Wrestling Fact Or Fiction - April 4, 2012

Wrestling Fact Or Fiction
April 4, 2012
Doug Maynard & Russell Jackson

So here we are again. Wrestlemania weekend is over and the times, they are a'changing. I'm Doug and as always, I'm joined by the best tag team partner on the planet, Mr. Russell Jackson and this is the column that says it like it is, good or bad. I'm talking "Wrestling Fact or Fiction". Let's just jump right into it. The questions were sent out on Monday night immediately after RAW went off the air.

1) Wrestlemania XXVIII lived up to your expectations?

Russell - FACT: At first, I thought WM XXVIII was gonna be a forgettable PPV with only 8 matches on a 4 hour event & not to my surprise, it started out that way with the opening match...I was already pissed off when I read that the opening match was for the World Heavyweight Championship & to make matters worse, it was an 18 second match from start to end...Through out the PPV after the opening match though, it started to get better...Didn't care bout the Diva's Tag Match nor the "Team Johnny vs Team Teddy" 12 man tag...Even tho I actually wanted Trips to win the HITC match, I thought the match was well done...Big Show to become the new I.C. champion & The Rock with the pin fall over the smartass, John Cena...All in all, I'd say that WM XXVIII lived up to my expectations, yyyyyyep...

Doug - FACT: Although to be honest, my expectations weren't very high and it would be nearly impossible for the WWE to fall beneath them. The first hour, for the most part, blew chunks, but then things started to fall together and the Punk / Jericho match, the Undertaker / HHH match and Cena / Rock not only delivered, but was off the charts. So we got three great matches, one decent match, two so-so matches and two stinkeroos. That's far better than what I was expecting and the WWE deserves kudos. They'd get more kudos if they could have put on maybe seven or eight "off the chart" matches (after all it is Wrestlemania... lol). Wrestlemania wasn't bad and it could have been a lot worse, but let's be honest. It could have been a lot better too.

(1-0) - It started off badly, but got better as the night went on.

2) The Rock versus John Cena match lived up to the hype?

Russell - FICTION: Even though I was ecstatic that The Rock gained the pin fall victory over the smartass, John Cena, I feel that the match between the 2 didn't live up to the hype after a year in the makin...There was no physical confrontation between the 2...Week after week after week all there was was talk...How John Cena was gonna be The Rock's bitch from The Rock, how John Cena HAD to win the match at WM from John Cena...Next time, lets have physical confrontation leadin up to a much anticipated match...I GUARAN-DAMN-TEE that it will be more excitin to the build up of an up-coming match...

Doug - FACT: It was better than I expected. John Cena and The Rock both brought their "A" game and worked extremely hard and busted their asses in that match and although I don't agree with the finish, that's just a small complaint. Given who the two men involved in this match were, I don't think it could have went any better.

(1-1) John Cena can certainly smell what the Rock was cooking!

3) Keeping the Undertaker's "streak" alive at 20 - 0 was the right decision?

Russell - FICTION: I've been wantin the Undertaker's "streak" to end since WrestleMania 25...What's the point of keepin the streak goin especially now since 'Taker is wrestling 1 match a year?...I figured if there was 1 wrestler that could end 'Taker's streak, it would be HHH...So much for that happenin...

Doug - FACT: The "Streak" should never be broken and should remain intact until Undertaker retires. It's the Dead Man's legacy and just like Ric Flair's "sixteen world title reigns", it should never end. Some things are meant to be and the legend of the Undertaker and his "streak" is one of these things.

(1-2) Love him or hate him, there is only one Undertaker!

4) With John Laurinaitis now the official "General Manager" of both RAW and Smackdown, the "Brand Seperation" is officially over and finished?

Russell - FACT: The "Brand Seperation" has been dead for a couple of years now...Have them to Unify the WWE & World Heavyweight Championships into 1 World Championship (A new physical championship at that) & have the World Champion defend the unified championship on both Raw & Smackdown...The WWE already did it with the Tag Titles, why not do it with the World Championship *shrugs*...

Doug - FACT: It was over quite a while ago when RAW became a "SuperShow" where the stars of both RAW and Smackdown both appeared. The whole idea of having two general managers was to give each brand and show a different identity and feel. That's over with now and it's just the same people wrestling on each show and the younger, new stars getting overlooked and forgotten, just like it was in the days before the brand split. Raw and Smackdown are just the titles for the shows now and are about as seperate as a new born baby and his mama's set of "puppies"... lol.

(2-2) Johnny Ace is a tool. 'Nuff said!

5) The Rock is correct when he says that he'll one day be the WWE Champion again?

Russell - FICTION: As much as I'd like to see that happen, I'm not holdin my breath on that one comin to a reality...The ONLY way for that to happen is if The Rock quits doin movie after movie for Hollywood & comes back to the WWE/wrestles on a full time schedule...Like I said, I'm not holdin my breath...

Doug - FICTION: Let's leave the WWE Championship (and all championships) with the wrestlers who are actually there every day and night, week in and week out. The Rock doesn't need to be the WWE Champion or any kind of champion. He doesn't need the title and at this point, putting the title on The Rock would be the modern day equivalent of the David Arquette disaster in WCW or putting the title on Vince McMahon again... just a major mistake. The Rock is a movie star now and only a very part-time perfomer for the WWE at best. Leave the titles to the full time guys.

(3-2) The Rock doesn't need to hold titles - he just needs to be "The Rock".

<<-- SWITCHEROO -->>

6) You were impressed with the debut of Lord Tensai?

Doug - FICTION: I'm glad to see Albert / A-Train back in the WWE, but to be honest, his debut match against Alex Riley just bored the hell out of me. I wasn't impressed at all. I did like the claw at the end, but I've long advocated bringing back the claw as a finisher for someone. It worked extremely well for Blackjack Mulligan, Baron Von Raschke and The Von Erich's and I popped to see Tensai use it on Monday night. But except for that, the rest of Tensai's debut was just bleh. Maybe he'll get better in the weeks and months to come. I hope so.

Russell - FACT: As soon as the bell rang for his match against Alex Riley, he made short work of "A-Rye"...It came to a point that after Tensai nailed Riley with a chokebomb, the referee rang the bell via a "KO" after Riley couldn't defend himself...After the match was over, Tensai spit some kinda mist outta his mouth (like The Great Muta used to do) onto his hand then proceeded to render "A-Rye" helplessly with a claw hold...Kickass debut from Lord Tensai, nuff said...

(4-2) Good to see Albert / A-Train / Tensai back in the WWE.

7) It was AJ's fault that Daniel Bryan lost the World Championship to Sheamus in 18 seconds?

Doug - FICTION: If it was anyone's fault, it was Vince McMahon's and the lousy booking of the creative team. But we're not supposed to think about things like that. Bryan was kissing AJ and was distracted and turned around into Sheamus's boot in the face. So technically, it would be Bryan's fault for allowing himself to be more concerned about getting some lip-action than his title defense and Sheamus. But as the storyline goes along, I'm sure that poor little AJ will be the one to take the blame. And then when Bryan eventually gets the title back and is screaming "Yes! Yes! Yes!", AJ will be cast aside and ignored like a little trollip, used and abused and tossed to the curb.

Russell - FICTION: Daniel Bryan wanted the kiss from AJ when the bell rang for the match to begin...His loss, not AJ's fault, he's an idiot, case closed...

(5-2) Daniel Bryan has no one to blame but himself. Yes! Yes! Yes!

8) You're glad to see Alberto Del Rio back in action?

Doug - FACT: Actually, I'm happier to see Ricardo back than Del Rio. Ricardo is entertaining and fun to watch and Del Rio is just part of the package since they're a team deal. Del Rio is a good wrestler and helps fill out the top tier of WWE Superstars and legitimate top guys so having him back is a definite plus for the WWE. I just wonder if he'll let me borrow one of his cars for a few days.

Russell - FICTION: The loud mouth, Mexican Aristacrat has returned...Ohhhhhh yippy yaw aye...I must say though, I was glad to see Del Rio get Brogue Kicked at the side of his face on Raw by Sheamus...That was funny shit right there...

(5-3) It's Del Rio's destiny to create dissension among us... lol

9) John Cena was correct when he called The Rock "the greatest WWE Superstar in this industry"?

Doug - FICTION: He's probably the most successful man to come out of the WWE with his movie career, but that's the "movie industry" and not the "wrestling business". Is he bigger than Steve Austin? Or Triple H? Or Ric Flair? Or Hulk Hogan? Or Shawn Michaels? Or The Undertaker? Or even John Cena? I guess it's all just a matter of perspective, but in my opinion, as great as The Rock is, is he the "greatest in the industry"? If the industry we're speaking of is "wrestling" or "sports-entertainment", he's damn good, but the "greatest"? Not even close.

Russell - FACT: I do agree with Cena when he called The Rock "The greatest WWE Superstar in this industry...But that doesn't give the right for Cena to kiss ass on nation wide television just coz he got his ass pinned in the middle of the ring by The Rock at WrestleMania...& that happened coz Cena decided to be a wise ass & attempt to deliver the "People's Elbow" on The Rock...Really?...Really?...Cena is a moron plain'n'simple...

(5-4) And we all can smell what the Rock is cookin'...

10) You popped when Brock Lesnar came out and F-5'ed John Cena?

Doug - FACT: I have to admit that I did get a few goosebumps as Lesnar came out on the ramp. And then he did his mannerisms and made his way to the ring to shake Cena's hand and then deliver a big time F-5. And the thrill was gone. Lesnar was a goof during his first WWE run and kind of bored the hell out of me (and that was when he had Paul Heyman as a spokesman). Now he's back and I want to be excited and positive and happy, but instead, I'm just not feeling anything. I popped for him to come out and do Cena so I had to answer "Fact", but will it make things more interesting and exciting in the WWE over the next year or so? I hope so, but to be honest, I don't think it will make any difference in the long term of things.

Russell - FACT: Sayin that I popped would be a gross under statement...I was so happy that I actually dropped the "F-Bomb" when his music played lol..."The Next Big Thing" is back in the WWE & he has his sight set on the wise ass himself, John Cena...Cena, the idiot he is, actually wanted to shake hands with Lesnar?...Really?...Really?...Cena got what he had comin when Lesnar draped that moron across his shoulders & planted him with an "F-5"...HERE COMES THE PAIN!!!!!!!

(6-4) Love him or hate him, Brock knows how to make an impact. Where's Sable at?

And there you go. We went (6-4) this week. Something about Wrestlemania just brings out all the differences in people, I guess. It was a good show and another good column in the books as well. Questions and comments, or if you'd like to join Russell and myself as part of the "Fact Or Fiction" crew, just drop me a line at Doug28352@yahoo.com and we'll see what we can do.

My thanks again to the ever-awesome Russell Jackson for his help and answers. He's so bad, he tried to bite Mike Tyson's ear off... lol. I'm Doug and I have a damn cat here wanting to play fetch, so I'm closing this up. Back next week with another edition of Fact or Fiction and who knows what else might pop up in the meantime. Keep your eyes open and see. Have a great week and we'll see you on the flip side.

Ubuntu!