WWE’s YouTube channel has posted a bunch of different Superstar-related music videos and this one below caught my eye and tickled my heart strings. It’s the old school WrestleMania theme song.
I still don’t know why the song begins with, “Are you ready for the Survivor Series?” and also prominently features Mean Gene asking, “Who will survive?”
Not sure why this is such a shock to everyone since it’s been the prevailing thought all along that each WWE Champion would have his own side plates on the belt, but WWE Instagrammed a photo of the strap with John Cena’s custom side plates.
There’s a lot of “Hustle, Loyalty, Respect” and “U Can’t C Me” going on there.
WWE played it safe Sunday night, angering all the swerve-wanting, internet cynics, and going pretty much by numbers at WrestleMania. John Cena defeated The Rock, Dolph Ziggler didn’t cash in, and The Undertaker’s streak is intact.
I thought the pay-per-view was an entertaining show and WWE at least made the journey to predictable outcomes fun to watch. CM Punk v. The Undertaker was the match of the night, as many expected it would be, while I also found Rock-Cena to be a very good effort, and much better than their encounter at last year’s WrestleMania.
While I enjoyed it, I certainly can see why people were upset with the show and thought it was just sort of “meh.” There weren’t any incredibly notable moments and John Cena is the champion again, which is always a sore note with most adult fans.
• I went 7-for-9 with my predictions, which probably says more about the predictability of the match outcomes than my prognostication skills.
I thought Ryback losing to Mark Henry was a surprise, although Ryback still got his “WrestleMania moment” (I guess) by shellshocking Henry after the match.
I was also wrong on Team Hell No retaining the tag titles, but I can’t say that’s the wrong way to go. The duo is really over with the crowd right now and there isn’t much else for them to do, so why not keep the straps on them?
• The Undertaker continues to amaze. He can take an entire year off and still come back and put on a great show, wrestle an awesome match, and look like he hasn’t missed a beat. Kudos to CM Punk as well. It was the right move, in my opinion, continuing the streak and the way the match was built up it made all the sense in the world to have Undertaker get his revenge on Punk.
• The Triple H v. Brock Lesnar match had its moments but I thought it was another slow, plodding Triple H match that put the crowd to sleep, especially coming after the excellent Taker-Punk match. My problem with Triple H winning and “saving his career” is that we still probably won’t see him wrestle again for quite some time, and it leaves Brock Lesnar in a sort of purgatory. Since he’s returned, Lesnar has lost cleanly to John Cena and Triple H in two of his three matches. Where does he go from here?
• Was this a “great” WrestleMania? Of course not. Was it the “worst ever” as many an internet over-reactor was saying last night? Of course not. It was safely booked. It didn’t have six heel turns, a cash in, and all the titles changing hands but it was still an enjoyable wrestling show.
Tonight’s Raw will be very important in setting up the post-WrestleMania feuds. We’ll probably see some sort of Sheamus/Orton v. Big Show storyline and we may find out John Cena’s first challenger for the WWE Championship.
Hot 97′s Peter Rosenberg is also a huge wrestling fan and with WrestleMania taking place in the New York metro area this weekend, he’s been able to score some interviews with several WWE stars.
In this sitdown, Ryback discusses his journey back from injury, watching WrestleMania a year ago and promising himself that he wouldn’t be on the sidelines for it this year. He also talks about what it’s like to hear “Goldberg” chants, how his RVD-inspired ring gear came about, and the evolution of his character. It’s a really good interview, as most of the talks with Rosenberg tend to be, and shines a different light on Ryback.
For more of his interviews with AJ Lee, Brodus Clay, Dolph Ziggler, CM Punk, Paul Heyman and Trish Stratus from this weekend, check out Peter Rosenberg’s YouTube Channel.
WWE 2K14 will be the first iteration of the yearly wrestling videogame published by Take Two’s 2K Sports brand, after the recent acquisition from THQ’s bankruptcy. Along with the name change will come a new cover superstar, which will be The Rock, as announced during this weekend’s WrestleMania festivities.
All the people angry that The Rock gets to be a part-timer and WWE champion will have one more thing to complain about, but it makes sense from a consumer standpoint. Die hard wrestling fans will buy the game no matter what (especially if 2K can actually fix those horrible, horrible online issues that have plagued the series) and having The Rock – wrestling’s most notable mainstream crossover star – on the cover will attract eyes of casual fans and general fighting game fans as well.
And really, once the game is purchased – to steal a line from The Great One himself – it doesn’t matter who is on the cover.
Vince McMahon fulfilled his Twitter promise of a “big reveal” by showcasing the WrestleMania set from MetLife Stadium on YouTube Friday. It’s pretty impressive, with a replica of the Statue of Liberty above the ring, and replicas of the Brooklyn Bridge and Empire State Building at the entrance way.
WWE Championship Match
John Cena v. The Rock
As hard as WWE is trying to make this “Twice in a Lifetime” match feel special, it just isn’t doing it for me. I’m sure the atmosphere will be electric, but some of the luster is gone now that these guys are having a rematch. Besides, there’s no way WWE books The Rock to beat the current, top-draw star two WrestleManias in a row. Cena wins and Rock rides off into the sunset.
Prediction: John Cena wins the WWE Championship
World Heavyweight Championship Match
Jack Swagger v. Alberto Del Rio
Alberto Del Rio and Ricardo Rodriguez have been beaten down, mocked and ridiculed throughout this feud. I think Del Rio retains the belt, maybe with some shenanigans from Rodriguez. If Dolph Ziggler is going to cash in his Money in the Bank briefcase – which many are hoping for – it also makes sense to do so against a babyface champion.
Prediction: Alberto Del Rio retains the World Heavyweight Championship
WWE Tag Team Championship Match
Dolph Ziggler and Big E. Langston (w/ AJ Lee) v. Team Hell No
This match really felt forced onto the card, so forced that it feels like Dolph Ziggler and Big E. Langston have to win. It makes even more sense if Ziggler plans on cashing in his briefcase sometime soon and WWE uses the new Kaitlyn-AJ feud to get the Divas title on AJ, creating a super stable of champions in the process. That might all be wishful thinking, but the only scenario where I see Ziggler and Langston losing is if Ziggler ends up turning face because of it.
Prediction: Dolph Ziggler and Big E. Langston win the Tag Team Championships
No Holds Barred Match with Triple H’s Career on the Line
Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) v. Triple H (with Shawn Michaels)
The obvious scenario has Triple H winning, perhaps with help from Shawn Michaels, so he doesn’t have to retire… even though he was already retired.
I think, though, that Triple H wants to go out at WrestleMania and might be expecting a hero’s salute from the MetLife Stadium crowd. If that’s his plan, he could be in for a rude awakening.
HHH losing would be my preferred outcome. With Brock Lesnar signed for two more years, he needs to stay relevant and at the main event level. He’s not doing two years of midcard matches with Kofi Kingston, for example. If Lesnar loses to Triple H, it will make him 1-for-3 since his return to WWE. The smart move is Lesnar winning, which probably means Triple H goes over.
Prediction: Triple H defeats Brock Lesnar
Pre-Show: WWE Intercontinental Championship Match
The Miz v. Wade Barrett
I’ll take The Miz to win the title, simply because he’s a popular guy for media appearances and he’s gotten over better than expected as a babyface. He’s still not great, don’t get me wrong, but WWE has shown zero interest in pushing Wade Barrett.
Prediction: The Miz wins the Intercontinental Championship
CM Punk (with Paul Heyman) v. The Undertaker
All the buildup has been geared towards Undertaker finally getting his retribution on CM Punk and I just don’t think CM Punk is the guy to end the streak.
Prediction: Undertaker defeats CM Punk
Tons of Funk and the Funkadactyls v. Rhodes Scholars and the Bella Twins
Yawn. Tons of Fun probably win because WWE needs to create a new babyface tag team if Team Hell No loses the straps. Does anyone really care about this match, though?
Prediction: Tons of Funk and the Funkadactyls defeat Rhodes Scholars and the Bella Twins
Fandango v. Chris Jericho
I feel like this match could steal the show, simply because of Chris Jericho’s recent comments about Vince McMahon switching up his WrestleMania storyline and Y2J using that as motivation to make this match the best it can be. It is a bit head scratching to bring Jericho back and waste his talent on a loss at ‘Mania, but I think that’s what we’ll get. A win over Jericho would do wonders for Fandango, and Jericho can make him look like a million bucks in the process.
Prediction: Fandango defeats Chris Jericho
Ryback v. Mark Henry
I expected Mark Henry to win the Elimination Chamber and be the one challenging Alberto Del Rio for the World Heavyweight Championship, but a “Battle of the Behemoths” match with Ryback works also.
Ryback has much more to gain from a win at this point in his career than Henry does, so I think Ryback picks up the victory.
Prediction: Ryback defeats Mark Henry
Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show v. The Shield
Some shenanigans probably go down in this contest, allowing The Shield to get a victory and stay strong, while one of the members of the Show/Sheamus/Orton team turns heel. Since Big Show isn’t really a face anyway, it could be him and the “dissension” among the team that costs them the match. Or could Randy Orton finally be ready to be turned heel again?
Prediction: The Shield defeats Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show
WWE held its annual pre-WrestleMania press conference this afternoon, with appearances by Triple H, Stephanie McMahon, The Rock, John Cena, CM Punk and more. Michael Cole kicked things off by confirming that Diddy and Living Colour would both be performing at the pay-per-view. He also announced that Charlie Sheen, Mike Tyson, Snooki, Jimmy Fallon and Lil’ Wayne would be involved in ‘Mania.
Both CM Punk and Living Colour announced on Twitter today that the band will perform Punk’s theme song, “Cult of Personality,” at Wrestlemania this Sunday.
Living Colour and Diddy are the two announced musical guests for the pay-per-view broadcast.
Even though Rosa Mendes probably won’t be appearing during the WrestleMania broadcast, she’s training for the big show, just as Triple H is. So while this video may not be relevant to the pay-per-view itself, I’m bringing it to you because, well, it’s 2:53 of Rosa Mendes working out and talking about “#MuscleMania.”
