I Hate to say I told ya so, but……

Hello fellow purists! I am cag151 or Diesel, (no relation what so fruelling ever!!!), as my civilian fellows call me. I picked Sheamus to win the Royal Rumble back before TLC and was spot on. The reason for he was my pony for this race is because well, it made the most sense and it would be right for Smackdown. Plus check his track record. Not even 5 years in he’s a 2 time WWE Champion, won KOTR, (quick side note, but does anyone else notice that this is the same acronym for Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic), and has had great rivialries with Morrison, HHH, and even Cena, (hold the suck chants and boos). With all these into account, he was the natural choice. Plus Smackdown is in dire need of a new babyface for the brand. Undertaker is on his way out and Orton has been there and done that. So for Sheamus to win would be the right choice. Now with my prediction of the Rumble winner, (It wasn’t a lucky guess), I’m going to give my picks for this year’s stars to watch.

1.) Dolph Ziggler, wow the former Spirit Squad cheerleader becoming a force to be reckoned with? That I never saw coming. But let’s face it; Ziggler has indeed stepped up his game this year. Vickie helped him come up, but now he’s to the point where he doesn’t need her. The smart move is keep him #HEEL, drop Vickie, and wreak havoc. I believe in the eyes of the right people, Ziggler has shown he can definitely hang on main event level. I see him as WWE Champion at least one time by this time next year. Not to mention Ziggler had a great series with my next pic….

2.) Kofi Kingston, I call this one more wishful thinking on my part. But he has talent, he’s an excellent PR person for the company, and IMO has not disappointed in the ring. With Evan Bourne’s recent suspension record, WWE should let Kofi shine. Not to mention he’s been a constant star in MITB matches; him and Ziggler in an angle for the WWE Title? They tore the house down when the US Title was on the line. Imagine what they would do in a PPV main event. Plus on a more personal note, I would like to see a new black star and WWE Champ. (the Rock doesn’t count. He embraces his Samoan side more) It would be a nice change of pace.

3.) Cody Rhodes, as a comic geek, I read an article Rhodes did for Marvel comics awhile back about how he adopted his masked heel persona from Dr. Doom. It paid out in spades and helped him shout to great heel status. Great heel promos, great matches and ring psychology, Rhodes will be Heavyweight Champion this year. I’m taking bets now! It will happen. Another way to see this is coming; he’s been going through legends lately. Who was the last person to go through legends before shooting to superstardom? Does a certain “Viper” come to mind? On a side note on Rhodes, I think a brother vs. brother for Wrestlemania would be a awesome idea.

4.) The Miz, he’s already been on top and showed he can represent the company in other media outlets well, since he sort of took a back seat this past year after Wrestlemania. With that said, I see an angrier, hungry Miz on the attack. I see him stealing the show sometime soon to show us all that he’s not a flash in the pan. Personally, I’m welcome to his attack. I think he and Punk could have an “awesome” program together. (come on did you think I wasn’t going to use that word in a paragraph about Miz?). Speaking of Punk….

5.) CM Punk & Bryan Danielson, (that’s the name that made him famous & I’m sticking to it dammit!). I’m saying these guys are out of steam, but they’re already on top. I believe Punk/Danielson have so much more to give us in terms of ring work and entertainment. I think we’re seeing the beginning of Danielson’s legendary heel persona. I have no doubt that these two will disappoint us at Wrestlemania this year. All I’m seeing is waiting and see with Punk/Danielson. They’ve worked too hard to get to this point in their careers to just give up and fall back down to mid-card limbo.

A quick side note about Cena. Unless your tv is on mute, (even if it is, a blind man could see this), Cena is still a hot button with us. Now we’re going into the whole giving Cena a more complex character. My opinion on this is…. I don’t care. Not because I despise Cena, I’m one of the few adults who actually likes Cena for what he is. He’s entertaining to me and if I was given his same oppertunity, I would be the same guy, (let’s be honest with ourselves). He’ll never give us Steamboat/Savage, Flair/Steamboat, Joe/Punk, or Guerrero/Benoit, but he is entertaining to me for what is. I don’t care cause of the industry is harping on this ‘Cena go heel’ campaign. I want to really  see more of the guys on my list. WWE is more than just Cena and as long as we feed into it, they’ll keep shoving it down our throats. As much as I would love to see The Rock wrestle one more match, after that, he can go back to Hollywood and do more filming cause that’s all I want from the Rock, One more match.

That’s it for now. Again I want to thank Jared for giving the platform to share my opinions with the wrestling world. For all feedback hit me on Twitter, (@cag151) or email. (cag151@hotmail.com). Hell if you enjoyed what I had to say, respond to the website. If you didn’t, even better, I thrive on a good debate. Let the hate fly! Lates!

Diesel (again no freulling relation!!)

If you want to get a hold me you can do so either on twitter @JaredGebhardt or via email at jjg672@hotmail.com. You can also read my entertainment column on filmonair.com.

Sincerely,

Jared Gebhardt

Here is how I do my picks for those unfamiliar with my process. I place fake money lines Vegas style and tell how I’m betting and why. Not sure what money line is. That’s okay I’ll explain it as best I can.

New York Giants+120
New England Patriots -130

In this instance, the Patriots are the favored team, as signified by the – (minus) written in front of the 130, while the Giants are the underdogs, as designated by the + (plus) in front of the 120.

What these numbers mean is that those wishing to bet on the favorite, the Patriots, will have to risk $130 to win $100, while those wanting to wager on the underdog, the Giants, will risk $100 to win $120. Got it? Good, moving on.

John Cena (+150) vs. Kane (-130)

Clearly Vegas is buying that Kane has gotten into John Cena’s head and has taken him off his game. The belief here is that Kane has broken Cena’s best bro Ryder and has finally gotten Cena to tap into his hateful side. By doing this Kane hopes to accomplish…..well I don’t know what yet. Maybe he’s trying to be like The Joker in The Dark Knight and prove that even someone as brave and heroic as Harvey Dent (John Cena) can be corrupted. Be made to do violent things thus breaking the hearts of Gotham (WWE kid Universe). So, why is Kane favored then? My guess is Vegas thinks Cena and his new found hate will help him up the violence but will ultimately lead him to make mistakes. I like this theory and I think I’m going to bet on the favorite here, but I could easily see this going Cena’s way if he can channel the anger properly.

KANE over Cena

World Heavyweight Title Match: Daniel Bryan (+300) vs. Mark Henry (+120) vs. The Big Show (-140)

Vegas really doesn’t see the current champion walking out of the cage as champion and history certainly agrees. Three way matches leave the champion at a serious disadvantage and throw in that he is outweighed by a combined +700 pounds it doesn’t look good for Bryan. Both Henry and Show have a serious beef with Bryan and the way he’s gone about defending his title. However, they both have a history of violence towards each other. At +300 Bryan is a tempting bet. He can climb better than the other two and lately he has shown a knack for weaseling his way out with the title. With that said I just don’t see how he could win this match. Two giants, David had only one Goliath to fight and that wasn’t in a steel cage. Show can beat Henry, he did that the last time they were in a ring together. I think I have my pick and it’s only because the odds are too tempting.

DANIEL BRYAN over Big Show and Mark Henry

WWE World Title Match: CM Punk (+220) vs. Dolph Ziggler (-150)

Another champion with the odds against him. Vegas must not believe that John Laurinaitis will keep his word and not screw CM Punk over. Otherwise there is no way Punk isn’t the one favored in this match. As good as Ziggler is and he is very very good he just isn’t as good as Punk on a level playing field…yet. However, this most certainly is not a level playing field thanks to John Laurinaitis and his obvious bias against Punk. Even if he calls it down the middle there is a very real chance that just having him in the ring will be a huge distraction for Punk. Is Punk good enough to beat both Ziggler and a meddling John Laurinaitis? Vegas doesn’t think so, but I do.

CM PUNK over Dolph Ziggler

Now on to the main event, now I’m going to have more than 30 names here because I don’t know for sure who will be in it. Each one will have odds next to their names and at the bottom I’ll tell you who I think will win.

Royal Rumble Match:

Alex Riley (+250)

Brodus Clay (+120)

Chris Jericho (-150)

Curt Hawkins(+250)

David Otunga (+250)

Epico (+250)

Jack Swagger (+120)

JTG (+250)

Kofi Kingston (+250)

Mason Ryan (+120)

Michael McGillicutty (+250)

Mick Foley (+120)

The Miz (+120)

Primo (+250)

Rey Mysterio (+120)

R-Truth (+120)

Santino Marella (+250)

Triple H (+120)

Tyler Reks (+250)

Christian (+120)

Cody Rhodes (+120)

Drew McIntyre (+250)

Ezekiel Jackson (+250)

Heath Slater (+250)

Hornswoggle (+5000)

Hunico (+250)

Jey Uso (+250)

Jimmy Uso (+250)

Jinder Mahal (+250)

Johnny Curtis (+250)

Justin Gabriel (+250)

Randy Orton (+120)
Sheamus (-150)

Ted DiBiase (+250)

Trent Barreta (+250)

Tyson Kidd (+250)

Undertaker (-120)

Wade Barrett (-175)

Yoshi Tatsu (+250)
The Field (-300) *this bet indicates a bet for everyone except those favored, i.e. Undertaker, Jericho, Wade Barrett, and Sheamus*

If you noticed Vegas does give odds to Rey Mysterio, Randy Orton, Christian, HHH, and Undertaker. Vegas must believe even a little bit that they’ll return to give them a money line. I think it’ll be a combination of them, not all of them will return but I can guarantee at least two on that list will return. Now, Vegas gives the odds on favorite as Wade Barrett and why not? Wade and his Barrett Barrage have run through some pretty big names as of late. The next grouping of favorites, Sheamus, Jericho, and Undertaker are all viable winners of the event, you know if Taker even shows up. My money if this was real would be on the field, but I am taking a real shot here and saying my money is Chris Jericho. The savvy veteran will find a way to win the Rumble and go on to face CM Punk at WrestleMania. Of course as we have seen over and over again you just don’t know who is going to win The Rumble, that’s why we love the damn thing so much.

Well that’s all for me this week, thanks again for reading and as always if you want to get a hold of me to call me an idiot, tell me I’m smart, or ask a question you can do so by following me on twitter @JaredGebhardt or via email jjg672@hotmail.com . You can also check out my entertainment column at filmonair.com.

Sincerely,
Jared Gebhardt

The Royal Rumble was once my favorite WWE PPV of the year.  I always loved the Royal Rumble match.  There is so much anticipation and excitement to see who is coming in, when, who will be eliminated and how, and of course, who will win.  Each year the winner goes on to challenge for the title in the main event at Wrestlemania.  For a long time, I really enjoyed going back and watching the 1994 Royal Rumble.  I thought the angle of having dual winners was pretty exciting, plus, it hadn’t been done before.  These days, I go back and watch a lot of the older Rumbles.  Mostly for nostalgic value, but also because they seemed more important back then.

The Rumble is still an exciting match to watch, if for no reason other than to see people clashing in the ring that you never see against each other.  It’s always fun to see tag team partners going after each other, two faces locking up in front of a divided crowd.  The Rumble also provides moments for people to stand out, to do things that make their time in that ring memorable, even if they don’t go on to win it.  I think back to Diesel eliminating a ton of people, CM Punk preaching to the crowd, Beth Phoenix taking a GTS.  How about those surprise entrants?  It’s always cool to see an old name or a surprising return.

A few things have happened which has made the Royal Rumble fall a few notches in my book, however.  First of all, they keep trying to inject a lot of comedy in there.  Maybe they’ve done this back in the day as well, but if so, they did it better.  Watching someone like Santino get in there and jump around like a fool or Hornswoggle spending so much time bouncing around and emulating various wrestlers.  It makes the match seem less important, then again, WWE has spent a lot of time making a lot of things feel less important than they used to be.

Another thing that has negatively impacted the importance of the Royal Rumble is the Elimination Chamber PPV.  Whereas, in the past, the winner of the Rumble would challenge for the title and that match would be built up from the Rumble until Wrestlemania, now we have this extra PPV thrown in where the titles can (and have) changed.  You lose several weeks of build up and while you could have a Rumble winner matching up against someone you really want to see him face, come February the title changes hands and you don’t get it.  Also, which I’ve not really understood, the point of winning the Rumble is to get that title shot but, even if you don’t win, there’s a chance you’ll be one of the handful of people in the Elimination Chamber to challenge for it the next month anyway.  I enjoy Elimination Chamber, but I’d move it further in the year.  Replace one of those half-assed PPVs that nobody orders with the Chamber.  There are several moments throughout the year where there is nothing that has a “big time” feel to it.  You could easily shift Elimination Chamber to one of those times.

Finally, and this is highly specific to this year, the winner of the Royal Rumble is NOT going to challenge for the title in the Main Event, unless the Rock wins the Royal Rumble and John Cena is the champion.  Hasn’t WWE made it clear that their Wrestlemania main event is going to be Cena vs the Rock?  Didn’t we also get Shawn Michaels vs the Undertaker Part 2 as the main event over the title match that year, as well?  It may just be a matter of semantics, but just change the language and remove “in the main event” from the promotion.  “The Winner of the Rumble goes on to challenge for the title at Wrestlemania.”  Sounds fine to me, but if you’re going to tell me it is the main event, and then it isn’t, I feel slighted.

Last year the Royal Rumble was 40 competitors.  This year, we’re back to 30.  I’m not sure why that is, and I don’t really have a big problem with this, but it’d be nice to have been given some sort of an explanation.  It seemed as though last year’s Rumble worked out very well, I know I enjoyed it.  Why the shift back to 30?  Also, what the hell does it mean that “this year, every superstar is eligible?”  Weren’t they always?

This year, it’s as up in the air as it always is.  30 competitors, but really only a handful of people who are probable to win.  It seems likely that some names to be considered for victory this year have to be some of the old standbys; Randy Orton and Chris Jericho, for instance.  Then again, there has been some speculation about people like Sheamus or the Miz.  Will we see the return of some previously injured people, or people who haven’t been on television lately?  Sometimes WWE likes to have a big return and give the victory to that person, see John Cena and Edge, for example.  Honestly, this year, I have not yet decided on who I am putting my money on.  This is partially due to the possibilities and partially due to WWE’s failure to make any one person stand out.  It all seems arbitrary sometimes.

Either way, I know that this Sunday I will be sitting in front of my television watching the 2012 Royal Rumble.  I can’t resist it, it will always be one of my favorite PPVs.  It kicks off the Road to Wrestlemania, it plants the seeds for Wrestlemania, it is the first PPV of the year and it can often show us how the entire year is going to trend.  Let’s hope this year is the best one yet.  I’ll see you on Sunday.

I’d love to hear you thoughts.  Contact me on twitter and on Facebook.

What in the world was Brutus Clay doing on Monday?

Besides dancing like he’s never danced before? Nope, not going near this one Funkasaurus has my vote of confidence because that dude is talented.

Monday saw a movie monster scene featuring the guy who has no idea how to change a tire, are you serious bro?

My hatred for the Kane angle has reached the point where I’m left with nothing absolutely nothing good to say about it. Kane went from a sith lord trying to turn Cena to the dark, to a Jason Voorhees rip off. All we are missing is Camp Crystal Lake. You even had the far too easy to kill teenager in Ryder. Ryder seriously didn’t know you need a jack to change a tire? The “fall” he took was comical and Cena’s reaction was pricelessly bad and by the way he executed a move on Ziggler that looked dangerous as Hell because he cared more about looking scared for Ryder than Ziggler’s wellbeing. I haven’t seen acting that bad since Naughty Night Nurses 2, not that I would watch anything like that….moving on. The WWE went from pushing a reality angle to Funkasaurus and Kane the B-movie horror villain. Good job WWE, I’m so pissed I’m done talking about you in my column; you are punished for a week.

Should I talk about TNA?

No, not at all.

Are the Briscoe Brothers the last outlaws in Pro Wrestling?

There are so few left that I might have to say they are the last on any big company going today. For those of you who don’t know who they are….where have you been? These two are the current Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions. While I like Kofi Kingston and Evan Bourne neither would last ten minutes in a tag match against these two. You don’t so much wrestle the Briscoes as you just try to survive their onslaught. These two are as old school hardcore as you can get in today’s politically correct wrestling world. Their collar elbow tie ups hit as hard as some guys punches, and their punches would make Rocky flinch. These two don’t take a night off that I have ever seen and you know that when they are on a card you are getting your money’s worth. From their legendary Ladder Wars to their latest rivalry with Shelton Benjamin and Charlie Haas Mark and Jay Briscoe has become the best tag team in the only company that actually cares about tag team wrestling. Their style couldn’t make it in the WWE and I don’t think they really care one way or the other. They’d rather continue to tear it up in ROH being who they are than change for anyone. Rough around the edges doesn’t begin to describe their promo style, which usually features some tobacco chewing and a few non-pg words. They make it clear, sure they want to win, but hurting their opponents is first and foremost their goal. Sure, their promos are unorthodox but they are highly entertaining and in some cases full of heart. Their promo about Shelton and Haas getting more respect just because they were in the WWE was something of beauty, which will probably be the last time anyone describes something the Briscoes did as beautiful. Demboys have proven time and time again that if given the chance they’ll give you a show you won’t ever forget, unless you are their opponents then there is a good chance you’ll have been hit too hard in the head to remember the match.

Will Kurt Angle be a hall of Famer?

He should be, but I doubt it. Kurt would have been a first ballot HOF induction and a top 5 all-time WWE wrestler had he not let his ego get in the way. Kurt was Brett Hart but with a real viable personality. He could be funny or extremely intense and he could drag a great match out of anyone he was in the ring with. However, he allowed a negotiation tactic by Vince the old “you aren’t as good as you use to be so you are taking a pay-cut” move and instead of proving Vince wrong he left the WWE for TNA. Kurt had the option to go elsewhere and he took it; I don’t agree with the decision but it wasn’t my decision to make. He’s put on a number of amazing matches in TNA since his debut, but he left unfinished business in the WWE. A guy like Kurt shouldn’t have been happy being the best at the number two place in wrestling. He should have gone into eff you mode and put on 5-star matches in spite of Vince in the WWE. He should have forced Vince to recognize that he wasn’t over the hill and that his injuries weren’t a sign of him going out the door but just a few bad breaks. The reason I’m okay with The Briscoes being in ROH is that’s where they belong. They are untamed and couldn’t and wouldn’t want to make it in the corporate world of the WWE. Two chicken farming, ass kicking, foul mouthed have no shot in a PG world. I like and respect them for that. The reason I’m upset at Kurt for going to TNA is he belongs in the WWE. For Kurt that’s the top of his profession with the most exposure. Unfortunately egos are fragile things and Kurt’s was bruised enough to make him jump ship. Maybe he doesn’t care about the HOF and he got what he wanted out of his career. My guess is Kurt will probably look back and say “I should have stayed or gone back to the WWE”. Same with RVD to a lesser extent but Kurt is on a whole other special level than RVD who I think is overrated.
On a side note this Friday I will be attending a Northern Outlaw Wrestling show in Minot, ND. I’ll be getting a little drunk and yelling my throat raw. I recommend that no matter where you live I guarantee you are within a short drive of an Indy wresting show, you go. I’ve never had a bad experience and these guys need the support of true wrestling fans, go have a few beers, and cheer like crazy. Indy wrestling is a beautiful thing and it needs all the support and fans it can get.

Well that’s all for me this week, thanks again for reading and as always if you want to get a hold of me to call me an idiot, tell me I’m smart, or ask a question you can do so by following me on twitter @JaredGebhardt or via email jjg672@hotmail.com . You can also check out my entertainment column at filmonair.com.

Sincerely,
Jared Gebhardt

2011 was an interesting year for the wrestling industry.  Like all other years, there were highs and lows, great moments and ridiculous ones.  2012 comes to us, as all new years do, with the potential for either great moments that will reinvigorate interest in wrestling or, as tended to happen last year, push more fans away from their televisions.  In 2011, WWE saw a shift in their ratings and began falling under the 3.0 mark consistently.  Whether or not this slide continues is contingent upon what form and manner of entertainment they provide us with.  Let’s take a look at what looms on the horizon for the early months of 2012.

For weeks, fans were inundated with video packages announcing the arrival of / return of a mysterious figure.  The videos featured a boy in a class room, alongside a girl, who spoke of returning to “claim what is his.”  The videos were as cryptic visually as they were verbally and this caused a great deal of debate.  Early on it seemed evident, to many, that these videos signified the return of Chris Jericho.  The potential was high, many seeking to witness Jericho returning to initiate a feud with CM Punk.  Possibly a Wrestlemania match will take place between the two.

On the January 2nd edition of RAW, Jericho did indeed return, but not in the way many thought he would.  Would he return as the smug, suit wearing heel we’d come to see in the last year of his previous run?  Would he stride back in as the once beloved Y2J or would he present himself in an entirely need way?  The answer is.. all three.  Jericho returned and appeared to be his Y2J persona but it quickly became apparent that this was not the fan loving, face Y2J that we’d seen before.  He stood in the ring amid cheers and praise, ran around slapping hands with the fans, picked up the microphone and then left.  No words spoken about his return, no promo of his intentions.  So many fans were left confused, including this columnist, but upon reflection it seems to clear.

Jericho did not return to be a fan favorite, and he didn’t return to be the multi-syllabic insult hurling heel.  He returned to mock everything that the fans wanted him to be.  He came back to give us what we wanted, or at least a glimmer of it, before standing back bemused at how easy it is to play the crowd and how simple it is to sucker the fans.  He stood in that ring with a look of fascinated entertainment at the fans who went crazy to see him and then, as the cheers of the crowd became peppered with boos, he grinned and strode backstage.  This is not a Jericho we have seen before and where he goes with this, no one can be sure.  I wouldn’t be surprised, however, if we saw this same thing repeated several times over before someone, perhaps CM Punk, chooses to stand up and say “enough.”

Speaking of Punk, he’s currently embroiled in a war of words with Johnny Ace.  It seems clear that WWE is hoping to relive the glory of Stone Cold and Mr. McMahon.  The tension is building and it is apparent that Punk will inevitably strike out physically against the Senior Vice President of Talent Relations and Interim General Manager of Raw.  The problem with it, which is glaringly obvious, is that we’ve seen this before.  The difference is that when Stone Cold and Vince went at it, it was new and fresh and exciting.  This is simply derivative of something we’ve already experienced and cannot live up to what it is attempting to surpass.

Punk is simply too talented to find himself in this rehashed version of a moment whose excitement was so high because it was unexpected.  When Stone Cold stunned McMahon no one saw it coming.  Who doesn’t see this one coming?  Hopefully they will manifest some way to add a new twist to the same old story.  Frankly, in 2012, I’d be happy if we could get rid of the General Manager idea all together.

The biggest thing WWE has going for it, or at least what is supposed to be the biggest thing, is John Cena vs the Rock.  As much as this has been built up over the past ten months it certainly feels lacking at the moment.  Cena is battling a refurbished Kane, and though I love the evil, masked Kane, the storyline doesn’t seem to make a whole lot of sense.  While Cena is supposed to be in a war of words with the Rock, in a war of words that is grounded in reality, he’s simultaneously battling the “supernatural” Kane who is attempting to drag people into fiery pits.

The Rock, distinguished by his absence, provides excitement whenever he return to WWE but this entire storyline has been handled poorly.  It’s been like the swinging of a pendulum but with less excitement each time a new sway initiates.  The Rock hasn’t laid the verbal smackdown on Cena since the Survivor Series, and even then it wasn’t that great.  Cena continues to note that the Rock is never there even though we know he won’t be there.  I’m not sure what the point of it is.  The Rock is bound to receive a massive pop when he walks out to the ring at Wrestlemania in his home town.  Cena continues to receive mixed fan reaction and, more than likely, will receive the majority of the boos when they face each other.  To what end does this go?  It’s hard to say, and if inside sources can be trusted, even WWE doesn’t seem too sure of where they are going but that is indicative of WWE over the past few years.

There are many more things going on within the world of the WWE.  However, the aforementioned angles and incidents are those which garner the most interest here at the beginning of the new year.  There is hope that this year will provide us with something more entertaining and that the tide can once again be swayed but the last half of 2011 doesn’t instill faith in their creative direction.  Either way, 2012 is upon and win, lose or draw, this could be one of the biggest years in Wrestling in a long time.  It remains to be seen.

For the first time ever I elected to live tweet Raw instead of DVRing it. I’m probably going to do that more often because it was a blast. It was a combination of a really good Raw and lots of people watching live due to the buzz around 1/2/12 being revealed. The instant Jericho’s arms lit up and his music hit I marked out and so did most of twitter. Sure there were a few people who aren’t on the Jericho bandwagon and would rather have it been someone else, but the majority of tweeters were exited. Quick side note about twitter that night, the number of people who thought they were soooo smart because they just “knew” it would be Jericho. Congratulations, I said the same thing because who else could it be? There was a limited number of people to choose from. One person in particular and I won’t call them out by their twitter handler but they said “Wow, Jericho, how predictable, I’m out”. Really, who did you think it was going to be? There are certain people who wouldn’t have been happy no matter who it was. If it was Taker they would have said the same thing. It was never going to be Lesnar, ever, not a chance so if you were disappointed it wasn’t him you might as well be disappointed it wasn’t Shawn Michaels. I’m not saying Lesnar will never return to the WWE, I actually think he will for a short run, but what I am saying is no way it would have happened on Monday. Jericho was the obvious choice here, because it was the RIGHT choice. Then Jericho went into rock star mode trying to fire up a crowd, then he just kept going. He did this long enough without actually saying anything that the crowd started to turn on him. That’s right Jericho without saying a word made a crowd full of screaming fans and lots of people on twitter turn on him. How many people come up with that plan? How many people would Vince allow to do that? Finally, how many people could have pulled that off? He was the top three trending topics including my favorite Jeritrolling. Jericho trolled thousands in attendance and millions watching from home. He’ll eventually speak and make his intentions clear to us; my guess is a Wrestlemania run against CM Punk. Jericho is a top ten superstar in WWE history and no matter how short the run is I couldn’t be more excited to have him back. He is the only guy who could have pulled that off on Monday and that is just proof of his greatness.

Is CM Punk and Dolph Ziggler as good a rivalry with as little push as possible?

Punk is getting pushed but it’s more about his rivalry with Funkhouser than his battles with Ziggler. This is a tragedy because Ziggler is blossoming into one of the best in the game today and he seems like an afterthought right now. His promos are getting better and better and he and Punk have quickly developed a great in ring chemistry. Punk and Ziggler have now put on three awesome matches in the past 5 weeks with two ending disappointingly thanks to GM interference. Ziggler no longer needs a manager, he doesn’t need outside interference, although I get why they are having Funkhouser do it. Punk is an anti-establishment guy and needs that authority figure to rebel against for his character to work. I just wish Ziggler got one clean non-title win over Punk before Rumble. Ziggler has every single tool you want in a world champion and to see him finally getting his shot is refreshing. Ziggler is just as much a part of Punk’s revolution as Ryder, and Bryan are. He just happens to be a heel so Punk can’t acknowledge it. I see a lot of young Shawn Michaels in Ziggler. I’m pumped to see Punk vs Ziggler at Royal Rumble and I honestly think they will steal the show and Ziggler even without winning will turn a lot of people onto his bandwagon.

Does Kane’s character work in today’s wrestling environment?

In my opinion no his character is too gimmicky for 2012 and Punk’s “reality era”. I mean how can WWE try and push reality while having the Sith lord Kane talking about Cena’s dark side and trying to “drag people into Hell”? Kane’s storyline and character was great when it was done by Undertaker a decade ago. Don’t get me wrong I think trying to develop Cena into a more complex character is a good thing but this way? Really? Sort of seems a little stupid and played out. Does anyone like this storyline? Kane has done more with less talent than many people in WWE history. I’m not afraid of Kane, he is boring on the mic, and his in ring work has gone downhill over the past five years. Now they are pairing him with Cena who as of late has needed quality opponents to get him through matches because he has been a walking mistake waiting to happen. Remember how bad he looked at Wrestlemania when paired with The Miz who is good but not great? Several missed spots in that match marred a main event at Wresttlemania. I have that ranked as one of the worst main event’s in Wrestlemania history. Maybe it’s because I’m not a Kane fan that I think this is stupid but reading a lot of tweets from people thinking this whole thing is ridiculous.

If you want to get a hold me you can do so either on twitter @JaredGebhardt or via email at jjg672@hotmail.com. You can also read my entertainment column on filmonair.com.

Sincerely,

Jared Gebhardt

A Tampa, Florida judge has ordered Kelly Kelly to attend defensive driving school due to multiple traffic citations for running red lights. The former WWE Divas Champion has outstanding tickets totaling $369.

Wilson, 36, reportedly spent time with Rodriguez over the holidays in her hometown of Boise, Idaho. She was also sighted with Rodriguez in Mexico along with her friend Stacy Keibler and her A-list boyfriend, George Clooney.

Lashley, who worked with the company from 2005-2008, said the following in explaining a possible return:

“I’m completely open to going back, I would love to come back and do something big if there was an opportunity presented, I would definitely consider it,” he said. “While I would do it, if the chance never came my way then I would be completely content in continuing with what I’m doing at the moment and that’s continuing wrestling and trying to become the best possible fighter I can be.”

With the WWE Network debuting just days before WrestleMania 28, the first program to air on the network will be a three-part series called WrestleMania Rewind, which will look back at key moments from WWE’s flagship event.