WrestleMania 27: The Good, the Bland, and the Ugly
Congratulations wrestling fans it is officially WrestleMania week, which means we have all made it through another year of WWE programming! With just days left until the big event, many of us are finalizing our travel plans and packing our bags for Atlanta. Unfortunately I will not be making the trip out to Mania this year, however I will be at the Allstate Arena in Chicago, IL for the go-home episode of Monday Night Raw. Remember to follow me on Twitter (@MJKillam) for my live tweets before, during, and after the event.
WrestleMania 27: The Good
Last year’s card was kind of a sleeper for me. The main event title match between John Cena and Batista was well hyped, but carried very little interest, and I personally thought the Edge vs. Jericho match was a let down considering their history. The mid-card was alright, but it just didn’t give me anything to really sink my teeth into. Even Shawn Micheals’ retirement match, while excellent, was a re-match from the previous year. WrestleMania 27, in this writer’s opinion, has the potential to turn around a two year drought and truly shine amongst the great wrestling events of our time.
John Cena vs. the Miz: The main event of WrestleMania is always a battle between two titans for the greatest prize in wrestling. Whether that prize is the WWE Championship or the Undertaker’s undefeated streak, the story left in the ring is usually memorable. This year John Cena will play the role of the experienced veteran, while the Miz gets his first shot at glory. What’s truly remarkable is how the Miz has snuck his way into the main event scene, and in just a matter of months has shown the world that he deserves his spot. Many assumed the Rock’s return would overshadow the “awesome one” but not only has he stood his ground… he actually stands a good chance of retaining his title on the biggest stage of them all. Consider that the Rock will somehow involve himself in this match, and that John Cena and the Miz have both done a terrific job of building their feud, this is one main event that I am genuinely excited for.
Michael Cole vs. Jerry “the King” Lawler: How can you not be excited about this? Michael Cole has become the biggest heel in professional wrestling while single-handedly destroying the idea of journalistic-integrity along the way. He has transcended a “bad guy” into somebody you genuinely wish you could find in a dark alley! The WWE rarely hangs on to a storyline for more than a month or two at a time, so to have Michael Cole’s character maintain the same sense of villainy for this long will only yield a huge payoff at this weekend’s big event. Meanwhile Jerry Lawler has been patiently waiting his turn to put Cole in his place, and the whole world is behind him one hundred percent. Everything from bringing in Lawler’s family to Cole putting JR in the Ankle Lock has been crafted perfectly, and with Stone Cole as the guest referee there’s really no limit to how classic a moment these guys can put on. I may be looking forward to their segment more than anything else…
Edge vs. Alberto del Rio: This is the feud that has lost the most steam, but in its defense they’ve had to keep it relevant since the Royal Rumble. Alberto came busting out of the gates after his big Rumble victory, and was the talk of the town….until the Rock came back. After the Great One’s one-night return nothing else seemed to matter, and del Rio stopped showing up on Raw as frequently. They’ve tried to freshen it up by bringing back Christian, but I personally think having him go over the number one contender twice in two weeks was a poor choice in building your challenger for WrestleMania. If they do add the Captain to the title match, I think you could make a good argument that Alberto del Rio has been busting ass for months now trying to build his title match, while Christian has only really been around for a handful of weeks. I personally think the match should remain one-on-one, while the triple threat can be saved for Extreme Rules, possibly leading to a future feud between Edge and Christian. Let del Rio have his moment and continue on as the hottest rookie in the WWE today, possibly even picking up the World Heavyweight Championship. If they’re serious about Christian, there are plenty more opportunities to make things happen for him.
Rey Mysterio vs. Cody Rhodes: This is the mid-card match I’m most looking forward to. A few months ago when Mysterio busted up Cody’s face I wasn’t very interested. But as time went by I started liking the new Cody Rhodes character. I’ve always thought that given a little more practice he could be really solid, both in the ring and as a character. I was hoping that Dusty would stick around as a permanent manager for him, but he seems to be doing alright on his own as of late. And because I’m not a huge Mysterio fan, I will most likely find myself on the edge of my seat, hoping Rhodes can get the job done here and earn himself a decent push towards something big.
Undertaker vs. Triple H: This almost went in the “bland” category. As much as I respect both of these icons, I don’t expect a WrestleMania classic out of them. I will be pleasantly surprised if they can pull off the same caliber match we saw in Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels for the past two years. I do think the match will be a long, drawn-out battle. It will be slow and methodical, and both men will leave everything they have in the ring. But is “everything they have” enough at this point in their careers? I don’t believe that Undertaker is healthy enough to be main eventing WrestleMania, and I don’t have enough faith in Triple H that he can carry a match like HBK did. Mark me as a cynic if you will, but neither of these men are exactly in their prime, and they are both coming off of HUGE absences. You may be thinking… If you’re so down on this match, why is it in the “good” category. Well, perceptive reader, I’ll tell you… Even though I don’t have very high expectations for this match, the two of them rarely disappoint at WrestleMania. Even though everything in me says it’s going to be a big let down, the simple fact that we may never see either of them in a wrestling ring again will make it worth paying to see.
