other option....well, one that doesn't suck, I mean. *cough* Del Rio *cough*....

If we only had Jeff Hardy back....now, him and Punk would be a damned great match....I know, I'm dreaming (though not for much longer- Hardy's TNA contract is up soon!)....and best of all, I'm not yawning!

$49.95...Can I justify that PPV price?

Summer Slam...one of the big WWE events of the year. So enthralled with the return of Shawn Micheals in this whole Lesnar-HHH feud, I have been engaging the thought of pressing in the Pay per View title. So, there I went, ready to have it all set for my DVR....then that's when I saw it...the price. $49.95????? Really. Wrestlemania was only like ten bucks more, and that is the event of the year. I maybe would have thought twice about 39.95.....but 50 bucks? No way. I know what you are thinking, it's only ten dollars more. Buck up, cheapskate. Those same thoughts ran through my mind for a few fleeting seconds,  so I understand them. Then as I set to push the dreaded "okay" command to authorize this robbery, I paused and looked at the torn window screen to the back of my house. And I thought, I bet you Vince cMahon doesn't have a torn screen. Yep, that's all it took. I then reasoned with myself, assuring my inner fan that I would pretty much see everything the next night on Raw, so don't feel so bad.

Which is the truth. With the new extra hour, that leaves plenty of padding. Usually, they just run replays of things that happned that night. Now they will have no choice then to pad that bad boy up with Summer Slam highlights. These are the thoughts that are getting me through this decision.

Predictions:
CM punk will defeat Big Show and Cena. Wouldn't be surprised to see The Rock.
HHH will defeat Lesnar, and a new feud between Micheals and HHH will emerge. Not liking that...Ii would much rather a DX re-occurance than these guys against each other.
Does anyone care about any of the other matches? Okay, let's pretend we do...
I would like to see Dolph Ziggler defeat Jericho. Jericho looks tired and bored to me.
Daniel Bryan will defeat Kane. Bryan is on fire as of late, and Kane is being used as part of the supporting
cast. Most likely a Charlie Sheen appearance, though no one knows quite why.
The Miz will defeat Rey Mysterio...The Miz has the potential to be a better superstar. His mike skills are pretty good. I think with a good storyline, he would improve them. I love Mysterio, but he doesn;t bring anything new to the plotlines. Especially since his duplicate, Sin Cara arrived.
The tag team match...ugh. Why does the WWE hate Kofi Kingston so much? This guy is so under-used it is tragic. Okay, he has a tag team championship belt. So what? The tag teams as of late are pathetic. The Cena/CM Punk tag team AJ threw together last week would easily beat any tag team around today.

After Summer Slam, can Brock Lesnar go away? I can only wish. His schtick is getting tiresome. Heyman helps his cause as his mouthpiece, but how long can The Beast play the same routine. Should he just break everyone is the WWE's arm? Can we just do it in one night and get it over with? I would like to see maybe him and Ryback is he is going to stay around. Lesnar wants to be champ, but he has yet to start a beef with one...One can only ask why?

Wrestlemania 28: Was it worth the 60 bucks?

Wrestlemania 28: Was it worth the 60 bucks?


Off the bat, let me say, I went back and forth all day about pressing in Wrestlemania. Let’s face it, sixty bucks is a hefty Pay-per-View price-tag. Finally, after reasoning it would cost more to bring my kids to the movies than watch this once a year event, I caved. Also the fact my husband was at work and had no idea what I was up to helped tremendously.
So, was it worth it, you ask? I could say the look on my kids’ faces when I told them they were watching it was enough to garnish the price, but that would just be hokey, no matter how true it may be. So, in a nutshell, sure it was worth it. It’s the Super Bowl of the WWE for Pete’s sake!
Highlights: (For the entire 4 hour shoe. Yes, I just said Four Freaking Hours! My eyes were practically bleeding by the end, but I made it)


1. Sheamus, arguably the whitest man to ever walk the face of the Earth, takes down the ever-annoying Daniel Bryan within the first couple of seconds of the match. I have no idea why Mr. Bryan got so much screen time this year, but was sure damned glad when Sheamus didn’t give him much last Sunday. Hopefully, Bryan will fade out of the limelight now. Or is that just the glow off Sheamus’s translucent skin? The world may never know.

2. The Big Show finally wins at Wrestlemania! This was a great treat in my house because my 8 year-old is a HUGE (no pun intended) Big Show fan! He had even watched Big Show: A Giant’s Tale DVD earlier that day! And seeing anyone beat Cody Rhodes is always an added bonus.

3. Team Johnny stuns Team Teddy. This match was just about as asinine as the Michael Cole match from last year. But, the kids enjoyed it.

4. CM Punk Beats Jericho. I have had a problem with the whole catch phrase for this match for weeks. The best wrestler in the world? Neither one of these guys are even the best on the card!

5. The Rock takes down John Cena! I have to admit I was surprised here. I never thought the WWE would take a movie star back (and leave again- see you again next Wrestlemania, Rock) and have him defeat the WWE poster boy. Reminded me a little of Hogan’s win over Shaun Michaels a few years back. (I'm aging myself) The old defeating the new (in a way) I wasn’t that happy then, wasn’t happy now.


AND THE match of the night, in my humble and usually correct opinion:

THE STREAK LIVES ON!!!! The Phenom goes 20-0 against Triple H. Not really a shocker. If Shawn Michaels didn’t break it, I can’t see why they would let anyone at this point. It is legend. The Undertaker will retire undefeated. Chairs were flying, and beatings on both sides. Watching The Dead man take down both members of DX (though, I’m a huge fan) is damned entertaining. But the highlight of this match happened after the bell, when The Undertaker helped guest referee Shawn Micheals carry the half-dead HHH from the ring. It was a great Wrestlemania 28 moment, maybe the best of the night.