Hawk 34

Usually, the shows on a doubleshot that appear skipable compared to their counterpart tend to be the better show overall. There are some obvious exceptions, of course.

People once thought Ludacris wouldn't but he manage to counter that assumption. Busta has already done dramatic roles with modest success. Ja Rule makes for a decent action movie actor. 50 Cent couldn't act worth a crap in his own docu-drama, whilst Eminem was servicable. Go back to your Dane Cook myspace.

At least undefeated streaks make sense, it's those "winless" streaks that usually involves a heel throwing a tantrum or a face being made out to be a loser after every lost that befuddle me. I've only seen the losing streak angle work once despite all the efforts over the year.

Tatanka was undefeated for like almost 2 years, I believe. You also forgot another recent unbeaten streak with Punk. It's not exactly a WWE thing. It's a staple that has been used in the business for years, but exploded to it's highest peak via Goldberg.

Yes. Because there's no television in Los Angeles, and football fans in LA, most of whom are still Raider fans, are WHOLLY UNAWARE OF HOW BAD THE RAIDERS ARE. God, you're one dumb fucker. I wish somebody would hit you in the back of the head with a blunt object, but how would we know if he got a good hit in? Also, it's not like the NBA or MLB where the celebs or egos can be see right by the action unless they are on the sidelines. That's part of the entire appeal of LA sports, to be seen.

Here's the full card for the show ROH World Tag Titles Daniels and Sydal Vs CIMA and Shingo Non Title 4CS Jimmy Rave Vs Nigel McGuiness Vs Homicide Vs Bryan Danielson FIP Heavyweight Title Davey Richards Vs Roderick Strong Jay and Mark Briscoe Vs Kings of Wrestling Colt Cabana Vs Brent Albright Adam Pearce Vs Delirious BJ Whitmer and Daizee Haze Vs Jimmy Jacobs and Mercedes Martinez Austin Aries Vs Eddie Edwards

When did the Cena begin competing on both brands? I'm really confused about that. He's mainly on RAW. But, he goes over to Smackdown sometimes on random occasions. It's usually to promote a Smackdown PPV that he will appear in. Matt Hardy is being the bigger violator of the brand seperation now than anyone else. The "Smackdown loaned him to RAW" reason is stupid. They should trade him to RAW so he can Tag with Jeff and get it over with. Carlito for Matt should be enough. Just ship Carlito over with the pretense that Coach is worried that Raw isn't safe with Masters and Carlito in the back and sees money with the Hardyz and makes that logical switch. Carlito fits right in with the SD brand.

Haven't we seen that LA football just doesn't work as much as the NFL wants it to? You got USC which is probably the closest thing to NFL that a college program can be. In fact, are you ignoring San Diego? SD is enough for the SoCal region. Why would they, in this hypothetical situation, need to stick in California anyways?

WWE just lucked out because idiots will end up buying NYE thinking that Federline will wrestle there. Might want to get the word out a little clearer. Mainstream is conditioned to assume it's on PPV. Funny to see Leno mock Federline despite doing the same act in 1998.

Then you end up right back where you started from in about 3 years when the novelty wears off and fans realize the team still sucks. You'd just move them back to Oakland? If they need to move at all, which I don't believe they need to, move away from Southern Cal. Aren't the Chargers enough? LA made sense being the large media market but Anaheim/OC? No.

I hate coconut. I mean, hate.

Given how the NBA Eastern and MLB National won the titles, wouldn't shock me to see the NFC win the Super Bowl.

The first two bowl games are making me feel that maybe it is time for a fucking tournament and it won't get any better with tomorrow's delight.

What about Ice Cube? He already did that many times. Or Ice T? 2Pac? Or the countless other rappers to do dramas and action films.

The OC Raiders. Sounds like like some Arena League 2 team. Anaheim Raiders. EW. Why does everyone think that the answer to California sports teams and their problems is relocation?

They are(or were, in Hogan's case) big young boys with a interest in wrestling. I get that comparison if he's going that route. Leave it to TSM to nitpick a throwaway line that held no value by any stretch of the imagination.

For those that feel ROH is expensive, look at this. THE BIG 10 SALE Read below for the details on our latest sale which includes over 70 DVD's on sale for only $10, general admission tickets to several upcoming events for $10 each, plus information on how to save 10% off your order with no minimum purchase required!!! Pretty much most of the shows from 2002-2005 are on sale for $10 and you can't really pass this up, especially with the discount as well. As well as Straight Shootings, Secrets of the Ring's and FIP shows. Alot of gems to be had for $10

I really like the basic layout of your WM card, but I have to take a bit of issue regarding both your proposed Tag Title matches. There is a bit of precedent going back to WMXX that having both Tag Title matches being 4-ways left little room for any of them being any good. Even a single 4-way tag match isn't guaranteed to work (WMX-8) but I'm of the idea that if you could do a single "specialty match" 4-way tag then the card would be better served. I mentioned on the recent Smackdown spoilers thread that a TLC contest between London & Kendrick vs MNM vs Hardyz vs the back-together WGTT could be all kinds of awesome. Of course it depends on wether WWE does come to a decision regarding each team's usefulness but that's another story. You almost had my exact same idea but with Cryme Time, who I feel could be used in another capacity. Shift Booker and Finlay elsewhere and there's all kinds of great reasons to make this inter-promotional (with any or all Tag Titles on the line) match happen. I think, in hindsight it is more possible to find a way to put the titles on Regal and Finlay and manage to send Cryme Tyme over to Smackdown dropping the Regal/Taylor along with Yang/Knoble teams and allowing Kendrick and London to join in for the TLC match as “guests” works more. CT Vs Book/Finlay could be a fun match given how Book already had good skits with CT.

"Heart" and "Chemistry" are the two most overblown non-existant factors placed in the sporting environment.

Edge/HBK worked most late 2004-early 2005 shows not to mention random matches in between then and now. The R-RKO/DX would continue with Orton/HHH. Having two seperate matches serves no purpose and putting all four of them in a tag match leaves Cena empty (Kennedy, Umaga and Booker aren't going to cut it right now) because they'd have to run with Batista/UT instead. To extend a feud that doesn't need two matches when the main focus will only end up being on Orton and HHH anyways is pointless where you can get more out of the show and those other two players. Either way, Shawn ends up coming out looking like he got bitched down for HHH and Edge gets dragged down with him for a warm-up match to the real blow-off. You can't blow that feud off in 2 seperate matches and having these four main eventers in a tag match is a horrible concept. It doesn't have to end at Rumble, maybe stretch to a special Raw or even a SNME if they get one before WM but under no circumstances does Edge and Shawn need to be involved once March comes around since Orton/HHH will end up being the focal point anyways. They gave Henry to Taker because they really didn't have anyone else that Taker hadn't already worked with aside from Benoit, Mysterio and Batista. Obviously, Batista was gone, Mysterio was in the main. Benoit isn't getting that rub. Vince already wants 'Taker in a high profile match. Edge is a better heel and is different. Undertaker/Booker has been done over 200 times and it never worked. Edge/Taker has a hell of a lot more to work with as opposed to another Booker/Taker retread.

Larry The Cable Guy

Who doesn't have at least 20 VCRs in a closet or the basement/attic?

I think R-RKO and DX can easily end around the Rumble as it only needs that final blow off and in my idea, it just extends into Orton Vs HHH anyways. Shawn really doesn't need to be in the picture. Edge/HBK has also been used way many times, no need to go that route. Let each men do something fresh here. Booker/Taker was horrible the first 200 times they did it, doing it at WM is a bad move. Edge can convince the fans he'd win. No one would buy Booker as the streak ender.

I spent a few minutes thinking about what a realistic but good WM23 card could be and I came out with this Important things to establish as for the set-up for this card. -I’d have Jeff Hardy drop the IC title to Nitro at NYE in the cage match. -The first SD of 2007 will have Chavo cost Benoit the title against MVP for a brief reign that is won by Carlito (I’ll explain later) On the 1/15 Raw, I would have a huge main event consisting of all three brands. This match would be a “All-Stakes” match whereas every person in the match is a champion and their title is on the line or they have a special stipulation on the line. The main event would consist of Batista, John Cena, Lashley, Jeff Hardy Vs Rated RKO, MVP and Johnny Nitro. (Jeff Hardy’s stipulation is that if he gets pinned/submitted, he and Matt are prohibited from teaming again on any brand). The match sees a finish of Batista going for the Batista Bomb on Edge, whilst Orton and Jeff are on the other side of the ring. Lashley is brawling throughout the crowd with Test. As Batista goes to Batista Bomb Edge, MVP ducks a chair shot from Cena and connects with Batista causing Edge to fall on Batista while simultaneously DX interrupts and double team Orton leading Jeff to hit Orton with the swan-ton. This ends up with a double pin. Edge is the new World Champion. Jeff Hardy is the new tag team champion and Matt is now sent to Raw for full time. Edge is sent over to Smackdown full time. The next night on ECW, Lashley destroys Test and eliminates him from his title shot at the Rumble. Test is blooded and carried off on a stretcher. ECW puts over that Lashley has snapped and is a blood thirsty animal. The next week, Vince McMahon makes his first appearance on ECW (I believe it’s his first) and announces that he does still own this promotion and keeps a eye on it and notes that he can’t have a bloody thirsty animal putting wrestlers in the hospital and that he has stripped Lashley of his title and suspended him for a month (but he keeps interrupting shows until his suspension dies, taking out more wrestlers). The title is declared vacant. This sets up a lot of things for WM here. Batista Vs John Cena -WrestleMania needs a BIG match and this is pretty much the biggest match left for WWE right now aside from the far unlikely (especially now) Austin-Hogan match. Titles wouldn’t be necessary. It’d work in the Hogan/Warrior sense with the two top faces squaring off but adding a bit of a Rock/Austin edge to it by having one (Batista) lean to the darker side. Two mega-over stars in the large atmosphere of Ford Field would be special and with the right booking, this match could easily deliver. The reason I would push for this match at WM23 is because you don’t know if Batista can sustain his career given his injury tendency and his age. Matches like Cena/HHH II and Cena/Orton have more life down the line anyways. WWE Title Triple H Vs Randy Orton -It’s a match almost 3 years in the making but if it should ever happen, it’d be here. Orton captures the WWE title a couple weeks after the rumble thanks to Batista returning the favor and costs Cena the title. Orton and HHH have years of history behind them including their current history. It’s built in right there and doesn’t require much effort to push this match. It’s the right match for each since it wouldn’t main event but right now aside from Cena and Edge, these two are the top face and heels, respectively. World Title (Undefeated Vs Undefeated) Title Vs Career Edge Vs Undertaker -Edge is the best heel in the company. That’s not really debatable. Smackdown lacks a major face outside of Batista aside from Mysterio (whose out right now) and Undertaker’s the next to best option to go with. Edge/Undertaker is completely fresh and would make for great TV given Edge’s nature and ‘Taker’s gimmick. Added with the set of undefeated streak each men boast at WM, it works fairly easy. To make things more suspenseful, throw in a good old “Title Vs Career” gimmick which would work because I think the fans could buy Undertaker at his age finally calling it a career. The politics would almost demand that UT win here since Edge doesn’t need the win but he’d benefit from ending the streak far greater then Batista ever would. ECW Title Rob Van Dam Vs CM Punk -After McMahon declares the title vacant, he announces he wants to reward the fans by giving them what they want but is interrupted by RVD. RVD cuts a pseudo shoot on McMahon declaring that McMahon doesn’t want to do the right thing because he never has. RVD comes off as a face but bitter. Punk comes out and declares that if Vince wants a proper champion, he shouldn’t look further because he’s the guy but he wants to earn it because that’s what he does. RVD gets into it and that begins a war of words between the two. The title remains vacant for another month leading to the match between these two on this night. Given how over each men are, it should be a doozy especially in RVD’s home state and Punk’s indy roots of the mid-west. Consider Vince loving the idea of RVD jobbing out in his home state and losing to the new internet sensation. The match should be very good as Punk worked well with acrobatic workers in the past and can most certainly brawl if they should go that route. World Tag Team Titles TLC Match WGTT Vs Cryme Tyme Vs MnM Vs Hardyz -I figure each of these respective issues between these teams should easily stretch into early April. Given how WM works with a TLC type match and that a MITB doesn’t serve much of a point now and lost its luster, might as well use the Ladder match for a traditional TLC format especially given Mercury‘s injury. You have two experienced ladder match teams, a veteran ladder match star in Benjamin and I know Haas has a shaky history with ladder matches but I think he can be masked. As for Cryme Tyme, I think they could not just adapt to the match given their size and speed but adding the potential for comedy bits with stealing ladders and such is right there for them anyways. WWE Tag Team Titles London and Kendrick Vs Finlay and King Booker Vs Regal and Taylor Vs Yang and Knoble -It might seem wrong to place Booker and Finlay in this match but it’s all the placement I could find for them. I think their involvement with Regal/Taylor as stiff wrestlers with the high flying skills of the two face teams (Knoble isn’t doing anything, so might as well pair them up as a southern based team) to make a interesting mix. Story doesn’t need much other then the basic stuff. US Title Chris Benoit Vs Carlito -Smackdown needs more faces and I’d send Carlito over to SD under the idea that Coach thinks it’s not safe with Masters and Carlito on the same show, so after Torrie rejects his advances, he decides to screw with her by sending her boyfriend over to Smackdown (they can exchange Sylvan and pair him back with Conway again to further boost the tag scene). I think this would be a pretty good match and Benoit’s stuck in this spot forever anyways. Either can flip the switch and play the heel here, so just depends on who the crowd follows. Six Man Extreme Rules Match Lashley Vs Test Vs Sabu Vs Sandman Vs Khali Vs Holly -With the absence of the MITB match and last year’s success with the hardcore match, I think ECW should get 2 spots on this card with Raw/Smackdown splitting the other 8 spots and the two cross-promotional matches. These guys plus the presence of Davari minus Khali can bump and work this style effectively and I’d continue Lashley’s path of rage building up to the one guy he hasn’t taken down. That’d be the big spot of the match. Lashley slamming Khali for the victory. It gets Vince that “moment” he wants but not so blatant like he wanted for with Hogan/Show. This would also be Sabu’s last night most likely and maybe even Sandman at this point since ECW is turning into the OVW show and ECW originals aren’t needed anymore. Woman’s Title Victoria Vs Mickie James -Like last year, this could end up as the best storyline going for them and this match could deliver but not on the level of last year’s match Umaga Vs Monty Brown -WWE loves to do these big man matches and this could have tremendous train wreck potential. Brown should debut at the Rumble ala Vader in 1996 after hype package. The set up is fairly simple as I expect Brown to stick with the Serengeti gimmick and they’ll use that to build with the Samoan Savage. Shawn Michaels Vs Kennedy -Shawn probably wants a high profile match and with the exception of shifting him into a title match which I don’t think they will. Kennedy is probably SD’s next best heel left and I think it’d be a good set of people in the ring here and since WWE is supposedly high on Kennedy, I can see Shawn putting on an effort here. Mysterio Vs MVP -It’s a stretch to assume that Mysterio can return by WM but assuming he does, it’s best not to rehash the Chavo Guerrero program and since MVP is high on WWE’s list, he seems like the natural person for Mysterio upon his return. Really, I added this just to even the show up. If Mysterio doesn't come back, wouldn't shock me to see Flair get that spot instead. Who is left out? Flair, Kenny, Kane, Masters, Helms, Eugene, Miz, Boogeyman. Kane is leaving anyways. Might as well have Edge send him out to build the WM match. The Raw low-carders don’t matter. Helms is bound to get left off. Miz/Eugene/Boogeyman will likely get a skit together. I’d have Kenny sticking with the lackey character in some manner unless they decide to pair him and Johnny back but they’d still miss the main show. Flair’s the real odd man out. I could see them having Flair back in HHH’s corner again but he’ll likely induct someone into the hall, so he won’t be absent anyways. That’s 12 matches, which is about par for WM and I think it offers everything from a BIG MATCH (two of them really), a high flying stunt fest, pure wrestling match, great personalities against each other and it’s all fairly realistic given the current landscape right now.

What's your current take on the WM23 card? I have some ideas and I'll probably add them sometime later tonight but wanted to see if anyone else had an idea.