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Could the UFC and WWE Find a Way to Work Together?

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

After rumors persisted about Chicago native and WWE superstar CM Punk walking down to the Octagon with Chael Sonnen at UFC on FOX 2 this Saturday night, it made me wonder if the UFC and WWE can work together and crossover. When talking to MMA Fighting’s Ariel Helwani, Chael Sonnen made an interesting point about why he wanted “The Voice of the Voiceless” to walk out to the cage with him.

One… we’re friends, two… I really like him, three… it’s his hometown, four… he’s a big UFC fan and five… there is major crossover.  A number of years ago I think we all thought we had to compete with each other. That boxing, MMA and wrestling thought that we were going to have to have our own fans but what we have learned with time is that it’s not true. People are crossover fans and just all around fans, especially when you’re talking about CM Punk here in Chicago. That guy is royalty around here and I think it would have been fun for both of us.

Chael touched on an interesting point that I have been saying for years. How is professional wrestling, which is sports entertainment, in direct competition with the UFC? They don’t compete directly with PPVs nor do they compete directly on cable television. Show me how the UFC or the WWE have suffered in pay-per-view revenue because of one another?

It also seems that Dana White has a great deal of respect and admiration towards Vince McMahon. You can see how some of the marketing over the last couple of years has emulated professional wrestling in some respects. Yes MMA is a legitimate sport, and professional wrestling is professional athletes acting. I know… I get it. Please keep the hate mail to yourself and hear me out.

I know some of you are pulling your hair out once again because I just compared the UFC to the WWE, but I hate to burst your bubble, there are  a lot of fighters who have also grasped onto the idea that marketing oneself through cutting a good promo and hyping a fight is a great way to get noticed and make money. Sure nobody is ripping their shirts off and telling you to say your prayers and eat your vitamins, but adding a little spice and bringing out some personality is sure a hell of a lot better than thanking your trainers, God, and telling the fans that you will fight whoever the UFC lines up. Zzzzz…boring.

Chael Sonnen seems to understand this “technique” the most. Sure, it’s not for everyone. The sport still needs guys like GSP and Junior Dos Santos; all round good guys who do their talking in the cage. The sport is full of honorable classy guys and gals who feel they don’t need to talk a bit of trash, but you have to love Nick Diaz, Chael Sonnen, Michael Bisping, Josh Koscheck, Ronda Rousey and Josh Barnett for stepping out of that mold and giving the UFC and Strikeforce some personality. Imagine if all fighters were like NHL hockey players? I don’t think the sport would survive. It’s the fight game and with fights there needs to be hype. This has been the way since the beginning of time. Hell, it worked wonders when the Romans promoted their Gladiators. Not much has changed.

Getting back to the point or the question of why the UFC can’t cross promote with the WWE? It’s not like it hasn’t happened before. Remember when Ken Shamrock made his run in the WWF back in the 90’s? He came into professional wrestling  in his prime and was marketed as the “The World’s Most Dangerous Man,” a moniker ABC News gave him while he was fighting in the controversial UFC.  He was a UFC fighter getting into the WWF ring to feud with the likes of Vader, Brett “The Hitman” Hart and Shawn Michaels to name a few.

The WWF at the time had no problems having a former UFC fighter in their stable. To them it brought more legitimacy to their brand of sports entertainment.  Since then we have seen boxers like Mike Tyson, Buster Douglas and Floyd Mayweather cross promote within the WWE realm. Why would it be so crazy to see a UFC fighter do the same? Or vice versa?

Before Brock Lesnar retired there were rumors of him doing a special appearance at a Wrestlemania event to promote his upcoming UFC bout. Now how close that was to coming to actual fruition is not known. Those were merely just rumors and nobody really knows if that was accurate.

However, now that Lesnar is retired, do you not think that if he returned to the WWE that the storyline would be a former UFC heavyweight champ makes his return to the WWE ring? First off,  it’s not a matter of “if” it’s a matter of “when” Brock Lesnar returns to the WWE. They wouldn’t all of a sudden put him into their video game if they didn’t think he would make a return. The WWE is going to take their time in building his return to professional wrestling much like they have done with The Rock and his upcoming Wrestlemania bout with John Cena. Think about it, Lesnar hasn’t been in a WWE video game since “Here Comes The Pain” in 2003. Why did they all of a sudden include him now? When Lesnar does make his much anticipated debut how many UFC fans do you think will be tuning in? Don’t lie…you’ll watch.

Professional Wrestling, the UFC and boxing have proved that they can co-exist because in some ways they have very different target markets. Guess what? Some of their audience do crossover to each other. It is true Boxing has an older demographic, WWE has a younger demographic and the UFC seems to have an audience somewhere in the middle. Since the UFC has become more mainstream, those audiences are starting to blur into each other, which is great for all three sport entities. Why can’t someone enjoy boxing, MMA and wrestling? From what I’m seeing there are quite a few people who do.

Chael Sonnen is now playing down CM Punk’s appearance at UFC on FOX 2, claiming Vince McMahon kyboshed the idea. Who knows how accurate that is? WWE’s Royal Rumble is the next day and a little advertising at a UFC event to try and get a few more PPV buys doesn’t hurt. I wonder if this is Chael playing the media to make CM Punk’s appearance even more surprising when it does happen. We shall see. Nothing surprises me anymore.

Last year, there were meetings between Dana White and Vince McMahon. DW has never really divulged what those meetings were about. I do know at the time the WWE needed permission to use Brock Lesnar in their 2012 WWE video game and also allow Brock to promote it. Maybe there was an agreement in place to work together when it was convenient to help promote pay-per-views. With economic times being tough in the States, finding another marketing channel to advertise on once in a while is not always a bad thing.

Why would it be so crazy to see CM Punk walk down with Sonnen? It’s really not that big of a deal. We have seen WWE stars at live UFC events in the past. If Mike Goldberg were to mention that CM Punk is walking out with Chael Sonnen, and elude to the fact that he is involved in the WWE’s Royal Rumble on Sunday afternoon, would that be a bad thing? We have seen boxing and the WWE do crossovers. This symbiotic relationship has led to Batista walking out with Manny Pacquiao and HHH accompanying Mayweather to the ring.

On occasion, I don’t think there is anything wrong with having a UFC fighter do an appearance at a WWE event, or seeing a WWE guy walk out with a UFC fighter. Or maybe we see a UFC star like Nick Diaz try his hand at professional boxing or a high profile professional boxer enter the Octagon…oh wait we saw that already…never mind. You get what I mean.

MMA fans quiver when someone compares their sport to professional wrestling. What people forget is that if it wasn’t for professional wrestling, there would be no UFC. Here is something you may not have known. The UFC would have never had season one of the Ultimate Fighter on Spike had it not been for Vince McMahon giving Spike permission to air the show after Monday Night Raw. The rest is history. That is a fact.

That said, the UFC and WWE can work together on occasion and it can be mutually beneficial. I’m not sure what the big deal is. I haven’t been a huge WWE fan since “The Attitude Era” ended but I can understand the buzz that is created when the two organizations do a little crossover. It’s all in good fun. It’s true that Professional wrestling and MMA are apples and oranges but let’s not forget that they do come from the same fruit bowl.

-Corner Man-

Follow Trevor Dueck on Twitter @tdueckmania

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Top WWE SmackDown Star Injured – Details

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

By Ryan Clark | January 27, 2012
| Comments

More On Injury To Top WWE SmackDown StarAs we reported earlier this week, Mark Henry is believed to have suffered a hyper-extended knee at this past Tuesday’s SmackDown taping.

According to PWInsider, the injury looks to have happened when Henry was throwing a punch and his knee moved forward before he had completely planted his foot during a move. The footage will air on Smackdown tonight, but the finish had to be changed due to the injury.

According to WrestlingINC.com reader C-Lo, Henry went to the mat and rolled out of the ring as Show had a serious look of concern. The referee jumped out of the ring and had a conversation with Henry, who was laying on the floor next to the ring. The referee then got back into the ring and counted him out. Henry limped backstage as Show and Bryan continued to fight it out.

PWInsider reports that the original plan was for Daniel Bryan to attack Big Show with a chair after Show had Henry down, with Show making the comeback and chokelsamming Bryan. Following that, Henry would have given Bryan the big splash, leaving Bryan laid out and leaving doubt in the minds of the fans that Bryan might not retain Sunday. Nate Taylor has already watched the Australian version of the show, and had the following to report…

“They clearly call an audible as Henry collapses like he’s been shot in the thigh and rolls outside and they go to commercial, however the finish (count-out) happens off-camera, with Bryan already attacking Show when they resume with Henry presumably already in the back getting treatment.”

Henry has been working hurt for sometime, with a groin injury, and is at this time, expected to work the Rumble.


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C-Lo for contributing to this article. Got a news tip? Send it to us by clicking here.

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Paul Roma comments on not being included WWE Hall of Fame induction of the …

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

World Wrestling Insanity interview with Paul Roma
Host: James Guttman
Interview available at WorldWrestlingInsanity.com via ClubWWI.

James Guttman begins things by telling Paul Roma how he’s been the topic of choice since the Horsemen were announced as Hall of Fame inductees. Everyone wants to know his thoughts on them going in and WWE’s decision to induct a group – but only one incarnation of it.  Paul starts by showing his appreciation to the fans and ClubWWI.com listeners.

“First I want to thank everybody for not forgetting and remembering that – A, I was a Horsemen. And B, why they chose me. At the end of the day, it gets down to the fact that the Horsemen were considered the elite, the best of the best and all that. When you pick just a chosen few, you’re leaving out everybody else.

“So what are you saying about that? They weren’t recognized? They weren’t Horsemen? Or is this Vince just being Vince and saying, ‘Oh. I get to pick and choose who I want because the Hall of Fame is Horsesh*t,’ for lack of a better term anyway.  When you put Drew Carey in the wrestling hall of fame, what’s his claim to fame? Did he grease Vince’s backend or what?”

After verifying Paul meant that in the bribery sense – not in any other, Guttman agrees and says that it’s hard to take the event seriously as a Hall of Fame. Paul sees it that way too.

“How can you take it serious? They threw him in. He’s an actor. He beat nobody. Everybody that you put into WrestleMania, why don’t you put them in the Hall of Fame? Or anybody you throw in the ring, throw them in the Hall of Fame because they were on TV once.”

James points out that inclusion of people like Drew Carey make it harder to digest those who are excluded. It’s one thing to leave out Randy Savage. It’s another to do it while finding time and space for Drew Carey. Roma, who’s spoken about working with Randy during past ClubWWI.com shows, doesn’t get it either.

“Why isn’t Savage in there? He was an icon, wasn’t he? Why not put him in or some of the other guys? I don’t get it. Listen, if you run it like the baseball Hall of Fame and you have people nominated, you vote, and you can show all that – where the voting went – it might make a little more sense. But how do you keep guys out who made you so much money and made the business what it was back in the day, like Savage?”

The show doesn’t end there. Paul Roma’s always controversial Glorious doesn’t let you down again. Be sure to check out all the latest audio on ClubWWI.com including the recent appearances by Ray “Glacier” Lloyd (host of the audio show “Breaking The Ice”) and Jamison Winger in a rare interview. Thousands of hours of audio and hundreds of top stars are there for the listening as soon as you log in!

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From WWE wrestler to healer in Phl

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

This is the story of how one man’s undimmed flaming desire to doggedly pursue his dreams at any cost put him on a long, circuitous roller-coster ride that would take him through tragedy and pain, push him to travel all over the US, make it to the World Wrestling Entertainment, take on a medical profession, and finally uproot to the Philippines.

Twenty-five years ago, a five-year old boy named Don Juan Moore Jr. was lying on the living room floor of their family home in New York as his father, Don Sr., was flipping through the channels. He caught a split-second glimpse of a balding blonde giant in yellow tights, and asked his father to change back to that station. It was Hulk Hogan. Since then, all Don Jr. could think about was becoming a professional wrestler.

“Ever since then, I was hooked,” says big Don Moore, now six-foot six inches tall and well over 250 pounds. “Growing up, I always had the dream of pursuing wrestling. And going through high school, I realized I’m 6’3”, 6’4” and putting on size, 250, 260. At one point, I was 320 pounds.”

Though he could have had a future or even a college scholarship playing American football, the sport held no attraction for him. Instead, he gravitated towards kickboxing and other martial arts. An intimidating image given his size. 

Don’s original goal was to take veterinary medicine at Cornell University, the alma mater of Powerade assistant coach and former MBA MVP Alex Compton. Sadly, in his senior year of high school, both his mother and aunt were found to have breast cancer, with his aunt at a far more advanced stage of the disease. Seeing her deteriorate and watching his father wear himself out holding down six jobs to pay for their medical and household expenses, Don could not bear to add a large tuition to their burden. He concocted a ruse that Cornell allowed him two years off so he could stay close to home. The truth was that he had been accepted, but couldn’t bear to leave and saddle the family with his college expenses. He turned Cornell down.

Opting to go to nearby Stony Brook University instead, Don met a fellow freshman whose roommate was training to be a pro wrestler. Needless to say, this was the outlet he needed to take his mind off his mother’s illness and their financial challenges.

“I was working as a physical therapy aide, I was going to Stony Brook full-time, I would work out at the gym, and then I had this wrestling thing which was my personal outlet and escape from what was going on at home,” Moore, now a licensed chiropractor, explains. “My Dad was really against it, but it was something that I really wanted to do to take my mind off everything.”

In fact, when his father, a Vietnam War veteran and Army plane builder, found out, he promptly threw a fit, hurling tools at the garage wall. But the elder Moore realized that it was his son’s passion, and only had himself to blame for encouraging his child to pursue his dreams, no matter what. 

“It was a tough time. But it also made me realize that if I wanted to do something, now was the time to do it,” Moore recalls. “You never know what tomorrow is going to bring.”

After two years, Moore transferred to Ithaca, choosing chiropractic over physical therapy, believing it would actually better his chances at becoming a professional wrestler. When he graduated from Ithaca in December of 2003, Moore felt he was ready to make it to the WWE. The opportunity for a trout in Louisville, Kentucky was approaching, and Don worked three jobs to raise the money for the trip, jobs he despised. But he was dead set on doing it, whether anyone was going to help him or not.

Then one day, his bear of a father gruffly told him to quit his jobs. When Don protested, Don Sr. handed him $1,000 he had worked extra hard to save, just so his son could go get his dreams.

That was the final piece of the puzzle. Don Moore would soon strike up friendships with WWE champion and action star John Cena, who would pave the way for him to overcome devastating injuries and finally become a professional wrestler. In a curious turn of events, WWE foil Mick Foley would later guide Don to fight his fears and pack his bags to heal people in the Philippines, a country he had never been to.

That part of his story on Monday.

Article source: LNG

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WWE News: David Otunga returns to work as a lawyer

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

WWE wrestler David Otunga returned to his legal background on Thursday by representing a man who believes he was wrongfully terminated and denied unemployment benefits. Otunga served as the man’s legal representation in his appeal to the New York State Department of Labor.

Otunga’s client won the appeal and will now receive unemployment benefits. “If the outcome of the case is any indication of how I’ll do in the Royal Rumble this weekend, then it looks like I’ll be the winner,” Otunga said. For more on the story, visit TMZ.com.

Powell’s POV: The story notes that Otunga took the case pro bono, meaning he received U2 concert tickets…or something like that. Seriously, the guy deserves credit for taking on the case without compensation and for being wise enough to work in the Royal Rumble plug.

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WWE Rumors: CM Punk, Hulk Hogan, Daniel Bryan and Friday’s Top WWE News

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

Here we are, just two days from the 25th Royal Rumble and there are a lot of questions that have to be answered when the show is over. Obviously, the biggest one is who will be wrestling for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. 

In addition to the Rumble, it will be interesting to see what WWE sets up heading into the Elimination Chamber show in February. There are a lot of storylines that are going to play out over the weekend that it is going to feel like we are getting overloaded with information. 

Speaking of overload, here are your rumors and headlines to make your weekend a little brighter while you wait for the start of the Rumble. 

 

HULK HOGAN COMES TO RANDY SAVAGE’S DEFENSE

Say what you want about Hogan, but when he said that the best wrestler not in the WWE Hall of Fame is Randy Savage, you couldn’t help but raise your hands and say “Thank you.”

Question on Everybody’s Mind: Where is Savage’s Hall of Fame induction at?

Our Take: Vince McMahon holds all the cards with the WWE Hall of Fame, and he had some feud with Savage dating back to his final days with the company in 1994. Until McMahon decides to bury that hatchet, nothing will ever happen involving Macho Man.

Hype Meter: 5 out of 5 Mega Powers Colliding

Hogan and Savage had one of the great feuds in WWE history leading up to WrestleMania 5, so it should not come as a surprise that the Hulkster is vouching for Macho Man. Hopefully McMahon will listen at some point. 

Deeper Dive

Most Electrifying WWE Wrestlers Of All-Time (B/R)

Hulk Hogan Interview (Talk Sport Radio)

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Cmpunk3_original

CM PUNK BURIES BETH PHOENIX

Remember when the hot rumor going around was that CM Punk was dating Beth Phoenix? Yeah, you can forget all of that now. The WWE Champion buried her worse than he did the McMahon family last June. 

Question on Everybody’s Mind: How bad is dating Beth Phoenix?

Our Take: Based on Punk’s harsh words, she sounds like a Kim Kardashian clone. Apparently her whole anti-Barbie gimmick is just that. 

Hype Meter: 4 out of 5 Love Stories With A Sad Ending

We all know that CM Punk will say anything and everything that he wants on television, and that carries over into his real life too. Remind me never to get on his bad side. 

Deeper Dive

John Laurinaitis Will Ruin CM Punk-Dolph Ziggler Match (B/R)

CM Talks Ex-Girlfriend (NoDQ)

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DANIEL BRYAN HATES DANCING

Dbryan_crop_650

Most fans have taken to the Brodus Clay as Funkasaurus angle, but World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan is not a fan. He lashed out on Twitter, in character, about how he hated Brodus and William Regal dancing on television. 

Bryantwitter_original

Question on Everybody’s Mind: Should Bryan and Regal wrestle to settle their differences?

Our Take: In all honesty, that would be a great one-off match for Bryan. Regal has always been an underutilized performer in WWE, and giving him 10-15 minutes to work with Bryan would be a great treat for the fans. 

Hype Meter: 3 out of 5 PETA Awards

Bryan’s character has really taken off during this heel turn. He is so much better on the microphone now that he is able to play a D-bag, and his in-ring skills work well getting heat on opponents far better than I thought possible. 

Deeper Dive

Will The WWE Or World Champion Be In The Royal Rumble? (B/R)

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DOLPH ZIGGLER STAYS IN CHARACTER FOR INTERVIEW

The Royal Rumble is going to be a very big day for Dolph Ziggler. He has his first one-on-one match for the WWE Championship at a pay-per-view. But before he gets to that show, there is a house show in Evansville. He did a fantastic interview, in character, to build for that show. 

Question on Everybody’s Mind: Is Dolph winning the WWE Championship?

Our Take: Not yet. There will be a time in 2012 when he does win the title, but now is not the right time to do it. 

Hype Meter: 4 out of 5 Showoffs 

Ziggler just keeps getting better and better, and this interview made him sound like a star in a way that so few people in WWE do nowadays. 

Deeper Dive

Reasons Why The Rumble Is Worth The Price of Admission (B/R)

Dolph Ziggler Speaks (Evansville Courier Press)

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Check back for more on the WWE as it comes, and check out Bleacher Report’s Wrestling Page to get your fill of the WWE. For more WWE talk, check out Ring Rust Radio for all of the hot topics you just can’t miss.


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Pro Wrestler Talks Bullying with Local Students

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

WWE wrestler Sheamus may smack down opponents on camera, but the athlete stressed a different message to students at North Haven’s ACES Mill Road School this Thursday.

As part of the Creative Coalition and the WWE’s STAR anti-bullying campaign, “The Celtic Warrior” discussed the dangers of discrimination, taunting, and violence with the student body.

STAR, founded in 2011, seeks to “ensure a positive and equitable social environment for everyone regardless of age, race, religion or sexual orientation through education and awareness,” according to information provided by the program. 

The wrestlers Otunga and Diva Natalya made a similar appearance in Stamford late last year.

Quoted in the Stamford Advocate, Natalya said of STAR:

“There are people out there who haven’t been bullied, but I’m sure every single one of us has witnessed it,” she said before the presentation. “So if you’ve seen it or watched it go down, you can make a difference by being a support system or telling someone, or putting an end to it and saying enough is enough. There is strength in numbers.”

In addition to wrestling, Sheamus, who was born in Ireland and competed in the UK before joining the WWE, has also acted in several movies, including The Escapist (2008) and Assault on Darkness (2009). 

Article source: LNG

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UFC on Fox 2: Fighting talk from Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping ahead of …

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

Michael Bisping

British UFC star Michael “The Count” Bisping takes on Chael Sonnen at UFC on Fox 2 (Pic: Getty)

It may “only” be the co-main event at UFC on Fox 2 on Saturday night, but middleweight contenders Chael Sonnen and Michael Bisping were the main attraction at the pre-event press conference in Chicago last night.


mputwoAdvertisement

While Sonnen, complete with a UFC replica championship belt, was in verbal overdrive, answering questions in a style not dissimilar to a WWE wrestler, Bisping returned his reponses in typically matter-of-fact style.

Both men are considered main contenders to Anderson Silva’s UFC middleweight title, with the winner of Saturday night’s fight moving on to take on the Brazilian for the title later in 2012.

Sonnen, possibly inspired by the coverage of Muhammad Ali’s magic press conference moments in recent weeks, shared a poetic take on the fight ahead.

“You’re looking at the reflection of perfection, the one who gets all of your attention,” he said.

“You’re looking at the man with the biggest arms, the man with the greatest charms, and the man in Chicago to do a lot of harm to a guy three doors down.

“My skills are my skills. I’m gonna bring them. Fifteen hard minutes. May the better man win…and he will.”

By contrast, Bisping was straight to the point.

“Let’s be honest, I outbox him every day, all day. He’s a great wrestler, but I’m a great fighter.

“I think it’s going to be fantastic. Chael’s a great fighter, I’m a great fighter and we’re going to put on an awesome show for you people.

“I’m sure there’s going to be a lot of energy. Whether it’s negative or positive doesn’t really matter. I feed off the energy – and there will be a lot of it.

“This wouldn’t be the first time I’ve been an underdog in a fight, and this wouldn’t be the first time I win and prove the oddsmakers wrong.  Odds aren’t important – what’s important is who turns up on the night.

“The best fighter doesn’t always win. The guy who fights best wins. And I’m going to fight the best.”

Watch UFC on Fox 2 at 1am on Saturday night, live on ESPN UK

Article source: LNG

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Thunder’s Take: WWE Royal Rumble 2012: Thoughts And Predictions – Wrestling

Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

It’s almost time for the 25th Annual WWE Royal Rumble, and I for one can’t wait to see it! Welcome to what I hope to be the first of a dozen monthly pay per view editions of Thunder’s Take for 2012! This year’s Royal Rumble is shaping up to be quite an event, so let’s get to the matches!

Kane vs John Cena: Embrace the hate! I know everyone and their grandmother has wanted the John Cena heel turn to take place. It’s a work in progress. Kane is probably the perfect candidate to be booked into this sort of role to help change the persona of John Cena. Kane has been contributing regularly to both shows since the brand split, and has feuded with and put over dozens of wrestlers over the last decade(yes, it’s been ten years since the first brand split with Flair/McMahon). Kane is clearly on the back half of his career at this point. Taking on the demonic character gimmick once again to help shape the company’s top guy into a heel role to me is just another shining mark to put on Glen Jacob’s resume. Props to Glen Jacobs for being such a standup company guy. I assume Cena will move on to the elimination chamber ppv and want to compete for the WWE Title before jumping into his growing rivalry with The Rock for their WM encounter. The only way Cena loses this match is if they want to continue the rivalry into February and wrestle a rematch at the elimination chamber. Otherwise, I expect Cena to show his brutal side in this match and do something completely “un-Cena-like” to defeat the Big Red Machine.

Mark Henry vs The Big Show vs Daniel Bryan in a Steel Cage for the World Heavyweight Championship: Two monsters and the little weasel World Champion do battle inside a steel cage. I wondered what sort of trick Bryan would use to survive a triple threat match with these two, and a steel cage is perfect. Henry has been nursing the groin injury while Big Show has been working his tail off to be a legitimate threat to the World Title. Unfortunately for Show, nobody is buying that the company will give him any sort of legitimate run. Apparently there is talk of Show facing Shaq at WrestleMania. I can hardly wait for a celebrity match to consume far too much time on the biggest pay per view of the year(WWE never gets tired of it, though). Mark Henry should become face after this match and continue to feud with Bryan until the Elimination Chamber event. Even if he doesn’t, I don’t expect Mark Henry to hold the World Title again and I expect him to be the big man that gets put into the WM Money In The Bank Match this year. Whether or not Randy Orton wins the Royal Rumble, I expect Daniel Bryan to be featured in a World Title match at WM that has more than just two participants. Bryan’s run as champion has been fun and entertaining with his new found persona. From what I’ve been hearing, nobody expects Bryan to lose the title this Sunday and I’m in agreement. Daniel Bryan will remain your World Heavyweight Champion.

Dolph Ziggler w/ Vickie Guerrero vs CM Punk for the WWE Championship, Special Guest Referee John Laurinaitis: Dolph Ziggler has defeated CM Punk four times in the last month(give or take). Dolph Ziggler has become the perfect(no pun intended with the Hennig comparisons out there) heel in WWE and is arguably the best heel wrestler(possible exception of Christian, and Chris Jericho if this is in fact a heel Jericho as it appears) on the roster. That said, CM Punk has only had the title two months and has done a good job as champion. He wins over the crowd with his promos and wrestles at a main event level in every match he is booked in. I almost don’t like that this match has been booked for the Rumble. Undercard matches never have enough value to them because of the Rumble match itself. The whole show is just a buildup to the 30 man match that everyone waits for and the rest of the show can seem insignificant. While watching the Rumble, I honestly think the last time I was really into a match was when The Rock took on Mick Foley in the brutal “I quit” match in 1999. Maybe that’s just me though. I don’t expect to see Dolph Ziggler celebrating as the new WWE Champion before the Rumble match occurs. Ziggler is there, but it just isn’t his time. I also expect, because of his upcoming evaluation on Monday, that John Laurinaitis will call this one almost completely down the middle. I predict Punk to remain champion.

30 Man Royal Rumble Match: I predicted Cody Rhodes as the most likely candidate to win this Royal Rumble. I don’t fully believe that it will happen. Rhodes is going to be booked in a match with his brother, Goldust, at some point and the rivalry is going to hinder Rhodes from moving on to bigger things too soon. Taking Rhodes out of the equation, we have Y2J back in the WWE. Adding a Rumble to Jericho’s resume seems like smart booking, but does he really need it? Jericho is capable of having the best match at WrestleMania going against a broomstick(yeah, I stole it from Triple H). He doesn’t necessarily need to win the Rumble to earn a title shot or set up a major match at WrestleMania. There is actually a new rumor that WWE is considering booking him in a match with The Undertaker at WM instead of CM Punk. Either way, Jericho will have the match of the night. My two dark horses to win the Rumble are The Miz and Christian. The Miz going in at number one means he will probably stick around awhile and most likely get eliminated by his next(or current) rival(possibly R-Truth). For the way 2011 went for The Miz, I feel like he deserves to win this Rumble and be elevated into the WWE Title picture once again. It’s not very likely to happen though. Christian could return as a surprise entrant on Sunday. If he does, I believe he will eliminate Sheamus and continue to feud with him. Christian winning the Rumble would be great for him and all, but I don’t see it as being the most likely scenario. Randy Orton returns on Smackdown. Randy Orton has the Rumble taking place in his hometown. Randy Orton had perhaps the best year of his career in 2011 and owes most of it to Christian for having such great matches with him. Despite this, his feud with Wade Barrett is far from over. The Barrett Barrage has been on a consistent role and Barrett has made himself a staple character on WWE programming. The guy is carrying two rivalries right now; one with Sheamus and one with Orton. True definition of a heel when you can sustain a rivalry with two of Smackdown’s top face superstars? I think so. As of right now, Barrett seems like the best candidate to win the Rumble to me.

I do, however, have a dream scenario. If CM Punk is going to feud with Chris Jericho as rumored, why not have Punk enter the Rumble? Punk had the year of his career in 2011 and is the top guy in the company. Hell, why not book CM Punk to eliminate Chris Jericho and win the 2012 Royal Rumble? What better way to kick off the Punk/Jericho rivalry than for Punk to ruin Jericho’s plans of winning and earning a title shot? In terms of making Jericho look weak, I think it’s a bad move. Jericho just came back and needs to look dominant. However, Punk is WWE Champion and only one other time in history has the WWE Champion entered and won the Royal Rumble(Hogan, 1990). It probably won’t happen, but I’d jump out of my seat if it did.

Possible “surprise” entrants that could potentially be in the match(I’m only speculating here and not sure how likely these are to happen)
-Christian (injury keeping him away)
-Alberto Del Rio (see Christian)
-Triple H (he’s back on Monday, why not set up a feud too?)
-Kevin Nash (see Del Rio)
-Booker T (not likely, but he adds star power)
-Goldust (what better way to feud with brother Cody than to cost him his dream of being IC and World Champ simultaneously?)
-Jerry Lawler (at 62 years of age, why not? Hell, I should’ve predicted Michael Cole as well!)
-John Laurinaitis (considering he’s about to get the boot, what has he got to lose?)
-Doink the Clown (trying to be funny but epicly failing at the moment)
-Sean Waltman (clique reunion? He’s under contract according to wikipedia…)
-Road Dogg BG James (see Waltman, but change clique to DX.)
– Zack Ryder(broken back included)
-John Morrison (no better time for a big return than after taking two months off! C’mon WWE, you need this guy!)
-The Undertaker (he’ll be back sooner or later. the rumble would be more fun)
-The Rock (doubtful, but I like numbers that are multiples of five.)

Anyone else out there that you think is possible? With only 30 spots and a pretty packed roster, it’s really hard to imagine that WWE will have too many surprise entrants in this one.

I hope we have a few more matches booked in advance for the Elimination Chamber pay per view. I expect a possible Primo/Epico vs The Usos tag team match or maybe even a Divas match to occur also, but neither have been booked. I’ll have my Smackdown column up in the next 24 hours and hopefully my retro Rumble column before the ppv Sunday. Until next time, this has been Thunder’s Take!

www.facebook.com/thunderstruck11 – add me!

Article source: LNG

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Posted by WWE Insider on January 27th, 2012

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