Drive/Off: WrestleMania Card, Bourne's Return, Punk/Orton, HHH/Undertaker

As I stated in one of my articles a few days ago, debates are healthy and a natural part of being in the Internet Wrestling Community (IWC). With each passing week, there’s a set of outrageous, factual, or unexpected news to hit the B/R from dirt sheets. Naturally, most of the IWC flock to the comment section to voice our opinions on the subject at hand.

Whether it’s to display our markism or just to defend/bash the subject at hand, there’s no denying that we listen to these news breaks.

Besides the common news breaks, the actions of WWE Creative tend to drive us to the brink of insanity. As they drive the thing we love the most in to obscurity, our emotions tend to get the best of us, and as a member of the IWC, where do we go to let them out?

The comments section.

That’s why I’ve decided to reinvent this slideshow. I would like to give credit to Muzzy Daud and his Dared Debate for inspiring this slideshow.

Basically, there are five writers submitting our thoughts on numerous subjects. This time around, there will only be three writers. The writers are subject to change, but Matt Offerman and I will remain staples of this new concept.

The floor is open.

The Rumored WrestleMania Card and No Money in the Bank This Year

With the recent news of the WrestleMania card leaking, numerous fans and members of the IWC have voiced their rage over the planned matches. While the card is just a RUMOR, most of the matches listed were already announced, some of which were predicted by the majority. Despite this, three things outraged the majority of us.

One, there is no Money in the Bank ladder match.

The match has been a staple on WrestleMania since 2005 and has made upper mid carders full-fledged main eventers. This particularly angered the IWC because of one man. The IWC’s Golden Boy, John Morrison, seemed a lock to win the match.

Another Morrison related event is also a part of the card. Somehow, John Morrison will team with Kelly Kelly and Trish Stratus to take on Dolph Ziggler and LayCool. The final thing is that the Corre will take on Christian, Kofi Kingston, Kane, and Christian.

RiZE: Well honestly, the card is extremely unbearing, but like stated, it's a rumor. Even if it were a week before the event, the card is always subject to change. If this is the card for the event, even the addition of The Rock won’t save this event from being the worst WrestleMania to date.

Second, how does John Morrison end up in a match with Dolph Ziggler? Along with the addition of the Divas, Morrison vs. Ziggler doesn’t scream WrestleMania match. On to to the Corre vs. Smackdown stars match. How do Kingston and Christian fall into the equation? Both men were feuding with Alberto Del Rio, and this seems as if it’s just another filler match.

The MITB has been my favorite Mania match besides the Main events. With the lineup for this year, it was a must for the WrestleMania to give at least one match some quality. The spots and brutal actions of the Superstars give me goose bumps. This would’ve been a perfect place to showcase my favorite Superstar, John Morrison

His numerous spots lately would’ve been a perfect fit for the Money in the Bank match. Without it, Wrestlemania seems incomplete and takes away opportunities for members of the mid card.

Charlie Groenewegen: When I think of Wrestlemania, I think of one thing: Money in the Bank. It was my favorite event at Mania. The unpredictability of it was what made it great. Now WWE wants to take that away? Well, it’s not all bad.

They’ll still have the Money in the Bank pay-per-view, and three MITBs a year is a little overkill. The show must go on. WWE might find something to replace the Money in the Bank, like a battle royal or something. Losing the MITB at Mania isn’t going to ruin the show.

Matt Offerman:  The WrestleMania card for this year has been given a five out of 10 by The Off. Put simply, it sucks. I mean, come on Vince, you yourself said you want this to be the best ever, and THIS is what you give us. Now there are some matches I will watch, but the Divas match is always a no-go. Daniel Bryan and Sheamus?

Lawler vs. Cole is going to be a joke and the only interesting part will be Austin stunning somebody. I don’t even want to get into the Corre vs. random guys thrown together. Christian being a part of that just makes me want to avoid commenting on it. Mysterio vs. Rhodes is obvious. Ziggler and Morrison with the Diva's will only be great because we get to see Trish again. The last four matches are going to be the bread for it

Evan Bourne's Return

Several months ago, Evan Bourne suffered a shoulder injury that required surgery. Bourne was forced to go into months of rehabilitation and miss a few months of WWE programming. To take Bourne off of television, the WWE set up a match between Bourne and CM Punk.

The Second City Saint defeated Bourne but attacked the Superstar after the match. Bourne disappeared from WWE programming until this past Monday and easily defeated Sheamus in a squash.

Rize: Air Bourne is among my favorites, and I was excited to see him return to action. But, I didn’t exactly like the fact that he defeated an already destroyed Sheamus. Triple H totally buried his buddy before the RAW GM announced the match.

Seeing as how Sheamus has slide down to the mid card, a win over him isn’t as special as it was three months ago. As for Evan, I would like to see him exact some form of revenge on Punk. While most want Punk to win the WWE title, I believe Punk’s star is bright enough to get Bourne over with fans.

Like Daniel Bryan and The Miz.

We’re in desperate need of rising face stars, and Bourne’s ability is good enough to make him a big player in the WWE. The alternative would be a draft to Smackdown.

Charlie Groenewegen: Evan Bourne. On the brink of a major push, then gets injured. I think the best way for Bourne to return is during the WWE Draft. Send him to the blue brand, Smackdown. There, he will have better odds of getting the shot he deserves. The RAW main event scene is pretty congested compared to that of Smackdown’s.

Bourne can put on great matches with guys like Kofi Kingston, Rey Mysterio, Cody Rhodes, Christian and Jack Swagger. WWE clearly wants to push Bourne, but due to the star power on RAW, I’m afraid they can’t do that. Bourne should go to Friday nights and get the push he deserves.

Matt Offerman: Evan Bourne has finally returned to the WWE. It’s a real shame that he got more attention when he was out than he will now. He is good, but come on; you know that they utilize him correctly. The truth hurts, but it doesn't look good for Bourne.

CM Punk or Randy Orton: Who Will Win This Feud and Personal Preference?

At the Royal Rumble, New Nexus cost Randy Orton the WWE Title after CM Punk put Orton to sleep. The motivation behind the attack was obvious from the moment it occurred. CM Punk was holding a grudge from two years before.

Punks first reign as World Champion ended at the hands of Orton but not in a match. In a premeditated attack before a Championship scramble, Orton and Team Priceless attacked Punk backstage with the exclamation point being a punt to the head.

Punk was deemed unfit to defend his Championship, and it was subsequently vacated after that. The Viper set his sights on New Nexus the next night, attacking Michael McGillicutty and Husky Harris. After decimating both, Orton punted Harris despite pleading by Punk.

After numerous attacks on one another, the match was set for WrestleMania, and Orton’s already punted Michael McGillicutty out of the situation. Now that everything is set and stone, who will win at Mania and who is your favorite between the two?

RiZE: This has been a great feud, and the mic work of CM Punk is outstanding.  Things have already intensified between the two, and the match should be an eye widener. I want to believe CM Punk will win at Mania, but the way Orton’s been booked, it seems as if he’ll win the match. So I will remain undecided until the match itself happens.

Personally, I prefer Punk over Orton any day of the week. Punk is charismatic and the best all-around wrestler in the WWE today while the face Randy Orton has grown stale and boring. Even when he’s punting guys in the head, Orton is barely watchable nowadays.

Charlie Groenewegen:  I think Punk should win over Orton. Orton has nothing to lose, Punk has everything to gain. Orton already has his name cemented in the WWE’s main event scene. A loss to Punk at Wrestlemania won’t do any damage to Orton’s status or credibility.

A loss for Punk will make him and the Nexus look weak, and Punk may not get the main event seat he deserves. However I think WWE won’t surprise us in this match. Winner: Randy Orton.

Matt Offerman:  CM Punk and Randy Orton should be an excellent match to watch. Nexus will be banned from ringside with the exception of maybe one guy. In my opinion, this will be the beginning of the end for Nexus.

I think Orton will win because whoever the Nexus member is, probably Otunga, will either cost Punk the match on “accident” or just straight up turn on Punk. I don’t think the feud will end here, though, and I hope it doesn’t.

After Months of Programming, Which Is Better? Corre or Nexus?

After losing all credibility at last year’s SummerSlam, the Nexus spiraled into a path of destruction that ended in Wade Barrett losing a chairs match to John Cena.  During Cena’s numerous attacks on Nexus while he was fired, he angered CM Punk and spilled his diet Pepsi.

After Cena was seemingly finished with Nexus, Punk attacked Cena on two occasions. Punk explained that Cena had ruled the WWE with an iron fist and his multiple attacks on Barrett and his followers were unnecessary. Later that night, Cena refused a truce with Nexus who immediately attacked him afterwards.

Punk made his way to the ring and dropped Cena with a GTS before slipping on the Nexus armband and signaling to his new followers. Barrett was unceremoniously kicked out of the group after losing a cage match to Randy Orton. Barrett quickly rebounded by attacking Big Show on Smackdown.

Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater left the Nexus after ridiculous initiations by CM Punk. The duo debuted on Smackdown along with Ezekiel Jackson. The trio aided Barrett in pummeling Big Show. The next week, Barrett announced them as the Corre and insisted that they were all equals.

RiZE: After almost three months of both stables, I can safely say that Corre is the superior. Despite what most think, each member has been treated equally unlike New Nexus. Nexus revolves around CM Punk, and the rest are a bunch of bouncers used to aid Punk in beat downs.

Mason Ryan has only spoken once, David Otunga is David Otunga, Harris is a bouncer, and McGillicutty is awful. Besides that, Corre has the tag team titles and actually show some personality.

Charlie Groenewegen:  The Corre, no doubt about it. They have proven dominant thus far and actually have gold around their waists while Nexus just keeps getting Orton’s boot size. Nexus is really weak. The five members of Nexus can not defeat Randy Orton! Orton already took out three members of Nexus! The Corre has a tougher opponent, the 500 pound Big Show.

So far, The Corre is getting the job done. Getting the best of The World’s Largest Athlete every chance they get. The Nexus can’t even beat Randy, but The Corre is dominating the Big Show right now. The Corre is better, no contest.

Matt Offerman: I knew this question would come up eventually, and the answer for me is very simple. Nexus or the Corre. Who is better? I think the Corre has better talent, but Nexus has a better leader. So I believe it is the Corre but Punk makes the Nexus pop.

If the Streak Were to Have Ended, by Which Past Competitor?

When the thought of WrestleMania comes up each year there is one thing that drops into our flow of thought.  Who will challenge the Undertaker at WrestleMania? The Deadmans undefeated streak has stretched across 18 manias and is unlikely to ever end. Despite this, every fan has had their moment where they thought the streak was over.

Whether it was during the match or the buildup, there was always one fan who thought someone would end it all at Mania. Looking at the statistics of the past, which man was fit to break the Streak?

Rize: I can only think of three men that could’ve ended the streak that I would’ve actually seen as believable, Randy Orton, Batista, and Shawn Michaels. The buildup for the match with Orton was unbelievably clever and the way Orton played his role was perfect.

Orton had the upper hand at each turn, and when he reversed the choke slam to an RKO, I thought it was over. The same would go for Batista. The Animal was the WWE’s second biggest face at the time and was seemingly unbeatable.  Him and Taker’s feud boiled over as the weeks passed, and after the Batista Bomb, I thought it was over.

Shawn Michaels was my pick to end the streak. He was on top of his game, and I believe he stood as Takers greatest challenger. Like Orton, Michaels absolutely dominated Taker in the weeks leading up and even played mind games with the master. There were numerous moments where I felt HBK would end it, but it wasn’t meant to be.

Charlie Groenewegen:  Shawn Michaels would be the obvious choice, but there is power in numbers, so I’ll go with A-Train and Big Show. If the streak were to end, those two should’ve been the ones to do it. It was a 2 on 1 handicap match! The Undertaker had to take on 800+ pounds in this match! These two giant men could’ve crushed Undertaker.

A-Train and Big Show is the logical choice.

Matt Offerman: The Undertaker’s streak is legendary, and we are all wondering if Vince will really ruin what he has taken 18 years to build. If I had to pick somebody that Taker has faced at Mania to have beaten him, it would have to be…(drum roll)..

HBK. As if it’s not obvious, HBK should have ended the streak, because he is the (arguably) best wrestler in the world. 

Favorite Wrestler of All Time and Why?

As pro wrestling fans, we all favor more than one Superstar, but we’d be lying if we were to save we didn’t have an all-time favorite. Somewhere along the way, some superstar impressed us with their promo ability, in ring work, or just the person themselves.  Whether it’s the past or the present, we have an all-time favorite, but the question is who is it?

Rize: That is an extremely different question, but I think it’s safe to say that my favorite is The Rock. When I began watching the WWF/E, it was WrestleMania 17. I was already a fan of World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and when I learned that they were purchased by the WWF, I began watching it to see my favorites.

I was amazed by the triple threat TLC match between the Hardy’s, Dudley’s, and Edge and Christian, but the SCSA vs. Rock match is one of the greatest of all time. Because I was a newcomer to WWE programming, I didn’t dispute the ending, but I disliked the fact that Rock left after the next RAW.

After his return and subsequent matches and promos, I was amused by the character and favored him over any of the former WCW Superstars. He had it all: mic skills, wrestling ability, drawing power, and stage presence and he will forever be my favorite. BUT John Morrison is etching his way towards the top of my charts.

Charlie Groenewegen: Again, HBK would be a popular choice for this. But my favorite wrestler is Kurt Angle! He is the only Olympic Gold Medalist in professional wrestling! He won the gold medal with a severe neck injury, fracturing two of his cervical vertebrae, herniating two discs and pulling four muscles. He is a 14-time World Champion. He could do a moosault and 450 Splash at the age of 42. He is the only man in history to be a Triple Crown winner in both WWE andTNA.

He is the fifth Grand Slam Champion in WWE history and the only man to have held the TNA World Heavyweight Championship, TNATag Team Championship and the X Division Championship at the same time. Kurt Angle is the greatest wrestler who ever lived!

“Oh it’s true. It’s damn true.”

Matt Offerman: The answer is obvious here. Captain Charisma, Christian. The reason is just because he is a badass. The real reason was because of what happened to me. When I was a kid, I went to an event on my birthday.

After the show I waited outside to try to get some autographs. Most everybody went for the hot chicks, but he actually came to me and just totally made my day. He is a great person, and above all, a great wrestler.

Classic Quote of the Week

As we close out the first edition of the Drive/Off, we would like to thank each and every reader and ask that you keep an eye out for our latest articles and slideshows. We will continue these segments each week and hope to bring you creative insight/opinions on every opportunity.

Charlie:  In life, there are winners and there are losers

Matt: We are Rize, Off, and Charlie G.

RiZE: Be Jealous