BorneAgain

B. To keep the illusion up that they weren't in cahoots, so to further suspicion from themselves. Or cause he wanted a world title shot. That too. And I guess it makes sense that HHH never got in his face about it, otherwise he would have risked it either being found out or Rikishi getting pissed and telling everybody himself. Additional thought: The whole Undertaker scenario could have explained why he left in September, as he knew what was coming didn't feel like having to deal with the crap Mankind, Rock, and Big Show would get from Stephanie and HHH, and also realized that he would have to change he who was in order to take them on, IE BikerTaker.

Here's another one. If Rikishi was hired by HHH to run over Austin, the why precisly did Rikishi: A. Act like Mr. Happy Go Lucky dancing guy? and B. Often challenge HHH, the very guy who had hired not months before?

I always assumed marrige because (prior to Vince revealing himself as the higher power) Taker's character was a sick fuck who wanted to take away the innocence of a defenseless girl. After the higher power stuff, the kayfabe reason I had was that Taker and Vince knew marrige was the only thing serious enough to bring Austin out to save her. Just my guess though.

Yeah, he was. But that would have been an interesting storyline, wouldn't you say? Would also explain, like I said, why Taker tried to marry Stephanie. If the marrige was part of the whole Vince plot, and Stephanie hooked up with HHH because she was angry at her dad for having her kidnapped and nearly married, than didn't the whole ceremony more or less cause the very event that Taker was trying to prevent?

Heh, we'll get to see Rhyno's last WWE match.

*Remembers recent developments on Raw* A second Diva Seach. Cutting the legs out from their new World Heavyweight Champion. Putting HHH vs. JR as their ten-minute main event. The Masterlock challenge. That dumb? I beginning to wonder.

To each his own, I'am a big fan of the Undertaker and while SD has been great these past few weeks. I kinda miss the big guy. At the very least, Taker does get the live crowd excited, so I do beleive he has use on the show.

You really WANT a re-make of the Bradshaw Hardcore Title? I'd laugh if he carried around a title with a picture of himself on it.

One thing I loved about the two was the fact that even though: A. They were both heels B. They spent most of the time bickering they still were putting both guys over in the ring, even with JBL saying Booker could be a world champion if he didn't pay so much attention to the fans or his wife. It such a fresh change compared to Raw where HHH buries all his challengers and guys like Batista are forced to go on television and talk about how much they respect him.

Cena/JBL * 1/2 Angle Booker ** 1/2 Eddy vs Rey *** I could see Angle-Booker being a little higher, and Rey-Eddie could reach 4 *, especially if Eddie's a heel by then. Granted, the WM match was a dissapointment but Rey's mask was screwing him up, so that won't play a factor here. JBL-Cena's about right, though if they use the gimmick right, it go as a high as **1/4.

Agreed. It has a definite idea of where its going and the booking decsions (Angle and JBL attacking Booker and Show to eliminate them, keeping the focus on the title itself and not just one person) are logical and interesting. The way is shaping up (JBL-Cena, Angle-Booker, Eddie-Rey) Judgement Day could be the best Smackdown PPV in some time.

That brings up an interesting question: Why didn't Kane just try and consummate another child with Lita?

Ummm....why? Yeah, that seems to make no sense. Please don't tell we'll be having another tournament to decide the next champion after Cena vacates. I guess Long could just make a U.S. title title match with the runners up in the fatal four way next week. That could explain Booker getting the title.

Taped before Raw tonight as part of the "Supershow"

Have him say "I hope we can still be friends" and he'll be the biggest face on the Raw Roster.

Sounds waaaaaaaaaaaay too much like Jeff Jarrett circa 1994 for my liking. The Hollywood aspect really wouldn't be played up as much as the "big star" angle, with the idea that Christian doesn't need it to prove he's the best, or because of his passion for the wrestling industry. He just wants his name in the newspapers, his face on television, and the world title is the way to do that.

Funny how they've done so much to push Edge as this big star while with Christian it comes across as so natural. Also I remember in an older thread someone had a great idea regarding his motivation for the title, basically stating that he wants it just so he can become a big star and go to Hollywood. Forget passion, forget desire, he just wants to be this charismatic celebrity who everyone worships. Its a great contrast to people like HHH, Batista, or Edge who all have more tradtional reasons for wanting it. Its a fresh perspective and they want to keep him as a heel, that would be a great way to do it.

Strange, she looked downright terrible when she was on Raw last fall, and is nothing special in picutres I've seen of her, but last week on Smackdown, GOD DAMN she looked good. I don't recall seeing her on Raw Raw lingerie fashion show from when Orton was GM. She was the one in the blu-green corset. I admit for that Raw she did look like "Juvi in Drag".

Strange, she looked downright terrible when she was on Raw last fall, and is nothing special in picutres I've seen of her, but last week on Smackdown, GOD DAMN she looked good.

Nah, the entire female manager being more heavily featured than the actual team as hardly new to the WWE. (see Bodydonnas, Bashams in 2003)

MNM vs. The Dudleyz if I had to guess.

How do you know that? Because he's a no-talent hack who can't cut a decent promo, and he can't keep a match interesting for more than five minutes. He was over and was certainly a better wrestler than HHH at the time. Booker would have flopped? What exactly do you call the three or so months after Triple H held on to the title? A success? Call it a lesser than two evils argument if you must, but that fact is Booker would have done equal, if not better business if he had won the title at Wrestlemania. Read the originial post in it's entirety. My whole argument was that since Booker's reign was going to flop anyway, they were better off saving the rub for later. Sure, HHH's reign might have been just as bad, but that kept Benoit and Batista's later WM wins special instead of being obvious and anticlimactic. And I'm questioning how Booker was going to flop despite evidence to the contrary. I don't deny that him not winning helped Batista and Benot's victories. That's true. Its the entire "It was definitely going to flop" argument I dispute.

How do you know that? Because he's a no-talent hack who can't cut a decent promo, and he can't keep a match interesting for more than five minutes. He was over and was certainly a better wrestler than HHH at the time. Booker would have flopped? What exactly do you call the three or so months after Triple H held on to the title? A success? Call it a lesser than two evils argument if you must, but that fact is Booker would have done equal, if not better business if he had won the title at Wrestlemania.

How do you know that?

For the record, Booker did have a good to great match with Cena on Smackdown as part of the # 1 contenders tournament in February. As for the rest, while I do believe Booker is not as good as he was 7 or even 5 years ago, I would attest a great deal of that to age and injuries. Is he unmoitivated at points? Yes, and though that hardly justifies it, I do understand why he is. Booker is still capable of putting on at least a good match in my opinon. My issue is not really that he is some wrestling god now, but that he has not been a "marginal peformer at best" his entire career like your statement seems to imply. Plus when you look back, Trips was really at his worst point wrestling wise by Wrestlemania 19, on a title reign that no one really wanted to see. I highly doubt there would have been some great outcry by either smarts or marks had Booker won the title there especially when one considers how many people were expecting that and really didn't have a problem with it. My bottom line is that a title win there would have been nothing but postive.