Bleacher Report - Articles by Demetrus Stokes

My Wrestling Soapbox: Thoughts from "The Guru"

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 13:10:36 -0400

Greetings to all the Stokesters and the rest of the B/R wrestling community (who should all be Stokesters).

I have come out of "semi-retirement" to bring you the random thoughts of Demetrus E. Stokes that we have come to know and love as "My Wrestling Soapbox".

It feels good to be back (for a short while at least). So without further ado, I am officially on "My Soapbox".

The Wrestling Guru?

It's cool being co-host of the best wrestling show in the world (Hit The Ropes) but I'm starting to be looked at in some folks eyes as a "guru".

This is so far from the truth.

While attending a SummerSlam viewing party with a crowd of people who know my status as co-host of HTR, I am asked just about every question in the book.

Who's going to win the Orton vs. Cena match? How about CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy? Was the fan really a fan or a "fake fan" planted by the WWE? Did you know Undertaker was coming back tonight? Can you read my palm? Am I'm going to fall in love? Where's Jimmy Hoffa? Do you believe in Santa?

Folks, I know no more than the fan who reads the Internet.

I may be privy to some information that you may not know by virtue of interviews that we conduct on the show, but that's about it.

Once I do get Vince McMahon and Jeff Jarrett on speed dial, watch out!!

SummerSlam

I'm hearing (and reading) people say that SummerSlam was arguably better than Wrestlemania.

Cases can be made for SummerSlam that support this argument.

CM Punk vs. Jeff Hardy was the best match of the night hands down! Call Jeff a "spot monkey" if you want. Heck, call him Bubbles or Donkey Kong, the guy flat out puts his body on the line in these type of matches.

The ending with the Undertaker made me forget about the debacle that was Cena vs. Orton (almost).

Mysterio vs. Dolph Ziggler was a great opener and The Great Khali vs. Kane was what I expected, which was a horrible display of wrestling. They are who we thought they were (in my best Dennis Green voice).

While SummerSlam did not have a match that rivals Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at Wrestlemania, I do think overall the card was more enjoyable to watch.

I won't say better, yet. I'll have to go back and watch them both over again.

TNA Talk

Moving on to "the other white meat" known as TNA, I must say...sorry I've got nothing.

Oh yes, I do!

I love the concept of having a Knockout tag team division. I think that this is a great way for TNA to separate their ladies from the Diva's of the WWE and show that they are superior.

Hate the fact that TNA openly uses the WWE's name on television. Victoria...err Tara did it last week when stating that the WWE would never have a diva's tag division.

TNA thinks because they have the entire WCW roster working for them that they are competition and that it benefits them to mention the WWE on their show.

It's clear from the consistent 1.0 ratings that it's not working. Except your position as the No. 2 wrestling promotion, hope Ring of Honor doesn't catch you and keep it moving.

The things that give you a distant advantage over WWE is not wowing viewers enough to change the channel. Maybe it has something to do with all of the old guys dominating the television time.

Sure guys like Kevin Nash, Scott Steiner, ok the entire Main Event Mafia can still "draw" for live events, but they are not bringing in the ratings.

For the 1,000,250,000th time, let the young guys take the reigns! I don't want to say it again, but I'm sure I'll have to.

Do to the fact that it makes me feel old to watch guys wrestling that I watched 20 years ago, I feel like a honorary member of the Main Event Mafia.

Building New Stars

I know that Vince McMahon is a proud, old, stubborn man.

He's made a living building wrestlers into megastars.

Hulk Hogan, The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin, Triple H, the list can go on for days.

Lately though, Vince has hit a bit of a rough patch and is growing frustrated that he's unable to build new stars as his current ones get older.

So I was thinking, what can Vince possibly do to build new stars for the WWE?

Taking a page out of the "Book of Eric Bischoff", he should just buy them.

This is so out of Vince's character as he enjoys getting the credit for creating great stars, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

Signing ROH's Bryan Danielson is a start. He's a great wrestler, but wrestled in a promotion that didn't necessarily care about "character development".

That will all change in the WWE and hopefully Vince and the rest of the creative team will be able to develop a great character for Danielson.

What about Nigel McGuinness? AJ Styles? Samoa Joe? All extremely popular in their current promotions, but if given a shot in the WWE can be taken to another level.

Add these names to John Morrison, Dolph Ziggler, Legacy, The Hart Dynasty, and CM Punk and you've got a great future ahead of you.

Vince just may have to swallow some pride and open up his wallet.

Wrestling Rehab

This last thought is just totally off the top of my silly brain.

Wouldn't it be funny if there was a reality show just with wrestlers who need rehab.

Jeff Hardy, Brian Kendrick, Grandmaster Sexay, Chyna, Kurt Angle, Chris Masters, Randy Orton, X-Pac, Scott Hall, and CM Punk would star in the show.

I know you're asking why CM Punk? Well he would serve as the designated driver in each episode and in the season finale he would get a "contact high" from riding with Kendrick and Hardy smoking with the windows up.

Would Punk become a "blazer" now that he's been exposed to the ganja? What suspense, going into season two!

I think I'm on to something! Maybe if this radio gig doesn't work out, I'll have a future in film.

Alright folks, another edition of "The Soapbox" is in the books. I'm officially off the box!

Tune into Hit The Ropes Radio this Wednesday at 6:00 PM on blogtalkradio.com! Our guest will be TNA star "The Black Pope" D'Angelo Dinero (formerly Elijah Burke). Also go to hittheropes.com to enter the "Smack The Mic" contest.

WWE Trade Analysis: Winners and Losers

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 23:43:29 -0400

Last night on Raw, Vince McMahon made a huge announcement stating that before selling Raw back to him, Donald Trump brokered a 15-superstar trade between Raw, Smackdown and ECW.

You have to admit—This was clever ploy by the WWE to keep viewers watching, as you have to wonder who Raw's newest superstars will be.

Guest GM Batista added fuel to the fire by announcing that three of the new stars would face Randy Orton in a "Gauntlet Match".

The three stars were revealed to be Jack Swagger, Evan Bourne and Mark Henry.

Later we found out Raw also acquired Gail Kim and Alicia Fox.

Smackdown received Matt Hardy, Finlay, and The Hart Dynasty while ECW received Shelton Benjamin, Goldust, William Regal and The Bella Twins.

These moves will have lasting effects on the WWE and it's shows, but who fared the best?

Who were the winners and losers from the trades that were made?

Winners

Shelton Benjamin

AkD rejoice! I think that by virtue of every major ECW star moving to Raw or Smackdown (more on that later), Shelton Benjamin may finally get that World Title he so greatly deserves. So what if it's the ECW Championship?

Jack Swagger

Swagger is certainly on the rise as one of the top young stars in the WWE. By moving to the "flagship show" he'll have the opportunity to face some of the WWE's best. Now, the other 10 million people in the WWE Universe will actually get to see the talent that this man has.

Gail Kim

With Mickie James, Maryse and Beth Phoenix already on the roster, Gail Kim has a nice batch of ladies to face in the ring on Raw. A potential Kim/Phoenix feud would be fun to watch.

Smackdown

Smackdown is slowly becoming (if not already) the WWE's best show. They have talented wrestlers that bring you great action each and every Friday night. Add The Hart Dynasty to the mix, and you just injected Smackdown with a hot young faction that is on the rise—even more reason to watch on Friday's.

Losers

ECW

By virtue of this trade, ECW has literally lost almost all of it's main event level talent. Christian is probably the last man standing. Tommy Dreamer is the ECW Champion and I still don't consider him a main event star. ECW did gain Shelton Benjamin, who has to get a push in ECW, right?

Matt Hardy

It seemed as if Matt Hardy had been on Smackdown forever before finally being drafted to Raw. Well, that experiment didn't last long, as Hardy has been moved back to Smackdown. Without ever being involved in a major feud of any kind, it's a shame Hardy wasn't given a chance on Raw.

The Bella Twins

I don't know who the bigger loser is—the Bella Twins or the WWE Universe. The Bella Twins are really bummed out that they'll no longer have anyone to talk to backstage. Meanwhile, the WWE Universe is bummed out that we'll see a countless number of Brie/Nikki Bella versus Katie Lea Burchill matches.

Well there you have it. The winners and losers from the WWE's recent big trade. We'll see if the people named above will live up to their billing.

The Ropey's Are Upon Us! Vote Now!

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 00:49:01 -0400

I'm sorry folks.

This breaks JLB's whole Project 73 call to arms but I just wanted to encourage all of the good people of the B/R wrestling community to head over to www.hittheropes.com.

Why you ask?

Because you can vote for the 1st Annual Ropey Awards! Duh!!

We are honoring the best, and worst of the first half-year in the world of wrestling.

From the best gimmick, to the "Fogey" Achievement Award.

From the "One Night With Shane" Hottie Award, to the Match of the Year.

It's all available for voting now! Plus much, much more!

So what are you waiting for! Go to www.hittheropes.com and vote for the Ropey's.

Also tune in to HTR on Wednesday from 6-8pm (est). Our guest will be former WWE/ECW star Elijah Burke. www.blogtalkradio.com/hittheropesradioshow.

On My Wrestling Soapbox: Live From TNA's House Show In Grand Rapids, MI

Demetrus Stokes — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 10:46:56 -0400

What's up guys. I'm back with a special edition of "The Soapbox."

I had the pleasure of attending last night's TNA House Show at the Deltaplex in Grand Rapids, Mich. It was my first time attending a TNA show so I really didn't know what to expect.

For those that listen to HTR, you know that I'm not always the biggest fan of TNA and what they do, but I must say, they put on one hell of a house show!

It's a ticket that is well worth the price of admission (though I went for free) as it is very likely that you will leave the show with multiple autographs and pictures of some of your favorite TNA stars.

Jeremy Borash (JB) was the MC/Ring Announcer for the night and he kept things pretty entertaining.

Multiple backstage passes were given out throughout the night. The funniest thing was that a number of kids would come up to me and ask me for backstage passes because I had my HTR press pass on.

They didn't believe me when I told them that HTR had no affiliation with TNA, we were just there covering the event. One kid told me, "hey man, you can work it out."

After getting away from the rabid children, I took my seat and enjoyed what was an awesome show!

The card was very heavy with stars with Michigan ties.

Rhino, Scott Steiner, and The Motorcity Machine Guns were all on the card. I was surprised not to see Kevin Nash, another native Detroiter participate in the show.

The highlight of my night of course was seeing Angelina Love! Yeah! She's even hotter in person.

Second highlight of the night was getting a beer shower from James Storm! Who would of known that I could take so much delight in having a beer spewed on me from the mouth of another human being! It was sweet!

There was a lady right next to me who was utterly disgusted however. She screamed obscenities for a good five minutes. She obviously doesn't watch much TNA, as Storm does this in every match. Storm eventually told her to shutup which was hilarious!

JB kept talking about a "huge surprise" after the main event match which was Kurt Angle and Scott Steiner vs. Beer Money, Inc.

It was a huge surprise indeed!

Several of the wrestlers came out, signed autographs and took pictures with the fans.

You even had the opportunity to take a picture in the six-sided ring with Kurt Angle for $20. Not bad for the experience!

Though I was there in a "working capacity" I couldn't help but get a few autographs.

I got autographs from JB, Jay Lethal, Chris Sabin and Alex Shelley. I'll give these to my son as he is a huge TNA fan!

I was able to talk to Jay Lethal and JB who were both overall pretty nice guys. I tried to get a "Oooh Yeah" soundbite for the show from Jay Lethal but he politely said no.

Another surprise of the night was the apparent return of Jacqueline. Haven't seen her in a while but she wrestled Rhaka Khan at the show.

There were some funny moments throughout the night as the TNA stars get very interactive with the fans.

Scott Steiner came out to one of the biggest pops of the night but gave a heel promo saying that Grand Rapids sucked and he wished he were in Detroit. He also insulted Michigan State Spartan fans as he is a graduate of the University of Michigan. He told all MSU fans to suck it!! (I agree with him 100 percent)

Beer Money probably provided the most comedy of the night as they cut a promo before the match against Angle and Steiner.

There were two very "busty" ladies in the front row that were huge Steiner marks and were screaming all kinds of obscenities at Beer Money.

James Storm asked one side of the arena to chant "Beer" and the other side to chant "Money." He then asked the middle section of the arena to chant "Big Huge Boobies" as an ode to the ladies in the front row. Pretty funny stuff!

Robert Roode also motioned the ladies to flash him throughout the match and extended his hands out from his chest to indicate that the ladies were "well endowed".

Roode also pulled down Angle's tights in the match and let's just say it was a "full moon" in the Deltaplex for a short time. The fans ate it up! They loved it!

Speaking of Angle, after the match he took the mic to announce the "big surprise" but before he made the announcement he addressed his contract situation with TNA.

He talked about how he loved performing in front of smaller crowds because it gave him an opportunity to personally thank all of the TNA fans.

He also told the crowd people were crazy if they think he's leaving TNA and Vince McMahon can kiss his ass! Pretty strong words from the Olympic Champion.

I must say, TNA puts on a house show that is much better than WWE's (yes I said it).

They perform in small arenas which allows them to be interactive with the fans. It makes everyone feel apart of the show and I personally loved that.

My first TNA live experience certainly will not be my last.

For one night, I "Crossed The Line."

I'm officially off "The Soapbox."

Be sure to checkout www.hittheropes.com for results and photos from last night's matches. Also continue to check out the website as I will be live at Slammiversary with exclusive coverage.

Brand Battle No. 2: The Midcard Title Scene

Demetrus Stokes — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 00:14:53 -0400

Note to Readers:

Welcome back to the TNA vs. WWE Brand Battle brought to you by Bleacher Report’s own Demetrus Stokes and Adam Testa.

It’s been a while, so if you forgot how this competition works, here’s a refresher course.

Through the poll on this article, you will select who makes the better argument for his respective company. Demetrus represents WWE, while Adam represents TNA.

Remember, you are voting for the better argument, not which company you believe is actually superior in this area.

In the first round of competition, Demetrus crushed Adam by a vote total of 21-9. Being the TNA conspiracy theorist he is, Adam’s looking for all the blind haters who just pushed the WWE button.

Anyway, let’s get the ball back rolling with the second installment of this Brand Battle, one in which Demetrus and Adam will debate the mid-card title scenes of professional wrestling’s two major competitors.

Adam’s Case for TNA:

Total Nonstop Action Wrestling separates itself from its competition by not having a true mid-card title.

Stars in World Wrestling Entertainment build themselves and test their championship caliber by holding the Intercontinental or U.S. titles, but stars in TNA have to prove their worth without the benefits of a mid-card title.

One would likely be hard pressed to find someone who could honestly say that holding a belt like the two aforementioned ones automatically gains a wrestler either popularity (for babyface characters) or heat (for the heels).

Stars in TNA, for the most part, must build the credentials themselves without the easy route of adding gold around their shoulder. This forces the superstars to grow their skills and their talent rather than using a mid-card title as a crutch.

The closest thing TNA has to a mid-card title is the X Division Championship. But, many future world champions don’t fit the “no limits” characteristics of that division’s championship.

Breakout stars like James Storm and Hernandez would look out of place with the X Division title around their waist, though stars like Samoa Joe and Kurt Angle proved they could live up to the slogan, “It’s not about weight limits, it’s about no limits.”

While the X Division title has helped develop past, and likely future, world champions like A.J. Styles and Christopher Daniels, it cannot be used as the only evaluating factor of TNA’s mid-card scene.

The company is also sitting on gold with the Legends Championship.

Introduced by Booker T as a gimmick title, only he and Styles have held the belt. Many have called for it to be eliminated from the company, but it would be more sensible for the company to use it to promote “future legends” and help legitimate legends like Mick Foley and Sting put over younger stars.

Once the Main Event Mafia storyline ends and Styles is ready to move on to bigger things, likely including the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, the Legends title can become another mid-card title for the company.

Guys like Eric Young, Storm, and Robert Roode could have feuds over the belt with Sting, Jeff Jarrett, Kurt Angle, and other veterans of the industry that call TNA home.

If used properly, the belt could become a crucial part of building stars as long as it doesn’t fall into the position of being a crutch to just help get mediocre talent over with the crowd.

Reserving the title for stars with solid in-ring and mic skills would prevent it from becoming a crutch for these stars, but would also allow some of the younger guys a chance to shine with gold on their wastes.

TNA is in the position to capitalize on its mid-card title scene and truly use it as a mechanism to develop new stars. With the X Division keeping fans entertained and building the high-flying, fast-paced stars of tomorrow’s main event scene, the Legends title could also build future heavyweight stars.

While no one may be able to claim being a nine-time mid-card champion like in the WWE, no one on the TNA roster needs a claim like that to carry their gimmick through to fruition.

Demetrus’ Case for WWE:

Adam makes the case that TNA separates themselves from the competition by not having a mid-card title.

He is absolutely correct.

Not having a mid-card title leaves the current stars in a “bottomless pit” with no hopes of getting out.

What can a mid-card star in TNA hope to obtain while they stay stuck in the mid-card and the Fogey’s run rough shot over TNA?

What goals do they have?

Of course they want to be World Champion, but, with Mic Foley, Sting, and Jeff Jarrett in the main event of every Pay-Per-View and airing of Impact, will it ever happen?

One could hope that TNA brass pairs them up with another down and out mid-carder, make an awkward tag team, and battle for a trophy and $100,000!

Give them a mid-card title to fight for, and at least the TNA mid-carder will feel some sense of accomplishment.

Look at Chris Jericho’s victory at Extreme Rules.

He won the Intercontinental title for a record ninth time.

That is a huge accomplishment.

That is a Hall of Fame worthy accomplishment.

The IC Title and US Title are rich with history. Classic matches have been held with these two prestigious titles at stake.

Most of the current WWE stars in the main event picture have held the IC or US Title at some point in their career, which proves that winning a mid-card title will get you somewhere.

Of course, there are exceptions to this rule (See Shelton Benjamin), but at least you know at some point the WWE’s new stars will be pushed from mid-card to main event status.

You’re not so sure in TNA.

The Legends Championship is pretty much an after thought as AJ Styles has been the champ for quite some time and rarely defends the title.

You don’t hear any TNA star say they hope to become Legends Champion.

They may say I want to become TNA World Champion, but it’s hard to climb out of a bottomless pit.

On My Wrestling Soapbox: The Return

Demetrus Stokes — Fri, 05 Jun 2009 23:24:45 -0400

In the words of Kanye West, "It feels good to be home". (Listen to "Touch The Sky")

That's right, folks, after a bit of a hiatus, I'm back with another edition of the "Soapbox" where we examine the happenings of the world of wrestling.

This is a very special article in that I would like to dedicate it to one of my peers here in the B/R wrestling community, Celeste Winchester.

Hope you get well soon and we'll continue to keep you in our prayers.

So without further ado, I am officially on the "Soapbox."

Mr. Kennedy

Just one week ago today, we where shocked with the announcement that the WWE released Mr. Kennedy. After hyping his return to Raw and his appearance in "Behind Enemy Lines: Colombia," did the WWE do the right thing?

The talk is that many superstars thought Kennedy was reckless in the ring and apparently made their feelings known to Vince McMahon.

In my opinion, the move by WWE was a bad one.

Considering that the WWE has a lack of main event talent, letting go a charismatic star like Kennedy just doesn't make sense.

If he is reckless in the ring, why not work with him to make him better? Isn't that part of development?

Yes, I know he is injury-prone but that hasn't stopped the WWE before. If you have the talent, the WWE will keep you.

When that 90-day no complete clause is up, look for TNA to jump on signing Kennedy.

Fogey's Reunited

I have a lot of respect for fellow B/R writer Adam TNestA (Testa). Though a big fan of TNA, he doesn't shy away from giving them some much deserved criticism.

Adam made the point on HTR this week that TNA can let go of talented wrestlers like Petey Williams, Lance Hoyt, and Roxxi, but yet they have room for Shane Douglas and Raven who are both in their mid-40's.

While we don't know the contract situation for Douglas and Raven, what could they possibly contribute to Impact in an on-camera role?

TNA has given me what I always wanted!! Raven and Stevie Richards reunited!

Give me a break!

ECW vs. ECW?

Ok, I'm a fan of Evan Bourne. Love what he does in the ring but maybe just maybe the "air" is going to Bourne's brain.

In a recent interview, Bourne stated that the current ECW would blow the original ECW out of the water.

Is he crazy? I think so.

Who on the current ECW roster can compete with the likes of Sabu, Rob Van Dam, Taz, Jerry Lynn, Shane Douglas and The Dudleys?

Ummm......

Maybe Christian? Tommy Dreamer? Maybe even Evan Bourne himself, but the notion that the current ECW is better than the original is ridiculous.

Biting The Hand That Feeds You

First former WWE superstar Dwanye "The Rock" Johnson, now UFC Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar.

Both became huge stars in the WWE and used that as a stepping stone for success in acting and MMA respectively.

Recently, Lesnar mentioned that wrestlers are "brainwashed" and cannot possibly have lives traveling 300 days a year.

Lest we forget, Brock, that the same wrestling that "brainwashes" it's current stars made you a household name and a huge draw.

Do you think that you would have gotten a UFC title shot after just a few fights if not for name recognition? Where did you make your name?

That's right, in the WWE.

You were able to leave the WWE on your terms. Even after the WWE pushed you big time and made you a huge star.

Kind of sucks that because you've jumped ship to MMA you feel the need to bad mouth pro wrestling.

You made the decision that you didn't want to travel the 300 days a year so don't knock the other wrestlers who are dedicated to the business and decided to do so.

Well folks another "Soapbox" in the books. Thanks for reading and don't forget to check out www.hittheropes.com the official website of the Hit The Ropes Radio Show.

Be sure to tune in next week as the crew sits down with former ECW Champion Bobby Lashley!!

Samoa Joe Wants More: The Nation of Violence Summer Recruiting Class

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 19 May 2009 00:17:44 -0400

For those of you who have been watching TNA you know that Samoa Joe's "Nation of Violence" has reeked havoc on some of TNA's biggest stars. However in recent months, Joe has figured out that he cannot reach the Nation of Violence's full potential alone. In a previous slideshow I introduced you to Samoa Joe's first class of recruits to the Nation of Violence. http://bleacherreport.com/articles/146333-samoa-joe-wants-you-the-newest-recruits-to-the-nation-of-violence Now as the summer approaches Samoa Joe has recruited a new class. Without further ado here are the newest members to Nation of Violence.

Begin Slideshow

Robert Roode: Is His Future "Money?"

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 12 May 2009 23:47:10 -0400

TNA has an abundance of young talent. We've made this statement more times than Dolph Ziggler repeats his name.

It seems that the "fogeys" like Mick Foley, and the Main Event Mafia (minus Kurt Angle) are put in the main event spotlight far too much.

When we speak of TNA's young talent, two names primarily are brought into conversation, AJ Styles and Samoa Joe.

It's no doubt that Styles and Joe are two of the most talented individuals in all of wrestling, who need and deserve a main event push.

AJ has unique athletic ability, and Joe, though he doesn't look like your prototypical wrestler, is a great worker.

In addition to AJ and Joe, you have guys like Jay Lethal, Daniels, and The Motorcity Machine Guns who bring it every night.

When you think of the above mentioned names, only AJ and Joe are really main event level talent.

There is one talent in TNA, who in my opinion, is vastly underrated and has main event potential.

That man is Robert Roode.

Robert Roode has been in TNA since 2004. He has had a couple of stints as a singles competitor, but for the most part, his success has come by being apart of a stable or tag team.

He won the NWA Tag Titles on two occasions, with Eric Young, and is currently one half of Beer Money Inc., with partner James Storm.

Beer Money are two-time TNA Tag champions and form one of the best tag teams in all of wrestling.

Robert Roode is regarded by his peers as a guy who can take it to the next level and be a main event guy for TNA. Kevin Nash stated this in a recent interview and so has former TNA employee Randy Ricci, who appeared as a guest on HTR last week.

Roode has "the look" that promoters look for and is a solid worker in the ring.

Though the names are spelled differently, and they are not related, for some reason Robert Roode reminds me of Rick Rude.

The "ravishing one" had charisma, a great look and was a great heel during his run with WWE, all qualities that Robert Roode possess.

The dilemma for TNA however is, do you break up one of your best tag teams to push one of its members?

I think eventually they'll have to.

Kevin Nash mentioned that he thought Roode would make a great baby face. TNA could break up Beer Money and start Roode off as a face in a feud with his former partner Storm, then eventually move him up to more high profile feuds with TNA's top heels.

TNA also has the issue of not being able to develop talent well. Sure they can take already talented people and push them to the top, but development is not their specialty.

In the right hands, Robert Roode could shoot all the way to the top.

By "the right hands," I mean the WWE.

I know the WWE doesn't look highly upon TNA talent, but you have to think that with the WWE's ability to develop talent, Roode could have a chance for a push, if he were to jump ship.

Vince is obsessed with "the look," and Roode has it, so a potential move to the WWE could work.

The WWE also has something that Roode (or at least his character) likes.

Money.

Personally, I think that TNA values Roode's talent enough not to let him go, but it's hard to say no to the WWE.

What ever promotion Robert Roode ends up in, one thing is for certain, his future is chalked full of money and championship gold.

Tune in to the #1 Wrestling Show In the World, "Hit The Ropes" this Wednesday from 6-8pm (est). You're sure to be "franchised" as we speak with "The Franchise" Shane Douglas. We will also talk to independent owner/promoter "Kingpin" Dave Martin. Don't miss it!! Also check out our new website www.hittheropes.com

Special Report: The B/R Wrestling Community Cabinet Meeting (Part I)

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 05 May 2009 11:23:05 -0400

RNN Chief Correspondent Jason "Wolf" LeBlanc is reporting live from the "squared circle" where many of the B/R wrestling community dignitaries are convening for their first cabinet meeting.

JLB was given this exclusive, and the following is actual dialogue from the first meeting.

President Shane O'Howard: I would like to thank you all for coming to this very important meeting. I want to sincerely apologize for missing the state of the b/r community address. My wife Jen O'Preston became ill and I had to stay by her side.

Mumbles are heard throughout the meeting room after this statement as there is speculation that President O'Howard missed the address to watch 90210 on the CW.

House Speaker AkD:I would also like to apologize for missing the address. I was ummmm......helping the president care for his ill wife!

Secretary Daris Brown: (under his breath) What kind of kinky crap do they have going on?

President O'Howard: I would like to thank Secretary Stokes for filling in for us and giving a great address. He is a CHAMPION of our community who went turnbuckle to turnbuckle and gave a great speech.

Now I understand there are some officials here who would like to nominate new articles to our community's Constitution. We will now hear these proposals.

Congressman Ray Bogusz steps to the podium .

Ray: Mr. President our nation is in the midst of a crisis. We have plagiarism, trolls, and countless other issues that need to be addressed. There is one thing, however, that cannot wait any longer!

We need to address the oil shortgage! There is one man responsible for all of this. He uses all of our oil resources and it needs to stop!

Mr. President and members of the cabinet, I propose that Randy Orton be banned from using oil of any kind on his body.

My God! How can anyone possibly put this guy in a hold? He'll slip right through your hands.

I say post pictures of him in all of the Targets and Wal-Marts. Keep this man out of the baby oil aisle!

Just as the congressman is wrapping up, a group of men walk in wearing "Legacy" shirts and dark sun glasses.

It seems as if the meeting has been invaded by The Nation of Ortons-lam and their leader, Minister Ryan "Farrakhan" Michael.

Ryan: Brothers and Sisters of the cabinet, you can't possibly listen to anything this man has to say! It is clear that he is an Orton-hater and banning the honorable Randy Orton from using oil is a violation of his rights!

If you put this bill into law, your families will not be safe. The nation will punt every single person in this room.

We will punt your mothers, your fathers, and your brothers. We'll DDT your wives and sisters and then kiss them with sinister looks on our faces!

We are a nation of vipers! You will not stop Randy Orton from his destiny of being the greatest WWE superstar that ever lived!

Members of The Nation get into Congressman Bogusz's face.

Vice President Mina: Order! Order! We will have order! Now I understand the minister has a supporter that would like to address us as well.

"The Model" Josh Sewell: Hello members of the cabinet my name is Josh Sewell and I am a model. Let me repeat that....my name is Josh Sewell and I am a model.

Secretary Daris Brown: (under his breath) Who in the hell let Dolph Ziggler's little brother in here?

The Model: As a model, I feel it is not right to deprive Randy Orton from using oil. We models use oil from time to time, and if you ban Orton's use it's only a matter of time before you ban the use of oil for models.

You must not enact this law. It is not right, and I stand behind the minister and his nation. Thank you.

The proposal is now going to a vote. It seems President O'Howard has left the meeting. His whereabouts are unknown. Vice President Mina has tallied the votes and the decision is being announced....

Mina: The votes are in and it has been ruled that Randy Orton will be banned from using oil of any kind on his.....

Before Vice President Mina can complete reading the ruling she is DDT'd by Ryan Michael. He then looks over at Congressman Bogusz with pure evil in his eyes and kisses the Vice President.

Congressman Bogusz is then grabbed by other members of the nation and assaulted. He is then punted in the head and knocked out cold by the minister.

During the assault on the congressman, secretary Daris Brown (still mumbling under his breath) manages to flee. Housespeaker AkD, like President O'Howard, also left the room earlier and his whereabouts are also unknown.

Minister Ryan "Farrakhan" Michael: The Age of Orton is upon us! Long live Randy Orton!

Michael and the members of the nation rejoice as they look at the carnage left in the "squared circle"

Is our nation being taken over by The Nation of Ortons-lam?

What will become of Congressman Bogusz and Vice President Mina?

Where the hell is President O'Howard and Speaker AkD?

Why does Secretary Daris Brown mumble under his breath?

We hope to find out all of these answers. Until then, this has been Jason "Wolf" LeBlanc reporting.

Is MVP Ready To Be WWE's Most Valuble Player?

Demetrus Stokes — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 10:31:59 -0400

And Now a word from your new Turnbuckle to Turnbuckle Champion.....

If you missed last night's edition of "Hit The Ropes", my first question is what the hell is your problem!?!? You better check out the archives!

If you were able to tune in, Daris brought up a question regarding MVP and his ability (or lack of ability) to become a main event star during our "Turnbuckle to Turnbuckle" segment.

If we all remember, last year MVP went through a losing streak that I like to call the "Gillberg Streak".

It seemed that he would never get over the hump and win a match.

Thanks to a little help from Triple H, MVP's losing streak ended and he's been on a roll ever since. In fact, I can't recall the last time he lost a match.

During his recent success, MVP has reclaimed the United States Championship and is now a member of Monday Night RAW.

He is also involved in a high profile storyline where he has exchanged pleasantries with Sherri Shepard, co-host of ABC's The View.

He's been featured on an episode and is scheduled to make a live in person appearance on The View this Monday.

One would think that with MVP's recent push, the WWE is grooming him to be a main event star.

Key word being "one would think". Who knows what the WWE is thinking these days.

Whether or not MVP receives the push that some think he deserves the question remains, Is MVP ready to be a main-event star?

MVP in my opinion has the qualities to be main event talent in the WWE.

He has decent in ring ability and he is very charismatic.

He showed his mic skills this past Monday interrupting new WWE Champion, Randy Orton and putting on a great promo.

He more than held his own in a match against Orton later that night. Credit the WWE for ending the match in a way as to not bury MVP.

As it stands right now the top faces on Raw are Batista, Triple H and Shawn Michaels.

Triple H and HBK have had feuds with Orton in the past and Batista is currently involved in a feud with Orton.

It is agreed by many that it is time for the WWE to push a new group of stars to the next level and put them in the main event picture.

There are several that deserve a shot. CM Punk, Shelton Benjamin, and Matt Hardy are on the list and so is MVP.

You can argue that out of the above names mentioned, MVP is the most ready.

He trumps Benjamin and Hardy on the mic. CM Punk is probably just as good with his mic skills.

In the ring it's hard to argue that Shelton Benjamin is the most talented. He may be more talented then any superstar in the entire WWE. But let's face it, when you look at the current top tier WWE stars, not many of them have great wrestling ability.

It takes more than what you do in ring to get to the top.

MVP has converted over to a face and is becoming increasingly popular with the fans.

He is rumored to be starting a feud with Matt Hardy which has been done before but the roles are reversed with Hardy being the heel and MVP being the face.

It will be interesting to see how and if this plays out as both could arguably be pushed to the top tier.

The Randy Orton/Batista feud can only last so long. We can only hope and pray it's given a couple of months and that's it.

Why not give MVP a shot at Orton at one of the smaller PPV's in the fall like Unforgiven or No Mercy? This way you can continue to groom him by giving him a shot on a smaller WWE PPV.

MVP would be a fresh, new face at the top of the WWE. Even at age 35, there is still a lot of good wrestling left in him. He's very similar to Batista in that even though he is in his 30's he is still considered "young" because he hasn't been in the WWE for a long time.

As the clock on his ring entrance video indicates, it's time. MVP is ready. Put him in the WWE title picture.

A run at Randy Orton would mean "Big Things Poppin'" and "Little Things Stoppin'".

That my friends would be the true definition of "Ballinnnnnnnn".

The Champ....Out!

(Cheap Plug) Be sure to tune in to HTR next Wednesday 5/6 at a special start time of 7pm (est). Our guest next week will be none other than Psycho Sid! We have other guest scheduled as well. Tune in next week as you will be able to call in and ask Sid questions. Don't miss it!!! www.blogtalkradio.com/hittheropesradioshow

Death by a Thousand Dunks: The Eulogy of the Detroit Pistons

Demetrus Stokes — Wed, 22 Apr 2009 10:57:23 -0400

As I sat and watched NBA TV's pregame coverage last night, native Detroiter Chris Webber told the story of having to put his 14-year-old dog to sleep a few months ago.

He compared the story of his old dog to the Detroit Pistons.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are, in essence, euthanizing the Pistons.

After another embarrassing defeat in Game Two of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, the Pistons are left with plenty of questions but no answers.

With Detroit vowing to be more aggressive in defending LeBron James, the Cavs' star answered with a 29-point, 13-rebound effort.

James continues to get his teammates involved and the Cavs are proving that they are on a mission to win a championship.

The Pistons are proving that they are on a mission to find the nearest golf course.

Could a team look anymore disinterested? In particular the starters.

Rasheed Wallace doesn't seem to care, neither does Rip Hamilton.

Antonio McDyess always gives everything, and I'm afraid the veterans could be a bad influence on young Rodney Stuckey.

There's one more starter. Who is it? What's his name?

Oh! Tayshaun "Houdini" Prince, who's done quite the disappearing act in this series.

I guess if there is any consolation, it's that the subs are putting in the effort, proven by their 27-5 run in the fourth quarter.

While this may be something the Pistons say they can build on for Game Three, I think it was just a matter of the Cavs letting their foot off the gas.

These Pistons are done.

Even though this group of Pistons seems to be at the end of the road, you have to remember the ride they've taken us on.

Six straight Eastern Conference Final appearances, an NBA Championship, and another NBA Finals appearance.

Not too shabby for a group of guys who were castoffs from other teams.

The Pistons, in their heyday, celebrated something that is rare in sports these days.

They celebrated team unity.

In a league that loves to put the individual in the spotlight, the Pistons were a team that lacked a bonafide superstar.

They were a unit that played together and showed us that the power of a unit is stronger than the power of one person.

They took on the spirit of the city of Detroit. Hard working, no nonsense, and dedicated.

The Pistons were a joy to watch down the years, and we'll always have the memories of what once was.

As the saying goes, all good things must come to an end.

So, where do the Pistons go from here?

The Chauncey Billups-Allen Iverson trade was a disaster in the short term.

In the long run, it may not be so bad.

Iverson and Wallace's salaries come off the books at the end of the season, and will put the Pistons in place to be a major player in free agency over the next two years.

They would love to get a player like Chris Bosh in 2010.

If Carlos Boozer can prove he can stay healthy, he would be a good fit as well.

They have some trade pieces, so don't be surprised if GM Joe Dumars makes a big trade this offseason.

Young players like Stuckey, Aaron Affalo, Jason Maxiell, and the surprising Will Bynum should stick around for a while. Hamilton will likely stay as well.

Throw in a quality big man or two and the Pistons are right back among the elite in the East.

So, while it may pain Pistons fans to see their team in such a bad state, keep in mind that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

It's only a matter of time before the Palace is rocking again and PA announcer John Mason is screaming that oh-so-familiar phrase:

"DEEEEEEETROOOITTTTT BASKETBALLLLLLLLL!!!"

A Rivalry Defined: John Cena vs. Edge

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 21 Apr 2009 13:06:40 -0400

In the world of sports, there is nothing more exciting than watching two rivals. Lakers vs. Celtics, North Carolina vs. Duke, and Michigan vs. Ohio State are just some of the great matchups that come to mind.

Pro wrestling is no different. A great rivalry can give fans compelling television and memories that last a lifetime.

Over the years, we have seen a number of great rivalries in wrestling. Hulk Hogan vs. Randy Savage, Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat, and Steve Austin vs. The Rock have been just some of the great rivalries.

This Sunday at Backlash, we will see the climax of one of the best rivalries of this decade: John Cena vs. Edge.

Cena and Edge have crossed each others path many times over the last three years.

In fact, multiple websites report that this Sunday will mark the 35th time Cena and Edge have matched up on television or pay-per-view.

That number is probably well over 50 if you count the numerous dark matches (non-televised) that they have had.

This number is astounding considering the fact that the WWE has a draft every year where talent moves around to different shows.

It seems that no matter where Cena and Edge go, they find each other in the end.

The rivalry, in my opinion, is a throwback rivalry. It is a traditional matchup of a true babyface versus a true heel.

John Cena—love him or hate him—is a classic babyface.

He walks down the aisle week after week—smiling, saluting, and kissing babies. You'd think he was running for public office.

His chain gang consist of kids who flood WWE arenas wearing Cena t-shirts, and spinning championship belts and foam hands symbolic of his "you can't see me" taunt.

The group also consist of women who love the musclebound star.

Missing from this group are males, particularly adult males, who tend to dislike Cena because the WWE has shoved his character down their throats.

Still, Cena is a merchandising machine and the flag bearer for the WWE, similar to what Hulk Hogan and Steve Austin were before him.

Every babyface, however, needs that character who is a thorn in his side—the guy that fans love to hate.

Hogan had Savage and Andre The Giant. Austin had The Rock and Vince McMahon.

John Cena has Edge.

Edge is sneaky. He's a weasel. He's a snake.

He takes advantage of another person's weakness and calls it an opportunity. Thus, Edge is the ultimate opportunist.

Edge is not just a heel in the WWE. He is the heel in the WWE.

Edge gets a reaction out of the crowd like no other. Outside of Canada, he is virtually booed out of every arena.

To add even more heat, he married the most annoying woman in the history of mankind, Vickie Guerrero.

Edge and Cena's history began at New Year's Revolution 2006 when Edge cashed in his
"Money in the Bank" briefcase and became WWE Champion.

The feud continued throughout 2006 with the two facing each other at five pay-per-view events.

Four of those were one-on-one encounters with Edge and Cena splitting down the middle with two wins apiece.

The feud officially ended at Unforgiven 2006, but Cena and Edge met many times in 2007 and 2008.

The rivalry was then renewed this year prior to Wrestlemania 25.

Edge won John Cena's World Heavyweight Championship in an elimination chamber match at No Way Out. It was a match in which Edge wasn't even supposed to participate, as it was to be exclusive to RAW competitors.

After Edge's surprising victory, Cena became a thorn in Edge's side. He eventually interfered with a scheduled one-on-one match between Edge and Big Show at Wrestlemania 25.

At Wrestlemania, Cena became World Champion again, which has led to the final encounter with Edge in a "Last Man Standing Match" this Sunday.

You would think that, after more than 35 television and PPV encounters, the feud could become stale. Cena and Edge have done a good job keeping things fresh.

Their promo on Smackdown a few weeks back was done very well. When Edge stated that he hated Cena, it was very believable.

Then Edge's attack on Cena last night on RAW was icing on the cake. It actually makes you wonder who will win the match on Sunday.

Both Cena and Edge have had numerous accomplishments in their careers.

Between them, they have won 34 titles.

They will both be in the Hall of Fame some day and they may even induct each other. Their singles careers will forever be linked to each other.

With this rivalry presumably coming to an end, we can look back at the feud and appreciate the lost art of the rivalry in professional wrestling.

My Wrestling Soapbox: Foley and Fogey's

Demetrus Stokes — Mon, 20 Apr 2009 16:50:07 -0400

Yes indeed! D.Stokes is back on the soapbox with a special Monday edition.

Today we'll discuss the new TNA world champion, revisit the WWE Draft (briefly), add a new word to the lexicon, and address the new leadership in our community.

Let's begin, shall we??

Lockdown

Before I go into a TNA rant, let me first give them some props. Last week's episode of Impact was pretty good.

They did a great job building up last night's Lockdown pay-per-view.

In particular the beatdown Beer Money gave Brother Runt and Balls Mahoney added some fuel to their feud with Team 3D.

Also, I thought Mick Foley/Cactus Jack/Sting segment was well done.

Overall, Lockdown was a strong card, but I found it to be very predictable.

I picked the winner of every match with the exception of the "Lethal Lockdown" match.

While some people were surprised at Mick Foley becoming TNA World Champion, I wasn't. Most of the WWE stars who jump ship to TNA become champion at some point. Foley is no exception.

I hope to God that this title reign is short lived and they put the title on one of the young stars like AJ Styles or Samoa Joe.

I have a hunch that Kurt Angle will somehow become champion but anything is better than Fogey...er....Foley.

Shoutout to my baby boo Angelina Love the new TNA Knockout champion! As long as she's on the show, I'm watching every week!

Sidebar: My wife doesn't read my articles so I'm safe....I think!

Additional TNA Rant

OK, I gave TNA some props, now on to a couple of issues in "rapid fire" mode.

Can you please tell me why TNA employs Stevie Richards and not Petey Williams?

Did you know that the combined ages of Mick Foley and Sting is 93?

Does anyone else think that Awesome Kong as a face is a bad idea? She doesn't even look like she smiles. They could just make her a "tweener," as TNA seems to love that concept.

Good Lord! ODB is busty!

Sixty-four percent of TNA/NWA World champions were once in the WWE.

Kurt Angle vs. Bobby Lashley? Not even close....Kurt Angle.

Don West is really, really annoying! He's trying too hard to be the "heel" announcer.

To Be Continued in a later edition of MWSB.......

A Surprise Winner??

With the WWE Draft in the history books, many fans believe that Raw was stacked, SmackDown did OK, and ECW was given the short end of the stick.

Though ECW didn't get a lot of draft picks, I think they could be considered a draft day winner.

Sure they lost Miz and Morrison, which is a big blow, but they gained some young talent that otherwise wouldn't be used.

ECW is turning into a showcase for the younger talent which I think is a good thing.

WWE Superstars

People complained because WWE programming doesn't give them enough wrestling, so they put out a show that is one hour of just wrestling and they still complain?

Fickle, Fickle, Fickle.

A New Community

Congrats to Jason "JLB" LeBlanc and Shane "The Caribbean Playboy" Howard on becoming community leaders. Look forward to big things from the Obama and Biden of the wrestling community.

Maybe I'm in the minority, but I would also like to thank Ron Johnson for his service as our community leader.

I had no issues with you, Ron. I hope you continue to contribute to the community.

A Nomination for the Lexicon

As a member of this community, I would like to nominate the word "Fogey" as the newest word to be added to our lexicon.

Fogey is an old guy who should not be wrestling anymore. Or if they still wrestle, they should not be in the main event picture for their particular promotion.

I took a look at both the WWE and TNA rosters and looked at each wrestler 40 or older.

In a NBA format, I now present to you the 2009 All-Fogey Team:

C: Kevin Nash, 49

PF: Mick Foley, 43

SF: Hacksaw Jim Duggan, 55

SG: Scott Steiner, 48

PG: Sting, 50

Head Coach: Ric Flair

Until next time, I am officially off the soapbox!

Tune in this week to "Hit The Ropes," the world's number one online wrestling show! Our guest will be former WCW and WWE star Big Vito. We're on from 6-8pm (est). WWW.BLOGTALKRADIO.COM/HITTHEROPESRADIOSHOW

Ultimate Wrestlemania: The Results Are in!

Demetrus Stokes — Mon, 13 Apr 2009 15:26:49 -0400

All right folks! After a record number of 35 million...urrr 35 votes here are the results of the matches for the "Ultimate Wrestlemania".

Your votes were taken into account as well as the votes of non B/R community wrestling fans.

Some of the results are pretty interesting so without further ado, here are your winners!

The '80's vs. The '90's

Stone Cold Steve Austin 83%

Hulk Hogan 17%

Yes I picked Hogan! So what! I did it for my own selfish reasons. Do I know Austin would win...Yes but I have my reasons. All of your Hulkamaniac cards are revoked!! Except Steve Chott. He also picked Hogan.

The Great One vs. The Chain Gang Commander

The Rock 100%

John Cena 0%

I couldn't believe this. Not one vote for Cena? I almost gave him my vote as I've been anti-Dwayne Johnson but I'm not that bitter.

Battle of the Showstoppers

Shawn Michaels 91%

Ricky Steamboat 9%

Kind of surprised by this one as I thought Steamboat would get more votes. Ray was the only B/R writer to pick Steamboat. My vote went to HBK.

Two Animals

Ultimate Warrior 50%

Batista 42%

Double Countout/No Contest 8%

Most people said they didn't care about this match or called it the "bathroom break". AkD voted for a double count out. Others didn't vote at all. The Warrior wins with that vicious splash he does.

Tag Team Legends

Dudley Boyz 50%

Road Warriors 50%

This one was too close to call! Votes were literally split right down the middle. This is obvious a dream match that everyone would have loved to see!

Pro Wrestling to MMA

Brock Lesnar 83%

Bobby Lashley 17%

"The Next Big Thing" wins in a landslide. I couldn't leave my girl Celeste hanging. We were the only two from the B/R community to vote for Lashley.

The Ultimate Diva

Trish Stratus 58%

Beth Phoenix 42%

Trish wins this battle of the divas and is the true Ms. Wrestlemania.

Phenomenal Giants

Undertaker 58%

Andre The Giant 42%

Honestly, Andre got more votes then I thought he would. Taker stays undefeated, even in our mock Wrestlemania.

Technically Sound

Kurt Angle 67%

Curt Henning 33%

I went with Mr. Perfect but the consensus is that Kurt Angle would come out the victor in this match. JLB brought up a good point about Henning likely being a better champion then Angle had he ever won the WWE Championship. I agree with him. Apparently the majority didn't.

Hall of Fame Fatal Four Way

Ric Flair 51%

Sting 33%

Roddy Piper 8%

Mick Foley 8%

The "Nature Boy" wins big here. The cool thing is at least every participant got some votes.

The Game's Madness

Triple H 67%

Macho Man Randy Savage 33%

I have to admit as much as people dislike Triple H for being married into the McMahon family, I was expecting him to lose this one. As much as I am a fan of Triple H, I actually picked Savage to win. However, "The Game" prevails.

Canada Collides

Bret Hart 84%

Chris Benoit 8%

No Contest 8%

Similar to the Warrior vs. Batista match, a lot of people voted for a no contest in this match. I guess people respect the great wrestling ability both men had. Still the "Hitman" wins the majority vote.

Two Amazons

Chyna 81%

Awesome Kong 9%

No Contest 10%

The majority gave Chyna the nod in a matchup of two very dominant women. JLB would have liked to seen Nicole Bass and WCW's "Chyna Knockoff" Asia added to the match. Thank God that didn't happen!

Shane Howard should be proud of being the only person in the B/R community to pick Kong.

TLC Match

Edge & Christian 66%

The Hardy's 17%

British Bulldogs 17%

E&C prove that even in a fantasy matchup, they are the Kings of the TLC match!

10-Man Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Chris Jericho 34%

Eddie Guerrero 25%

Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka 17%

Randy Orton 8%

Owen Hart 8%

Rob Van Dam 8%

Kane 0%

Tito Santana 0%

Ravishing Rick Rude 0%
Rey Mysterio 0%

This one might of been the most fun to tally up because you had 10 superstars and various votes for six of the ten. Not really surprised that Kane didn't get any votes but I did expect Mysterio, Rude and Santana to get at least one.

I almost voted for Rude but gave my nod to Snuka.

Thanks everyone for participating! Hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did!

Feuds Of The Future: Possible Matchups WWE Could Develop

Demetrus Stokes — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 16:22:53 -0400

With the WWE draft looming, people are expecting Raw, Smackdown, and ECW to be shook up as talent will shuffle between each show.

Let's not forget the debut of WWE Superstars which will also have an effect on things.

Though no one really knows who's going where, there are some matches that I would love to see at some point this year.

Some of these matches we've seen before but under different circumstances. Some are fresh feuds that may light a spark within the WWE.

So without further ado here are some of the matchups that may (or may not) happen that I would look forward to seeing.

Tyson Kidd vs. Evan Bourne

I think that the majority of the community can agree that this would be an awesome matchup. Two guys with great potential going at it. Bourne's high flying style against Kidd's technical style. A great potential matchup of two guys I can see being in the "Money In The Bank" match at Wrestlemania XXVI.

The Miz vs. John Morrison

I think it's about time to split these guys up and that may happen by way of the draft.

If they both stay on the same brand I think they should still be split up and maybe feud with each other. The issue for me would be that I think both are most effective as heels so who would be the face?

The second issue is that I don't know that the Miz's career would survive without Morrison as his partner. Morrison clearly has a future as a singles competitor. The Miz? Not so much.

MVP vs. Shelton Benjamin

A rivalry is developing between these two over the U.S. Title and I would like to see it continue.

Since it's obvious the WWE has no intent on giving either one of them a main event push anytime soon, so might as well fight each other. If the WWE mirrors what they did with MVP and Matt Hardy they could build a pretty good rivalry.

Rey Mysterio vs. Matt Hardy

Rey is the new Intercontinental Champion and needs a good opponent. Matt Hardy's feud with his brother Jeff hopefully won't last too long.

This would be a good matchup that would be entertaining to watch.

Gail Kim vs. Beth Phoenix

I don't know if we'll see this match in 2009 but at some point we'll see it.

Gail Kim came back to WWE to be the top Diva and Beth Phoenix, though she doesn't hold a title currently, in my opinion has been the beat.

Gail will likely matchup with Maryse or Michelle McCool immediately, but who can't help but think of the potential matchup with the Glamazon down the road.

The Colons vs. Priceless

Time for Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase to give Randy Orton his jock strap back and start a feud of their own!

The Colons are a talented group of brothers and since the WWE doesn't think highly of the tag team division, what other team is out there to face?

Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy

This feud was done in the past but not since Jeff Hardy has reached his main-event status.

I think that Randy Orton is going to win the WWE Championship at Backlash or shortly after. Maybe he fights Triple H one more time after that and then he moves on.

All signs point to Batista being Orton's next foe, but I have a funny feeling about that. (details later in the article) Hardy chased the title for so long and finally won it, but only kept it about a month. He could build a decent rivalry versus Orton.

Edge vs. Christian

Another matchup that's inevitable.

Christian has pretty much done nothing since his return to the WWE. Going against his storyline "brother" would be great TV and could lead to some good matches.

Would Edge consider moving to ECW? I see Christian becoming ECW Champion at Backlash. Though unlikely Edge could add some spice to the show.

Batista vs. John Cena

We got a bit of a teaser at last year's Summerslam and this certainly (whether you like it or not) is a Wrestlemania caliber matchup. In fact we may not see it until Wrestlemania XXVI. This time either Cena or Batista will be a heel. The question is which one?

Triple H vs. Batista

I smell a rat!

Mike Mooneyham does as well as he eluded to on HTR this week. Could the WWE be considering turning Batista heel at Backlash? I mean he did just come out the blue and got thrown into the six man tag match.

Could he become an ally of Randy Orton? Wouldn't be a bad idea. This could lead to a series of revenge matches versus Triple H who would blame Batista for losing the WWE Championship.

CM Punk vs. John Cena

Did you notice the funny looks that CM Punk was giving Cena on Raw this past week? I know I did.

It's quite possible that both of these guys are making the jump to Smackdown. Cena needs fresh opponents and CM Punk would be a good one. Especially if Punk turns heel.

Ultimate Wrestlemania: Your Vote Counts!

Demetrus Stokes — Thu, 09 Apr 2009 13:31:25 -0400

In the March issue of Pro Wrestling Illustrated, they listed what they thought was the ultimate Wrestlemania card and who would win each match.

I thought it would be cool to spark some debate from members of the community and get your thoughts on some of the matchups.

The following card consist of matchups that were listed in PWI as well as matches that I generated off the top of my head.

Please look at the card and vote in the comment section on who would win each match...

The '80s vs. The '90s

Hulk Hogan vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin

The Great One vs. The Chain Gang Commander

The Rock vs. John Cena

Battle of the Showstoppers

Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat vs. Shawn Michaels

Two Animals

Batista vs. The Ultimate Warrior

Tag Team Legends

The Dudley Boys vs. The Road Warriors

From Pro Wrestling to MMA

Brock Lesnar vs. Bobby Lashley

Diva Greats

Trish Stratus vs. Beth Phoenix

Phenomenal Giants

The Undertaker vs. Andre The Giant

Ring Technicians

Kurt Angle vs. "Mr. Perfect" Curt Henning

Hall of Fame Fatal Four Way

Ric Flair vs. Sting vs. Roddy Piper vs. Mick Foley

The Game's Madness

Triple H vs. Macho Man Randy Savage

Canada Collides

Chris Benoit vs. Bret "Hitman" Hart

Diva Amazons

Chyna vs. Awesome Kong

Tables, Ladders and Chairs

The Hardy Boyz vs. Edge & Christian vs. The British Bulldogs

10-Man Money In The Bank Ladder Match

Chris Jericho vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Ravishing Rick Rude vs. Owen Hart vs. Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka vs. Tito Santana vs. Kane vs. Eddie Guerrero vs. Randy Orton

The State of the B/R Wrestling Community Address

Demetrus Stokes — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 11:49:08 -0400

B/R wrestling community dignitaries begin to gather in the room as they prepare to hear the state of the wrestling community address.

Wrestling's version of "Hail To The Chief," the NWO theme song begins to play as the Secretary of Offense, D. Stokes, walks into the room.

He shakes hands with such luminaries as Vice President Mina, Secretary Daris "Colin" Brown and former president Joe "W" Burgett.

It's rare that a secretary addresses the community in this format, but the new president Shane O'Howard is busy watching an episode of "90210."

Turns out, so is house speaker AkD.

As RNN chief correspondent Jason "Wolf" LeBlanc reports D. Stokes is set to begin his speech...

Thank you, thank you fellow community members. It's with great pleasure that I bring you the state of our community address.

I want to acknowledge President O'Howard and speaker AkD in their absence. If only they owned a DVR, they may have been present here today.

What we have to talk about today is very important to our existence. Apparently not as important as an episode of "90210," but that's neither here nor there.

There are issues among members of our community. Issues that stem around a scandal that is affecting our nation in the most severe way.

Yes my friends, Wrestlemaniagate. The biggest scandal to hit our community since former president Burgett's affair with Mae Young was discovered.

Due to Wrestlemaniagate we have seen recap after recap after recap of the Wrestlemania pay-per-view, and the reviews have not been great.

This scandal has caused us to lash out against each other for having opinions on whether the event was good or bad.

To that I say, no more!

Whether you liked Wrestlemania or not, the purpose of this community is for us to be able to express our opinions and debate them.

Is it ok to call each other out on issues we don't agree with? Sure it is. However it should be done in a way that does not disrespect our fellow countrymen.

This community was built on bodyslams, justice, and the wrestling way. Let's keep it that way.

At this point a standing ovation occurs and we have reached 20 already for the evening. It seems for some reason the crowd stands and applauds after every damn sentence!

Now in relation to Wrestlemaniagate, there are some issues that concern me about us as fans.

It is a word that I don't like to use, but is fitting in this situation.

Ladies and gentleman, "Fickleness" is taking over our community.

Yes! Fickleness, my friends, is an issue that has plagued the wrestling fan for as long as I can remember.

When I was a little boy growing up on the streets of Detroit, this nation was full of Hulkamaniacs.

My mother and grandmother warned that fickleness would take over the fans and they would turn on Hulk Hogan.

They were right. It came to pass.

I see the same fickleness from fans who are outraged that CM Punk won the MITB ladder match.

Aren't these the same fans that just a couple of months ago were outraged because Punk was cheated out of the title? Aren't these the same fans who feel that CM Punk has the talent to be a credible champion, and he just needs a chance?

I say let's do away with fickleness and bring change to the world of wrestling!

Only about half the crowd stands up and applauds....

We also need to address the issue of our oil prices.

Wrestlers are using oil and bronze on their bodies at an alarming rate—particularly Randy Orton.

Our wrestlers need to be more fuel efficient and start using water like the delegate from Connecticut, Triple H.

Speaking of Randy Orton and Triple H, I've heard quite a bit of nonsense regarding their match at Wrestlemania.

Triple H retained the title and everyone is outraged. Why?

As our Vice President Mina stated, wrestling feuds tell us a story.

Randy Orton got over on the McMahons week after week.

Triple H avenged his family and won at Wrestlemania. Wrestlemania is the culmination of a story.

Backlash will start a new story, and who knows? Randy Orton may become WWE Champion.

So I say that to say this, the notion that Orton was buried because Triple H won is ridiculous. The notion that Triple H told creative that he has to win is ridiculous.

When will people begin to realize that Triple H had the potential to be a major player in the WWE on his own.

He just so happens to be married into the McMahon family and people hate that. But answer me this question....

Wouldn't you marry Stephanie McMahon if you had the chance? She's pretty hot, if you ask me.

The man has no control over who he fell in love with. I'm sure that being on the road 300 days a year doesn't give you much opportunity to do much dating.

Most people stand and applaud, though some do so reluctantly.

So what is the state of the wrestling community?

The state of the community is strong. We have great writers with great opinions.

Though we may not agree on everything, we have to stay united so that our community can continue to thrive.

Let's put Wrestlemania behind us and move on to writing compelling articles.

God bless you! And God bless the B/R wrestling community!

Another standing ovation and another great state of the community address.

As D. Stokes walks out he is handed articles of impeachment papers for president O'Howard. The reason? No one puts the CW network over wrestling!!

"My Wrestling Soapbox": The Champ Is Here!!!

Demetrus Stokes — Fri, 03 Apr 2009 14:41:10 -0400

Well, folks, welcome to another exciting edition of "The Soapbox," where I love to rant and rave about the world that is wrestling.

Today, I'll rant about wrestling and a couple more things as well.

The Champ Is Here

No, I'm not talking about John Cena. I'm talking about yours truly, D. Stokes.

I will now and forever be known as the 2009 March Madness pop shot champion in my office!!

32 competitors came and 31 fell. For my efforts, I won $50 and the right to take the basketball setup home with me.

What can I say? I got a hell of a jumpshot!

Enough about me....

Love is In The Air

Do you think Ryan Michael likes Randy Orton more than Gilligan likes Joe Burgett?? Things that make you go HMMMMMM.....

Speaking of like (or love), would you like to hear my Wrestlemania predictions? You would? Good!

Listen to this past week's "Hit The Ropes Radio" and you'll hear my predictions as well as Shane and Daris.

There are enough predictions on this site to last me a lifetime.

Just wait until after Wrestlemania is over. We get to read 357 recaps of the show. Oh Brother!!

Mr. Wrestlemania

Call me a "mark," but I can't help but be excited about Wrestlemania. It has become a tradition for me, like watching the Super Bowl.

Most people feel that the Shawn Michaels vs. Undertaker match will be the highlight of the show.

I agree and make the argument that it should be the last match on the card. I know this is unlikely, but we can wish can't we?

The promos/vignettes for the feud have been great in my opinion.

This week on RAW, we thought Taker was finally going to get his hands on HBK. To everyone's surprise (not really) Michaels was under the casket and planted yet another superkick on the Undertaker.

The coolest promo of the whole feud was Shawn Michaels' promo from last week's Smackdown where he came out as the "Overtaker."

The holy music, the white smoke that was pretty cool. Can't wait for this match.

A Match 50 Years In The Making

What better way to celebrate Wrestlemania weekend then to talk some TNA. Please don't "boo" I'm trying to be unbiased here.

For those of you that have listened to HTR the past couple of weeks you may be familiar with a listener from Dallas named "Dap".

Dap loves TNA like the Hardy's love Jack Russell Terriers. He thinks they are the best thing since sliced bread, the bees knees, the...you get the point. He likes them a lot!

So much so that he said that Lockdown would be better than Wrestlemania.

Now I appreciate Dap calling in and showing the show some love but what exactly do they smoke in Dallas? Or at least what is Dap smoking?

I've been waiting my whole life to see an out-of-shape Mick Foley go against a past-his-prime Sting. So has Dap apparently.

I respect both men for what they've done, but give me a break!

This is the best main event TNA could come up with?

Makes you wonder why TNA has a man who ran WCW into the ground booking its show. I know! They want to be just like WCW.

Keep it up, TNA. You're well on your way.

12 Rounds

Did you know that the WWE film "12 Rounds" is in theaters right now?

Do you know Danny Fisher? How about the evil and diabolicle Miles?

Did you know that Miles has a twin brother named Moe who has a gimpy leg?

Did you know that Danny Fisher's mom graduated college top of her class?

Did the WWE know that there exists this thing called OVERKILL and they are guilty as charged?

Coming Soon....Elf II starring Hornswoggle.

Divas, Divas and More Divas

As JLB cringes, Kelly Kelly is my sleeper pick to win the diva battle royal and be crowned Ms. Wrestlemania.

Sure there are others like Gail Kim, Beth Phoenix, and Michelle McCool who have a shot. Then you have legends like Trish Stratus and Torrie Wilson who could win.

Forgive me for going out on a limb just a bit.

Wouldn't it be hilarious if Santino won? Wouldn't it be cool if Chyna were in the battle royal? Just some random thoughts.

Daris calls this match the "bathroom break."

Daris you are married. I've never met you in person but I'm almost certain you aren't blind!

Bathroom break? Please!! Who would want to miss all this eye candy?

When Mae Young comes out make a quick dash to the toilet, handle your business and then come back to see the hotness that is the WWE divas!

One Night With Shane

Check the HTR archives as Shane was on a quest to find a lady friend but was "checked" by his "boo" Jen Preston.

Shane, you got some 'splaining to do!!

A few tips for my fellow HTR co-host.

After ragging on you for watching 90210 and crying at the end of "Marley and Me," I realize that chicks might actually dig this, as you are showing your sensitive side. Keep up the good work!
There are a minority of women who actually like wrestling. You may want to keep that a secret for a while, if you want to get past first base. Or if all else fails, you have Jen who loves wrestling!
So help me understand, Shane, you have a computer and the internet but you still use a VCR? You probably still have those extra large cell phones that we used in the early 90s, don't you? The word of the day is D-V-D Player! Chicks dig technology. Welcome to the 21st century, Mr. Howard.

Shane Howard has never openly admitted to crying at the end of "Marley and Me". Since he watches 90210 and Gossip Girl, it is assumed that he did.

Well the soapbox is now closed. My city is hosting the Final Four and I will be partaking in some of the activities! I would say Go Michigan State, but I'd be lying.

Go Tar Heels!! Stokes...out.

Michigan State's Final Four Berth Brings Victory and Hope

Demetrus Stokes — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:04:05 -0400

With victory comes hope...

The Michigan State Spartans are on their way to the Final Four and no one could be happier than the residents of the state of Michigan.

The Spartans showed grit and determination in their hard fought win over Louisville.

No one expected it. No one except maybe MSU's students, staff, and alumni.

That same grit and determination is what has been shown by the citizens of Michigan.

As a resident of the state I see first hand how hard we've been hit by the failing economy. I've seen three layoffs at my own job in less than a year and have heard of countless more throughout the state.

People are losing their jobs and homes but for one brief moment were able to escape reality and live in MSU's moment.

Even myself, a lifelong North Carolina fan couldn't help but clap as Goran Suton hit jumper after jumper. As MSU's man-to-man defense seemed to frustrate Louisville as the game went on.

Unlike most of the state's citizens, MSU was able to impose their will. Something that others have been doing to us for a while.

So the citizens of Michigan will get to see one of their own state schools compete for a national championship.

Kids from Detroit, Flint and Saginaw will get to play in front of crowds of family and friends.

The headlines will read something other than Detroit and Flint being among the worst cities in the country. They will read of sons and grandsons, nephews and cousins playing on a grand stage.

For some members of this team it will be the biggest stage they'll ever play on.

For some citizens of Michigan the game Saturday will be their only escape from their reality.

MSU is not favored in their game versus UCONN but that won't stop the wave of green and white from invading Ford Field in Detroit.

That won't stop fans from hoping that the ride doesn't stop Saturday. They hope this ride takes them all the way to Monday night and the national title.

With victory comes hope...

The hope that for one weekend a city and state down on it's luck will be put in a positive spotlight.

The hope that when the weekend ends Michigan's native sons will be cutting down the nets in victory.

Not So Priceless:Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes Should Leave Legacy

Demetrus Stokes — Sun, 29 Mar 2009 12:51:59 -0400

Watching Randy Orton climb to the top must be fun.

Especially if you're Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes.

The two men who along with Orton form the faction known as "Legacy," but it seems the only one leaving the legacy is Randy Orton.

Randy Orton is possibly one week away from realizing his dream of becoming WWE Champion.

DiBiase and Rhodes will surely enjoy Orton's victory from ringside. They're more than likely going to have some involvement if Orton indeed wins the title from Triple H.

DiBiase and Rhodes as a team call themselves "Priceless" and were making waves as a tag team in the WWE. Both men have great talent that they surely inherited from their hall of fame fathers.

All of that stopped once they teamed up with Orton to form Legacy...

The main focus for these two have been to help Orton become champion all the while they have done nothing to help themselves.

No marquee matches. Just a bunch of attacks on Triple H and a handicap match here and there.

How can two guys this talented not be involved in a match a Wrestlemania?

They both could have been participants in the "Money In The Bank Ladder Match" replacing Mark Henry, Kane or even CM Punk since he participated in the match last year and won.

Instead, they will escort Randy "The Viper" Orton to the ring and watch from the sidelines.

I know some Orton lovers out there are saying this will only help the careers of DiBiase and Rhodes. Orton had to do the same thing when he was in "Evolution."

While Triple H was the main man in Evolution the other members of the faction didn't just stand around and watch while Triple H won title after title.

Ric Flair and Batista held the tag titles while Randy Orton became Intercontinental Champion and the youngest WWE Champion ever.

This helped to elevate both Orton and Batista to main event status.

Right now the best DiBiase and Rhodes can do is be accomplishes to a main event storyline.

The WWE needs to give them a storyline of their own to be involved in. As singles competitors or as a tag team, it doesn't matter give them something to do other than holding Randy Orton's bronzing airbrush can.

Maybe after Wrestlemania plans will change but it already seems that Legacy is getting a bit stale.

The WWE likes to mirror old storylines and gimmicks so it would seem logical that Legacy would mirror Evolution. So far the only common thing between the two groups is Randy Orton.

There is no denying that DiBiase and Rhodes have a great future in the WWE.

It seems that in order to jump start their careers the best course of action would be to leave Orton behind and start their own legacy...

Now that would be Priceless.

Samoa Joe Wants You: The Newest Recruits to the "Nation of Violence"

Demetrus Stokes — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 00:22:41 -0400

A few weeks back Samoa Joe made his return to TNA television and introduced us to his "Nation of Violence". Joe has reeked havoc on the likes of Scott Steiner and Sheik Abdul Bashir but he hasn't been alone. He has he trusty "samoan knife" that puts fear in all who cross it. But is this it? Does "The Nation of Violence" only consist of Samoa Joe? The answer is no and I have an exclusive list of the newest recruits to the "Nation of Violence". ***Disclaimer*** Demetrus Stokes in no way condones domestic violence against men or women. This is just all in good fun! Enjoy!

Begin Slideshow

WWE: The Movie

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 19:48:40 -0400

Ever wonder who would play the roles of your favorite WWE Superstars in a movie? Well here is a sneak peak of a major motion picture coming to a theater near you. Feel free to let me know what you think of the cast thus far. There will be sequels but this is the first installment in what will be the greatest motion picture series since "The Godfather" HTR Productions proudly presents.... An RNN Film.... WWE: The Movie Starring......

Begin Slideshow

The WrestleMania Invitational Final Four in Pictures, Part 1

Demetrus Stokes — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 10:46:16 -0400

Over the past few weeks we have examined the best Wrestlemania's of all-time. We are now down to four! Your vote will decide the two finalist and the invitational champion! Please vote for one of these four Wrestlemania's in the comment section. We will now look at each semi-finalist in a slide show format. The first matchup is Wrestlemania III vs. Wrestlemania XXIV

Begin Slideshow

On My Wrestling Soapbox: The Commentary of "Mrs. S"

Demetrus Stokes — Fri, 20 Mar 2009 16:34:16 -0400

Good Day, B/R brethren! Welcome to another exciting edition of "The Soapbox."

As always, we'll examine a potpourri of different topics and I'll be introducing you to my....er....better half, who has some interesting, funny wrestling commentary.

So let's begin...

R.I.P. Test

I won't go into much detail but just want to pay my respects to Andrew "Test" Martin who passed away earlier this week. It's always sad to lose someone so my thoughts and prayers go out to his family.

A Family Atmosphere?

Neither the WWE or TNA acknowledged Test's passing this week. I've been reading that because of his cause of death the WWE in particular are trying to stay away from paying their respects.

My thought is that he was a part of your "family" (company) at one point. It should at least be acknowledged.

It's documented that Test had a drug problem but there are many families in the world who have family members with drug problems and they just don't toss them to the side if they pass away.

Kudos to those wrestling stars who did comment and pay their respects to Test.

A RAW Disappointment

Boy did Monday Night Raw start off with a bang this week! HBK and The Undertaker teamed up to face JBL and Vladimir Kozlov but the fireworks happened after the match. HBK superkicked Taker in what was the highlight of the night.

The show went downhill from there.

The Triple H/Legacy segment was decent but failed in comparison to what happened the previous week on Raw.

The MITB six man tag was horrible as was the main event between Edge and John Cena.

Let's hope that Raw gets back on track next Monday as it will only be two weeks until Wrestlemania 25.

Destination X

A "C-" pay-per-view at best, I just don't enjoy TNA. I'm trying really hard since have this hosting gig and all but it's becoming difficult.

The X-Division match was excellent. I'll give TNA props there.

Christop....er...Suicide's leap unto the top of the "X-like contraption" was pretty cool.

AJ Styles became TNA Legends champ but that's about all that entertained me.

There was too much involvement from Jeff Jarrett and Mick Foley for me to fully enjoy the Kurt Angle vs. Sting match.

It would have been so much better if it were the two of them one-on-one without any body else being involved.

TNA has to step it up big time for me to "cross the line."

P.S. Shout out to Angelina Love! WHOOP WHOOP!!

Introducing Mrs. S

We'll end this article with the random rants and commentary of the infamous Mrs. S. For those that don't know my lovely wife is not a wrestling fan.

She has used such words as buffoonery, lame, and stupid to describe the entertainment I love so dearly.

I use these same words to describe Oprah, American Idol and all of the other shows she watches that suck in my opinion.

Over the last few weeks I have been slowly converting her into a wrestling fan.

She's not fully aware of this but she watches more and more wrestling each week.

It seems every week she makes a comment about what she has observed on an episode of RAW, Smackdown or Impact.

The following are statements that she has made that I would like to share with you all. I have paraphrased some of them as I couldn't remember them all verbatim.

The views and opinions of Mrs. S are not necessarily the views of Demetrus Stokes. You have been warned...

The Rock is much hotter as an actor then he was as a wrestler. He is 800 credit score beautiful!
All of the wrestlers with long hair look like they don't wash it on a regular basis.
Except CM Punk. He's hair is very bouncy and clean looking.
Shawn Michaels is hot. I just wish he would cut his hair. I love his beard!
Ric Flair is a fossil and his body is proof that he is too old to wrestle.
All divas are former pole dancers. Except Beth Phoenix. They throw one woman in there who can actually wrestle. When told that Layla was a former Miami Heat dancer her response was...."same thing."
Vicki Guerrero looks very odd. What purpose does she serve? When explained to her that Vicki is Smackdown's GM she says "that's stupid."
Why do all of the black wrestlers have to rap or portray thugs? And who in the hell is the one with the blond hair??
On Randy Orton's appearance this week on Monday Night Raw: "It's clear that he used too much bronze."
On Jimmy Snuka's Raw appearance: "He looks like if you blow on him he'll turn to dust."
Vince McMahon walks like he just got out of prison.
After watching 3-5 minutes of TNA Impact: "I see why no one watches this crap." "I'm going to bed!"

Well folks that wraps up another edition of "The Soapbox." Thank you to Mrs. S for her thoughts and observations of wrestling and thank you for reading.

P.S. (Cheap Plug) Don't miss Hit The Ropes this week! Harley Race, Ring of Honor announcer Bobby Cruise, and former WWE Diva Debra will be our guest!! This may be our biggest show yet!

P.P.S. For those NCAA fans your Final Four will be: North Carolina, Louisville, Memphis and Villanova.

USA Today Shows the B/R Wrestling Community Some Love: We Are Here to Stay!!

Demetrus Stokes — Sat, 14 Mar 2009 21:14:18 -0400

Friends of the B/R wrestling community!! It is with great pleasure that I announce a major accomplishment for our community!

The USA Today has posted an article that I wrote during Black History Month on the top African-American wrestlers ever.

Needless to say, personally I'm excited but I feel that this is a community accomplishment.

I didn't write this to gloat or brag, because God knows I'm not the best writer in this community and I don't feel this was the best article I've written.

This was written to make all of you aware and the rest of the other communities here on Bleacher Report aware that the wrestling community is here and (excuse my broken English) we ain't going nowhere!!

Sure people look at wrestling and say it's fake, it's not a sport, blah, blah, blah.

Wrestling is something that we KNOW is fake but provides us entertainment and it's something that many of us love. Just like you can love basketball and football (I love those too).

It speaks to us on a personal level as Josh Sewell so passionately wrote....

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/136126-a-true-story-of-what-pro-wrestling-has-meant-to-me

It makes us laugh. Just ask Shane Howard.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/125142-the-week-that-was-in-television-and-wrestling

It can provide one of the best experiences of our lives. Jason LeBlanc knows first hand.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/135269-my-wrestlemania-24-weekend-part-4-chapter-3

In addition to all of this we prove time and time again that though it may not be the sport of your choice we have great writers who write quality, in depth articles that are well researched.

Mina is a great example of such a writer. Check out her work.

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/133204-one-moment-chris- jericho-ignited-my-fire-for-the-squared-circle

There are so many other countless names to list of people who do great work in this community. Ross, Daris, AkD, Ray, M. The list goes on and on.

Ron Johnson my friend, you should be proud. I know I am.

So to all the great folks in the B/R wrestling community THANK YOU for what you do. I enjoy logging on daily and reading your great work.

Maybe one day we'll have a beer (or Kool-Aid, water, pop, etc. if alcohol is not your choice of beverage) and enjoy this great accomplishment.

To the rest of the Bleacher Report, get to know some of these great writers. Because we'll be here for a long time.

Oh...

If you care to read the USA Today posting click the link below.

http://www.usatoday.com/topics/article/Mick+Foley/07lj2gh0NpgVk/1

Creature Vs. Creature: Hulk Hogan Is the Greatest WWE Superstar Ever

Demetrus Stokes — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 16:40:53 -0400

Shawn Michaels is the "Showstopper," the "Main-Event," "Mr. WrestleMania." Ric Flair was "The Man." The Rock was "The Great One," and The Undertaker is "The Phenom."

But there is only one man that can be described as all of the above monikers.

He's your favorite wrestler's...favorite wrestler.

His name is Hulk Hogan—the greatest WWE superstar that ever lived.

If you were a kid in the '80s and '90s, you were a Hulk Hogan fan (whether you care to admit it now or not).

You had his action figure, you watched his cartoon. Hell, you waited outside for the ice cream truck so you could get one of those WWF ice cream bars and prayed you had Hogan's.

Hulk Hogan is THE name synonymous with professional wrestling in mainstream America...

In the mainstream universe BROTHER!

Hulk Hogan made his wrestling debut in 1977 after being trained by the legendary Hiro Matsuda.

He started wrestling in southern NWA territories where he teamed up with Ed Leslie (aka Brutus Beefcake) as brothers Terry and Ed Boulder.

After a talk show appearance where he made Lou Ferrigno look like Hornswoggle, Hogan began to use the name Terry "The Hulk" Boulder.

Hogan's size and muscle made him a favorite with fans, and he caught the eye of Terry Funk, who introduced him to Vince McMahon Sr.

McMahon Sr. changed his last name to Hogan, and things took off from there.

Hogan's first stint in the WWE (then WWF) lasted only one year. After filming Rocky III against Vince Sr.'s wishes, he left the WWE and joined the AWA.

Hogan became the top face in AWA and had a number of matches with AWA Champion Nick Bockwinkel, where he was screwed out of the AWA title.

After a two-year stint in AWA, Hogan returned to the WWE, now under the ownership of Vincent K. McMahon.

Hogan was Vince's main attraction and the man he picked to help him take over the wrestling business.

Hogan took the wrestling world by storm, and Hulkamania was born.

For the next 10 years, Hogan fought in areas all across the country and around the world, ripping off his shirt, cupping his ear to the fans, and "hulking up" much to our delight.

He became WWE Champion in 1984 and held the title for four years—the third longest reign ever. He would go on to win the WWE title six times in his career.

Hulk Hogan main-evented eight of the first nine WrestleManias.

He had memorable feuds and matches with the likes of Andre the Giant, Randy Savage, and Roddy Piper.

After all of his success in WWE, Hogan left and was instrumental in providing Vince and the WWE with the only real competition they've ever had.

He joined WCW, and in the most shocking heel turn in wrestling history, he formed the NWO with Scott Hall and Kevin Nash.

Now known as "Hollywood" Hulk Hogan, he was able to change up a gimmick that was becoming increasingly stale.

In WCW, Hogan would become a six-time World Champion, giving him 12 combined World Championships.

Hulk Hogan's significance to professional wrestling is unmatched.

Hulk Hogan crossed over in the mainstream. He starred in movies such as No Holds Barred and Rocky III. He appeared on The Tonight Show. He was on the covers of Sports Illustrated and People magazine. He's done it all.

Ask anyone who is not a wrestling fan between the age of 20-40 years old to name a professional wrestler, and I'm willing to bet that 90 percent of the time you'll hear Hulk Hogan. He is a household name.

Many claim that Hogan didn't have the wrestling skill set to be considered the best ever. Hogan in his early days was actually a skilled wrestler and showed off those skills when he wrestled in various Japan shows.

We also know that many of the top WWE stars are not encouraged to show their full repertoire of moves. Less is more, according to Vince McMahon.

Besides, if Hulk Hogan were just your skilled mat wrestling technician, would wrestling be the global phenomenon that it is today?

Guys like Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels, and Curt Henning were able to showcase their great technical skill because Hogan was on the card to provide the entertainment. Not to say that these guys weren't entertaining, but during Hogan's heyday, he was the guy people came to see.

Hulk Hogan was the blueprint for the crossover success current stars have today.

Current WWE stars like John Cena, The Rock, and Triple H have either starred or played roles in major motion pictures.

Various stars have appeared on The Tonight Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, and other talk shows.

Hulk Hogan transcended the wrestling business, and every WWE fan is indebted to him.

He thought us to train hard, say our prayers, and eat our steroids...er...vitamins.

He asked us the only question that matters: "What'cha gonna do? What'cha gonna do when the power of Hulkamania runs wild on you?"

What we did was tune in week after week to be entertained by THE greatest of all time...

And we haven't stopped since.

The Wrestlemania Invitational: Elite Eight

Demetrus Stokes — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 09:54:28 -0400

And then there were eight....

My excitement for the upcoming NCAA basketball tournament inspired me to do this Wrestlemania Invitational. We have looked at some of the greatest Wrestlemania's of all-time and now we are down to eight of the best.

So before I hit you with my CvC article on a superstar who needs no introduction, lets get this tournament down to the final four shall we?

Wrestlemania III vs. Wrestlemania X

We have Hogan/Andre and Savage/Steamboat versus Bret/Owen and Razor Ramon/HBK. Both events were highlighted by two great matches.

Wrestlemania X had nothing else to offer outside of these two matches in my opinion.

Wrestlemania III had additional matches on the card such as The Hart Foundation and Danny Davis vs. The British Bulldogs and Tito Santana which were great to watch. In addition to that over 93,000 people witnessed this event live.

The numbers don't lie....

Winner: Wrestlemania III

Wrestlemania X-Seven vs. Wrestlemania XXIV

The tag team TLC match between The Dudley's, Hardy's and Edge and Christian highlight X-Seven. Of course we had The Rock vs. Austin and the infamous "Stone Cold" heel turn.

Last year's edition of Wrestlemania was a classic. Don't just take my word for it, ask my main man JLB who witnessed it live.

Between the MITB ladder match, Undertaker/Edge, Michaels/Flair and the triple threat match between Cena, Triple H and Randy Orton this card was stacked.

Winner: Wrestlemania XXIV

Wrestlemania 21 vs. Wrestlemania XIX

Wrestlemania 21 was the coming out party for both John Cena and Batista. The torched was passed to the both of them as they became top tier stars in the WWE. The first ever MITB ladder match stole the show with Kurt Angle/Shawn Michaels a close second.

Wrestlemania XIX was also a passing of the torch so to speak. Steve Austin and The Rock were not in the main event. Instead we saw Brock Lesnar become WWE Champion by defeating Kurt Angle.

Still, The Rock and Austin went one-on-one for the third time at Wrestlemania. Though it wasn't the main event it was a great match and an end to one of the all-time great rivalries in WWE history.

This matchup is a tough one to call. Both cards were pretty good. The featured matches were great and had star power.

I have to give the edge to 21 on the strength of the first ever "Money In The Bank" ladder match.

Winner: Wrestlemania 21

Wrestlemania XIV vs. Wrestlemania VI

Wrestlemania XIV of course was the birth of the "Attitude Era" in the WWE. Austin became the man, Undertaker defeated his brother Kane, and Pete Rose got tombstoned.

Let's not forget Mike Tyson and the rise of Triple H as leader of DX. All classic stuff!

What's funny about XIV is that the pay-per-view wasn't that great but the event's effect on the WWE was significant. Wrestlemania VI simply put was all about Hulk Hogan versus Ultimate Warrior.

Could a main event get any better than this?

We've learned over the years that the answer is yes but it's no arguing at that time that they're weren't two bigger stars in wrestling.

The problem with VI is the rest of the card. The matches left a lot to be desired. Even compared to XIV the card was average.

Winner: Wrestlemania XIV

The final four is set!!

It will be Wrestlemania III vs. Wrestlemania XXIV in a matchup that could really be the championship because it's so good.

In the second matchup it will be Wrestlemania 21 vs. Wrestlemania XIV. The birth of the "Attitude Era" vs. "Wrestlemania Goes Hollywood"

From this point on, your vote will decide the champion!! So look out for the final four article as you will get to vote for who advances to the finals.

Intercontinential Title-United States Title: Do We Care Anymore?

Demetrus Stokes — Mon, 09 Mar 2009 11:39:58 -0400

Don't you remember the good-old days? The days when holding a championship actually meant something?

The days when you could order a pay-per-view and every title would be defended?

Do you remember the Intercontinental and U.S. Championship? Did you know these titles actual still exist in the WWE?

Maybe you do but lately it seems the WWE doesn't. In the next five years, it's quite possible that these two historic titles may become a distant memory.

The I/C and U.S. titles have so much history between them. Legends have held these titles. Steamboat, Savage, Flair, and Race just to name a few.

Lately we've seen both titles be treated as a complete joke.

Let's start with the I/C title. We were hoodwinked into thinking that there was some hope for the title when the WWE came up with the idea of having a tournament to determine the number one contender for the title.

At the time William Regal was champion and he needed a new challenger. Eventually CM Punk became number one contender and eventually Intercontinental Champion. CM Punk was to be the flagbearer for the new and improved intercontinental division. No fault to CM Punk, but he has been anything but.

Since CM Punk became I/C champ, do you know how many times he has defended the title? You don't? Me either.

I do know that he's defended the title a whopping ZERO times on any pay-per-view event since winning the gold!

William Regal, the previous champion, had no pay-per-view title defenses either.

In fact, in 2008 the I/C title was defended on pay-per-view three times. Three out of the 108 pay-per-views the WWE puts on every year. (Just an exaggeration on the 108, but it's too many, dammit!)

Let's examine those matches.

At Night of Champions, Chris Jericho battled Kofi Kingston for the title. Pretty decent match.

The next two are very, very, peeworthy.

Summerslam brought us a match where the I/C and Women's Title were defended in the same match. Kofi Kingston and Mickie James teamed up to face Glamarella.

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

At Cyber Sunday, Santino defended the title against The Honky Tonk Man! Are you flippin kidding me? I understand that there was a comedy aspect to this whole thing but Honky Tonk is 72 years old and no one thought for a second he would win the title. (He did win the match by DQ)

A title so rich in prestige and history should be defended more than three times in a year on PPV. We're approaching the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania. The I/C title has not been defended at Wrestlemania since 2002.

That drought will continue this year as I/C champ CM Punk is slated to participate in the "Money In The Bank" ladder match. Prior to 2002 with the exception of Wrestlemania XII, an I/C title match was on every Wrestlemania card.

These days we're lucky if we see an I/C title match on RAW.

The U.S. title, in my opinion, has surpassed the I/C title as far it's current value in the WWE. Though that's not saying very much.

At least when you hold the U.S. title you can be guaranteed a decent title reign.

Shelton Benjamin, the current U.S. champ, has held the title longer than the reigns of the last four I/C champs (Punk, Marella, Regal, Kingston) combined.

In fact, three of the last four U.S. champs have had title reigns over six months. That's saying something seeing as how titles change hands so rapidly in the WWE.

Since 2007 there have been nine different I/C champs. Only three U.S. champs.

Like the I/C title, the U.S. title still lacks the PPV exposure that it needs. They had a couple more PPV matches in 2008 but there is a need for more. The U.S. title is only in the midst of a two year Wrestlemania drought.

So the question is do we care anymore?

These two titles give the mid-card wrestlers the opportunity to compete and have a shot at holding a title. Because let's face it everyone can't be World Champion.

The mid-card wrestlers often still the show at WWE events.

You may come to see the big stars like John Cena, Shawn Michaels and Triple H but often you leave talking about Kofi Kingston, Shelton Benjamin or Jeff Hardy.

So again do we care about the relevance of the U.S. and Intercontinental Championships?

Yes...

There is too much history not to.

Lovefest and Legend Killers: Randy Orton-Chris Jericho

Demetrus Stokes — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:11:45 -0500

Love is in the air. Don't you smell it? It permeates the air with a smell so sweet you just can't resist being taken by it.

The smell is most pungent when you enter WWE arenas across the country. Fans can smell it through their TV sets when they are watching an episode of Monday Night Raw.

Yes, there is a lovefest taking over the WWE universe and one man is responsible—Randy Orton.

People love Orton so much they claim to hear voices in their heads. Thousands of fans have gone to their doctors claiming to have I.E.D., the condition Orton has made famous in recent weeks.

Randy Orton has made it cool to have a disorder that causes uncontrollable fits of rage and violent attacks.

The attacks on old men and women have spiked recently. Mysteriously all of them have claimed to have concussions from a "punt" to the head by complete strangers who hum the melody to the song "Voices" as they run away, shocked by what they have done.

Randy Orton is the "it" guy in WWE these days and my question is why?

Is it because fans are "blinded by love?"

There is no denying Orton's talent. He's going to be a superstar in this business for a long time.

He is set to main event his second straight Wrestlemania. He is involved in one of the most intense feuds we have seen in the WWE in a while.

He is on top of his game. Maybe on top of "The Game." He is one of the best heels in the WWE, but in my opinion not the best heel in the organization.

That distinction my friends belongs to Chris Jericho.

Once the funny, outgoing, and charismatic character known as Y2J, Chris Jericho has changed. He's turned his back on the "Jericholics" and now looks out for the only person that matters—himself.

No longer does Jericho wear colorful tights and sequenced jackets. He now wears a suit when he is addressing the crowd.

Out with the long, wacky hair. In with the short, dark haircut.

Jericho has transformed himself into a character that WWE fans love to hate.

In addition to all of this, he may have stolen the moniker of "Legend Killer" from Randy Orton.

While Orton is involved in an intense feud with Triple H and the McMahons, Jericho is involved in a very interesting one of his own.

He has physically and verbally assaulted a who's who of WWE legends in a storyline that gets more interesting by the week.

In "Goldberg" like fashion, Jericho leaves us wondering...who's next?

But why at this point is Jericho a better heel than Orton? There are a few variables to consider.

Let's start with the obvious. Jericho has had a longer career. He's more seasoned than Orton.

Jericho is a better wrestler. Period.

We could argue this point all day but you wouldn't be able to change my mind. Hopefully the "Randy love" hasn't blinded you that much.

How many matches has Orton had that after the match ended you said, "Wow that was a match that I'll remember for a long time?"

Or better yet how may five-star/classic matches has he had? Probably not many.

Jericho has had classics with Shawn Michaels, Kurt Angle, and Christian just to name a few. I'm not even considering Jericho's WCW days because that wouldn't be fair to Orton.

People in this wrestling community let John Cena have it because he only has five holds/moves.

And Orton has how many?

Here is a typical rundown of Orton's moveset: punch, kick, punch, inverted backbreaker, RKO, punt to the skull. Oh and he does that thing where he beats on the mat with his fists as the veins pop out of his neck.

Not really a move but people love it! It's so cool. He's a viper!

Another feather in Jericho's cap is his mic skills and the ability to make the crowd hate him.

Granted the fans are not "in love" with Jericho like they are with Orton so it's a little more difficult for Randy to get the crowd to boo him.

Hell, Orton has beat up a senior citizen, and a woman and still gets cheers. Chris Brown needs to take notes from Orton. Maybe he could save his career.

Jericho on the other hand pretty much only gets cheers in Canada (I'm sure he gets a few others too).

Jericho talks to the crowd like they are beneath them. He calls them parasites, hypocrites, and any other type of loser you can think of. He works a crowd better than any heel currently in the WWE.

Edge is a very close second.

Orton is not terrible on the mic but finds it hard to get everyone to boo him. He's even admitted in a radio interview that he has to do a better job at getting the crowd to hate him and I agree.

While Orton may be the WWE's next big star, he can still learn a lot from Chris Jericho.

Randy Orton is our current "flavor of the month," loved and adored by all of the WWE universe.

Many are hopeful that his destiny is winning the WWE Championsip at Wrestlemania XXV.

The "Age of Orton" may be upon us but Chris Jericho is someone we will never, eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeverrrrrrrrrrr forget.

Don't forget tonight from 6:00-7:30 p.m. EST will be another exciting edition of "Hit The Ropes" on blogtalkradio.com. Tonight's guest will include former WWE Tough Enough winner Daniel Puder and PWA star Gustavo Mendoza. So tune in as you don't want to miss Daris, Demetrus, and America's No. 1 Hulkamaniac Shane talk some wrestling with today's biggest stars!!

The Wrestlemania Invitational: Round 2

Demetrus Stokes — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 18:32:55 -0500

The WrestleMania Invitational is back for round two!

For those that don't know, I introduced an invitational a couple of weeks ago to crown the best WrestleMania of all-time. Every WrestleMania thus far has been randomly matched-up with another, with some receiving first round byes.

In round one there were some surprises. Most notably the first two WrestleMania's did not advance to round two.

We are now down to 16 'Mania's. What surprises are in store for round 2? Let's find out...

WrestleMania X8 vs. WrestleMania III

X8 advanced pretty easily with a win over WM IX. This matchup, however, is not as easy. X8 was, overall, a WrestleMania where the undercard dominated the main event. The Rock vs. Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair vs. The Undertaker, and Stone Cold Steve Austin vs. Scott Hall almost seemed more important than the main event of Triple H vs. Chris Jericho.

WrestleMania III still holds the record for the largest attendance for an indoor sporting event (93,173). The main event of Hulk Hogan vs. Andre The Giant may be the greatest main event for any Wrestlemania, ever. Randy Savage vs. Ricky Steamboat is one of the greatest matches of all-time.

WrestleMania X8 did have Hogan vs. Rock, but it can't trump the impact of 'Mania III.

Winner: WrestleMania III

WrestleMania 2000 vs. WrestleMania X

The first WrestleMania of the new millienium meets the 10th anniversary of the event.

The interesting thing about '2000' was that there was only one singles match on the entire card (Hardcore Holly vs. Crash Holly). The main event was a fatal four-way, there was a triple threat match, and a number of tag team matches.

As stated in the previous article the ladder match between The Dudley's, Hardy's, and Edge and Christian stole the show.

The concept behind the WrestleMania X main event sucked, for lack of better words. Lex Luger and Bret Hart both earned the right to title matches by being co-winners of the Royal Rumble. They both got their shots with Bret Hart eventually coming out the champion at the end of the night.

Bret Hart was forced to fight a preliminary match by virtue of losing the coin toss with Luger. This led to the classic match with his brother Owen. Almost, maybe even, overshadowing the Bret vs. Owen match was the ladder match between Razor Ramon and Shawn Michaels for the Intercontinental Championship.

Both 'Mania's had great ladder matches but Owen vs. Bret gives 'X' the edge.

Winner: WrestleMania X

WrestleMania VII vs. WrestleMania X-Seven

WrestleMania VII, by all accounts, wasn't the greatest pay-per-view. It pulled off the first round upset of the original WrestleMania by virtue of having some better matches. My personal favorite was the retirement match between the Ultimate Warrior and "Macho Man" Randy Savage.

Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter may have been one of the worst 'Mania main events ever. The storyline of the "American Hero" versus the "Traitor" during the Persian Gulf War made it a little intriguing.

WrestleMania X-7 was about as solid as you can get as far as wrestling cards go. Of course there were some duds, but overall the card was solid.

Another TLC match between the Hardy's, Dudley's, and E&C would become a classic. The Rock vs. Austin was a continuation in what would become one of greatest rivalries in sports entertainment. The shock of the night came when Austin shocked the world by turning heel, and aligning himself with his arch-nemesis, Vince McMahon.

The power of X-7's card gives it the win.

Winner: WrestleMania X-Seven

WrestleMania 23 vs. WrestleMania XXIV

WrestleMania 23 was a record breaker. It broke Ford Field in Detroit's attendance record, it was the highest grossing one day live event in WWE history, and it was the highest grossing pay-per-view in WWE history with 1.2 million buys.

All of this, and their really wasn't a match that blew your socks off!

John Cena vs. Shawn Michaels was decent. Batista vs. The Undertaker was a match that a lot of people wanted to see, but not because there would be great wrestling involved.

I witnessed this one live, and enjoyed every minute, but overall it was just a "good" WrestleMania.

WrestleMania XXIV was a year later and boasted a better main event and undercard.

CM Punk took advantage of a great opportunity and won the "Money In The Bank" ladder match, Randy Orton shocked the world by beating Cena and Triple H to retain the WWE Championship, and who can forget a 135 pound Floyd "Money" Mayweather defying the odds by beating the 7ft. 500 pound Big Show?

All this in my opinion made XXIV a better Pay-Per-View.

Winner: WrestleMania XXIV

WrestleMania 21 vs. WrestleMania XX

Another matchup of Mania's that took place one year after each other.

WrestleMania decided to go "Hollywood" for the 21st edition; with promos themed around Hollywood movies. The pay-per-view itself did not disappoint. We had the first MITB ladder match and Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels.

WrestleMania XX was live from Madison Square Garden as we witnessed Chris Benoit finally reach the mountaintop by becoming World Heavyweight Champion in a match that is regarded as one of the greatest 'Mania matches of all-time.

Eddie Guerrero retained the WWE title by defeating Kurt Angle. There were some matches on the card that left a lot to be desired however, and Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar was a huge disappointment.

In an upset of sorts the first 'Mania to get a first round bye goes down...

Winner: WrestleMania 21

WrestleMania 22 vs. WrestleMania XIX

WrestleMania 22 didn't have a match that blew you away, but it did have Torrie Wilson vs. Candice Michelle in a "Playboy Pillow Fight"! WHOO! Rob Van Dam won the MITB ladder match, which later in the year lead him to the WWE and ECW Championship.

John Cena made Triple H tap in what could be deemed a bit of a surprise. The night, however, belonged to Rey Mysterio; who became World Champion by defeating Randy Orton and Kurt Angle in a triple threat match.

WrestleMania XIX could be remembered for the botched shooting star press that Brock Lesnar attempted on Kurt Angle in what was still a decent match. If that isn't your primary memory from this event perhaps it is the underrated classic that took place between Chris Jericho and Shawn Michaels.

What I remember most is the final encounter between Dwanye Johnson...er...The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin. The Rock finally got over the hump and defeated Austin at WrestleMania.

Winner: WrestleMania XIX

WrestleMania V vs. WrestleMania XIV

Wow, WrestleMania V had 14 matches on the card! When is the last time the WWE had that many matches on one card in recent memory? Out of those 14 I would only deem four of them bad, of course the event was centered around the "Mega Powers" exploding in what was a great storyline at the time.

WrestleMania XIV brought us a pivotal moment in WWE history. Stone Cold Steve Austin became WWE Champion in a match that would usher in the "Attitude Era". Kudos to Shawn Michaels for performing in the main event with a severe back injury. This high profile main event also included "Iron" Mike Tyson, who was the "special enforcer" for the match.

Outside of this match the only other highlight may have been Kane delivering a Tombstone to baseball legend Pete Rose.

WrestleMania V was a better pay-per-view as far as the quality of the card. However, you can not deny the significance of Austin winning the title and the "Attitude Era" beginning.

So in Bret Hart fashion I'm "screwing" WrestleMania V.

Winner: WrestleMania XIV

WrestleMania XII vs. WrestleMania VI

We all know the history behind WrestleMania XII. Austin and Triple H make their debuts on the big stage, and of course the historic "Iron Man" match between HBK and Bret Hart. That's about all that 'XII' brings to the table, but that match alone makes the PPV worth the money.

WrestleMania VI brought us a match between the two biggest stars in WWE at the time. Intercontinental Champion Ultimate Warrior went one-on-one with then WWF Champion Hulk Hogan in a title vs. title match.

This match doesn't compare in quality to Michaels/Hart but outside of Hogan/Andre was there a bigger WrestleMania main event?

I guess that's debatable.

What's not debatable is that WrestleMania VI had an undercard that blew WrestleMania XII out the water. 'XII' skated by with a first round victory on the strength of Michaels/Hart but the power of the "Warriors" and "Hulkamaniacs" prove too much for these two.

Winner: WrestleMania VI

Round two is history and we now have the "Elite Eight". Next article we will have four matchups of the best WrestleMania's of all-time. We are close to naming the greatest WrestleMania ever.

Who will survive round three?

We shall soon find out. Check out these matchups....

WrestleMania III vs. WrestleMania X

WrestleMania X-Seven vs. WrestleMania XXIV

WrestleMania 21 vs. WrestleMania XIX

WrestleMania XIV vs. WrestleMania VI