Nowadays, it takes a lot to get me to write a wrestling column. Sadly, I've learned over the years of running this website that I'll probably never be a full-time columnist. I just get distracted too easily by other things in my life, be it college classes, my consulting work, or my wife (who's worth getting distracted over). But this time, the column is basically going to write itself, because I'm inspired. Inspired by a hero of the wrestling business. I'm not talking about a wrestler, though. I'm talking about a human being.

In April 2004, Perry Satullo (known mostly under his ring name, Perry Saturn) was driving his girlfriend to work. It was most likely a normal day, with nothing surprising expected. Unfortunately, that's usually when things go bad. Satullo stopped the car when he heard a disturbance nearby. Satullo got out of the vehicle and found the source of the disturbance: two men were grabbing a woman and raping her. Satullo, a former Army Ranger, didn't hesitate. He got involved. During the fight, in which Satullo helped the woman escape with no further harm, one of the rapists shot Satullo in the neck three times with a 25 caliber handgun. Can you imagine, being shot 3 times just in the neck? Now imagine surviving.

According to recently published reports, Satullo had a steel plate and several stainless steel screws inserted into his neck. His C-5, C-6, & C-7 vertebrae were badly damaged. But Satullo survived the devestating injuries, and will return to the wrestling ring, most likely in September (which is being advertised by USA Pro Wrestling). What impresses me more, though, it that Satullo didn't push for heroism from the wrestling community. Despite reports that he did not have health insurance and has accrued massive hospital bills, Satullo didn't allow anyone to ask for money for him. In fact, he asked for his injuries to be kept private, which is why many people never even heard about the shooting. It's only been announced now, months after it happened, to promote the wrestling show. That's impressive to me, because it's possible these injuries would be enough to get Satullo back on WWE as a hero. But he didn't use it as such. He kept his pain to himself.

Perry Satullo has now been added to a very short list I keep to myself, of the true heroes of professional wrestling. In July '00, Scott "Bam-Bam" Bigelow suffered second-degree burns over forty percent of his body, when he rescued three children from a brushfire in New Jersey. In late '03, William Jones, known in ECW as "Mr. Homeboy" Chilly Willy, was wounded during a mortar attack in Iraq after joining the U.S. military, and was later awarded the Purple Heart. Satullo, Bigelow, & Jones, among others, proved that there are heroes in wrestling, not just because they wave the American flag or get the fans to cheer them, but because they risked their lives to help others. I can't imagine a better way to be a hero.

Peace
The Accelerator

It's been a while since I've decided to write about anything regarding to wrestling. I've been more interested in getting up biographies and creating new ways to find information on the website than to write any meaningful columns. But I've been thinking about writing about some classic WCW matches for a long time now, and I finally decided to give it a shot. I've always thought that there were matches in my old favorite fed that completely stole the show. Few were main events. Usually it was a mid-card match-up with a great storyline and a well-constructed sequence of match maneuvers. Trust me, you won't find any meager 5-minute matches listed here. Hopefully, this will become a standard for the Rollercoaster, giving people something to remember (or to look for) about a formerly great company, World Championship Wrestling. At the very least, it'll give you something else to look for from the Rollercoaster, right? And who knows, maybe a few of these columns will encourage me to once again do some modern-day columns about the trials and tribuations of World Wrestling Entertainment. We shall see. On that note, let's begin, shall we?

WCW Fall Brawl '98: Raven vs. Saturn

This is one that might surprise a few people, especially due to the wrestlers involved. Recent WWE fans probably remember Perry Saturn as a brain-dead goofball who talked to a mop, and who never really had a significant impact on WWE. Raven, meanwhile, had a few decent hardcore title matches with WWE, but never really caught on, eventually fading out to commentary on Sunday Night Heat, before restoring his career as of late in NWA-TNA. If you were fans of WCW in the late 90s, though, you would know both of these men as major contenders in the federation's standings, as they were both stars.

Background:

Both Raven and Saturn were top players in Extreme Championship Wrestling, creating their personas in the hardcore style of the organization. Raven transformed himself from a weak manager (Johnny Polo) to an extremist who seemed to like the pain other wrestlers put him through. Raven dominated the heavyweight division from '96 - '97, with 2 ECW World Title reigns. Saturn, a former Army Ranger, formed a successful tag-team with John Kronus as the Eliminators. The team won the ECW Tag-Team Titles 3 times. In the summer of '97, Saturn came to WCW, where he was soon followed by Raven. Raven soon formed a stable known as Raven's Flock, which quickly included Saturn, along with other WCW mid-carders at the time, like Billy Kidman and Van Hammer. Raven quickly became known for wrestling under "Raven's Rules", which basically meant that anything goes. Thus, the Flock interfered often in Raven's matches.

Saturn soon became known as Raven's right-hand man, and became the only Flock member besides Raven to earn gold, winning the Television Title for a time. But problems soon grew between the two, as Saturn claimed to have never officially joined the Flock. He was just there as Raven's friend. Saturn soon began fighting against Raven and the Flock, as well as Kanyon, who went from assaulting Raven to taking Saturn's place as Raven's main ally. This led to the match being signed at Fall Brawl '98, where the stipulations were made that if Saturn won, Raven would have to release the Flock. If Raven won, Saturn would return to the Flock as Raven's slave.

A few weeks before the PPV, Saturn went into a match with Lodi, where Lodi put up his membership in the Flock against having Saturn as his slave. Due to interference from Kanyon, Lodi won, thus allowing him to order Saturn around for the next few weeks until Fall Brawl. Lodi used his power to taunt Saturn, telling him that he couldn't hit Kanyon, even though Kanyon was yelling in his face to hit him. Saturn refused, sticking to his honor. Later, after winning a match over Riggs, Raven had Lodi order Saturn to break Rigg's fingers. Saturn refused, saying there was no honor in hurting the young wrestler. So Raven said that Saturn either had to break Riggs' fingers, or to allow Raven to break Saturn's. Saturn went the way of honor, allowing Raven to break 2 of his fingers on his left hand. A week later, Kanyon came to the ring, taunting Saturn, but Saturn then raised a sign saying that "Lodi is not here". This meant that no one was there to order Saturn around. Saturn then proceeded to beat heavily on Kanyon, even breaking some fingers of his own. Saturn then destroyed the Flock, smashing them much to Raven's joy. Raven said that Saturn was supposed to be the 'savior' of the Flock, but instead he had beaten them down. He asked if Saturn was happy. Saturn, though, returned by saying that it was no longer about saving the Flock. It was about saving Saturn.

The Match:

A new stipulation was added by JJ Dillon before the match, as Kanyon was forced to be handcuffed to the ringside area. This took Kanyon's interference out of the equation. Raven still had Lodi, though, at ringside, with the rest of the Flock in the backstage area. When Saturn came out to the ring, Raven berated him on the mic, calling him an embarrassment. Saturn quickly responded, saying that Raven had no honor. He said that, whether he won or lost, he'd still have his integrity. The match started slow, with Raven dominating the early going. He landed a series of knee lifts, then tossed Saturn into the corner, slapping him. But this fired Saturn up, as he spun Raven around and attacked with fervor. Surprisingly, after slamming Raven on the mat, Saturn went quickly to the top turnbuckle and got a massive splash early in the match, getting a 2 count. Saturn later knocked Raven out of the ring, where Lodi went to help him up. Saturn wasn't done, though, getting a running start and leaping high with a suicide dive over the ropes, taking out both men. Betcha you guys who watched Saturn in WWE didn't know he did moves like that.

Lodi changed the momentum of the match by grabbing Saturn on the apron and yanking him into the steel barricade. Raven took control, coming off the 2nd turnbuckle a couple of times with elbow drops. The two wrestlers exchanged a series of close falls, then Raven landed a serious clothesline to stay in charge. Meanwhile, on the outside, Lodi was raising a sign that said "Bill, did you inhale?" Ok, so the stories show a little age. Anyway, Raven applied a sleeper to Saturn, but Saturn came out of it with a jawbreaker. It hurt Saturn so badly, though, that a weakened Raven got a 2 count. A backslide by Saturn nearly got a quick win, but Raven got free and beat on Saturn, hitting with a series of Russian leg sweeps. Raven tried multiple presses on Saturn to get the pin, getting a 2 count several times in a row. When Raven jumped up to get more impact, Saturn raised his knees, landing a low blow. But he was too hurt, leaving himself open in the corner for Raven to drive a shoulder into his ribs. Raven then got a chair, one of his favorite weapons, and used a drop-toe-hold to send Saturn face-first into the edge of the steel.

To make things more interesting, the rest of the Flock (at the time consisting of Horace (Hogan), Kidman, Riggs & Sickboy) came out to the ring at this point, carrying a table. While the other members set up the table near ringside, Kidman climbed the turnbuckle, as if to nail Saturn with the Seven Year Itch (now known as the Shooting Star Press). In a move that caused the crowd to explode, though, Kidman hit a Missile Dropkick on Raven, then celebrated in the ring, before running away, with the rest of the Flock on his heels. Kidman's betrayal showed that he was ready to leave the Flock, and thus wanted Saturn to win. Saturn used the momentum, getting his Death Valley Driver to smash Raven and knock him out. But Lodi distracted the referee, keeping him busy long enough to allow Raven to kick out at the last second.

Both men laid out for a time in the middle of the ring, the match having exhausted both of them. The fans began chanting "Saturn", showing their enthusiam for the match. Saturn seemed to feel the cheers, exploding with a variety of suplexes to stay in control. Saturn tried many maneuvers to win, from a springboard guillotine legdrop to a variation of the Juvi Driver. Each led to a close 2 count. Saturn then put on his old submission hold, the Rings of Saturn, which hadn't been seen for months. Lodi grabbed them, though, breaking up the submission hold. But when Lodi tried to jump off the turnbuckle, Saturn kicked Raven down, then wrung Lodi out on the top 'buckle. Raven used the distraction, though, to send Saturn into the referee, knocking him out. All three men stayed down in the ring (with Lodi out on the 'buckle), with Kanyon reaching into the ref's pocket and pulling out the keys to the handcuffs. Kanyon unlocked himself, entered the ring and landed his finisher, the Flatliner, on Saturn. Kanyon then pulled Raven on top of Saturn, before retreating to his corner and reattaching the handcuffs. The ref was woken by Kanyon, then made the count. When Saturn kicked out at 2 3/4ths, the place blew up, with the fans screaming like crazy (always a key ingredient to a great match).

Raven got up, trying to pull Saturn with him, only to take a massive uppercut low-blow. Saturn then grabbed Lodi off the turnbuckle and walked with him along the apron, taking him off with the Death Valley Driver through the table that the Flock had set up. Lodi was out of commission. Saturn then rolled back into the ring to take out Raven, but the leader of the Flock was ready, catching Saturn with the Evenflow DDT. It looked to be over, but Saturn surprisingly kicked out at 2, again surviving a finishing maneuver. Raven, utterly frustrated, tried a second Evenflow, but Saturn blocked it, then managed to get Raven up and into position, nailing the Death Valley Driver and getting the 1-2-3, with Kanyon (once again handcuffed) forced to look on. The crowd was on its feet, cheering wildly, as Saturn got the victory, freeing the Flock (as well as ensuring that Saturn wouldn't have to rejoin the Flock).

After-Effects:

Sadly, this was really the peak of both men's WCW careers. Raven tried to beg for the Flock to come back the next night, but only Lodi was interested (and was kept from going to the ring by the other wrestlers). Only Kanyon stayed on his side. Raven went on a massive losing streak, eventually leaving WCW and being shown at his parents' home, getting help for himself. Meanwhile, Saturn went through a few short feuds with Lodi and Ernest "The Cat" Miller, before fighting against Chris Jericho, who, by winning a match at Souled Out '99, forced Saturn to wear a dress. Strangely, Saturn seemed to enjoy the dress, wearing make-up and other accessories (possibly the first incarnation of the crazed WWE Saturn). Raven and Saturn had a short resurgence in March '99, as they rejoined together to briefly win the WCW Tag-Team Titles. But Raven would leave WCW soon afterwards, going back to ECW for a time (then to WWE), while Saturn joined up with the Revolution, a group that would eventually become the Radicalz.

Really, the one major effect this match had was to create a star out of Billy Kidman. Kidman won the WCW Cruiserweight Title soon after leaving the Flock, becoming the major success story of that division. Kidman's battles with wrestlers like Rey Mysterio, Juventud Guerrera, Eddie Guerrero and others showcased his talent, leading him to be one of the favorite wrestlers of the final years of WCW. The rest of the Flock wasn't so lucky, as most of them disappeared soon afterwards. Riggs tried a new gimmick, wrestling as a narcissist (Scotty Anton), but didn't catch on, eventually going to Dusty Rhodes' TCW. Lodi had a few brief successes with Lenny Lane as a tag-team, but their gay storyline destroyed their momentum (for some reason, theirs failed, but Billy & Chuck's storyline succeeded. Go figure). Sickboy basically vanished, while Horace tried a run as Hulk Hogan's nephew, before being released.

While not being a match that mattered as much in the long run, Raven vs. Saturn at Fall Brawl '98 truly showcased the talents of the two wrestlers. If you ever want to see how great both men can be inside the squared circle, I recommend finding a copy of this tape and checking it out. It's a match that shows you what WCW was all about.

Peace
The Accelerator

It's Sunday, June 15th, 2003. Father's Day. The day "Stone Cold" Steve Austin and Eric Bischoff present the WWE pay-per-view, Bad Blood. Goldberg vs. Chris Jericho. Kevin Nash vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley. Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels. A great card, with the potential for a great pay-per-view. But you know what? That's the Raw roster. And today, that's not what I'm going to talk about. Because today, I went to see "WWE: Up Close & Uncensored", the house show that the Smackdown roster put on here in Lubbock, Texas. It still seems strange, having attended an event on the day of a pay-per-view. The brand extension seems like a success to me.

A few hours before the event actually took place, I went to the Municipal Coliseum (advertised as the first time the WWE's come to the Coliseum in 10 years) with my wife and a young friend, whom we promised to take. We hung out in the back of the arena for a while with other die-hard fans, taking pictures as the wrestlers pulled up in their automobiles. Rey Mysterio came out of his car without his mask, signed a few autographs, then was escorted in by security when the crowd around him got too large. What can I say, the guy's popular. The big moment out there came with Matt Hardy, who came out and started signing people's shirts. My young friend was the last one in line, when security told Matt that he had to get inside. Matt hesitated, then shrugged off the security guard and proceeded to sign "M.H. V1" onto my friend's shirt, making his day. You're a hell of a guy, Matt, and have earned my everlasting respect.

Eventually, the cars stopped coming, so we made our way inside the arena, fighting our way through the crowd waiting to enter. Our big purchases at the merchandise counter? A replica title belt for the young guy, and a Rey Mysterio bobblehead for my wife (she's a major fan). We also got some cool programs, although they were seriously out of date. Some of the wrestlers mentioned included D'Lo Brown (NWA-TNA), Raven (NWA-TNA), Jeff Hardy (independents) and Bull Buchanan (unknown). It also still had Billy & Chuck, "Reverend" D'Von, and Paul Heyman standing next to Brock Lesnar. Still, these are minor complaints for a well-done program that only costs me $5.

The first match of the afternoon pitted Spanky & Rikishi vs. the Basham Brothers, complete with Sheniqua(sp). It was a pretty good opening match, designed to get the crowd into the action. Spanky, as always, put on some arial acrobatics, and it was good to see him in person for once. Sheniqua interfered frequently, keeping things interesting. The tide turned when Rikishi went for a Butt Stomp off the turnbuckle, but hit Doug Basham's raised knees (yeouch). Spanky tagged himself in, but the double-team was too great, with the Bashams getting the win. Of course, that wasn't all, as Rikishi came in afterwards and took out the Bashams, planting them in the corner. Spanky pulled up his trunks and splashed his butt into both Basham's, followed by the Kish. Spanky then held Sheniqua's arms, as the Kish added another imprint to his hindquarters. When the Bashams & Sheniqua left, Rikishi, Spanky & a fan all danced, a hiliarious display.

The next match featured a virtual unknown, Orlando Johnson, against Mattitude follower Crash Holly. Crash came to the ring reading Matt's book, and went to it a couple of times during the match for advice. Surprisingly, while Crash was arguing with the ref after a close call, Orlando landed an impressive-looking manuever to take the win, getting the major upset. Crash, clutching the book like a teddy bear, rolled sadly out of the ring afterwards.

The third bout started with John Cena coming to the ring, taunting Lubbock and our sports team, the Texas Tech Red Raiders. Ahhh, the college teams, always a good way to raise some heat. Cena was then joined by the Big Show, facing off against Chris Benoit and Rhyno. There were some good moves by both teams, including Benoit's Crippler Crossface applied to Cena, with the Big Show breaking it up. In the end, we had the expected ending, with Rhyno going for the Gore on the Big Show, but having the Big Show redirect him into Benoit, causing the loss. After the match, an angry Benoit got into Rhyno's face, then left the ring alone, with an apparently-sorry Rhyno following him out. It's always good when they continue a plot line during a house show.

Number four was one of the lower matches, as Sean O'Haire faced off against Bill DeMott. DeMott was acting like his "Hugh Morrus" character, and even told a knock-knock joke, with the punchline of "Lubbock Who" being "Lubbock wants me to kick your ass!" In another surprise (at least for me), DeMott did, surviving a missed No Laughing Matter Moonsault and getting a nice finishing maneuver for the victory. It was a good match, but I would rather have seen the Seanton Bomb land. Oh well, I can't have everything.

In somewhat of a shocker, the middle match turned out to be what had been advertised as the main event. Brock Lesnar, Kurt Angle (wrestling again) and the Undertaker fought against the Full-Blooded Italians. There were many comedic moments in this one. At the beginning, Nunzio, acting like a tough guy, mocked the Undertaker, threatening to be the first one in the ring. The Undertaker took a slight step towards him, and Nunzio ran, diving out of the ring and letting Palumbo & Stamboli do the dirty work. Another hilarious moment came after Nunzio had been knocked down in the wrong corner. While Angle distracted the referee, a nonchalant Lesnar stood with one foot on the apron, and one foot on Nunzio's hand. While Nunzio screamed out in pain, Lesnar raised his arms in mock-confusion, as if not knowing what he was doing. The match had an impressive ending, with the Undertaker hitting the Last Ride, Lesnar landing the F-5, and Angle winning the match with the Olympic Slam. Great way to end the first half of the show, going into intermission.

The match I was waiting for occurred right after intermission, which was a little shocking (seeing as how I moved that into main event status in my mind). Rey Mysterio defended the Cruiserweight Title in a Fatal Fourway Elimination Match against Matt Hardy, Jaime Noble, and the Ultimo Dragon. That's right, the guy WWE's been touting recently, and the old WCW star. Ultimo Dragon put on a clinic, and performed an unbelievable move on Noble. It looked like a suplex done by Noble, only to be turned into a neckbreaker variation. Incredible. Of course, since Ultimo isn't the best known, he was the first eliminated. Noble and Hardy then double-teamed Mysterio for a while, controlling the match. Noble then encouraged Hardy to hit the Twist of Fate on Mysterio, but Noble then attacked Hardy, nearly eliminating him. Later on, Noble himself was eliminated by Hardy, leaving it down to the two men. In the end, Mysterio (of course) retained the title, pinning Hardy to the mat.

The seventh match was one I've seen before. A few days ago. Actually, they changed the original card just so these two guys could wrestle again. Billy Gunn (who was originally scheduled as Rhyno's tag partner) faced off against A-Train (who was originally supposed to face Bill DeMott). It was essentially the same match as the one displayed on Smackdown, with the only real difference being that I was one of the people chanting "Shave Your Back". A-Train hit his bicycle kick, but couldn't finish it out, as Gunn landed the Fameasser for the victory. Torrie Wilson was nowhere in sight.

We did have someone similar to Torrie (although NO ONE can replace Torrie Wilson). Sable made a special appearance as the ring announcer, talking about how she liked all the men in Lubbock. But I'm married, so that means nothing to me. Anyway, Sable brought in the special guest referee, Funaki, then announced (with no insults, for once) Dawn Marie and Gail Kim to fight it out. I must admit, I was impressed with Gail Kim. She did a lot of great moves, even though Dawn Marie appeared to have trouble keeping up with her. Dawn Marie stuck to the power moves, and did get some nice slams on Kim. But she continued to be irritated by Funaki's fair calls, which allowed her to be distracted and beaten by Kim. Another upset. After the match, Dawn Marie attacked Kim, but was pulled off by Funaki, who, shall we say, got into the wrong position. Funaki realized his error, and tried to apologize, but ended up blocking two attempted slaps by Dawn Marie... leaving her open to Gail Kim pulling down her pants. Funny segment.

In the final match of the night, Eddie Guerrero & Tajiri put the Smackdown Tag Titles up against "Team Angle", who came out without their entry music. Of course, Shelton Benjamin & Charlie Haas were fired by Kurt Angle on Smackdown, so they have no entry as of yet. Guerrero quickly made fun of this on the mic, saying that he wanted to help them come up with a team name. Options like "Team Suckalot" were thrown around, and Guerrero asked Tajiri to give them some suggestions in Japanese. Tajiri got the mic and instead talked in rapid Spanish, to the joy of a large portion of the crowd. Unfortunately, I don't speak Spanish, but Eddie then asked Tajiri to talk in English. Tajiri's response? "You... Still... Sucks!" Definitely a great way to start things out. I was laughing my ass off.

Another great moment during the match was when the referee told Guerrero to stay on the corner-rope (the rope which is tied to the ringpost, to be held by the tag-team partner). Guerrero angrily grabbed the rope, then, as the ref turned around, Guerrero untied the rope and wrapped it around the top-rope, allowing him to slide along the apron. When the ref yelled at him to get back, Guerrero replied by saying that he was still holding the rope, leaving the ref speechless. Incidentally, the match itself was great, with all four men showing off their technical expertise. In the end, Tajiri locked on the Tarantula on one opponent, while Guerrero hit the Frog Splash, getting the victory and retaining the Tag Titles.

All-in-all, it was a great day of wrestling action. And, of course, it's not over yet, as Bad Blood will be coming up soon. Expect a review of that pay-per-view soon on this website, either by myself or the writer of the UnCeNsOrEd Report. Here's hoping it matches up to the terrific action of the Smackdown brand.

Peace
The Accelerator

The experiment started last year. With Extreme Championship Wrestling nothing but a memory, and World Championship Wrestling bought and paid for, Vince McMahon made the decision to make his own competition. The draft took place, with Raw and Smackdown each becoming their own show. Over the last year, we've seen a lot of 'trades' and 'free agents', changing the line-ups and keeping things malleable. But now, after some time, the wrestlers are pretty well established in their respective 'brands'. That makes it time for the next level of the experiment. It's time to see if the brands can stand on their own in the pay-per-view stage.

Of course, if you want to get technical, this won't be the first Raw-only pay-per-view. Insurrextion '03 hit just a short time ago, and received some good reviews, even if their show was a little similar to Badd Blood's scheduled matches. Still, this will be the show that gives a better view of how the brand extension is going. Will people pay for a show that doesn't involve Brock Lesnar, the Undertaker, Rey Mysterio Jr, Chris Benoit, Rhyno, et cetera? Can Kevin Nash and Hunter Hearst Helmsley still be a major draw? Will Goldberg/Jericho steal the show? Anything can happen. That's the way wrestling goes nowadays. Still, as always, I can take a few shots in the dark and see how I do. Sure, in the past, I've been terrible at predicting what's going to go down. But, hey, if at first you don't succeed....

Kevin Nash vs. Hunter Hearst Helmsley, Hell In A Cell Match: It's pretty clear to anyone involved that Mick Foley was inserted into this match simply to boost the appeal. Although the writers of Raw have tried hard, the interest in another match between Nash and Triple H doesn't seem to be there. Maybe a little more time allowed for Nash to speak would have helped. Maybe not. Either way, it's too late now. The match is set, and honestly, anyone who isn't interested in a Hell In A Cell isn't a wrestling fan. Now, I have heard a few people mention that a big guy like Nash shouldn't be involved in HIAC. To that, I would like to reply with something in the 4-letter word variety, but I'll just stick with "stupid". Anyone remember the Undertaker? Same size as Nash, wrestled in most of the HIAC matches? Big men can succeed in the Cell.

With that being said, I can't say I'm looking forward to this match. I'm a long-time fan of Nash, going back to his run in the nWo Wolfpac, but he hasn't looked the same since his comeback. Nash has the opportunity to have a great match, if he has a great opponent. The same goes for Hunter Hearst Helmsley. It'll be hard for both to carry each other, however. And who sees any of these guys taking that oft-talked about plunge off the cage? Nash won't do it. Triple H is too valuable. And Foley, well, Foley shouldn't have to, anymore. So we'll probably see something similar to the Undertaker/Brock match, with lots of bloodshed inside the cage. In the end, I can see no other outcome than Helmsley keeping the belt, if only to set up Helmsley vs. Goldberg. A very real possibility is to have Foley turn, helping Helmsley win. More likely, however, is Triple H simply winning clean (again), even with Foley against him. My pick: Helmsley keeps the title.

Goldberg vs. Chris Jericho: If you were a fan of WCW, this match has to draw you in. It has me interested, that's for sure. I remember when Jericho started taunting Goldberg, saying that he could take him. I remember the midget Goldberg (no, not Duane Gill) giving Jericho a mini-spear, before Jericho took him out. And I remember Goldberg's epic spear on Jericho on the stage, the move everyone had been waiting for. Unfortunately, that was it, as (according to rumor) Goldberg squashed any future feud. Now, they've got it going again, ironically using the former ending of the WCW feud to start up a WWE feud. In another twist, the Jericho/Goldberg feud has gained more momentum than the 'main event', and will probably help spike the buyrate.

A lot of people are going to be expecting a squash here, but I'm not buying it. Chris Jericho's too much of a high commodity. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if Jericho won this match through trickery, allowing for him and Goldberg to continue their high-level feud. But, unfortunately, WWE needs to get their ratings machine going again, and that means quickly pushing Goldberg up to main-event status against Helmsley. So I expect Jericho to put up a terrific fight, with some near falls. But I also expect Goldberg to triumph in the end with a spear/jackhammer combination (possibly one for Christian as well). My Pick: Goldberg wins again.

Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels: Think back about ten years. Michaels, as the Heartbreak Kid, was running with the WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Title, just starting to gain his long-running fame. Flair, meanwhile, had just completed a successful run in the WWF, holding the World Title there twice. Flair then left the WWF, opting to head back to his old stomping grounds in WCW, where he would gain eight more World Titles. It was a small time period between Flair's departure and Michaels' climb up the ladder. Would one have happened without the other? Who knows. But it is interesting to think back at how close these two came to fighting each other in their primes (well, at least close to Flair's, heh).

Now, though, the dream-match has been set up. Flair's not the greatest technical wrestler anymore, while Michaels isn't the Showstopper. But in the past year, both men have put on some tremendous feats, just when people had given up on them. So who's to say that we aren't going to see something spectacular at Badd Blood? I personally think that Flair and Michaels are going to deliver something special. I also think that involvement from Randy Orton and/or Triple H is impossible to avoid, which could either detract from the match, or give it that little bit of an edge that it needs. In the end, Michaels needs this win more than Flair, so I've got to lean in that direction. My Pick: Shawn Michaels gets some Sweet Chin Music.

Christian vs. Booker T, Intercontinental Heavyweight Title Match: Let's get this out of the way right now. Christian is a dynamic personality, a guy who's finally made his way out of Edge's shadow by going to Raw, and out of Jericho's shadow by winning the Intercontinental Title. He's a guy who could rule at or near the top of Raw for a long while now. But in the end, he's not Booker T, a guy who I've admired for years and years. It's no secret that I'm a hardcore Booker T fan. I loved the Harlem Hangover, I've accepted the Bookend, and I pop huge for the Spineroonie. I was furious when Booker wasn't given the World Title at Wrestlemania. It's just the way I am.

So I think this is going to be another major candidate for match of the pay-per-view. I believe that Christian and Booker T are going to put on a spot-fest. But I also can't help but root for Booker T to win out in the end, finally getting a major piece of singles gold around his waist after a long period of denial. Christian's had his push. Now Booker T needs his. My Pick: Booker T gets the gold.

Steve Austin vs. Eric Bischoff, Redneck Triathlon: Honestly? I don't have much to say about this one. It's a fight to decide who's bringing Badd Blood to the public, yet it's taking place at the pay-per-view. Hmmm. Seems like a cheap gimmick to me. But it could be entertaining, especially considering what the "pie" consists of. I wouldn't be surprised to see Austin sticking with his wife, Debra, while someone like the Fabulous Moolah reappears for Bischoff, giving Austin the lead. Realistically, who sees Bischoff coming close to winning a Redneck Triathlon? He's out of his league. My pick: Austin takes two of three.

Scott Steiner vs. Test: And to think, just a few months ago, Steiner was head-lining events. Now he's been restructured into this feud with Test, over stunning Stacey Keibler. This match-up has been built up well, from the duo breaking up their team due to jealousy, to Test telling Stacey that he's going to make her his whore. So a lot of people will be interested in how this match works out. But can Steiner somehow overcome the problems he's had since his return? It's been a while since he's had a decent match. But Test is a good wrestler, and Steiner's due for a break, so maybe this one won't be too bad. My pick: Steiner takes out Test, and wins Stacey's "services".

La Resistance vs. Rob Van Dam & Kane, Tag-Team Title Match: Finally, the last match officially announced on the card. La Resistance, the team that got their push simply because of public sentiment, vs. the team that's due to break up any time now. Both RVD and Kane have had a good run in the tag ranks, but they're going to be needed in the singles brackets very soon. It makes more sense to drop the belts to La Resistance, who need some kind of momentum, and break up the team, possibly due to Kane finding his old "fire" and turning on RVD, setting up a hell of a feud. I hate to admit it, but RVD & Kane appear to be headed towards another surprising loss at a PPV. My pick: La Resistance takes the titles.

So, there you have it. That's all he, er, I've wrote. In my opinion, there's a lot of promise in Badd Blood. All the top stars are competing, although, once again, there are some notable exceptions (Hurricane, Lance Storm, Goldust, the Dudleys, et cetera). Of course, there might be some matches I've missed, or that won't be announced until the last minute. I wouldn't be surprised to see Jazz vs. Ivory, or the Hurricane vs. Randy Orton. As I said earlier, anything can happen. Badd Blood appears to have all it needs to prove Vince McMahon right, showing that the brand extension can succeed on the next level. Now it's all up to the wrestlers. If they perform the way they're supposed to, the fans will start coming back to see what's up. Here's hoping the comeback starts here.

Peace
The Accelerator

First off, I'd like to say thank you to the writer of the UnCeNsOrEd Report. He's been doing so much work on his column, already having sent in four columns since starting last week, that he's inspiring me to try to get up something every week. Normally, I feel like I'm too busy to post anything, since I'm working hard on the biographies. But my fellow writer is renewing my interest in the column section of this website. Now if only I can convince the owner of "Shoot To Thrill" to return. Anything can happen.

Now let's get down to business. Yesterday, I went to my local video store and found a copy of the new DVD, "Rey Mysterio 619". Just released this past week, the DVD is the newest in a line of specific wrestler compilations, and the first that I can remember dedicated to Rey Mysterio. I've always been a major fan of Mysterio, having rooted for him when he was the high-flying wonder in World Championship Wrestling, so I couldn't wait to get the new DVD. So, of course, it didn't take me long to pop it into the DVD player and start watching.

My recommendation? It's worth the price.

First off, the DVD sticks true to the art of kayfabe. Rey's face is never revealed throughout the show. He either wears his mask, or his face is covered up by a blur. Rey also "sells" the injury he received from Albert, which is when this DVD was made. He talks about getting revenge on "A-Train", and eventually does, at the end of the DVD, wrestling with Brock Lesnar. During the DVD, we follow Rey through his knee surgery, his recovery, and get to see the road that Mysterio took in his life, including returning to the arena in Mexico where Mysterio first started wrestling.

There are a few great stories about Mysterio's career, as well as his life. His mom tells a few embarrassing stories about him, which must make Mysterio glad he wears a mask. You also have a lot of former WCW wrestlers, from Dean Malenko to Eddie Guerrero, talking about how Mysterio first made an impact in the federation. It gives you a view of Rey Mysterio that few people know, especially when Mysterio walks you through his home. Mysterio's son even gets some air-time, earning a few laughs when he doesn't quite agree with Mysterio about who his favorite wrestler is.

The best part of the DVD, in my opinion, is a selection of ten quality matches, done in their entirety, that you can get off the extras menu. These aren't just WWF matches, either. In fact, more than half of them aren't. The first one comes from 1994, at the AAA show, When Worlds Collide. AAA, for those of you who don't know, has always been one of the top promotions in Mexico, so this will give you a unique perspective on how Mysterio gained his skills. Five more matches come from the closed WCW, including the 1997 Match of the Year between Mysterio and a younger Eddie Guerrero. While Guerrero had the WCW Cruiserweight Title on the line, Mysterio had to put up his mask, making it a wild affair. Realistically, that match alone is worth the price of the DVD. You also get Rey's debut match in WWE against Chavo Guerrero Jr, and a series of matches against Kurt Angle. Can you get any better than that?

Now, I'm not saying that the DVD is perfect, by any means. For one, it seems like they showed Rey losing matches almost as much as he won them, especially at the beginning. You just don't expect to see the star of the picture getting pinned, y'know? The blurring of the face also gets tiresome, as does the "head-cut" shots, which only show Rey's chest or back. I understand the need for Rey to keep his face hidden and all, since it's part of the mystique of his character. But couldn't he at least wear a mask for the majority of the DVD? Still, that's a minor issue.

A more serious one, in my opinion, is the "selective amnesia" that usually goes on in professional wrestling. At one point during the DVD, Rey talks about his mask, and how he won't ever take it off. Any fan of WCW will remember that Rey lost his mask at one point, and wrestled for a long period without it, only bringing it back when he entered World Wrestling Entertainment. If you're going to show WCW matches anyway, then why avoid the truth? Another painful "sidestep" was the mention of Rey's uncle. Both of Rey's parents talk about how Rey's uncle got him into the business, teaching him the ropes. They even talk about how Rey started out wrestling under another name, before 'earning' the right to be Rey Mysterio Jr. So why not mention that the uncle is Rey Mysterio Sr.? Is it too strange, I suppose, that the uncle is the Senior? Or did they just decide to keep that part hidden, even though it's a great tradition south of the border, and a great honor as well?

Still, as I said, these are really minor matters, and don't take away that much from the overall effect of the DVD. Plain and simple, if you're a fan of the masked man, and if you want to see some of Rey Mysterio Jr's greatest matches, this is the DVD to pick up. If you're not a fan, well, you should be, so go out and buy it anyway. It'll convert you. Guaranteed.

Peace
The Accelerator

Yes, once again I've come back from a long break to post a column. Hey, at least this time I have an excuse, what with my internet connection being destroyed by my college webserver. Then again, I still could have made time. Maybe now, with the all-new UnCeNsOrEd Report giving me something to do involving columns, I'll actually start to get more up a month. Who knows, right?

Since I haven't written anything (besides an epic-long history on Hunter Hearst Helmsley) in a while, I thought I'd take a crack at a story that many people have been talking about as of late: the return of the older stars to World Wrestling Entertainment. It all started out last year with the well-written intros of Ric Flair and "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan. Both continue to have successful runs in WWE, even though both started wrestling in the 1970's. Since their return, though, other, older wrestlers have been looked over and brought back onto television, including "Rowdy" Roddy Piper and the Legion of Doom (or the Road Warriors, depending on when you watched them). We've also seen guest appearances from "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka, Jesse "The Body" Ventura and "Classy" Freddie Blassie.

The problem I see with this is that Vince McMahon appears to be reaching out to the wrong generation. In the 1980's, when guys like Hogan, Piper and Snuka were hitting their high points, the wrestling business was just starting to explode. Quite frankly, most of the WWF fans who came on-board due to the new "Attitude" era wouldn't know that much about the Superfly, and wouldn't care about the Piper's Pit. Not surprisingly, these guys haven't exactly been bringing in the ratings. Heck, even the wild cheers for the Hulkster, er, I mean, Mr. America have died down. So why the surge in the old talent? Why give guys like Hawk and Animal a shot to return, when they obviously aren't in the shape that they used to be?

Of course, I honestly don't think that the '80s crew is the major problem, although Hogan and Flair ARE taking up quite a lot of the air-time recently. No, I think the problem stems from the '90s stars.

Surprised? Well, you have the right to be. But the evidence is right there in front of you. Who's getting the biggest pushes in Raw right now? The guy most over, Goldberg? No, he's in a mid-card feud with Chris Jericho. Ok, how about Rob Van Dam, who continually gets the cheers? Nope, he's a tag-team star with the buried (no pun intended) Kane. Booker T? He's at least going for the Intercontinental Title, which makes him and Christian finally close to the main event. But the guys at the top are the ones we've seen so many times before: the ever-lasting champ, Hunter Hearst Helmsley, and his Clique friend, Kevin Nash.

Now, I don't want to turn this into a bash-fest, like many other reporters have (see: UnCeNsOrEd Report). I personally think that Helmsley is one of the most gifted talents to come through the wrestling business, and I still admire his finishing the tag-team match with a torn muscle. Trust me, that's some excrutiating pain, and I don't know if I could have continued the way he did. I'm also an old-school fan of Kevin Nash, and think that the last highlight of the nWo was the Wolfpac. But let's face it: the two men aren't getting over. The fans don't really seem to be into the feud. And yet, rather than end the feud at the last PPV and move Helmsley onto his obviously-planned opponent, Goldberg, the feud's moving on towards Bad Blood. In my personal opinion, McMahon held onto the Steiner/Helmsley feud for too long, which destroyed a lot of Steiner's credibility. Now Nash is taking the same path, which can't be good.

I announced a few months ago that I was quickly becoming a Smackdown follower. This still holds, because, in my opinion, WWE's pushing the right guys there. Rookies like the Basham Brothers are entering the arena, wrestling on their own merits instead of clinging to the anti-French feeling going through America. Brock Lesnar is wrestling against the younger wrestlers in the Full-Blooded Italians, while Team Angle has a great feud going with Los Guerreros/Tajiri. Really, the only old-school wrestlers taking up time are Hogan, Piper & McMahon, and since they're all involved in the same feud, the rest of the guys are getting more time to wrestle. I, personally, can't wait for Mysterio vs. Hardy II. Now, I COULD make some complaints about the Big Show still getting a main-event push, and how Chris Benoit should be in his place, but, well, been there, done that.

Basically, I think that WWE's struggling right now, and that bringing back old stars won't fix the problems. Steiner didn't do it. Nash didn't do it. Even Hogan's Mr. America run isn't doing it. The only major star left whom I think could make a big impact is Sting, and I still really don't see that happening. I also worry, because I haven't seen Sting in a while, so I don't know what shape he's in. So why sign him? Why not win with the stunning array of talent? With Angle, Lesnar, RVD, Booker T, Mysterio, Spanky, Cena, O'Haire, Hardy, Benoit, etc, there's a great pool to choose from. I guarantee that at least a few of these guys will be at the top of the business for a long time. I can't wait to see who gets the World Title next.

Peace
The Accelerator

It's the biggest time of the year for professional wrestling. Now entering its nineteeth year, Wrestlemania has become the definition of the sport, the event that everyone is always waiting for. We are only a few days away from the "main event". So, since I haven't done a column in over a month (due to exams, work, and a 3,500-mile trip across the United States), and because it's basically the thing to do around this time of the year, I thought I'd put up a meaningless, long-winded article about the matches at Wrestlemania XIX, along with my predictions on each match. It is, of course, what you've been waiting for, after all, right? To see my views, next to the rest of the column writers out there, all doing the same thing?

Boy, I'm in a sarcastic mood today. Ah well. Let's dive right in, and see what surfaces at the end, shall we?

Lance Storm & Sean Morley vs. Rob Van Dam & Kane, Raw World Tag-Team Title Match: Right off the bat, I have to say I'm unhappy to see someone of RVD's skills regulated to the Sunday Night Heat "dark match". Why couldn't they have put Rob against someone in a singles match, say, Jeff Hardy? Those two always put on an awesome match when they're against each other. What can I say, I'm a diehard RVD fan, and to see him not officially even in Wrestlemania bugs me. Still, at least he'll get in some good combinations against Storm, whom I also think is underrated. Kane will land his power maneuvers, and Morley will show once again his technical prowess in the squared circle. In other words, I don't see this as a bad match.

Prediction: This one could really go either way, honestly, with it all depending on whether Kane turns on Rob Van Dam. A month ago, the two guys looked like they were going to start to go at it. If something happens at Wrestlemania XIX to cause them to lose, I see a great feud starting up. Still, since it's basically the opening match, I can't see Morley & Storm getting the victory. I'll go with RVD & Kane for the victory, finally getting them the tag-team titles.

Victoria vs. Jazz vs. Trish Stratus, Women's Title Match: I guess I should probably care more about this match. But I just can't seem to get into it, no matter how many sneak-attacks and beat-downs they have going on via Raw. Still, I'll give the ladies their credit: they're three of the best female athletes to enter WWE in some time. All we'd need is Molly or Lita, and the list would be complete.

Prediction: Three potential champions, all working against each other. Hmmm. I almost want to go with Trish Stratus, since she hasn't held the belt for a while. But I just see Jazz winning this one more, due to her unbelievable abilities in the ring.

Team Angle vs. Los Guerreros vs. Chris Benoit/Rhyno, Smackdown World Tag-Team Title Match: Now here's a match I'm truly looking forward to. Some of the best technical wrestlers in the federation are competing in this match, which means it's definitely going to be a spotfest. Sure, it's not TLC or something like that, but everyone can appreciate the amount of action we're going to see in this one.

Prediction: Well, first off, there's no way that Team Angle is keeping the belts. They've been brutalized for the past few weeks by both teams, and just don't look experienced enough to continue their reign past Wrestlemania. After that, though, it gets murky, as I could see either the Guerreros or Benoit/Rhyno getting a run. But with Angle and Edge both out following Wrestlemania, I can't see Benoit and Rhyno sticking together in the tag ranks. They're needed too much in singles. So I'll give the nod to Los Guerreros, who will most likely Cheat To Win.

Matt Hardy vs. Rey Mysterio Jr, Cruiserweight Title Match: Talk about a reason to buy the pay-per-view. Mysterio is quite possibly the greatest cruiserweight to ever walk the earth. Of course, that comes from a long-time WCW mark. Still, I can't help but look on this match as a downgrade of Mysterio's abilities. When he came into WWE, Mysterio was standing toe-to-toe against Kurt Angle and some of the other heavyweights. Now he's finally been regulated to the Cruiserweight level, with guys like A-Train pulverizing him. Sad. Then again, Matt Hardy is no slouch, and this will definitely be one of the more competitive matches of the night.

Prediction: We'll be sure to see Shannon Moore involved on one side. Brian Kendrick could be on the other, to help out Mysterio in his big match. Expect heavy interference no matter what. Although it's hard to see Hardy fall in this one, I'm going to go for my favorite, and ignore the doubt in my gut. Score one more vote for Rey Mysterio.

The Undertaker & Nathan Jones vs. A-Train & the Big Show: What scares me about this match is that they'll probably dedicate a lot of time to it. I haven't been a fan of the Big Show in a long while, since I've never liked the slower, "big-man" matches. I have even less regards for the A-Train. I know, they're great powerhouses who could probably crush my head like a coke can, and I respect them for that. I just have never been a fan of their matches. Add that on to the fact that Nathan Jones is still raw and unpolished, and that the Undertaker is quickly flying towards the climax of his great career, and you've got the match that I think should REALLY have been the Sunday Night Heat fight.

Prediction: This one's almost a no-brainer. After a Decade of Destruction, would they really end the Undertaker's win streak at Wrestlemania in this way? I would be utterly shocked if McMahon and his writers opted to go with that type of ending. I'm almost certain that the Undertaker & Jones will pull out the victory, so that the Undertaker's record will still be available next Wrestlemania in a big-time finale match.

Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho: I could see this match being the show-stealer of the night, which shouldn't be surprising considering the participants. Both Michaels and Jericho have the ability to take a match up another level. With both of them going at it in this one, you can expect to see a lot of high spots and few rest breaks. The only thing that would make it better would be to make it No-Disqualification, but I doubt that'll happen due to Michaels' back. Still, this should be an incredible bout.

Prediction: I see this as a "passing of the torch" type match, that could even end up with Jericho coming out of Wrestlemania XIX as a fan favorite again. It's doubtful, but definitely possible. Michaels is a great star, but he won't be around for many more years, while Jericho still has a lifetime of wrestling in front of him. The obvious one to push is Jericho.

Vince McMahon vs. Hulk Hogan, Street Fight Match: The match of the ages! Well, no, it's not, but it's definitely a historic fight. Hogan vs. McMahon has been a "feud" for almost a decade now, as wrestling historians have debated whether Hulkamania would have run wild without McMahon giving Hogan the nod. Now, with Hogan's career on the line, we'll get to see whether McMahon gets the honor of ending it. I still think too much time was used to boost this feud, with not enough towards some of the other matches, but it's definitely one of the hotter fights at the PPV.

Prediction: A lot of people have said that McMahon will use this match to give himself some glory, and to end Hogan's "career". I don't think so. I think McMahon is a lot smarter than that. A lot of fans are coming to this show just to see McMahon get beat down, just like he used to against Stone Cold. I can't visualize any other winner than Hulk Hogan.

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Booker T, Raw World Heavyweight Title Match: I still can't believe how Booker T hurt his chances in this one. He's got the biggest match of his WWE career coming up, and he shows up drunk to a Raw show? Not only does he disappoint the fans by not wrestling that night against the Rock, he also might have ruined his chance to get a huge victory at Wrestlemania. It should still be a great match, since Booker T can carry any opponent, but that one episode has caused a lot of doubt to creep into the scenario.

Prediction: I'm still keeping my fingers crossed for Booker T. I really am. Even after what he did, I still believe he's the most deserving on the roster, and the fans are definitely behind him. But after that incident, and with the power in the back exhibited by the champion, I can't help but see Hunter Hearst Helmsley get the victory and continue his run as the champ. Sigh.

Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar, Smackdown World Heavyweight Title Match: I have huge respect for Angle, going into this match with an injured neck. It's not easy for us common wrestling fans to see what Angle is risking, opting to go ahead with this bout. If Angle takes one wrong bump, he could be paralyzed for life. That takes some serious guts to go ahead with this one. It won't be the match it could have been, but Angle vs. Lesnar will still be a fight that keeps everyone on their toes.

Prediction: I respect Kurt Angle a lot, but there's no way he's winning at Wrestlemania. The surgery alone will put him out for a long time to come. There's even been talk of Angle retiring afterwards. So the only possibility for a winner is Brock, with Angle possibly turning face afterwards due to an assault from Team Angle.

The Rock vs. Steve Austin: I still love how everyone's calling this the biggest match on the card, even though no titles are on the line. Everyone also forgets the fact that we've seen this match dozens of times. And you know what? I'm with them. I can't wait to see this one. The crowd noise alone is going to be worth it, as the fans will be screaming for every maneuver that takes place. From the Rock Bottom to the Stone Cold Stunner, the spots are going to make this bout worthwhile.

Prediction: Since this is going to be the last match, I assume that it will be the face coming out the victor. That's usually the way it works. The Rock is going to be headed back to Hollywood afterwards, possibly staying long enough for a short feud with the entering Bill Goldberg, while Austin will stay hot and at the top of his game. Advantage: Austin.

Noticable MIA's: I couldn't help but notice a few stars who aren't scheduled for the PPV. Just a month ago, Scott Steiner was competing for the Raw World Title. Now he's not even wrestling. Something seems odd with that, which makes me wonder if Steiner's going to be the surprise opponent for the returning Goldberg. Sounds like a hell of a match, don't it? Then there's the Hurricane, who has been getting unbelievable cheers from the fans. Seems strange not to capitalize on it. It also seems that Test and Stacy Keibler are still being punished for missing that card due to bad weather. Hopefully, we'll at least see Stacy, preferably in something short. Finally, does anyone else think it's weird that Rikishi isn't competing in a match against the F.B.I.? I thought for sure that'd be in there somewhere.

Well, there you have it. The Accelerator's views on the biggest event of the year. How many will I get correct? Who knows. I guess I'll find out this weekend. One thing's for sure: few true fans are going to find a reason to miss this event. It may not be the greatest Wrestlemania ever, but it'll damn sure be something you don't want to miss.

Peace
The Accelerator

Last night, in the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, the fifth edition of WWE No Way Out took place, with a bevy of returning stars and highlights. There were some great highlights, one title change and a few storyline finishes. But, really, no matter how you look at it, No Way Out was an average pay-per-view, and nothing more, because every match was a set up for the big one, Wrestlemania. Most columnists right now are probably preparing a massive review of the show, complete with their own thoughts on the event. I, however, did not see the show, so I won't try to lie to you guys about how I thought each match went. However, I can use the night's activities to further cement my ideas about the matches for Wrestlemania X-9. So let's get to it.

First off, we have the obvious one from the main event. When "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan was screwed by Vince McMahon, allowing the Rock to get another victory over the Hulkster, a match that has been talked about since Hogan's return was locked in stone. We'll almost certainly see a match decades in the making, between "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan and the Boss, Vince McMahon. Will it be an award-winning, five-star match? Hell no. Hogan's lost a lot of what he once had, and McMahon, while always able to put on a violent contest, is not a superstar in the ring. Still, this match will definitely sell some tickets, if only for the historical state. And who knows? Flair vs. McMahon was a great match not too long ago, when no one expected it to be. Maybe Hogan vs. McMahon will be just as big.

On the other side of the ring, we had Hunter Hearst Helmsley getting a Flair-assisted victory over "Big Poppa Pump" Scott Steiner. Nothing could make me happier. Because with Helmsley's victory, Booker T now has the chance to step into the main event. Everyone wants to see it. Booker T's finally getting the push that he deserved when he came into the WWF from the fallen WCW. He was the last WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and yet he's struggled all this time as a "joke" character, only recently returning to the ways of old. Now, hopefully, they're about to give him the shot at the title at Wrestlemania. Do the right thing, WWE. People don't want to see another Steiner/Helmsley match. They want to see Booker T vs. Triple H. The battle of the letters.

Another match that was clearly set up was Kane vs. Rob Van Dam. The two have been having on-and-off problems as a tag-team, and that chokeslam that Kane accidently delivered to RVD when his mask was turned around is an obvious final shot. It's unknown if either of them will turn heel for this fight, or if both will just start to go after each other. But it could definitely be an exciting match, as the fans are into both men. Personally, I still think Rob Van Dam should be in the main-event picture somewhere, but a match against Kane at Wrestlemania is nothing to scoff about.

The final match that I see being fully set up is a fight between "Y2J" Chris Jericho and "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels. After Jericho cleanly beat Jeff Hardy, he refused to release the Walls of Jericho, trying to break Hardy's legs. Of course, HBK ran down to the ring to make the save, only to be double-teamed by Jericho & Christian. Undoubtedly, this is a set-up for a match between Jericho and Michaels, which, judging by the way Michaels has been wrestling, will be another classic. Christian's involvement, if any, is unknown, although I don't think I'd be stretching things too far to consider Christian vs. Jeff Hardy at the big event as well.

Of course, I don't want to leave out one of the most obvious matches, Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Smackdown World Heavyweight Title. This one's not even counted as a prediction, since it's been set up since the Royal Rumble. With Lesnar and Chris Benoit dominating, even in a handicap match, Lesnar's chances at winning the belt back look even greater. But even with the odds severely in Lesnar's favor, it's still going to be an exciting, technical match between two former stars of mat wrestling. Angle's talents are extraordinary, and he's deserved the long title reign he's had (much more than the Big Show, at any rate). This, more than any other match, is what the fans are going to be looking forward to.

After those five matches, the picture gets a little foggier. The biggest speculation going right now centers around three returning athletes: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, the Rock, and Bill Goldberg. With both Austin and the Rock winning at No Way Out, both are high-commodity wrestlers at the moment. Both will surely be at Wrestlemania in some kind of capacity. The question is, who will they be fighting? Some say that it will be Austin vs. the Rock again, which is always a high draw no matter what show it's at, and especially at Wrestlemania. But then there's Goldberg, who is still in discussions with WWE management. If Goldberg can be brought into the fold in time, I still see the possibility of Goldberg vs. the Rock, with Austin possibly moving on towards another foe (maybe Scott Steiner?). I'm still praying for Goldberg to return, just because it will make the show that much sweeter. If I wanted to see Rock vs. Austin, I can go through my PPV collection.

The rest of the potential matches are mere speculation. It's obvious that the Undertaker will be involved in Wrestlemania, since he needs to keep the streak alive. Sadly, much of the competition will already be tied up, which might mean we'll see Undertaker vs. Big Show one more time, although I wouldn't be surprised if Kevin Nash returned to enter this match. With Matt Hardy winning the Cruiserweight Title, I can see numerous possibilities for an opponent. What I'd LIKE to see would be a four-way elimination match between Hardy, Shannon Moore, Billy Kidman & Rey Mysterio Jr. You can't get much more exciting than that. But any combination of those three wouldn't surprise me. Finally, I suspect that Benoit will find himself another partner (possibly Rhyno? Or how about Sting?) and will go after Team Angle to get those tag-team belts. It'd be nice to see either of those wrestlers back in the squared circle, and, as always the major consideration for WWE, it would add to the buyrate.

So there you have it. Ten potential matches for Wrestlemania X-9, with no real duds among them. This Wrestlemania has more star power available than ever before, with the biggest stars of the 1990's all involved. Just look at the World Title holders that stand a good chance of competing at the event: Austin (6-time WWE), Rock (7-time WWE, 2-time WCW), Hogan (6-time WWE, 6-time WCW), Undertaker (4-time WWE), Michaels (4-time WWE), Helmsley (7-time WWE), Angle (3-time WWE), Lesnar (1-time WWE), Kane (1-time WWE), Jericho (1-time WWE Unified), Booker T (5-time WCW), Steiner (1-time WCW), The Big Show (2-time WWE, 2-time WCW) & Benoit (1-time WCW). That's a good 14 names right there, with 59 title reigns between them, and I didn't even count Kevin Nash, Ric Flair, Sting or Goldberg, any of whom might also wrestle at the show. Eighteen potential former World Heavyweight Champs, inside one building, at one time. The saddest part of all this is that not all of them will wrestle. But it will still be one of the greatest cards of all time, which guarantees that this time, I'm not going to miss the pay-per-view. We're only a few weeks away, and I can't wait.

Peace
The Accelerator

One of the saddest duties I have performed on this page is moving one of my written biographies to the Deceased Section. I've had to do it for many great stars, from Big Dick Dudley to "The British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. But none has made as big an impact on me as Curt Hennig's.

Back in the 1980's, when you watched the WWF, it was inevitable to see the big men pushed as the top heels in the company. You had the heavyweights who weren't known for any speed. Andre the Giant. King Kong Bundy. The Canadian Earthquake. You also had the smaller powerhouses, the guys whose muscular strength was second to none. Dino Bravo. The Warlord. Hercules. And then you had the technicians, the wrestlers I loved to see in action. Tops among those was a man who came from the AWA, a second-generation wrestler who surged into the WWF, gaining immediate fanfare with the destruction of Hulk Hogan's WWF World Title. Of course, I'm refering to Mr. Perfect.

I remember the vignettes that played, introducing us to Mr. Perfect. At the time, I simply wondered who this arrogant son-of-a-gun was. We'd see him playing basketball, catching the football, and competing in various sports, proving how "perfect" he was. When he came into the WWF and started his win streak, there were lots of people cheering for him to finally lose... and a few, like me, daring him to go on. He may not have been the biggest wrestler, but he was something different, part of the new breed of skilled wrestlers. Unfortunately, Hulkamania was still very powerful at this point, and Mr. Perfect was quickly sent to his first loss. This didn't stop Perfect for long, however, as he began his two runs as WWF Intercontinental Champion soon afterwards. His competitions with Tito Santana, the late "Texas Tornado" Kerry von Erich, the Ultimate Warrior and Bret "Hitman" Hart were all classics. Is there any doubt to why some people consider Mr. Perfect the best Intercontinental Champion of all time?

For a while, I took time off from professional wrestling. When I picked it up again in 1997, it was partially due to seeing one of my old favorites wrestling in a different federation. In WCW, Curt Hennig was just entering his top year in the company, and I watched as he betrayed the IV Horsemen and joined up with the nWo. Although, at the time, I knew little about the history of the IV Horsemen, it was obvious that a major destruction had just taken place. I watched most of Hennig's run with WCW, from his gaining of the United States Title from Steve "Mongo" McMichael, to the terrible run of the West Texas Rednecks. It was hard to take, really. Most veterans, when they reach a certain point in their careers, are allowed to stay in the same character. But Hennig kept changing things up, from singing how "Rap Is Crap" to being the enforcer for the Powers That Be. Watching "PerfectSean" Stasiak take him down with his own maneuver was almost too much to take.

When I switched to the WWF after the collapse of WCW, I frankly admit that I never expected to see Hennig on television again. I assumed that he'd appear occassionally in the smaller venues, but then, I've never been one to order those events. So when "Mr. Perfect" shockingly reappeared at the Royal Rumble last year, I was completely surprised. It looked like Mr. Perfect was going to be given one more chance to shine for the company that made him so famous. But, of course, it wasn't meant to be, as Steve Austin soon killed any momentum gained by the sudden return, and Hennig's actions aboard that airplane flight ended his final run with the main event. I didn't get the chance to see Hennig compete in the NWA-TNA. From what I've heard, although he showed a lot of his old talent against guys like Jeff Jarrett, he was obviously past his prime. Still, what I wouldn't give to see Curt Hennig in action one more time. But that time has passed.

Here's to you, Curt. Here's hoping that you're wearing some more gold on the other side.

Cheers.
The Accelerator

When it was first announced that a new branch of the NWA would be forming around Jerry Jarrett, with shows aired exclusively on pay-per-view, I must admit I was a little skeptical. I just couldn't see the average wrestling fan, at this day and time, be willing to shell out hard-earned cash every week, to see the wrestlers that were cast-off by World Wrestling Entertainment. I didn't think they'd have much to offer, to tell the truth. Thankfully, I was wrong. Total Nonstop Action quickly proved that it has some serious talent, most of it centered in the X Division. It was a way for people to see some high-flying matches between Jerry Lynn, Low-Ki, AJ Styles and other superstars who were, quite frankly, a little below the "height standard" of the champs of WWE. We got to see some of our old favorites, like Jeff Jarrett, K-Kwik(Ron Killings), BG James(Roaddogg), Brian Lawler(Grandmaster Sexay) and other former WWE and WCW stars, showing that WWE doesn't have all the talent locked down just yet. Most importantly, it gave WWE some competition, which is badly needed in today's wrestling market. It seemed like the NWA-TNA was heading quickly in the right direction.

Then Vince Russo appeared.

Of course, I don't know all of the details behind Russo's attachments to the Jarretts and the NWA. I know that he was given a job by Vince McMahon, returning to WWE, only to leave just as quickly due to the various problems his appearance caused. Soon after, I know that his name was spoken in the NWA camp, surprising many of the wrestlers involved there. I know that Syxx-Pac quit the organization soon after joining, just because of Russo. But I don't claim to know everything that's been going on behind the scenes, nor do I know who is actually the one in control of the NWA-TNA storylines. Yet I can't help but notice some similarities between the NWA-TNA, and the last years of WCW. Think they're not that many? Take a look.

Jeff Jarrett is the long-running NWA World Champ. Of course, Jarrett's a high-profile name, and thus is deserving of being at the top. But a lot more attention was being gathered for this federation when Ron Killings came out of nowhere to win the title from Ken Shamrock. He was a highly-regarded champion, someone whose skills fit the bill. Jarrett, meanwhile, has been given a monster push, twice now winning "Gauntlet" matches by beating three other stars in a row. He also hasn't wrestled at the last two Pay-Per-Views, a noticable gap. Without the World Title being defended every week, there's one less reason for the fans to tune in. Of course, I'd be remiss in not pointing out that David Arquette is not in the running for the belt.

The older wrestlers are resurfacing for "name-recognition". In the beginning, the main wrestlers were guys like Jarrett, Lawler, and Killings, men in their primes who could carry the federation week by week. Yet just in the last month, we've seen Dusty Rhodes, the Road Warriors (Hawk & Animal), Larry Zbysko and the Rock 'n' Roll Express (Robert Gibson & Ricky Morton). I would guess the average age of that bunch is somewhere around 50. Maybe higher. Boy, I remember when Rhodes, Terry Funk and some of the other guys came into WCW. What a boost in the ratings that was, huh?

The controversial gimmicks have taken away some of the spotlight from the wrestling. What do you remember more about the first year of the NWA-TNA? Is it the great X Division Matches? The battle between Ron Killings and Jeff Jarrett? Or is it the Nazi symbol worn by Don Harris in August? Or how about when Puppet, a midget wrestler, pulled a gun on Jarrett in July? Or maybe when B.G. James told Bruce that "this won't be a gay-bashing, this is me about to beat the hell out of a f-----"? All of these hurt the image of the NWA-TNA being a good wrestling promotion, in my opinion.

Vince Russo has been a central figure. When Russo took off the mask of Mr. Wrestling III, after helping Jeff Jarrett beat Ron Killings for the NWA World Title, the world of wrestling felt a joint pain in the side. Russo would later be involved in one of the wrestling matches, teaming with Christopher Daniels, Elix Skipper & Low-Ki to beat Jarrett, Dusty Rhodes & the Road Warriors. Huh. Russo inside the squared circle again. It didn't work too well in WCW, but who knows, right?

The most popular division has been toned down in favor of others. The X Division, by far, has been the main reason for the success of the NWA-TNA. People continued to tune in, just to see the top three stars of the division, Jerry Lynn, AJ Styles and Low-Ki, going at it. In the weeks since Russo made his first appearance, none of the three wrestlers listed above have been involved in the division. The title's been downgraded somewhat, as the other wrestlers compete elsewhere. Low-Ki's now in the tag-team division, joining with Elix Skipper as Triple xXx. Lynn's in the big feud right now, going against Mike Sanders, David Flair and his one-time partner, Ron Killings. As for AJ Styles, well, he's been involved in a "big" feud, too. With Larry Zbysko. Now, I'm not saying that the division is terrible now. Wrestlers like Sonny Siaki(the champ), Kid Kash and the Amazing Red are doing their best to keep the fire alive. But it's just not the same without the guys who made it worth watching.

Unusual wrestling signees are starting to appear. I have nothing against Tenacious Z. I mean, when you look at the guy, you have to admit how incredible he really is. But he's still a one-legged wrestler, who has been brought into the NWA-TNA for attention. Likewise for David Flair. Remember him? The son of Ric, who basically wrestles the same style of match? I just wish guys like Bull Buchanan, Justin Credible and Raven would get signed. Then maybe the NWA-TNA could restore a hardcore division, something to grab the attention of the masses again. Just, uh, leave Terry Funk out of it, ok?

Basically, I'm worried about the future of the NWA-TNA. Things look way too similar to the way things were going in my favorite all-time federation, WCW. Really, I've lost a lot of interest in the federation, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. There's a lot of talent out there for the NWA-TNA to utilize, both already under contract and waiting in the independents. All I can do is hope that we're not going to see another federation burn down, with Russo established somewhere in the hierarchy. I could take up a whole new column talking about the enigma that is Russo. I probably will, someday. For now, I'll just leave you with your thoughts, on whether or not YOU think that the NWA-TNA and the now-defunct WCW are on the same path at different times.

Peace
The Accelerator

There comes a time in every wrestling analyst's life when he has to put aside his beliefs in staying neutral, and admit to himself that there are certain wrestlers he can't wait to see in action. So, since I needed to post something here this week to keep my momentum up, I thought I'd hit my current favorites in the world of wrestling, covering both Raw and Smackdown. Some of these picks may surprise you, especially since some are not exactly "current". But hey, it's my column, I get to make some picks. If you want to voice your own, then go ahead and use the wrestling forum. That's what it's there for. Now, on with the picks.

Monday Night Raw:

We'll start with the 'lesser' branch first, and work our way up. (Yes, I'm a huge fan of Smackdown).

5)The Hurricane: If you want to see a lightweight on Raw, the Hurricane is almost your only option. I still wish Helms hadn't been sent to Raw, leaving behind a great crop of lightweights on Smackdown. He can always deliver laughs and cheers from the fans.

4)Kane: Another guy who the crowd will pop for in almost any situation. He makes me nostalgic for the old Undertaker, in a way. He's agile, unbelievably powerful and, at times, hilarious.

3)Batista: He may be a relatively new face, but from what I've seen so far, I like him. Batista is a guy who could have been Brock Lesnar, in my opinion. Instead, he's getting his "monster" push on Raw. The guy's earning fans every time he's out there.

2)Rob Van Dam: What else can you say about this guy? He delivers the goods, day in and day out. I agree with most columnists when I say that he deserves a World Title reign this year. RVD in 2003!

1)Booker T: Yes, Booker T is my #1 pick. A lot of you may be surprised, with Booker coming in above RVD. But you have to remember, I started out as a die-hard WCW fan. So I remember the old-school Booker T, when he was the best in the business in WCW. I remember his terrific matches with Scott Steiner, among others. I definitely remember the Harlem Hangover, a move that I wish he'd bring back, if only for one match. Basically, I can't get enough of Booker. He's another one who should be in the main event, not watching Triple Hach.

Honorable Mention: Stacy Keibler. Is there any better reason to watch Raw? If she was a wrestler, I'd put her high on that list, with Booker T's position in jeopardy. As it is, I can't wait for her to come back from her 'concussion'.

Thursday Smackdown!

Now, onto my favorite show. These choices are going to be a lot harder. Let's see here...

Future Pick: Sean O'Haire. I really hope O'Haire comes onto Smackdown, the way it looks like he's going to. This guy was one of my WCW young favorites. For a big man, his Seanton Bomb was unbelievably accurate. I'm still in shock it's taken this long for him to return to the big-time. What's wrong with you, WWE?

5)Eddie Guerrero: I can't say I've been a major follower of the Guerreros throughout their career. But Eddie earned my respect, after that brutal ladder match he had with Edge last year. After all he's been through, with his drug addiction, his car accidents, et cetera, he's now one of the top performers in the world. Now if only he hadn't shaved the mullet. Oh well.

4)Edge: He's been thought of as a future World Champion for some time now. Of course, it might be hard with Brock there, but anything's possible. The fans are pulling for the man, who has the best spear in the business. He's long seen proved who the "Marty Jannetty" was in Edge & Christian.

3)Kurt Angle: I love how this guy seems to be just getting warmed up. Sure, we don't see too many moonsaults anymore, but maybe when the knee heals up, we'll get some more high-flying action. Until then, I love seeing "Team Angle", because you know you'll always get a strong wrestling match.

2)Rey Mysterio Jr: He's a god. The guy can make anyone look good. I honestly can't remember him ever having a boring match. Hell, I bet he could put Scott Steiner over.

1)Brock Lesnar: Yes, I'm just like everyone else. We want to see the Next Big Thing in action every night. That F-5 is an incredible maneuver, and when you see Brock hoisting someone like the Big Show easily on his shoulders, you just have to sit back in awe. If he ever performed the F-5 on Mysterio, he'd probably throw him so high, we'd never see Rey again!

Honorable Mention: Torrie Wilson. Just eliminate the Dawn Marie/Al Wilson saga. Turn down the sound. Just look at her. There you go, that's all you needed.

So, there you have it. Just a little something-something to show my own opinions. I'm allowed to do that every so often. Next time, we'll talk about actual news. :)

Peace
The Accelerator

The Royal Rumble has always been one of my favorite events. I look forward to it every year. I can still remember clearly watching the Rumble at my Mom's house, cheering as Hulk Hogan won once again. The Rumble was always his specialty. As of right now, I own seven of the Royal Rumbles on tape, along with two of the WCW World War III videos, and as always, I'm keeping my eyes open for more. So you could probably say with confidence that I'm an expert on Rumbles. With that being said, I'd like to give this past weekend's pay-per-view two different ratings. For a transitional pay-per-view, leading towards Wrestlemania, it was a quality show, giving the fans what they want. For a Royal Rumble, it was barely average.

The main problem I have with this year's Rumble is that nothing was unexpected. I could have written the results last week, if I wanted to. Everyone knew that Brock Lesnar would win the Royal Rumble. It had to happen, because the storyline he's involved in made the Rumble the only opportunity he would have to go into Wrestlemania as the #1 Contender. For that reason, everyone knew that Brock would k.o. the Big Show in the opening match. This also led everyone to know who would win in the Smackdown World Title Match, because Angle vs. Lesnar will be a great main event. Of course, Angle and Benoit had a terrific match, especially after sending Team Angle to the back to keep the interference at a minimum. As much as I liked the match, though, I knew Benoit couldn't win. After all the matches they've had together, the fans really wouldn't be keen on seeing a long series between them, which means that Benoit couldn't get the title only to lose it to Angle later on.

We also saw the Dudley Boys win the Tag-Team Titles over Lance Storm and William Regal. While it's good to see the Dudleys on top again after so long, I still feel bad that BookDust has been suddenly, ruthlessly knocked out of the picture. This better lead to a Booker T main-event run. Come on, who wouldn't want to see Triple H vs. Booker T at No Way Out? It'd be better than another Steiner/Helmsley snorefest, although with the DQ finish, that looks to be where we're going to be headed. Have I mentioned I love Smackdown recently? Well, I do. But (and I can't say this strongly enough) this better be the end of the Torrie Wilson/Dawn Marie feud. The "death" of Al Wilson seriously took things too far. With Wilson beating Dawn Marie cleanly, hopefully WWE officials will take the hint and let the angle die there. We'll soon see.

Finally, we had the Rumble. I did like the talent that competed in the main event. For some reason, they seemed bigger this year. The split of the show led to more "favorites" and less "jobbers". But, really, the only thing that surprised me about the Rumble was how quickly Shawn Michaels was eliminated. I guess that back is getting worse now, huh? After that, everything went down as expected. There weren't even any "surprise" entrants that I saw, including the Undertaker, whom everyone knew was returning. Although they finished it well, with the four biggest guys in there at the end (Lesnar, Undertaker, Kane & Batista), it was still too predictable. I knew the order they were going down in. It was too clear.

So does predictability mean it was a bad show? No. For me to say that would be way too contradictory, and I don't want to be labeled as a hypocrite. Like I said earlier, the fans got what they wanted. There weren't any major screwjobs that left people angry or disappointed, and that's what we really want from our wrestling shows, right? After all, if the Undertaker has won the Rumble over Lesnar, I'd probably be here complaining about missing the sure-fire opportunity to give it to the "Next Big Thing". We'd have lots of people saying that the Undertaker "refused" to put over the talent, or have similar complaints about another wrestler deserving it more. All-in-all, they did the Rumble the correct way, and even if I knew, for a fact, what was going to happen next, I still would have watched it. In a way, that makes it a pretty good show.

Peace
The Accelerator

We are now six days into the new year, 2003. So far, that's all I have to rate wrestling on. So far, I'm happy with what I've seen, with the exception of the corny Dawn Marie/Al Wilson wedding. The live Smackdown was a strong show, with some pretty damn good matches, including a bloody Brock Lesnar cleaning house with Mattitude. I'm pleased to see guys like Shelton Benjamin and Charlie "R.C." Haas, wrestlers I've followed in OVW, getting a strong push as "Team Angle". The Haas of Pain is definitely one of the most painful submission moves I've seen in a while, and I can't wait to see Benjamin put up against Lesnar, since they know each other so well. I'm pleased that Chris Benoit is getting a main-event push, although I know that they'll want to keep the belt around Angle's waist for the time being. Basically, I'm excited about where the product is going to go this year, especially in regards for Wrestlemania X-9.

A lot of people are probably saying, hey, Ace, isn't it a little early yet to talk about Wrestlemania? After all, we still have the Royal Rumble, one of the premiere events of World Wrestling Entertainment, not to mention No Way Out. But I can't help it. From where I sit, it looks like things are starting to fall together regarding the biggest event of the year in professional wrestling, and I truly can't wait for it to get here. Of course, WWE still has the chance of screwing it up, but I doubt that'll happen. There haven't been too many Wrestlemanias that haven't delivered on the hype. Let's just look at some of the matches that we could be seeing this year.

Kurt Angle vs. Brock Lesnar, Smackdown World Title Match: Personally, I think it's almost a given that Brock Lesnar is going to beat the Big Show, then go on to win his first Royal Rumble (possibly the first of many). Since Paul Heyman is doing everything in his power to deny Lesnar a World Title shot, a Rumble victory would make it easy to guarantee Lesnar main-eventing Wrestlemania. This is the feud that's been building up ever since Lesnar entered WWE. Everyone was interested in seeing the Olympic Gold Medalist go against the NCAA Champ. Everyone still is. It's the one match that's almost guaranteed to go down at Wrestlemania, with Lesnar finally ready to regain the World Title that was stolen from him.

Bill Goldberg vs. The Rock: People have started talking in quiet tones about the possibility of this one. Ever since Goldberg returned to the wrestling ring, killing stars in Japan, there have been rumors about him returning to WWE. Goldberg himself has been quoted as saying that there have been talks about Wrestlemania, although nothing has been agreed upon. To this, I say to Vince McMahon: sign Goldberg. Even for just that one match, he'll increase your PPV buyrate immensely, because whether the viewer was with WCW or stuck with the WWF, they heard about Goldberg. Meanwhile, the Rock, one of the top draws for wrestling over the past five years, is primed for a change. The fans have started to boo him, which means he's about to make the jump over to the bad guys. Would there be any better way to do that than have him go against the hugely-popular Goldberg?

Hunter Hearst Helmsley vs. Rob Van Dam, Raw World Title Match: Ok, so we're already out of the "rumors" area and just into pure speculation. Fine. I expect Triple H to remain the World Champion for the next few months, as he'll want to take it into Wrestlemania, as the top heel in the biz. He may trade it back and forth with Scott Steiner, but I don't think Steiner will hold the World Title for too long, due to his consistant injuries. We've already seen Shawn Michaels shine as World Champ, so I suspect he won't return to the top anytime soon (although an HBK/RVD Match would be incredible). Meanwhile, a huge portion of the fans are cheering heavily for RVD to finally achieve his goal, and take control of the WWE World Heavyweight Title. Now's the time for Rob Van Dam. Anything else would be a letdown.

Hulk Hogan vs. Vince McMahon: It would surely be a gimmick match, but it would be a fight that most fans wouldn't mind watching. Since Hogan's departure from television at the hands of Brock Lesnar, rumors have quietly been circulating that Hogan might sign on for at least one more match, going against his long-time friend/rival, Vince McMahon, who also hasn't been seen much on television. It'd probably have to be a gimmick match, since who in their right mind could see McMahon standing nose-to-nose with Hogan? Still, it could be pretty damn good, watching the red-and-yellow one more time, taking out the enemy of the people?

Eddie Guerrero vs. Edge, Anything Goes Match: After the ladder match that these two men gave us last year, I would love to see them go at it again, this time taking it around the arena. They are two of the most gifted athletes in the sport. Any match with them going against each other is worth watching, regardless of the storyline.

Rey Mysterio Jr vs. Jamie Noble vs. Billy Kidman vs. Jeff Hardy vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. the Hurricane, Cruiserweight Title No-Disqualification Elimination Match: Let's face it, the NWA-TNA X Division has shown that people want to see the high-flyers in action. I always look forward to any match involving the wrestlers mentioned above. So why not put six of the best into the ring, with the Cruiserweight Title on the line, and have a war break out? Any of the six competitors could be seen coming out with the title, although I think Rey Mysterio would be the most likely.

The Undertaker vs. Kevin Nash, Casket Match: No real reason to put this one here, other than that it would be a great clash of two old-school legends of the game. The Undertaker is expected to come back to the dark side at the Rumble, while Kevin Nash is said to be healing up more and more as the time passes by. If Nash could return by Wrestlemania, a match between him and the Undertaker (bringing back visions of Diesel) could definitely be a good one, assuming that the two are allowed to brawl to their hearts' content.

Those are just a few of the possibilities we could see at WWE Wrestlemania X-9. And just think of some of the wrestlers that I didn't mention. We could see men like Scott Steiner, Shawn Michaels, Booker T, Chris Benoit, Matt Hardy, and others involved in their own battles, intent on getting the big victory. There's even the possibility that "Stone Cold" Steve Austin could be back in the mix, adding one more huge star to the line-up. Suffice to say, if you're not thinking about what a grand night Wrestlemania could be now, you're not a true wrestling fan. It's going to be a spectacular moment in sports entertainment. If only it wasn't still months away. Oh well, guess I'll just have to enjoy the Royal Rumble first, and stay patient. Because Wrestlemania's getting closer, as each day passes by. Go clock go.

Peace
The Accelerator

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