Bleacher Report - Articles by Franny Zupancic

And Then There Was One: Lesnar Wins Undisputed Title in a New World–UFC

Franny Zupancic — Mon, 13 Jul 2009 01:38:53 -0400

Last night at UFC 100, former WWE Undisputed Champion and current UFC Champion Brock Lesnar defeated UFC Interim Champion Frank Mir by TKO in the second round. After trash-talking by Mir directed towards Lesnar’s previous profession (professional wrestler in WWE) Lesnar gets the last laugh.

A bloodied Mir was humbled by the 265 lb beast, stating very quietly in his post-match interview that Lesnar had done a good job and he underestimated him. Lesnar was not as humble, and basked in the limelight of his revenge win and the unification of the two UFC titles.

This limelight, however, was a very unique one, because although Lesnar was celebrating his win, UFC fans in attendance were not sharing his joy.

“Keep doing it, I love it,” Lesnar egged the crowd on during booing and jeering. They continued to boo him as he laughed and cut a promo better than any he had done before in WWE.

“He had a horseshoe up his ass and I pulled it out and beat him over the head with it,” Lesnar said of Mir. Talk all the shit you want now!”

Lesnar had harsh words for sponsors, too.

“I’m going to go home and drink a coors light, that’s Coors Light, because Bud Light won’t pay me nothing. I want to say hi to my friends and family, and hell, I might even get on top of my wife tonight. See ya!”

Upon returning to the locker room, Lesnar was reprimanded by UFC President Dana White.

During the post-fight press conference, Lesnar apologized to UFC and Bud Light, and offered an explanation for his actions:

“You guys ask me all the time, ‘Is there anything I can drag over from WWE’, and I guess you’ve seen a little but tonight. I’m used to selling pay-per-view tickets. I come from a business that is purely entertainment and my coach is the guy that’s the best in the business [referring to McMahon].”

I can understand that White is working hard to get mainstream sponsors like Bud Light or Burger King. I do think however that these sponsors may want to realize that if UFC is to overtake WWE, they might want to pull a few of their own tricks.

WWE fans getting bored with the current PG-programming might be interested to tune in to UFC fights and see the the former “Next Big Thing” cutting legitimate heel promos as the current “big thing.”

It is a classic format that has been used in wrestling throughout the ages and might draw new viewers for UFC.

I’m not a UFC fan at all, and I won’t claim to really know anything about it. However, as a wrestling fan, I can offer the perspective of someone who was finally intrigued by UFC due to a former wrestler having a career in UFC. This is definitely a way to gain viewers while the McMahon giant is sleeping.

In a wrestling fan’s perfect world, Lesnar would start coming to the Octagon to his WWE entrance music, not Enter Sandman. I guess we can dream. Hopefully Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley is a more realistic dream.

Last-Minute WWE Bash 2009 Predictions

Franny Zupancic — Sun, 28 Jun 2009 20:25:05 -0400

WWE cleans up the remnants of one of WCW’s most historical annual events, The Great American Bash, as they rename the event to “The Bash.” Here are my last-minute prediction’s for tonight’s end and beginning of eras.

The matches:
World Heavyweight Champion CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs. Triple H
ECW Championship Scramble Match
Women’s Champion Melina vs. Michelle McCool
Intercontinental Champion Chris Jericho vs. Rey Mysterio
The Great Khali vs. Dolph Ziggler
John Cena vs. The Miz
Unified Tag Team Champions Carlito & Primo vs. Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase

CM Punk will retain his title tonight. After working yet another supposedly great match with John Morrison on Smackdown, I think (and hope) that a feud with Morrison will be around the corner. Punk has only had the World Heavyweight Championship since Extreme Rules, so there is no reason for him to drop it tonight.

Orton also has only held his WWE Championship for about the same length of time as Punk’s World Heavyweight title reign, and unfortunately the sleep-inducing, mind-numbing feud with Triple H will continue until SummerSlam.

This should have ended at WrestleMania, but unfortunately fans are subjected to even more Orton/Triple H matches, and the torture will continue through tonights Three Stages of Hell match. Unfortunately, the hell is for the fans, not the competitors.

Orton will retain and Triple H will regain the title at SummerSlam, most likely in a Hell in a Cell match. There isn’t much else they can do that hasn’t already been given away on free live TV, aside from an inferno match or a straight-out literal fight to the death, and we can safely assume that that neither will happen.

The ECW Scramble match is pretty intriguing and it would honestly be pretty nice to see Finlay get a chance to take the ball and run with it as the top guy on a brand. At this stage in his career though, I don’t think that will happen.

I really think Swagger will win this one, but I will go with what I want to see. No one on the corner will have Swagger like Finlay as he wins the ECW title tonight.

The Women’s Championship match will be M.I.A.-lyric-free but will feature two women who are equally entertaining in their own profession: WWE Women’s champ Melina defends vs. Michelle McCool.

I haven’t been following the Women’s division too closely, but if memory serves me correct, Melina has held her belt for a while. I think McCool will snag herself a Women’s title reign to offset the retaining of the two World Championships later in the program.

In what I already can predict will be the match of the night, Rey Mysterio will keep his mask and earn a win against Chris Jericho.

He will not earn a second Intercontinental Championship reign, however, as his win will come by disqualification, count-out, or any other result that will not switch the title over to Rey’s grasp.

It’s too soon for Mysterio to regain the title, and losing his mask would be a terrible merchandising move. Much like that tacky spinner belt around Randy Orton’s waist, Rey’s mask is a cash-cow in the merchandising department.

If Great Khali pins Dolph Ziggler but the entire world is taking a bathroom break or beer run, does does the bell make a sound? We’ll never know.

John Cena will gain a DQ win over the Miz. The Miz is a red-hot heel right now and while a 1-2-3 wouldn’t hurt his career that much, I just don’t see it happening tonight.

If Cena pins Miz, I’m still saying I called it, however. I can’t in any way see the Miz earning a win, unfortunately. The question here is how much Miz will be protected, since he is a major prospect.

The Colons will hopefully retain their Unified Tag Team Championship tonight against the tag-team-formerly-known-as “Priceless.” Carlito seems to finally be in his element and is having a good run as “the” tag-team in the WWE alongside his brother Pimo. And that’s cool.

Land of Extreme To Land of Dreams: Dreamer's Title Win, Punk Cashes in

Franny Zupancic — Mon, 08 Jun 2009 16:05:12 -0400

Judgment Day 2009: 2/7: .286
All-Time: 13/24: 0.542

Well, I was somewhat correct in my predictions for the title changes, but they still didn’t turn out the way I expected. If you are looking for unpredictability in modern wrestling, WWE has been delivering quite well lately—unless it’s a John Cena match. Extreme Rules featured four title switches and some surprise moments.

I’m not going to go into too much depth on these matches as I have not yet gotten a chance to watch the pay-per-view, but here are some rough results compared with my picks, which were posted in a different article about four days prior.

CM Punk def Umaga (Samoan strap match)
My pick: Umaga
Extreme Rules 2009: 0/1: .000
All-Time: 13/25: 0.520

John Cena def Big Show (submission match)
My pick: John Cena
Extreme Rules 2009: 1/2: .500
All-Time: 14/26: 0.538

Kofi Kingston def MVP, William Regal, Matt Hardy (US Title)
My pick: Kofi Kingston
Extreme Rules 2009: 2/3: .666
All-Time: 15/27: 0.556

Tommy Dreamer def Christian & Jack Swagger (Hardcore rules, ECW title) NEW CHAMPION
My pick: Jack Swagger
Extreme Rules 2009: 2/4: .500
All-Time: 15/28: 0.538

Santina Marella def Vickie Guerrero (hog pen match for ‘Miss WrestleMania’) NEW ‘CHAMPION’
My pick: Vickie Guerrero
Extreme Rules 2009: 2/5: .600
All-Time: 15/29: 0.517

Chris Jericho def Rey Mysterio (no holds barred, Intercontinental title) NEW CHAMPION
My pick: Chris Jericho
Extreme Rules 2009: 3/6: .500
All-Time: 16/30: 0.533

Jeff Hardy def Edge (ladder match, World Heavyweight title) NEW CHAMPIONMy pick: Jeff Hardy
Extreme Rules 2009: 4/7: .571
All-Time: 17/31: 0.548

“Bonus Match”
CM Punk def Jeff Hardy (World Heavyweight title) NEW CHAMPION
My pick: Unadvertised, doesn’t count.

Batista def Randy Orton (steel cage match, WWE title) NEW CHAMPION
My pick: Batista
Extreme Rules 2009: 5/8: .625
All-Time: 18/32: 0.563

If you read my prediction article, you know my stances and opinions on these matches. Overall, these results look pretty good and I wish I could have seen the pay-per-view without knowing the results first, but that never happens.

Punk’s title win is a nice swerve, even if it seemed like it would happen sooner or later (no one knew when, though). Dreamer’s title win was a total shocker, and is bittersweet.

Obviously he is staying on the show now, as their champion, which is great to see. The only problem is, he can’t perform anywhere near the standards that guys like Christian or Swagger have set (or met), yet he’s the show’s champion.

It’s a reason to watch ECW, I guess—to see where the angle goes. Similarly, I am eager to tune into Smackdown to see if Punk is turning heel, how he is accepted by the crowd, or if Jeff Hardy will get a rematch. Now if I can only find a reason to watch Raw…

Final standings:
Extreme Rules 2009: 5/8: .625
All-Time: 18/32: 0.563

This article is also featured on Random Ramblings

WWE Extreme Rules: Thoughts and Predictions

Franny Zupancic — Thu, 04 Jun 2009 01:29:32 -0400

It’s June, and time once again for the now-annual all-gimmick WWE pay-per-view event, Extreme Rules.

Last month’s pay-per-view event, Judgment Day, resulted in a shattering blow to my prediction percentages, but hopefully I can boost it back up again with some good calls on this month’s event’s match-ups.

Judgment Day 2009: 2/7: .286
All-Time: 13/24: 0.542

The Matches

CM Punk vs. Umaga (Samoan strap match)
John Cena vs. Big Show (submission match)
Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. William Regal vs. Matt Hardy (US Title)
Christian vs. Jack Swagger vs. Tommy Dreamer (Hardcore rules, ECW title)
Vickie Guerrero vs. Santina Marella (hog pen match for ‘Miss WrestleMania’)
Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho (no holds barred, Intercontinental title)
Edge vs. Jeff Hardy (ladder match, World Heavyweight title)
Randy Orton vs. Batista (steel cage match, WWE title)

CM Punk vs. Umaga

This isn’t a bad feud; but I can’t say I understand where they are going with it, and I have a difficult time caring. Unless there is interference, I can’t see CM Punk winning this one legitimately. I mean, Umaga is 350 pounds, so I don’t see Punk dragging him around the ring to touch all four corners.

The weight difference makes this a perfect match type for this feud, however. I don’t think we will see a Sting/Vader classic, but we will be pleasantly surprised, and Umaga will pick up the win here (I hope).

John Cena vs. Big Show

This is sort of intriguing. In the wrestling equivalent to ‘two bulls in a china shop,’ two not-so-technical-savvy-brawlers face off in a submission match.

The intrigue stops, however, when the realization occurs that Cena will probably win this and further damage any credibility Big Show has as a 7-foot-tall 500-pound monster heel.

Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. William Regal vs. Matt Hardy (US Title)

This is probably the best match Raw can offer viewers. That isn’t a knock at these four guys at all; in fact, they are a breath of fresh air after dealing with the torture of Vickie Guerrero promos. No matter who wins this match, all four wrestlers and every fan will win because it is likely to be a great match.

I will however pick Kofi to retain, however, because it would be a travesty for him to lose the belt after winning it less than a week ago. I will point out that it’s humorous that WWE considers ‘fatal-four-way’ to be a gimmick.

Christian vs. Jack Swagger vs. Tommy Dreamer (ECW title)

As much as I’d love to see it happen, I can’t see Tommy Dreamer winning here. He will take the fall and jump over to Raw or Smackdown, where he will be jobbed out and eventually released.

Even though he has the heart and the name recognition, he’s just too damn slow and sloppy to be kept around for much longer. Swagger pins Dreamer and gets the heel heat for pushing Dreamer out of his ‘home.’

Christian and Swagger continue feuding.

Vickie Guerrero vs. Santina Marella (Miss WrestleMania)

Should I even bother for a pick on this? This sounds like how a Kayfabe Commentaries “Guest Booker: Vince Russo” DVD would pan out. Not pretty. Not in any way.

Rey Mysterio vs. Chris Jericho (Intercontinental title)

If the fatal-four-way doesn’t steal the show, this match will. Jericho already holds the record for most Intercontinental championship reigns—eight—and will further that record with a win over Mysterio.

Not that WWE really cares about preserving the history and dignity of World Championship Wrestling, but a rematch at next month’s pay-per-view, “The Bash,” would be a nice throwback to the old WCW days (The Great American Bash, now just known as The Bash, was an annual WCW event dating as far back as 1985).

Edge vs. Jeff Hardy (World Heavyweight title)

Jeff Hardy re-signed with WWE, so he’ll be around for a while longer. He’s ‘over like rover,’ as they say, and it’s his turn for a second reign. This will be a great match, but a spot-fest; after all, it’s a Jeff Hardy match.

It’s also a ladder match, and I expect both Edge and Jeff to pull out all the stops for this one.

Randy Orton vs. Batista (WWE title)

My percentage is going to take another massive hit I think, as I am picking all three world championships AND the Intercontinental championship to change hands. Batista will win, turn heel, and feud with Triple H.

After all, it was Batista’s fault Triple H lost the WWE title (kayfabe).

Judgment Day 2009 Results and Analysis

Franny Zupancic — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:04:28 -0400

Sunday night brought WWE fans the eleventh annual Judgment Day pay-per-view event, featuring a stacked card with three main events. Was justice served?

No Way Out 2009: 2/5: .400
All-Time: 11/18: 0.611

CM Punk vs Umaga

The Samoan Bulldozer takes on the 2009 Money in the Bank winner CM Punk to kick off Judgment Day. Punk comes out to the ring to a pretty decent pop from the 14,822 hometown Chicago fans in attendance.

The match was pretty much one-sided, with Punk getting manhandled and desperately trying to land a random strike or two. It was reminiscent of a standard Rey Mysterio match, but far more believable (no 619s here, folks).

In one pretty ‘old-school’ spot, Punk attempted to scoop slam Umaga, and Umaga fell on top of Punk for a two-count. It reminded me of the Legends of WrestleMania game, if you try to scoop Andre as Hulk when you don’t have a level 3 chain. (You would have to have played it…)

Punk’s downfall comes as the result of a failed Go-2-Sleep attempt, leading to an absolute one-two-three MAULING by Umaga. Samoan Spike, 1, 2, 3.

Winner: Umaga
My Pick: CM Punk

Judgment Day 2009: 0/1: .000
All-Time: 11/19: 0.579

ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs Jack Swagger

This match was decent, and had the illusion of being a ‘big match’ because the names were announced after both competitors were in the ring. I think the “Peeps” were on a beer or bathroom run, because there was a lot of dead air during the match. I like where they are going with the angle, though.

Christian wrestles like a veteran who knows how to get out of certain situations. If Swagger cheats, it’s because he’s a heel. If Christian cheats, he’s still a face; it’s because he has that veteran edge. So a heel versus a ‘face who acts like a heel’ is an interesting concept and feels fresh.

It for some reason reminds me of the Matt Hardy/MVP odd-couple from last year. Decent match; Christian wins with a handful of tights and a roll-up.

Winner: Christian
My Pick: Jack Swagger

Judgment Day 2009: 0/2: .000
All-Time: 11/20: 0.550

John Morrison vs Shelton Benjamin (w/Charlie Haas)

Disclaimer: I am a huge John Morrison fan, so excuse the bias. However, I legitimately blurted out “HOLY SHIT!” when Morrison pulled off what I call a “springboard 450 Double Ax-Handle Smash” from the top rope to the outside.

Shortly after that, the fans followed suit with a ‘holy shit’ chant. Another bright spot of the match was a head-scissors into a side russian legsweep. I can’t say I’ve ever seen that done before.

Winner: John Morrison with that crazy split-legged corkscrew moonsault, “Starship Pain.”
My Pick: Shelton Benjamin. But I am proud to be wrong.

Judgment Day 2009: 0/3: .000
All-Time: 11/21: 0.524

Unannounced Verbal Match-Up: The Miz vs. John Morrison / John Cena / Chicago / Chicago Cubs / Alfonoso Soriano / Santino Marella?

The Miz struts down to the ring, and congratulates Marty Janetty–ah, he meant John Morrison. He really said Marty Janetty, and I laughed pretty loudly at that one.

Miz said Vickie Guerrero looks like a pig, and Vladmir Kozlov looks like Sam the Eagle, with side-by-side pictures shown on the video screen. Hilarious. Miz called out Cena again, trash-talked Chicago, and challenged Alfonso Soriano to be Cena’s replacement.

In the runner-up to the quote of the night, Miz told Soriano, “You can’t see…a World Series ring as long as you play for the Cubs.” Soriano just stood there with no reaction whatsoever. I hope he didn’t get paid for that appearance.

People say acting in wrestling is bad, but Alfonso Soriano’s acting in the wrestling world is even worse.

Santino Marella’s music hits and confuses the hell out of pretty much everyone. Marella claims he came out to defend Sorrrrrrrrriano, because he is a fellow Italian (ha ha ha). Then, he delivers the line of the night:

“I hope you brought a metal detector.”

“Why?”

“I brought some guns,” (tears rip-away sleeves off of his shirt) “and I’m not afraid to use them.”

Miz hits a killer DDT on Santino, reminiscent of Raven’s Evenflow DDT, but it’s not over yet. Chavo runs to the ring and hits a frog splash on Miz for insulting Vickie.

This whole angle was the one of the funniest and most well-delivered promo I have seen in a while. It also opens up doors for many fresh feuds we have never seen before: Miz vs. Morrison, Miz vs. Cena, Miz vs. Santino (as a face?), and Chavo vs. Santino (face).

Intercontinental Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs Chris Jericho

This was as good as a modern Rey Mysterio match can be, which is still good, but you can predict every spot and it’s pretty unbelievable.

However, as I stated in my predictions, Chris Jericho makes this mid-card match feel as if it were headlining the show. Jericho fails to set a nine-time title reign record and Rey Mysterio stays undefeated at Judgment Day events (4-0).

Winner: Rey Mysterio
My Pick: Rey Mysterio

Judgment Day 2009: 1/4: .250
All-Time: 12/21: 0.571

WWE Championship: Randy Orton vs Batista

I had a difficult time even paying attention to this match. I find it funny that the WWE Championship is the most prestigious belt in the business, yet rarely seems to headline the pay-per-views. That sure tells you a lot about Edge, I guess.

Batista’s stupid posing during his entrance wasn’t in sync with the pyro, so it looked goofy. As goofy as a guy squatting pretending to shoot a machine gun (if that’s what he’s doing) can look.

Boring match, but Orton does a good job drawing in the cheap heel heat every chance he gets. Eventually, Legacy runs in and gives Batista the win via disqualification. Then, Ric Flair runs to the ring and cleans house. I told you, you couldn’t pay me to watch Raw.

Raw’s main event faction just got wiped out by a sixty-year-old. Good riddance. Maybe the next match will bet–no, it won’t.

Winner: Batista by DQ
My Pick: Randy Orton

Judgment Day 2009: 1/5: .200
All-Time: 12/22: 0.545

John Cena vs Big Show

I really thought WWE would finally throw a bone to the best big man in the business, but no. Cena oversells a rib injury through the entire match, yet he can miraculously attempt his goofy-looking flying ax handle attack and lift Show for an Attitude Adjustment.

The announcers called it a ‘miracle win.’ How is it a miracle when he wins nearly every pay-per-view match in which he’s booked? It would be a miracle for..ah, what’s the use. Just don’t watch Raw.

Winner: Super Cena
My Pick: Big Show

Judgment Day 2009: 1/6: .167
All-Time: 12/23: 0.522

World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs Jeff Hardy

I’m a big fan of Edge, and he always delivers. There were a few interesting spots in this match. It wasn’t amazing but it was a solid main event. It was your typical Edge main event: tons of near falls. And, it was your typical Jeff Hardy main event, with random, crazy, and exciting (but sloppy) spots.

I noticed Jeff was wearing a necklace that had a bit of a sharp point on it. I’m not so sure that’s a good idea, one of these days he’s going to mess up a spot and get stabbed in the jugular by his own necklace.

In one pretty predictable but still exciting spot, Hardy ran across the barricade into a spear from Edge that dropped “seven feet to the floor.” OK, Jim Ross. Edge retains with some help from Matt Hardy’s cast. TOP ROPE IMPALER DDT.

Winner: Edge
Pick: Edge

Judgment Day 2009: 2/7: .286
All-Time: 13/24: 0.542

Well, I’m above .500. Overall this was a pretty solid pay-per-view. The undercard stole the show for the most part, but that makes for a great pay-per-view. No one wants to have an event with a bunch of filler and a decent/good main event.

There’s a name for that: Raw.

Judgment Day 2009 Final Card and Predictions

Franny Zupancic — Sun, 17 May 2009 16:19:31 -0400

Judgment Day is here, and it's tonight! I have been a little out of the loop and have only seen Friday's Smackdown show but have been keeping up on storylines and developments. Here are my predictions for tonight's show.

No Way Out 2009: 2/5: .400
All-Time: 11/18: 0.611

Shelton Benjamin vs John Morrison
In what I think will be the opening match, Shelton Benjamin will pin John Morrison. WWE clearly has some plans in mind for John Morrison, but this will stretch out for a bit longer because John Morrison needs that momentum to be built up to successfully be put over in his first angle as a face.

I was surprised to see the match announced but pretty happy because it's the first step in pushing John Morrison. I mean, it's a non-title pay-per-view singles match, and I can't remember if he has had one of those yet--especially not as a face. Shelton will win,this feud will continue, and possibly include someone else.

My pick: Shelton Benjamin, the Gold Standard...who...has no gold...

CM Punk vs Umaga
I really don't have an interest in this match at all. I like Punk; I'm glad that he will probably get another run sometime soon. I like Umaga, too. But I think this is a losing situation for either. If Umaga wins, it will make a potential World Champion candidate look weak, when they need to build him up.

It won't do much for Umaga, becuase it's not for the briefcase, and he doesn't stand to gain much from winning. If he loses, it will yet again make Umaga look weak, similar to the weakness shown last year when he was Jeff Hardy's personal porta-jobber.

A win for Punk would build Punk up for a title run, but it isn't needed, nor would it believable. Punk is already over with the fans.

My pick: CM Punk. But, It really doesn't matter.

Intercontinental Championship: Rey Mysterio (c) vs Chris Jericho
Rey will retain here. I have a gut feeling that the World Heavyweight Championship title scene will evolve into a fatal-four-way feud for the Extreme Rules pay-per-view. Jericho's confidence in announcing his ninth Intercontinental title reign tells me Mysterio will retain. On Smackdown, Edge bragged that he is a nine time World Champion.

That is what's great about Jericho; he is an eight time Intercontinental Champion. For the most part, he is a career upper-midcarder, best used as that guy who is so good he should be in the main event. However, he's really best used as that upper-midcarder who makes that portion of the show BETTER than the main event.

Even with Rey Mysterio involved, we have one of the best angles ever in the works. If Jericho does win here, they could do an 'end the ninth reign' angle—title versus title—between Jericho and Edge. However, that would be far too good to happen.

My pick: Rey Mysterio retains Intercontinental Championship (42 days)

ECW Championship: Christian (c) vs Jack Swagger
Despite not following him too often, Jack Swagger has grown on me, based on what I've seen. I think it's too soon for any of the championships to change hands, but one probably should, and it might be this one.

That is part of the problem with having three major championships change hands on one pay-per-view. You are probably going to expect all three champions to retain their championships the next month. I pick Swagger to regain his championship here. Feud with Tommy Dreamer?

My pick: Jack Swagger wins second ECW Championship.

WWE Championship: Randy Orton vs Batista
Not a Batista fan, and you couldn't pay me to watch Raw, but Batista would look weird with the WWE Championship belt, since fans are so used to seeing him with the World Heavyweight Championship. Since a heel turn for Batista is rumored to be (hopefully) coming soon, Orton will probably retain.

My pick: Randy Orton retains WWE Championship (21 days)

John Cena vs Big Show
Part of me could care less about this match, and part of me will mark out like I did when Cena FU'd Big Show to open WrestleMania 20, five years ago. A lot has changed, however.

This match is non-title, and John Cena has since become a multiple-time World Champion, a movie star (debatable), and whether everyone likes it or not, a dependable and solid main event WWE star.

Unfortunately, that "wow" moment will happen again but less people will care, unless they find a way to make it interesting. Not that it wouldn't be an amazing feat, because it would be, but we have seen it before. Hell, we nearly saw that at Backlash, with EDGE piled on top of Big Show.

Big Show will win here because it's a non-title match. You can generally count on Cena to win practically every title match he's booked in, but to break up the monotony, he will hopefully lose this non-title match.

Hopefully they are priming Big Show for a championship run. Big Show versus Orton or Batista would be interesting and fresh. Keep your fingers crossed.

My pick: Big Show gets a 'giant' win over Cena.

World Heavyweight Championship: Edge (c) vs Jeff Hardy
Edge wins. Hardy pointed out the pattern of wins/losses for Edge on Smackdown, and they're going to break that up a bit. Edge will finally get a lengthier reign.

It is still unknown is Hardy is even re-signing with WWE, and he might use a title reign request as an incentive to re-sign, but it's doubtful that WWE would go along with that. However, Jeff Hardy is OVER, and WWE will not want to risk losing Jeff to TNA.*

My pick: Edge retains World Heavyweight Championship (21 days)

*WWE will not be afraid of a ratings increase for TNA due to an acquisition of Jeff Hardy. They will be afraid of TNA destroying the hard work WWE has done into building Hardy into a draw. It's inevitable.

The Ultimate Opportunist Finds a Way Out at No Way Out 2009

Franny Zupancic — Sat, 21 Feb 2009 17:02:51 -0500

Shocking doesn't do justice in describing Sunday's No Way Out pay per view. In a definite 'foot-in-mouth' moment, I was wrong with nearly all of my predictions. In a pay-per-view that looked absolutely horrid on paper, the WWE roster and creative team developed a thrilling, edge-of-your-seat (no pun intended) show.

The spontaneous events that occurred were reminiscent of the pre-internet days, or the monday night wars, where as kids, our suspension of disbelief kept reeling us into the shows week after week. After all, anything could happen.

Here's a quick breakdown on my picks and how they turned out.

Unforgiven 2008 Prediction Average: 3/6: .500
All-Time: 9/14: .643

Triple H wins Edge's WWE Championship. (incorrect--I had picked Edge to retain.)
This match was unexpectedly the opener of the show, and it was pretty damn exciting to see Edge lose in three minutes. However, the obvious assumption was that Triple McH would pad his title count by the end of the night.
No Way Out 2009: 0/1: .000
All-Time: 9/15: 0.600

Swagger def. Finlay (correct)
For some reason this seemed really obvious to me and it would have been illogical for Finlay to win. Then again, I find it difficult to care about ECW at all these days.
No Way Out 2009: 1/2: .500
All-Time: 10/16: 0.625

Randy Orton def. Shane McMahon (correct)
There was no way they could kill his heat. His run starting with his Royal Rumble 2009 win has been red-hot and the payoff will be at WrestleMania.
No Way Out 2009: 2/3: .667
All-Time: 11/17: 0.647

Shawn Michaels def. JBL (correct)
I did call the Undertaker angle—they just did it differently. Unfortunately, I picked the match incorrectly.
No Way Out 2009: 2/4: .500
All-Time: 11/18: 0.611

Edge wins John Cena's World Heavyweight Championship. (incorrect--I picked John Cena to retain.)
Allow me to act like a kid again and say, "OMG!!!!111111 THAT WAS AWESOME!!!!1111"
This moment was completely unexpected and stole the entire show. There's pretty much no way to predict something like this, and it left viewers with no clue what WrestleMania would have for main event matches. I don't know if it's because of their biggest show being right around the corner, but WWE is making an effort to make normally crappy pay-per-view events seem special.
No Way Out 2009: 2/5: .400
All-Time: 11/18: 0.611

One thing is for sure, the programing leading up to WrestleMania is bound to get better and better.

Clearing The Road To WrestleMania: No Way Out 2009 Predictions

Franny Zupancic — Sun, 15 Feb 2009 19:44:34 -0500

Forgive me, readers. It has been five months since my last article.

Cutting right to the chase, here is the line-up for tonight's WWE No Way Out 2009 pay-per-view event:

ECW Championship
Champion Jack Swagger vs Finlay

Shawn Michaels vs JBL

Randy Orton vs Shane McMahon

Elimination Chamber - World Heavyweight Championship
Champion John Cena vs Kane, Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Chris Jericho, & Mike Knox

Elimination Chamber - WWE Championship
Champion Edge vs Undertaker, Triple H, Big Show, Vladmir Koslov, & Jeff Hardy

I would first like to say that this looks like half of a pay-per-view card. While there are two chamber matches, which will likely eat up a full hour or more of the show including promos and introductions, this still doesn't look much like a purchase-worthy card.

Unforgiven 2008 Prediction Average: 3/6: .500
All-Time: 9/14: .643

Swagger def. Finlay
With Christian coming into ECW and immediately pinning the champion, look for Swagger to want revenge. Unless there is some other heel to feud with him as the champion, there's no real reason for Finlay to win the championship tonight. Swagger will likely retain the title, and feud against either Christian or Tommy Dreamer at WrestleMania, with the other appearing in the Money in the Bank match.

JBL def. Shawn Michaels.
This feud isn't quite over yet, and I expect it to end in a big way at WrestleMania. I predict that at WrestleMania the Undertaker will face either Layfield or Michaels, as an extension or off-shoot of the employment storyline.

Randy Orton def. Shane McMahon
I am not sure if there are any stipulations around this match, but Orton is red-hot these days, having won the 2009 Royal Rumble and being one of the top heels in the company.

I expect him to be pushed strongly, but he will have a surprisingly equal-offense match with Vince Jr., as Shane has always delivered in big pay-per-view matches. This match will steal the show and will probably involve everything but the kitchen sink.

John Cena wins Elimination Chamber
I can't see Orton challenging for anything other than Raw's championship, for some reason, and I can't see anyone in this match winning the belt from Cena, aside from possibly Chris Jericho.

They would not book a heel vs. heel match for WrestleMania, so Cena will win. Mike Knox winning here, although unlikely, would be an oddly-pleasant surprise given his recent breakthrough as a bearded man-beast reminiscent of crazy powerhouses of the past—in the vein of Bruiser Brody. I really can't see Rey, Kofi, or Kane (at least not with how he's been booked lately) ever having title reigns either.

Edge wins Elimination Chamber
I just can't see anyone winning the championship in this chamber either. To me, it would not make sense and might not make for good options for WrestleMania matches. There is not much else to say aside from a prediction that Edge will retain in some sort of underhanded manner.

Raw Is Jericho: The Fallout From Unforgiven and How Jericho Is Saving WWE

Franny Zupancic — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 16:13:08 -0400

Last night, I said that Jericho's World Championship win would get viewers to tune into Raw. While I cannot say for now if this is true, as it is a bit soon to check for ratings information, I can say that at least one person tuned into Raw for once: Me.

While I missed the beginning of Raw, I did catch Adamle's awkward-sounding announcements for the main events of Raw for tonight and next week. I probably missed a great introduction promo by Chris Jericho, but I have been entertained with nearly everything I have seen since the beginning moments.

I was surprised to see that they are continuing the Jamie Noble/Layla angle, because I tend to roll my eyes whenever I see it. However, every time I do see it, it ends up being quite entertaining. Regal picked up the win over Noble and I am curious to see where they will go from here.

Another very interesting moment was JBL versus CHL, or Charlie Haas Layfield, Charlie Haas's latest WWE Superstar impression, making his entrance at the same time as JBL—locked in the trunk of Layfield's limo.

The disappointment here was the lack of an actual match, (JBL walked out) but this was forgiven by Haas's goofy smiles during the pre-match promo, grinning and holding up bottles of JBL's energy juice. His post-match celebration was even better, as it was reminiscent of Kurt Angle's excessive celebrations.

The next extremely bright spot of the night was the tag team match between ECW's Miz/Morrison duo, and the Raw/ECW combination of Rey Mysterio and Evan Bourne. I admit I am a big fan of John Morrison, so it was disappointing to see him lose yet another match. However, these four men put on an excellent match with plenty of exciting high-risk spots.

As usual, the highlight of the match was Bourne's textbook Shooting Star Press. This ending was ruined by Kane announcing a match versus Rey next week on Raw on the video screen.

The following segment involved tag champs Dibiase and Rhodes, Randy Orton, and Manu (son of WWE Hall of Famer Afa). Orton began talking about how he took out Punk at Unforgiven, and the tag champs interrupted. After Rhodes, Dibiase, and Manu attempted to verbally put Orton in his place, Orton slapped Dibiase, in another mark-out moment.

I'm not sure if Orton is being turned face, or is "out-heeling the heels." Whatever they are doing, it sure is entertaining.

Following this promo, the three stayed in the ring to face Cryme Tyme and Kofi Kingston in a match that didn't impress me too much. Manu seems rather out of place in this group.

According to the Honk-a-meter, Santino Marella is 19 times better than the The Mountie (Jacques Rougeau). Santino faced Snitsky in a completely forgettable match (like most of Snitsky's matches) and Santino stole the quick win with a roll-up.

These quick, pointless matches do little for the product other than make the show drag on for longer than it should. However, Santino is a heel who is impossible to boo, because he is just too entertaining in his promos.

After the commercial, Jericho and Lance Cade made their way to the ring for the main event. Jericho is still nursing his injuries from the previous night, so a swerve or a heel-favoring tactic was expected. Sure enough, Adamle interrupted the match and said he misdiagnosed Jericho's condition, and in an effort to make the match more competitive and even, he announced that the match would change to a handicap match with Jericho's partner being JBL.

Jericho had a gigantic grin on his face as Raw went to commercial. Jericho stole the win in this match after interference from Lance Cade and a Clothesline from Hell from JBL.

Once again, Raw is Jericho. Jericho pulls off the ultimate heel persona yet again, stealing a win and running away. It's a bit disappointing, however, that Batista fought off attacks from JBL and Cade after the match. Jericho stood at the entrance ramp, with a smirk on his face.

Chris Jericho has come to save the WWE and help boost its ratings, and I feel confident in making the prediction that ratings will increase next week when Jericho defends his newly won championship against the previous champion, CM Punk, in a steel cage.

It's also worth noting that CM Punk was not even backstage at Raw this week. He was told to stay home to sell his kayfabe injuries. This will actually help the ratings more than hurt it, because the fans will want to see if an injured Punk can overcome the odds yet again and reclaim his championship.

One thing is for sure, though: Punk vs Jericho in a cage is bound to be an excellent match, assuming there is no botched finish.

A Hardy's Day's Night: Unforgiven 2008 Results

Franny Zupancic — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 16:02:20 -0400

A mere three hours ago, I posted a quick write-up regarding tonight's Unforgiven show and my predictions for the card. I did not get this pay-per-view, nor could I find a working stream in order to watch it. Therefore, I have decided to give a quick recap of results and my thoughts on the near future of WWE programming.

Career: 6/8: .750

The first match of Unforgiven 2008 was the ECW Championship Scramble. Matt Hardy emerged victorious as the new champion after pinning The Miz in Miz's own hometown. I would expect the Hardy/Henry feud to continue, or maybe (but doubtful) a Team Extreme vs Miz/Morrison feud if Jeff wins the WWE Championship.

My Pick: Mark Henry
Winner: Matt Hardy—NEW ECW World Champion
Unforgiven 2008 Batting Average: 0/1: .000
Career: 6/9: .667

Cody Rhodes and Ted Dibiase retained their tag team belts in the second match of the evening, keeping my prediction average at a solid zero.

My Pick: Cryme Tyme
Winner: Rhodes/Dibiase
Unforgiven 2008 Batting Average: 0/2: .000
Career: 6/10: .600

The next match of the night was between Michaels and Jericho, which Shawn won by submission. Even though I guessed this one correctly, I think the feud will continue (sadly). The good news, however, is that Kevin Nash is rumored to be interested in "jumping ship," and I would not at all be surprised to see him brought in as a counter to Lance Cade.

My Pick: Shawn Michaels
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Unforgiven 2008 Batting Average: 1/3: .333
Career: 7/11: .636

The fourth match was the scramble match for the WWE Championship. Triple H pins MVP to retain the title. I suppose this is the most logical choice for whom would take the fall, as Hardy is insanely over, and Shelton holds a major title.

Kendrick has been made to look like a super-heel as of late, so they want to make him look strong as well. Triple H and Hardy both got pins simultaneously so Hardy looks very strong here, and it could possibly continue their feud (assuming they are actually in one). I would love to see Triple H turn heel and use this against Hardy. I can't really understand why this wasn't "the" main event.

My Pick: Triple H
Winner: Triple H
Unforgiven 2008 Batting Average: 2/4: .500
Career: 8/12: .667

In the "buffer" match between the two main events, Michelle McCool retained her Divas title.

My Pick: Michelle McCool
Winner: Michelle McCool
Unforgiven 2008 Batting Average: 3/5: .600
Career: 9/13: .692

The main event of the evening was the championship scramble match for Raw's top belt, the World Heavyweight Championship, held by CM Punk. Prior to the Divas match, Punk was knocked out backstage.

I am writing this while reading live coverage of the event, and it looks like they are really trying to come up with some interesting angles here. With Punk out of the picture, we know there will be a new champion tonight. Before the match, the Big Show comes to the ring to ask to be his replacement in the match.

Here's where it gets confusing: Big Show is a Smackdown wrestler, yet is asking to be let into the Raw main event. Vickie Guerrero hits the ring, Undertaker hits the video screen, and a casket is brough to the ring. Undertaker tells Vickie to get into the casket, and Big Show agrees, laughing. Call me crazy, but isn't this—as usual—in bad taste?

I mean, I know it has been a while since Eddie (Guerrero) has died, but telling his widow to get into a casket probably isn't the most respectful angle possibility.

Unless... It's a setup! Big Show turns on the Undertaker and I'm not really sure what this has to do with Raw's main event, as that question is still unanswered. However, Randy Orton is in the building...

The said question remains unanswered, possibly until the final entrance of the match for dramatic effect. Will it be Punk? Will it be Orton? My prediction is so far true, surprisingly, as Kane gets the first three-count of the match. CHRIS JERICHO turns out to be the answer, as he makes his way to the ring for his second high-profile match of the night.

I really wish I could change my prediction, but to be fair, I am sticking with Kane, still.

In the mark-out moment of the night, Chris Jericho steals the World Heavyweight Championship. Finally, we are saved.

The question is, is Kane a two-time champion? The other question is, where does WWE go from here?

Unfortunately, the HBK/Jericho feud is not over, and it doesn't need the Raw brand's World Heavyweight title in order to be over with the crowd. Or, in my case, not even the World Heavyweight strap can make me care about it, due to my lack of interest in Shawn Michaels.

Punk will probably want revenge, which will set up a feud versus Randy Orton. Basically, I have no idea what will happen with the rest of the wrestlers involved, which is a good sign because it will get people to watch Raw tomorrow.

My Pick: Kane
Winner: CHRIS JERICHO!
Unforgiven 2008 Batting Average: 3/6: .500
Career: 9/14: .643