The more I think about it, the more I think the WWE is purposely fucking with us, the audience. I can see the tremendous change in how the WWE is delivering their product as of late, but this early challenge has me completely baffled. Wrestlemania is the biggest event of the WWE year, but never have they booked a match this early in advance. They’ve planted the seeds this early, they’ve hinted in off hand ways… but never have they come out and said Superstar A vs Superstar B at Wrestlemania nearly 4 months in advance.
I’m not complaining about this idea. With an event of this magnitude, I think some hype should start early. And I see the incredible logic of using this match to do it. The night of the Slammys, during the segment where they announce the match of the year, they suggest the rematch. It made lots of sense, and it caused a tremendous stir among all fans: IWC fans and non-IWC fans.
Yet, with all the genius involved and the logic used to deliver the message, why the hell am I not buying it?
In a strange turn of events, I think we are being played. It almost seems like they are making us think they are doing something really intelligent, in an attempt to draw our attention away from their actual goal. Knowing the WWE, the ultimate goal could be on the level of complete retardation, or Einstein genius.
When it comes to the Undertaker, Wrestlemania should be simple to book. His streak makes his match an automatic main event. Even when it’s against someone the likes of Mark Henry at WM 22, it still carries enough strength on the card to be called a main event. This is an ultimate tool that the WWE has decided to avoid using on too many occasions. With the streak on the line in a main event, that leaves both the WWE and World Title matches as other main events. Yet, for a strange reason, the WWE has often combined both elements to attempt to create an “ultimate main event”… and it doesn’t seem to work. Sure, Undertaker vs Edge at WM 24 was the show ender, but there were other choices that could have replaced this. That card was well stacked, with the Floyd Mayweather involvement, the Flair retirement match, and of course the 2 main event title defenses. Maybe they saw too many main event matches. I could understand that.
But after the immense success of HBK vs Undertaker at Wrestlemania 25, how could the WWE skip another massive streak threatening match?
Lately, we’ve seen the WWE take drastic measures to develop new stars. Primarily the Sheamus push is really causing earthquakes among fans. And now there are rumors of a HHH vs Sheamus WWE Title match in
Of course if HHH is facing off against Sheamus, then his tag team partner will be available as well. So Undertaker would be a logical opponent for him.
Except, Bret Hart has signed a 3 month contract set to expire past Wrestlemania 26. And something tells me this will lead to Wrestlemania involvement, and that also means to me that HBK will be involved in that as well. Last week’s Raw seemed indicate that the 2 wrestlers involved in the Wrestlemania 12 main event may cross paths.
So we come back to the proposed Undertaker vs HBK match. I don’t see it happening. I think we’re seeing a lot of smoke and mirrors to get us excited, but no one really knows what for? On one hand, the WWE has the smart fans guessing and predicting a variety of possibilities. This is a good way to hype up the small demographic who spend too much time on the internet discussion wrestling (myself included). All the while it creates a buzz to those logged off.
So what does that leave the Undertaker with? If HHH is against Sheamus, HBK is involved with Bret Hart… what other major Undertaker match could take place at Wrestlemania without involving a World or WWE Title??
HHH vs Sheamus
HBK vs Hitman
Undertaker vs John Cena
Now, we’re selling PPVs.
Pen, I agree with you that WWE is not going to run with HBK vs Taker II for WM 26. I'm starting to think that Sheamus is going to wrestle Cena at the Rumble and get DQed and retain the WWE title. Then Sheamus will say that Cena used his rematch clause and that he can't have another one. There will be some kind of shenanigans to keep Cena out of the Elimination Chamber match and Triple H will wind up being the #1 contender for the title. WWE will continue with the Cena won't lose until he wins the title angle and that will culminate with him wrestling Taker at Mania in a kind of streak vs streak match.
ReplyDeleteAlso, I'm starting to think that HBK will wrestle Bret. At first, I thought that Bret would avoid any involvement with HBK because of the real life bitterness between the two and just focus on Vince, but after last Monday's Raw, it seems obvious that HBK will be involved in Bret's angle. If that is the case, I think it's likely that Bret and HBK have buried the hatchet and will work together. HBK may very well put Bret over in a match at Mania. Maybe he'll go for the sharpshooter and Bret will reverse it and HBK will tap, and then the two can shake hands afterward. Then Vince can come out and get beat down by HBK and Bret and there would be full closure to Bret's Screwjob story.
So I guess I'm seeing Sheamus vs H, HBK vs Bret, and Cena vs Taker, just like you.