Dawg Knows Best #14 - It Makes Sense In The End So Screw Logic

[RONTHEDAWG]

EDITION #14

Welcome to the latest edition of Dawg Knows Best. I got to say it’s been one crazy week for me. I turned 22 years of age last week and you might think I’m nuts but I truly feel like an old fart. It can’t be a good sign when you’re in your early 20’s and you already complaining about how old you’re getting. Nonetheless, I had planned to write a column about No Way Out last week but I’m glad I waited till now. Even though the booking didn’t seem LOGICAL, I thought the show delivered big time. But more on that later.

I’m already planning on writing a column next week about this year’s Draft. It’s always interesting to figure out what wrestlers will be switching brands but honestly, does it even matter what brand you’re in when you could easily show up at any show without any LOGICAL reason? Ask The Miz and John Morrison. Heck, it even looks like Jamie Noble has some sort of special privileges that he can show up at any show as well. But enough already with that, let’s get started with who’s having the…


BEST WEEK EVER? CHRISTIAN


I didn’t watch ECW live last week but my friend had text me telling me that Christian finally made his return and I honestly thought he was joking. But unfortunately, he wasn’t joking and Christian did make his return on ECW. No build up or anything but I can’t say I’m upset now. At first, I was a little disappointed but the more I thought about it, I think it was the right move. Christian hasn’t been in the ‘E in almost three years and once Matt Hardy was revealed as Jeff Hardy’s attacker, I don‘t think there was any other reasonable way to bring him back. I’m sure you could throw around many ideas but remember that Christian was never thought of as anything more than a upper mid-card wrestler so it wasn’t like his return would’ve gotten the same type of hype as Chris Jericho got in 2007. In ECW, Christian can be one of the top dogs and re-establish himself before being moved to RAW or SmackDown during the Draft. I don’t think he should be ECW champion because I’m hoping Jack Swagger is given a lengthy run with the belt and can show that he can carry the brand on his shoulders. Christian seemed like the most LOGICAL opponent for Swagger at WM25 but they already fought once and will fight again next week with the title on the line this time. But who really knows? Christian has already had two pin-falls over the once unbeaten rookie and is finally back in the WWE so that is why Captain Charisma is having the best week ever!


DAWG KNOWS BEST: IT MAKES SENSE IN THE END SO SCREW LOGIC

So this past Sunday I got a call around noon from one of my younger brothers. He asks me if I could make sure to record the No Way Out PPV so he can come over the following day to watch it. My first reaction was to tell him the truth and I did. I told him I wasn’t planning to order the event because I had to work a double-shift at work and wasn’t going to be able to watch the event live. I was clicked on immediately. Normally, I wouldn’t give a crap when one of my little brothers would hang up on me because most of the time I’m just hearing gibberish on the other end of the phone but this time I felt bad. I remember when I was younger, I would always get upset when my mother wouldn’t order a PPV for me and I would give her the cold shoulder for a whole day for not doing so. As I got older, I realized how stupid I was for getting that way with my mother.

I can’t remember the last PPV I ordered that I recorded but I remember hating to watch it a day after it first aired but that wasn’t really my main issue. My main issue was money. Now when I order PPVs, I split the bill with one of my closer friends. We always order the main four PPVs but we always debate about the rest of them. Unfortunately, my closer friend was fired from his job about two months ago and is struggling to even feed himself at times. He even called to check if I was ordering the event and I told him I wasn’t planning to because I wasn’t going to be home but he brought up how I could just record it. Isn’t that the point of having a DVR box? Well, in all honesty, I knew I could just easily order the PPV, have it recorded on my DVR box, and watch it the following day. But my problem was having to pay for it on my own. I’m currently living pay check to pay check and business is slow where I work at. I would normally not even think twice about ordering if I feel the event was worth it. Since New Years I have done a better job at saving but I wasn’t too hype about No Way Out anyway. I know it would feature two chamber matches and other intriguing match-ups but I felt that No Way Out would be a PPV that I could miss and not end up regretting that decision.

I truly believed the outcome of each match would be pretty predictable from my point of view. I thought Jack Swagger would retain the ECW title and he did. I thought Randy Orton would defeat Shane McMahon and he did (although not in a convincing fashion as I would‘ve liked but it ended up making sense the next night on RAW). I thought HBK would finally free himself from JBL and he did. I thought Triple H would win the title for the 13th time and set up a feud with Orton heading into Wrestlemania 25. I was right again. I also felt that there was no way John Cena would lose the World Heavyweight Championship but like Edge would say, I was WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG WRONG!



So you all must be wondering if I watched the PPV? And the answer is…ABSO “F’N” LUTELY! You see, right before I stepped out my door to leave to work, I heard voices my head (you know because they talk to me and they understand like Orton’s theme says). I remember how I wasn’t going to order Armageddon in December before getting this gut feeling that Jeff Hardy was finally going to be able to win the championship. I ended up being right. Instead of being more worried about my money issues, I didn’t hesitate to order the PPV before I left my crib and I recorded it. I did it for my little brothers and I did it for my close friend. Cause damn it, we love wrestling and if it means I need to work extra hours to pay the cable bill, then so be it. Maybe it wasn’t the smartest decision when you are as concerned with every little penny in your pocket as I am at the moment. So yeah, it wasn’t the most LOGICAL thing to do, but you know what? SCREW LOGIC!

So did I get my money’s worth? I would say so. No Way Out was an exciting and unpredictable PPV. Both chamber matches were outstanding (with the exception of Kozlov’s performance) and the rest of the card delivered. Before the event started, you would’ve thought the most logical match to finish the show was going to be the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match but in the WWE’s mind, it was the perfect match to open the show. And what we got was arguably the best opening match since Owen Hart and Bret Hart started off Wrestlemania X. Edge didn’t even last five minutes in the match and I seriously didn’t know what to think. Sure, I thought Triple H would find a way to win but not in the fashion that he did. But Edge’s night wasn’t over.

As soon as I saw the backstage segment between Edge and Vickie, I started to get the feeling that he would sneak his way into the RAW chamber match and somehow win the title. And that’s exactly what happened even though at first I was thinking “how the fu*k is this possible?” So Edge ended up attacking Kofi Kingston and took his place in the match. Now part of me wanted to be right because who hates to be wrong. But another part of me wondered how the WWE will make sense of this all. Plus, I can’t help but be annoyed at how many times Edge has won the world title in the past three years and his longest reign has only been just three months. Seriously, at this pace, he’ll tie Ric Flair’s record for title reigns in another three years. But at the end of the night, I didn’t care. John Cena wasn’t even one of the last two men remaining in the Chamber and lost the belt. Rey Mysterio put on one of the best performances of his career. And then you have Edge who somehow managed to lose one world championship at the beginning of the night and ends up winning the other one before the night was over. The King and Michael Cole didn’t know what to say but I did. HOW DOES THIS MAKE SENSE?

Well, in the WWE, everything will always seems make sense in the end. I learned that a long time ago. Now, I’m sure most of the booking plans for WM25 have been constantly changing and I believe that besides maybe three matches that plans are still not set but at least now we have an idea of where the road to Wrestlemania is headed. Somehow the WWE has manages to make sense of everything. When Wrestlemania 25 airs, we’ll all forget about how crazy the booking was leading up to the event because once you see the build-up promos before each match, you’ll be as hype as ever to see whatever match is coming up. And somehow we’ll look back and not care because I’m sure the WWE will deliver big-time for their silver anniversary of Wrestlemania.



I’ve tried my best to come up with ideas for Wrestlemania previously but now it seems like the card will look like something like this:

Triple H © vs. Randy Orton (For WWE Championship)
Edge © vs. John Cena (For World Heavyweight Championship)
Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels (The Streak vs. Mr. WrestleMania)
Matt Hardy vs. Jeff Hardy (Brother vs. Brother Grudge Match)
Chris Jericho vs. Mickey Rourke or a WWE legend?
Money In The Bank Ladder Match

The card is looking real good at the moment. Some people might gripe about the two championship matches not being fresh match up but I think it’s the right move right now. Triple H is a now a world title holder and Orton has a guaranteed title shot at WM25. Yes, we’ve seen these guys feud over before but this time it’s as personal as ever. More personal than we could’ve ever imagined. It seems as though the WWE will finally acknowledge that Steph and Triple H are married in real life and that Vince McMahon will ask his son-in-law to get revenge on behalf of the whole family. Orton’s look on RAW was priceless (no pun intended) when he saw Triple H come to his wife’s aid. With the McMahon family and Legacy involved, this feud between Orton and Triple H will no doubt be their best one yet and one that now makes all the sense in the world come April 5th.



John Cena vs. Edge is nothing new but it’s a match that would pit the biggest baby face and the biggest heel against one another so it no matter what you think it makes sense. Plus these two have a long history together and I think it helps their current feud because we know they can’t stand each other. We know these two have as good a chemistry in the ring as any two wrestlers on the WWE roster so they will no doubt bring the goods especially on the grandest stage of them all. The feud isn’t as stale as some may perceive it to be because these two have been in separate brands for almost two years. They have only squared off maybe twice since Edge moved to Smackdown but I don’t believe there has been a definitive finish in those matches. Their feud could be more intriguing now with Vickie and Big Show getting involved. I’m sure Cena will look like an even bigger baby face being against Vickie who nobody likes. Also remember that Cena will be fighting not only for himself but also for the RAW brand which currently doesn’t have a world title holder.

So Edge wasn’t involved in Jeff Hardy’s attack. It made a lot of sense to have Christian return as the attacker to help Edge regain the title and I’m sure that was the original plan but I’m glad the role was given to Matt Hardy instead. We haven’t had a big-time brother vs. brother feud since Bret and Owen in 1994. No, I don’t count Undertaker vs. Kane because they aren’t real brothers. Matt and Jeff have wrestled each other before but never with as much hatred towards one another. I think Matt is actually a better heel and his turn was made effective because of how over he’s made himself as baby face on his own. This feud could make or break Matt Hardy’s future as a potential main eventer. I’m sure Jeff will end up getting his revenge but it is the aftermath to their Wrestlemania match that I’m most interested in. If built correctly, this feud could last for months and could involve gimmick matches down the road. Then again, this is the WWE, and knowing they’ll probably blow the feud up at WM25 then forget about Matt as usual.



Chris Jericho is the man, plain and simple. My only problem with him lately is that he isn’t wrestling regularly on RAW as much as I would like but his promos have been outstanding. From the beginning, I like the idea of having Jericho being the guy appointed to face off against this year’s celebrity guest, Mickey Rourke. Jericho is a true professional and is one of those guys that can get a good match out of anybody. Well, almost anybody, let me not get carried away. Nonetheless, his interaction with Ric Flair and Rowdy Piper has been amazing and I’m curious to see where this is headed. Will Rourke actually or will he just be in the corner of a legend? I hope Flair stays retired and Piper did his job Monday in getting the angle over even more. I’ve heard Steve Austin and Hulk Hogan names being thrown around as possible opponents for Jericho. I’m against Austin because I’ve heard several times that if he steps back in the ring, it could be life-threatening, somewhat similar to the movie “The Wrestler” in a sense. I understand why Hogan’s name would be mentioned because he’s always looking for a big payday and he is the biggest legend of them all. Plus, being that is the 25th anniversary of Wrestlemania, it would be great to see Hogan show up in some capacity for nostalgia purposes. I just don’t see how any of these options would be great for match quality but I’m sure it’ll be entertaining.

And finally a match I’ve been pleading for months, Shawn Michaels taking on the Undertaker. Now let’s be serious, there is no way JBL ends up beating HBK for the chance to face ‘Taker at WM25. I also don’t see the logic in having two RAW wrestlers booking a match against each other to face a Smackdown wrestler but I’m sure somehow it’ll make sense in the end. I was getting a little scared before that maybe the WWE would save the JBL/HBK match for Mania and that Taker would face someone like Vladimir Kozlov. I hope the WWE isn’t swerving us again because I’m dying to see Taker and HBK bring the house down at WM25. We’ve seen teases in the Rumble matches and we saw ‘Taker give HBK some word of advice at this past Rumble so it’s not like it’s just being thrown out the window. I’m interested to see how they play the angle out once HBK is announced as Taker’s opponent. I would like to see HBK act cocky as hell about being the true Mr. Wrestlemania and that Undertaker has never beaten an opponent the quality of HBK and especially on the stage where HBK shines the brightest always. I’m pumped for this match up and I know several people who’ll consider this the real main event just like last year’s HBK/Flair retirement match.



And let’s not forget the Money in the Bank ladder match. Mr. Kennedy is the only winner to not successfully cash in on his opportunity because he was dumb enough to put his briefcase on the line against Edge. But this year, I think we’ll see plenty of guys who are just meant to be in this type of match up (Shelton Benjamin, John Morrison, Rey Mysterio, Evan Bourne, CM Punk, and so on) who are ready to steal the show. I’m going on the record and picking MVP to win the match up this year if he’s in the match up which I hope he’s in. Either way, I’m sure it’ll end up being another great match up added to what looks like an already jam packed card.

I know we’ve been debating for months about what matches will occur and I know I’ve been beating myself over the head trying to throw out some ideas but I must say I’m really excited. Look carefully at the card and you’ll see that there’s actually been long-term build for most of the match ups which is something people have complained about. Some people feel that too many match ups were decided recently and that there wouldn’t be enough build up. Sure, to us the picture just got clear but I don’t care about stuff like that because I know despite some non-logical booking at times from the WWE that everything will make sense in the end. It always does. Well, at least it seems that way.


I LOVE WRESTLING

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTg4Gn4x2zE

Check out what I consider the best hell in a cell match of all time which was the original one featuring the Undertaker and Shawn Michael in 1997. It’s been over a decade since the two have squared off one on one so I’m sure after watching this match you’ll be even more hype to see them square at WM25.

I'll be back in about a week or so to give out my thoughts on the upcoming draft and try to predict or suggest certain wrestlers moves to certain brands. Until next time...

[Box Car Rocco]

I haven't seen NWO but from what I heard it was top stuff.

Interesting read as I love the personal feel that I get when reading a column of yours and your Predicted Wrestlemania looks about right. That card would also own.

HHH/Orton and Cena/Edge have been done but they have new elements to it such as The Legacy and Vickie Guerrero. They are also arguably the top 4 stars right now in the WWE (Not IMO but I won't argue against) and it's only fitting that there all involved in high profiled matches at WM. Jericho being against Rourke or a legend would show that the WWE trusts Jericho enough to make the match entertaining. The other two singles matches definently make sence, Taker/HBK should happen over JBL/Taker as the Taker/HBK tease at the rumble was awesome.

As for your video, I prefer Edge/Taker HIAC over that one but thats still an awesome match.


Read ya next time Dawg.

[RONTHEDAWG]

I have agree with everything you said. But am curious to see who Jericho ends up wrestling, and now I'm scared after watching SD! that Kozlov has been thrown into the mix to face 'Taker @ WM25..

[cicero]

^ I imagine their just looking for ways to kill time before 'Mania.

This was an enjoyable read, but wrapped in a fairly mundane topic. The middle bit about No Way Out was ok but I didn't much care for the rest.