WWE News: Reviews, Analysis and Rumors for Week of Feb. 12
With Elimination Chamber set to launch on Sunday from Milwaukee, Wisc., the WWE is nearly ready to start filling out the WrestleMania card. We have obviously known about John Cena vs. The Rock for nearly a year, but the results at Elimination Chamber will have major 'Mania implications.
Rather than this year's WrestleMania 28, however, much of this week's talk has centered on the location of WrestleMania 29 next year. A somewhat surprising choice was announced, and a huge WWE superstar has already made plans to appear.
Additionally, storylines heated up on RAW and SmackDown in anticipation of Elimination Chamber and the road to WrestleMania. There were some shocking developments, both storyline-related and with regards to real-life issues, so Elimination Chamber figures to be an unpredictable pay-per-view.
Here are the biggest rumors and news pieces from the WWE over the past week.
WrestleMania 29 Coming to MetLife Stadium
1 of 5According to Mike Vorkunov of the Newark Star-Ledger, it was announced that WrestleMania 29 will take place at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, N.J. on April 7 of next year. There were inclinations that MetLife Stadium was the favorite, but it was officially announced on Thursday in a press conference that included the likes of John Cena, The Rock, Triple H, Vince McMahon and New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
The event will take place in an open-air stadium, and while it can still be cold during that time of the year in the New York/New Jersey area, that doesn't seem to be of concern. MetLife Stadium will host the Super Bowl in 2014, so McMahon and WWE beat the NFL to the punch in terms of hosting a major event.
My Take
I have mixed feelings regarding this decision. In one respect it's sensible because WWE's roots are based in the New York/New Jersey area, so bringing a major event there is a good fit. At the same time, though, there was hope that WrestleMania 30 would take place at Madison Square Garden in New York, and that now seems unlikely since two WrestleManias likely won't be held in succession so close to one another.
The WWE has shied away from holding WrestleManias in smaller venues so that may have been wishful thinking on my part, but it's a bit of a disappointment nonetheless. Another issue is the weather. It isn't inconceivable that it could be snowing in the area on April 7 next year, so there has to be some concern. Perhaps an awning of some sort will be placed over the ring, though. Regardless, it will definitely make for a great atmosphere.
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The Rock to Appear at WrestleMania 29
2 of 5The Rock is already set to headline WrestleMania this year against John Cena, and he was the host of last year's WrestleMania. Now, it looks as though The Rock will make his third WrestleMania appearance in a row next year.
According to Richard Gray of Wrestling News World, The Rock announced his intentions to appear at the event at a press conference revealing the location as MetLife Stadium. This is sure to create a great divide among fans as some are happy to see The Rock back in any capacity, while others feel he isn't living up to his promise of being back home and never going away.
My Take
As a huge fan of The Rock, there is absolutely nothing bad that can come from this announcement. Say what you will about The Rock bringing it "via satellite" but there is no question that his involvement in this year's WrestleMania has increased interest a great deal. Too many wrestling fans are jaded because they misinterpreted his comments and thought that he would be appearing on WWE television on a regular basis.
The fact of the matter is, though, that The Rock has a lucrative career in acting and it would be silly for him to leave that behind. The Rock's mere presence improves the product a great deal and the fact that he will appear at a third consecutive WrestleMania is great. It will be very interesting to see if another match could possibly be in the works and who his opponent might be.
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Eve Kisses John Cena as Kane vs. Cena Saga Continues
3 of 5The Kane vs. John Cena storyline continued to plod along on Monday, but there were finally some shocking developments. After rescuing Eve from Kane, who tried to take her away in an ambulance, Eve laid a big wet one on Cena, and Cena reciprocated. As fate would have it, a shocked Zack Ryder looked on in horror.
This eventually led to a confrontation between Ryder and Cena in the ring in which Ryder, back brace and all, slapped Cena across the face. Before Ryder could leave, Kane showed up and pushed Ryder, who was sitting in his wheelchair, off the stage. All of that is leading to an ambulance match between Cena and Kane at Elimination Chamber on Sunday.
My Take
I haven't been a big fan of this feud to this point since it has been, for lack of a better word, lame. While Monday's developments had some lame elements as well, there were enough interesting things going on to keep me intrigued at the very least. A Cena heel turn seems like a long shot, but Kane is obviously getting to Cena with all of his tactics.
Ryder has turned his back on Cena and could be in for a heel turn in his own right, although that probably won't happen either since he is so over with the fans. My prediction involves an eventual revealing that Kane and Eve were working together all along. I'm not sure how the partnership will be explained, but it seems like Kane is using Eve as a pawn in order to get Ryder and Cena to become enemies.
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WWE Elimination Chamber 2012: Eve's Lips Now Have Nowhere to Turn but Heel
Shawn Michaels Returns to RAW, Calls out Triple H
4 of 5As advertised, "The Heartbreak Kid" Shawn Michaels made his return to RAW on Monday in order to address the Triple H/Undertaker situation. The previous week Triple H officially turned down Undertaker's challenge of a rematch at WrestleMania. This prompted "Mr. WrestleMania" himself to call out his best friend to convince him otherwise.
The conversation got heated and turned into an argument as Michaels called Hunter a coward among other things. Triple H was steadfast in his resistance with regards to taking on The Undertaker again, so Michaels eventually left the ring in disgust. Afterwards another promo courtesy of The Undertaker played, claiming that his pursuit of Triple H is "not over."
My Take
This was my favorite promo in a long time, and it was probably the best in the WWE since CM Punk's breakout promo over the summer. Everything about it was done to perfection. Both Michaels and Triple H showed plenty of emotion, and some of the things that they said seemed to have truth to them, making the confrontation even better. When Michaels said Triple H changed since "marrying that chick," it took things to another level.
Both men showed plenty of passion and it set the stage well for the road to WrestleMania. It is quite obvious that Michaels is going to have some involvement in a Triple vs. Undertaker match, but it's unclear what it would be. The best possible thing would be HBK making the match a triple threat, although I doubt it since he seems happy in his retirement. At the very least he will likely be a special guest referee, allowing for a ton of unpredictable variable.
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Randy Orton Injured, to Be Replaced at Elimination Chamber
5 of 5Some unexpected news came to light this week when it was announced that Randy Orton suffered a concussion and would be unable to compete in the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match on Sunday. Orton apparently suffered the concussion during his match with Big Show on RAW.
It is being played up that the injury was caused by Daniel Bryan hitting him in the head with the World Heavyweight Championship, but the injury may have occurred on his RKO of Big Show. Either way, Orton is out for Sunday and will be replaced by Santino, who won a wild-card battle royal on SmackDown to earn the final spot in the match.
My Take
I'm not a particularly big fan of Orton since I find him to be a bit repetitive and made out to be invincible at times, but even I can admit that he is a huge asset to the company. Along with CM Punk he is the most unanimously over guy in the WWE, so he's a major draw. Orton has also put on tons of quality matches over the past year, meaning his exclusion from the Chamber will hurt the quality of the match.
Also, it makes the result seem a bit too obvious. Orton is always a contender to win anything he is involved with, but with him out, Bryan seems very likely to retain the World Heavyweight Championship. One possible shakeup could involve Christian attacking Santino before the match, stealing his spot and winning, but it isn't known if he is cleared to compete. Whatever the case, the absence of Orton significantly downgrades the potential of the SmackDown Chamber match.
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WWE Elimination Chamber 2012: Randy Orton Injury Guarantees a Daniel Bryan Win
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