http://www.cheap-heat.com WWE, TNA, ROH, NJPW - Blogs, Reviews, Top Lists, Indy News & Results Sun, 20 Sep 2015 01:35:33 +0000 en-US hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=4.3.1

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-over-under-wwe-night-of-champions-2015-odds/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-over-under-wwe-night-of-champions-2015-odds/#comments Sat, 19 Sep 2015 15:12:16 +0000 Scott Hayes Blogs Other Blogs John Cena Night of Champions NoC Seth Rollins Sting WWE WWE Network WWE NOC WWENOC http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=14270 Welcome back Cheap-Heaters! We are live and in technicolor! There are two wrestling Pay Per View Extravaganzas… (Oh, you only know of Night of Champions?) – Ring of Honor has their All-Star Extravaganza. But? I'm not here to handicap that. So here is the Over/Under for Night of Champions. Every championship in the WWE is […]

Welcome back Cheap-Heaters! We are live and in technicolor! There are two wrestling Pay Per View Extravaganzas… (Oh, you only know of Night of Champions?) – Ring of Honor has their All-Star Extravaganza. But? I'm not here to handicap that. So here is the Over/Under for Night of Champions. Every championship in the WWE is on the line! Much like Jay Lethal in Ring of Honor, WWE's franchise player, "The Man" Seth Rollins will be defending TWO championships at NOC. Lets see what Vegas has to say about the 8 matches (Including the preshow) .

HOW WE GOT HERE!

For the last few months Stardust has been obsessed with Neville. As they play into a comic book styled feud. Stardust being the super villain to Neville's super hero. They had a tag match at Summerslam where Neville and the Green Arrow teamed up against Neville and King Barrett. I thought the Red and Green Arrow winning ended things. (I was wrong) – Stardust has enlisted the assistance of the Ascension in a budding stable calling themselves the "Cosmic Wasteland". Add a pinch of the Lucha Dragons who were the guys that helped bail Neville out during a beat down. BOOM! We have ourselves a pre-show match! Its good to see the Ascension having something to do that ISN'T predicated on them cutting promos on defunct tag teams with members in their 50s, 60s, or older.

FAVORITES!

Cosmic Wasteland: -200. They are a budding collective. A win here would go nicely with establishing them as a unit.

UNDERDOGS!

Neville and the Dragons: +140. No real reason for them to win. Neville got the win at Summerslam. Makes much more sense for the CW to get the W.

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

Over/Under Total Number of Flips and/or Rotations: 47.5

HOW WE GOT HERE!

The New Day is the awesomest thing in wrestling the last 3-4 months. Consistently the highlight of whatever segment they are and whatever show they're on. They regained the tag team championships at Summerslam. The night after? The Dudley Boyz returned to the WWE. Which is also awesome. These two have set down the path to a title match. The New Day has been petitioning the WWE Universe to #SaveTheTables, in an effort to keep themselves being smashed through furniture at the hands of their new rivals.

FAVORITES!

The New Day: -150. Dudleys JUST returned. Makes sense for the New Day to hold onto the belts and continue to be awesome and dominate the Tag Division.

UNDERDOGS!

The Dudley Boys: +100. Not impossible they'll find themselves the TEN TIME WWE tag team champion.

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

Will the New Day go through a table? Yes: -200. No: +400
Over/Under Total members of New Day going through table: 1.5

HOW WE GOT HERE!

Previously… On the Ziggler and the Rusev. Rusev and Lana broke up. Rusev went all emo until he met Summer Rae. Lana went on the rebound with Dolph Ziggler. People were slapped. Ziggler got hurt (Read: Went to film a movie) – Summer and Lana brawled. This was looking like it'd be a mixed tag, BUT? Lana got hurt while training. So she's out. We get this instead. At Summerslam they fought to a… double count out? I legit don't remember. The best part of this feud will be it ending. Hopefully this gets us THERE.

FAVORITE!

Ziggler: -100. Can't remember the last time Ziggler was a favorite. But he's giving gifts to Summer Rae. He came off heelish (Not sure if that was on purpose, or not) – but with Lana on the shelf, I'm guessing he gets some sort of revenge on the dastardly duo.

UNDERDOG!

Rusev: +100. Really close to a pick �em. I won't be THAT surprised if Rusev gets the victory here. They like him, and seemingly want to do good things with him. So? Maybe he wins?!

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

Summer Rae + Ziggles 4eva? No: -300. Yes: +240.

HOW WE GOT HERE!

Bray cost Roman Reigns a chance at winning Money in the Bank. Since then, Bray has brought Harper back into the fold. So Reigns brought Ambrose back. The Shield Lite won at Summerslam, but Bray wasn't done. he brought in the "Black Sheep", Braun Stowman. A monster of a man. Every time the Shield tried to enlist the help of someone: Orton, the healthy Uso? Bray struck. They got shelved, and the Wyatt Family continues to be on the "power play" (Yeah that's a hockey reference… NHL season just around the corner!) So the Shield bros, say they HAVE a partner, but they aren't saying a word about who it is. We'll see him at Night of Champions.

FAVORITES!

The Wyatt Family: -100. This line moves with whoever is the third on Roman and Dean's team. If its, say, Daniel Bryan? Roman and Dean become WILD favorites. If its Cesaro, Erik Rowan, or… someone else? It always floats around even money.

UNDERDOGS!

Roman and Dean: EVEN. Like I said above, the partner makes and or breaks this bet. Roman and Dean got a nice win on Smackdown. SSSSOOOOOOO? (Look strong going into a PPV, and lose)

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

WHO IS the PARTNER: Cesaro: -200. Erik Rowan: -100. Daniel Bryan: +100. Savio Vega: +210. Great Khali: +400. CM PUNK: +eleventy billion

HOW WE GOT HERE!

Ryback says "FEED ME MORE". People poke fun at Kevin Owens' weight. He cuts a promo about "FEEDING HIM MORE". (Get it?) So Owens walks into a Ryback promo eating an apple (He, sadly, he is not spitting in the face of people who don't want to be cool) – The two fight a little bit. Yell at each other a little bit. Ryback sings Elvis. Owens destroys Ziggler. As a series of statements this is confusing… Welp? We have Owens vs. Ryback for the Intercontinental Championship.

FAVORITE!

Kevin Owens: -300. Might be the handicapper's heart choosing a line here. Ryback hasn't exactly done much of note as an IC champion. Maybe they still want to elevate the prestige of the championship. I think Owens is the perfect guy to do that.

UNDERDOG!

Ryback: +150.

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

MATCH OF THE NIGHT? ARE YOU KIDDING?! OWENS ISN'T THAT GOOD: -450. Sure… Why not?! +400.
Ryback's Indy Move of the Match: Suicide Dive: -100. Poison Rana: +400. Drop Toe Hold: -450. Canadian Destroyer: +300.

HOW WE GOT HERE!

A revolution began. Three of the NXT Women got the call up to the Main Roster. Then with little to no reason, the three teams of three just split off and fought in random single and tag matches. They had a three team elimination match at Summerslam, which Team PCB won. Which gave them the chance to fight for the right to earn #1 contendership. They rocked a beat the clock. Charlotte won. We finally got a little direction to this #DivasRevolution. Plus add Nikki Bella approaching AJ Lee's longest Diva Title reign, and Charlotte challenging her BEFORE Nikki broke it. They went with Twin Magic that backfired, so we had Brie pulling tissues out of her bra… again… and then Steph reversed a decision… cuz WHY?! But she did give Charlotte a return match for Night of Champions.

FAVORITES!

Nikki Bella: -130. I think it makes sense for Nikki to win here. Now that they are seem more dedicated to having her be an actual HEEL? She should d-bag her way into holding the title for another few months. Maybe leading to a triple threat or for corners elimination match at Survivor Series (See? Cuz its SURVIVOR Series, so have a match you have to survive!)

UNDERDOGS!

Charlotte: +88. Yeah not a bit of a surprise if, since they now have Nikki being the longest reigning Divas Champ ever, they truly move on in this revolution.

btw… Banks has tapped Nikki and Charlotte… and has beaten Paige like 457 times now. #GiveSashaAChance!

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

Twin Magic: Yes: -200. No: +150. YES, but they do it Foxxy! +650

HOW WE GOT HERE!

Seth beat Cena in the main event of Summerslam. 100%! TOTALLY! COMPLETELY! BY! HIM! SELF! So Seth is a double champion-

LETHAL DID IT!

Cena decided to make his rematch clause got cashed for Night of Champions. So we got double the Seth!

FAVORITES!

Cena: -400. I think the Internet has something for this… it goes like… L…O….L…. CENA WINS? It really makes the most sense for Cena to win. Lets get back to US Open Challenges!

UNDERDOGS!

Seth Rollins: +420. Cuz you gotta be HIGH to bet on Seth in this match!

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

Seth's Power Ranger Ring Gear: Black: -400. White: -250. Green: -100. Red: +350.
How ROH is Seth's moveset? "HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT HOLY SHIT!" -150. "THIS IS WRESTLING!" -340. "Chin lock City" +210.

HOW WE GOT HERE!

When Rollins became double champion he was promised a Statue! SO? The Authority made him a statue and were totally gonna unveil it in the ring! Only? The statue was GONE! And replacing it? The Man Called Sting! (With 11% of his face paint sweated or rubbed off) – After some brawling. Sting was in the ring holding the WWE World Heavyweight championship. Trips, not one to pass up an opportunity (He said dripping with sarcasm) – Made the match. Sting vs. Seth Rollins for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. We've gotten Sting's first Raw match. Where he made Seth tap out. Oh… and Sting destroyed the statue.

FAVORITES!

Seth Rollins Retains: -350. I can't see Seth losing the belt here. At least not to Sting. Maybe a no contest/DQ type deal. MAYBE they have Sheamus cash?

UNDERDOGS!

Sting Wins the Championship: +200. As much as he should have won at Mania, he SHOULD lose here. It'd set up Rollins vs. Triple H even better if Triple H failed to beat Sting, and Rollins succeeded. Sadly? That requires an attention to detail that it seems WWE Creative lacks.

PROP BETS O' THE MATCH!

Over/Under: 8 minutes till Sting's face paint is gone.
Which Match Goes on Last: Cena/Rollins -250. Sting/Rollins +100. Ryback/Owens +1400
Triple H's nose pokes into this bidness: Yes -100. No +200.

There we have it, Cheap-Heaters. Happy gambling, and we'll see you soon!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/here-comes-the-pain-top-5-moments-from-smackdown-917/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/here-comes-the-pain-top-5-moments-from-smackdown-917/#comments Fri, 18 Sep 2015 17:41:32 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Top Lists Adam Rose Big E Big Show Brie Bella D'Von Dudley Dean Ambrose Hulk Hogan John Cena Kevin Owens Kofi Kingston Michael Cole Naomi Night of Champions Nikki Bella Roman Reigns Ryback Sasha Banks Seth Rollins Sheamus Smackdown Sting The Dudley Boyz The New Day The Wyatt Family Total Divas Triple H WWE Xavier Woods http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=14253 Welcome to “Here Comes the Pain” — Cheap-Heat.com‘s official Smackdown Countdown, brought to you by B+ Players Radio. When you don’t have the time to sit through an entire Thursday night edition of pre-taped content, we’re here to give you the “Top 5 Moments” in VIDEO FORM! Big thanks to WWE and their awesome YouTube/internet department who always post […]

Welcome to “ Here Comes the Pain ” — Cheap-Heat.com ‘s official Smackdown Countdown , brought to you by B+ Players Radio. When you don’t have the time to sit through an entire Thursday night edition of pre-taped content, we’re here to give you the “Top 5 Moments” in VIDEO FORM ! Big thanks to WWE and their awesome YouTube/internet department who always post exclusive content immediately. It makes our job a lot easier!

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Like this article? You can follow Mark Haggerty and B+ Player Radio on Facebook and Twitter . B+ Player Radio is a network of professional wrestling podcasts produced by writers, comedians, musicians, and most importantly— professional wrestlers! Listen to hours of exclusive content available every single week on iTunes – TuneIn Radio – SoundCloud and Cheap-Heat.com !

http://www.cheap-heat.com/sting-swung-but-the-ball-was-dropped/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/sting-swung-but-the-ball-was-dropped/#comments Tue, 15 Sep 2015 01:30:46 +0000 Gregory Iron Blogs Wrestler Blogs Seth Rollins Sting WCW http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=14128 On September 20th at WWE Night of Champions, WWE Champion Seth Rollins will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against former WCW World Heavyweight Champ, “The Vigilante” Sting. Man, that last sentence is really loaded with lots of variations of the word “champ” in it… Some people love this. People thought Sting would never ever step […]

On September 20th at WWE Night of Champions, WWE Champion Seth Rollins will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against former WCW World Heavyweight Champ, “The Vigilante” Sting.

Man, that last sentence is really loaded with lots of variations of the word “champ” in it…

Some people love this. People thought Sting would never ever step foot in a WWE ring, and in 2015, he’s getting a shot at the top prize. Others are not as crazy about the idea. While the visual of Sting versus Rollins in a wrestling match may be a surreal one, some are arguing the logic behind the match is lacking, as the first and only time we’ve seen Sting in a WWE contest, it was in a losing effort to Triple H. Going into NOC, some would say Sting has zero momentum and has done nothing to earn the championship opportunity.

What do I think? I’m intrigued. Seth Rollins is being hailed as the next Shawn Michaels. He definitely has all the tools, and he’s definitely going to have to put them to use on September 20th in his most unique title defense yet. I like Sting, and it’s going to be fun to watch!

What?

Oh, you were expecting something different, based on the article title.

The ballВ wasВ dropped with Sting…

…in WCW.

That’s what we in the writing industry refer to as “click bait.”

Recently, thanks to the WWE Network, I began watching WCW Monday Nitro’s from 1998. Yes, even seventeen years later, I can’t get over how poorly the main event of Starrcade 1997, and the events that followed it, were executed.

The once boisterous and colorful Sting became silent and darker, carried a baseball bat and hung out in the rafters. Fans of World Championship Wrestling questioned his allegiance. Was Sting WCW, or was theВ black and white clad Stinger a member of the New World Order? Fans watched with bated breath over the course of fourteen months–В fourteen months– В as Sting began to systematically attack the nWo and proved that he bled WCW, and it culminated with Sting getting a shot at Hollywood Hulk Hogan’s WCW Championship at Starrcade 1997.

Fourteen months of build… can you remember the last angle in wresting that went on for fourteen months that kept fans interest? In the age of three minute YouTube videos and sit second Vines, it’s hard to imagine a storyline captivating a wrestling audience quite like Sting vs. The nWo did.

If you were a fan of wrestling in the late 1990’s, there’s a good chance you ordered Starrcade 1997 live on pay per view, which with a 1.9 buyrate (translating into around 500,000-600,000 total buys in 1997), it went on to become WCW’s largest PPV number of all time. And if you watched it live on pay per view, chances are you couldn’t help but feel like Sting/Hogan ended very anticlimactic.

See, the finish was supposed to be a fast three count by notoriously screwy ref and part time nWo employee Nick Patrick, following a Hulk Hogan leg drop. This was to lead to WCW’s newest acquisition, five time WWF Champion and WCW referee for the evening, Bret “Hitman” Hart coming down to ringside. Not wanting to see another screwjob like the one he experienced just one month prior in Montreal, Hart would knock out Patrick, restart the match, and call for the bell when Sting locked in his Scorpion Death Lock submission.

Almost all of that happened…

…except the most important part…

…the fast count.

When Hulk Hogan hit the leg drop, and Nick Patrick proceeded to count the most unbiased, fair, perfect paced three count in the history of wrestling. One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three. After fourteen months of build-up, Hollywood Hulk Hogan had seemingly retained the WCW Championship, fair and square.

For years, there has been a rumor that behind the scenes, Hulk Hogan paid off Nick Patrick. No, not in a pro wrestling storyline. I’m talking like, real money was actually exchanged from Hulk Hogan to Nick Patrick to count a well paced one, two and three on Sting. The reason I remember reading, and for the life of me, I can’t remember whwre I read it, was that Hogan didn’t believe that Sting deserved the championship because of his drug addiction at the time, and because he wasn’t in the shape he should have been for a guy that wrestled zero matches over the course of a year and a half.

In a 2010 interview with Nick Patrick, В he claims that he was simply confused, as several different people told him that the finish was supposed to go down different ways.

The night after Starrcade, WCW gave us the Sting/Hogan WCW Championship rematch, free on TV, live on Nitro. Shenanigans ensued, Nitro went off the air, and over the course of two weeks, it’s decided that because of the controversy surrounding the situation, Sting is stripped of the WCW Championship on the inaugural episode of WCW Thunder. Eventually, Sting would beat Hogan at SuperBrawl VIII in February of 1998, but the damage was already done. After waiting months for a hero to reclaim the WCW Championship from the hated nWo, Sting rose to the occasion, yet took the title under less than noble circumstances. Factor in that Sting’s eventual run with Big Gold was lasted barely two months (losing the belt to Macho Man in April, who lost it back to Hogan the very next day) and was forgettable, the whole build up to Starrcade went to waste.

Soon after, Sting decided to paint his face red and joined nWo Wolfpac… which I always found terrible and random. The guy that was the backbone of WCW decides to trust a new incarnation and join..? I didn’t buy into it.

Many people point to the defection of Chris Benoit, Eddie Guerrero, Perry Saturn and Dean Malenko was the point where the hole in the WCW ship formed, but I believe that the leak began when WCW dropped the ball on Sting and their biggest money making angle of all time.

Rollins vs Sting– Night of Champions will have my money on Sunday.

-Greg

http://www.cheap-heat.com/best-of-bash-at-the-beach/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/best-of-bash-at-the-beach/#comments Tue, 04 Aug 2015 18:27:08 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Blogs Reviews Top Lists Bash at the Beach Beach Blast Cage Match Chris Jericho Dave Meltzer DDP DDP Yoga Dennis Rodman ECW Hulk Hogan Karl Malone Randy Savage Rey Mysterio Ric Flair Rick Rude Star Ratings Sting The Giant Top Matches Ultimo Dragon Vader WCW wrestling WWE WWE Network http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=13305 Summer is in full swing so let's celebrate with a WCW Classic—Bash at the Beach! The Bash—formerly known as Beach Blast—was a wrestling tradition for nine years and hosted some of the most definitive moments in World Championship Wrestling history. The NWO formed, Hulk Hogan debuted, the late Roddy Piper wrestled Ric Flair! I've been […]

Summer is in full swing so let's celebrate with a WCW Classic— Bash at the Beach! The Bash—formerly known as Beach Blast—was a wrestling tradition for nine years and hosted some of the most definitive moments in World Championship Wrestling history. The NWO formed, Hulk Hogan debuted , the late Roddy Piper wrestled Ric Flair! I've been doing a ton of research for an upcoming analysis I think you'll all really enjoy, and have thus been paying particularly close attention to Dave Meltzer's Star Ratings. Instead of writing about why you should watch each Bash at the Beach extravaganza, I've listed Dave's highest rated match and my favorite match, to give you an idea of what kind of action went down at these particular shows.

Note: The "Combined Star Rating" is the average for each show based on match ratings and number of bouts.

Beach Blast 1992 – Mobile Alabama 6/20/92
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Sting versus Cactus Jack – Falls Count Anywhere – 4 ½ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Rick Rude versus Ricky Steamboat – Iron Man Match – 3 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 3 Stars

Beach Blast 1993 – Biloxi Mississippi 7/18/93
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: TIED

Mark's Favorite Match: Ric Flair vs. Barry Windham – NWA World Heavyweight Title – 2 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1994 – Orlando Florida 7/17/94
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Steve Austin vs. Ricky Steamboat – U.S. Title– 3 ¾ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Ric Flair – WCW World Heavyweight Title – 3 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1995 – Huntington Beach California 7/16/95
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Ric Flair vs. Macho Man – Lifeguard Match – 2 ¾ Stars
Mark's Favorite Match: Hulk Hogan vs. Vader – Cage Match World Title – 2 ½ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 Star

Bash at the Beach 1996 – Daytona Beach Florida 7/7/96
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Rey Mysterio Jr. vs. Psychosis – 4 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: The Outsiders & Hulk Hogan vs. Sting, Macho Man, & Lex Luger – 3 Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 Вј Stars

Bash at the Beach 1997 – Daytona Beach Florida 7/13/97
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: TIED

Mark's Top Match: Roddy Piper vs. Ric Flair 3 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 2 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1998 – San Diego California 7/12/98
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Eddie Guerrero vs. Chavo Guerrero – Hair vs. Hair – 3 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Hulk Hogan & Dennis Rodman vs. DDP & Karl Malone –   -1 ¼ Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 ВЅ Stars

Bash at the Beach 1999 – Fort Lauderdale Florida 7/11/99
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: The Triad vs. Chris Benoit & Perry Saturn – 3 ½ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Hardcore Junkyard Battle Royal – N/A
Combined Star Rating: ВЅ Star

Bash at the Beach 2000 – Dayton Beach Florida 7/9/00
Dave Meltzer's Top Match: Mike Awesome vs. Scott Steiner – U.S. Title – 3 ¼ Stars
Mark's Top Match: Booker T vs. Jeff Jarrett – World Heavyweight Title – 3 Stars
Combined Star Rating: 1 Вѕ Stars

Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News !

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-king-of-the-mountain-match-a-slammiversary-tradition/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-king-of-the-mountain-match-a-slammiversary-tradition/#comments Sun, 28 Jun 2015 20:50:03 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Top Lists AJ Styles Bobby Roode Christian Cage DailyMotion Impact Jeff Jarrett King of the Mountain King of the Mountain Match Kurt Angle Ladder Matches Monty Brown Pro Wrestling Ron Killings Sting TNA TNA Impact wrestling WWE WWE Network Youtube http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=12656 The world of professional wrestling is littered with gimmick matches—some of them are amazingly awesome, and others are terribly tragic. Then there are those that lie somewhere in the middle, on an almost Limbo-like plain, where they remain completely dependent on the wrestlers in the match. Casket Matches, TLC's, Royal Rumbles—all enjoyable contests when the […]

The world of professional wrestling is littered with gimmick matches—some of them are amazingly awesome, and others are terribly tragic. Then there are those that lie somewhere in the middle, on an almost Limbo-like plain, where they remain completely dependent on the wrestlers in the match. Casket Matches, TLC's, Royal Rumbles—all enjoyable contests when the right participants are involved. The Hell in a Cell is one example of a gimmick that works with Shawn Michaels, the Undertaker, Triple H—but not so much with Ryback, Vince McMahon, or the Big Show. In 2004, Jeff Jarrett introduced a concept to Total Nonstop Action that would turn the standard ladder match on its head—quite literally. It was called the "King of the Mountain," which just so happened to be Jeff's self-bestowed moniker as champion and promotor of TNA Wrestling.

The King of the Mountain features a total of five individuals, all vying for a championship—or chance for a championship. The title belt or token object is readily available at ringside; the first man to climb the ladder and hang the object in question is the "King of the Mountain," and wins the match. But there's more to it than that. In order to qualify to climb the ladder, each wrestler must secure a fall over one of his opponents. This is most commonly accomplished via pinfall, but a submission works just the same. Once "Wrestler A" pins "Wrestler B," Wrestler A is allowed to climb the ladder, while Wrestler B must spend a predetermined amount of time in the penalty box. The box can fill up pretty quickly, too. On more than one occasion, the penalty box has been nearly as dangerous—if not more so—than the six-sided ring.

There have been EIGHT King of the Mountain Matches since the debut of the original concept in 2004, and tonight's Slammiversary XIII will be the ninth. In fact, with the exception of just two �Mountain Matches, each one of this eclectic contests have been featured at TNA Slammiversary. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, and I'm here to take you through a brief rundown of King of the Mountain Matches. Enjoy videos of each and every King of the Mountain Match, courtesy of YouTube, DailyMotion, and the fine people at TNA Wrestling.

Note: Some videos are the first part of two or three, but the subsequent videos are readily available on each individual page.

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If Jeff Jarrett wins tonight's King of the Mountain match, he will break his tie with Kurt Angle and hold the official record for most victories atop the TNA ladder. Will TNA allow an outside entity capture an inaugural championship in their company? TNA Slammiversary XIII is only three hours away, so we will know in just a few hours. Until next time, please LIKE "The B+ Players Podcast" on Facebook , and FOLLOW me on Twitter for all the latest and greatest updates courtesy of Cheap-Heat and Daily Wrestling News!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-wrestlemania-31/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hunchamania-wrestlemania-31/#comments Sun, 29 Mar 2015 17:04:15 +0000 Gary Mastriano Blogs Other Blogs AJ Lee Bad News Barrett Bella Twins BNB Bray Wyatt Brie Bella Brock Lesnar Cesaro Daniel Bryan Dean Ambrose Dolph Ziggler HHH John Cena Lana Los Matadores Luke Harper Nikki Bella Paige R-Truth Randy Orton Roman Reigns Rusev Seth Rollins Stardust Sting The New Day Triple H Tyson Kidd Undertaker Usos Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10783 HUNCHAMANIA: WRESTLEMANIA 31 Guys…. Guys… GUYS! It's Mania Eve! The second best Eve of the year (although it seriously challenges Christmas and John McMclane). There is a feeling of joy in the air, of hope, of dreams. My head is spinning with thoughts of the promising matches we will see in 24 hours. No matter […]

HUNCHAMANIA: WRESTLEMANIA 31

Guys…. Guys… GUYS! It's Mania Eve! The second best Eve of the year (although it seriously challenges Christmas and John McMclane). There is a feeling of joy in the air, of hope, of dreams. My head is spinning with thoughts of the promising matches we will see in 24 hours. No matter how much we may lament the card beforehand, when the time is upon, you can't help but be excited. This is the best time to be a wrestling fan. And while all eyes of the wrestling world are set upon California, here in New Jersey I am preparing for my Mania party. The Pin the Tail on the Cena has been hung, and the food WWE balloons are being inflated.

WrestleMania this year is shaping up to have tons of memorable moments. The great thing about this card is how hard it is to predict the winners of each match. Aside from the Sting-HHH match I have had an incredibly difficult time figuring who was going to win each match. Kudos to the much maligned WWE booking team for actually setting up an intriguing show, with implications that could be felt in the WWE for years to come. SO…LET'S GET TO THE PREDICTIONS!!! (Seriously though… I have a pin the tail on John Cena).

4 way tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Titles- Kidd/Cesaro (champs) vs Usos vs Matadors vs New Day
I refuse to acknowledge that this a pre-show match. With the advent of the WWE Network there really is no difference between the main show and the preshow. They should just advertise WrestleMania as a 6 hour event. These 4 teams, particularly the Usos and Kidd/Cesaro, have worked hard over the past year to build up the tag team division. The tag titles deserve to be highlighted, and being on the preshow may be the best possible way to showcase them. I assume they will be given more time than if they were actually on the main card. I have heard rumors that New Day may win to bring back the Freebird rule to the tag titles. While that would be really cool, I don't see it happening quite yet. I think Kidd/Cesaro have a long run with the tag titles coming, so I suspect that they retain.

Andre the Giant Battle Royal
As of me writing this the announced participants are: The Miz, Curtis Axel, Ryback, Fandango, Adam Rose, Zack Ryder, Jack Swagger, Titus O’Neil, Darren Young, Big Show, Kane, Erick Rowan, Damien Mizdow, Sin Cara, Goldust, Heath Slater, Mark Henry, Konnor, Viktor, and Hideo Itami. Barring a surprise entrance, that's 20 total participants. After the way Cesaro was handled after his win last year, it is really difficult to determine who will/should win. In theory the winner should go on to have a solid upper mid card run, at the very least. So I will assume that the outcome will lead to big things for whoever wins. So who can benefit the most from a victory? Really the choice for me comes down to 3 guys: The Miz, Ryback, and Curtis Axel. The Miz is always teetering on the edge of the main event, and I really like to think he can break through the main event scene at any time. Once he splits with Mizdow (which will FINALLY be cemented in this match) there is little direction for The Miz. The main event scene could always use another snarky heel. Speaking of guys that are on the edge of the main event- Ryback has always flirted with superstardom. Every time he seems to be on the brink of breaking through, the booking takes a weird turn. He is way over with the crowd. He has the look of a top star. He has had moments where he cut potential career defining promos. Time is short on him to finally break through to the main event, so why not now? As for Curtis Axel, he is the long shot, but sentimental favorite. Axel has been one of the most over performers on the roster since turning his Rumble misfortune into a gimmick. A win for Axel could be the push he needs to get back into the midcard scene. With that being said- I think Ryback takes the win.

Ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship- Bad News Barrett (champion) vs Daniel Bryan vs R-Truth vs Dean Ambrose vs Dolph Ziggler vs Stardust vs Luke Harper
I have tried to stay positive about this match. I really have. All signs point to this being a great match. But…man is there a bad vibe surrounding this one. WWE was telling a great IC story with Dean Ambrose and Bad News Barrett, which would have paid off perfectly at WrestleMania. WWE was telling a great story with Goldust and Stardust, which would have paid off perfectly at WrestleMania. WWE was telling a great story with Daniel Bryan that would have…oh wait…they weren't telling any story with Daniel Bryan. At all. He was just kind of around, being the most popular guy on the roster. Now I have no problem with a midcarder being the most over guy, but Daniel Bryan is not a midcarder. I also have no problem with Daniel Bryan NOT being in the main event. But WWE had literally NOTHING planned for him. Like they forgot about him and just used him. Even up until a few weeks ago he wasn't even confirmed for this match. It was like they were waiting for something/someone else to come around to feud with him. Was Sheamus not available? I guess we will never know. Also everything I just said, switch Bryan out with Ziggler.

As for the match itself, the participants themselves will make this a great match I'm sure. Everyone in this match (even R Truth) can produce a great match, so I expect the work rate to be there. I have no doubt this will be a fun bout. I don't see Harper, Stardust, Truth, or Ziggler walking away with the IC title. Ambrose has a legit claim to it and he would elevate the belt for sure. I have heard that the title may be put on Bryan so he can help elevate the title. I am choosing to ignore that theory. Therefore I think it will be Barrett walking away with his title intact. He hasn't actually been in possession of his title during the hot potato storyline in the past few months, so I assume he will ultimately retain.

Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton
I have really enjoyed the build towards this match. Orton's return and subsequent slow burn turn on Rollins was a fresh new build towards this grudge match. This is my pick for show stealer of the night. Orton can always put on a great match when he is motivated, and Rollins has proven in the past year that he will steal every show for the next decade. A loss for Rollins doesn't hurt his character in the slightest. Rollins will continue to be the main focus of WWE programming for the foreseeable future. Orton is hot as a face right now, and an inevitable match with Lesnar is on the horizon. Orton gets the victory here, but this is not the last we see of Mr. Rollins tonight…

The Bella Twins vs AJ Lee and Paige
With all the uproar online about 2 matches being moved to the "pre-show", I have been looking on the bright side. The fact that there are only 7 matches on the main card means that each match will hopefully get a decent amount of time. The recent #givedivasachance movement has seemed to catch on, with longer TV matches in the past few weeks. These ladies are the 4 top performers in the Divas division and certainly can put together a great match if the time is give. The Bellas will continue to be the focus of the Divas division, with AJ and Paige chasing the title until Charlotte makes her main roster debut. Therefore the Bellas pick up the win here, and continue their Diva dominance.

US Title Match- John Cena vs Rusev (champ)
Man this is a hard match to predict. On one hand you John Cena- who is defending America against the big bad evil foreigner. A Cena victory would be a victory for America. On the other hand you have Rusev- who is the latest superstar to have the "winning streak monster" push. Rusev has had a phenomenal rise to this position. Wrestling Cena at his first WrestleMania is a pretty big deal, whether he wins or not. Looking ahead at the remainder of 2015 and beyond, it would seem that Rusev would need the win more. Cena will always be at the top of the card. He selectively puts people over when the time is right. Does Rusev deserve that rub? I think so. I have seen people stating that Cena will carry the US Title back to prominence. And while it would be radical to see Cena in the mid card, I just don't think it'll happen. Rusev gets the win with some kind of shenanigans in another potential show stealer.

Bray Wyatt vs the Undertaker
I have said it before, but I have no problem saying it again. I do NOT want to ever see the Undertaker wrestler…. Ever. Again. Ever. To quote a great man (Hunter Hearst Helmsley) �All you have is the streak. When it dies. You die.' And I completely believe it. The Undertaker has nothing to prove anymore. It is time to move on from the Undertaker era of WrestleMania. Hopefully that is what we will get this year. Wyatt is clearly going to be filling the creepy scary guy for the foreseeable future, so why not use this match as a passing of the torch? At the same time can you see the Undertaker losing two years in a row? I for cannot. I think he wins this year, setting up the rematch/retirement next year.

Sting vs Triple H
One of my first Cheap Heat articles was dissecting why Sting HAD to fight Triple Hat WrestleMania this year. It is really the only match Sting could've had this year. WWE has done a stellar job building towards this epic confrontation. Sting has been treated with nothing but respect by the WWE. I don't think the ending of this match is up for any debate- Sting wins his first WWE match.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match- Brock Lesnar (champion) vs Roman Reigns
Good job WWE. Seriously, you turned a match that I was dreading last summer when the rumors arose, into a legitimately intriguing matchup. Lesnar vs Reigns is probably the most interesting WrestleMania main event we have had in over a decade. Prior to this week, it was almost a foregone conclusion that Brock would be dropping the title to the Samoan Superman this Sunday…but then WWE conveniently announces Brock Lesnar has resigned with the company. Congrats WWE, you pulled a fast one on us by making us wonder if Brock was staying. I always thought he was staying, in fact I think the past few weeks of speculation was drawn up by WWE to gain interest in their main event. The WWE is nothing if not their own biggest promoters, and Vince and Co know how to gather extreme interest in their product. Prior to this week, this seemed like a cookie cutter passing of the torch moment, but now with the announcement that Lesnar is staying for an additional 3 years, it's not outside the realm of possibility that he walks out of Mania with the championship. We can all seem to agree that Reigns is fine to be the next face of the company, but he is clearly not ready for that position. Maybe a loss to Lesnar gains additional fan support, and makes the eventual Reigns win even more. WWE is not known to take risks at WresleMania, especially with their potential main eventers, but this seems to be a great time for them to take that risk. Don't give Reigns the title WWE. Not yet. Lesnar wins in after an extremely hard fought and valiant effort by Reigns. HOWEVER…. I do not think Lesnar or Reigns walk out with the WWE Championship… I predict the Money in the Bank contract is cashed in at WrestleMania for the first time ever, and Seth Rollins ends the night with the WWE title around his waist.

Man that's a lot of intrigue going into this year's WrestleMania. So many match outcomes are up in the air, and WWE is really firing on all cylinders right now. To paraphrase Max Landis "when it's good, it's fucking incredible." I cannot help but agree. The wrestling world is in for a night of great storytelling all around. Buckle up gang!

http://www.cheap-heat.com/hall-of-fame-hopefuls-part-five-headliners/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/hall-of-fame-hopefuls-part-five-headliners/#comments Fri, 27 Mar 2015 21:44:45 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Blogs Other Blogs Bill Goldberg Chris Jericho Goldberg Hall of Fame HHH HOF JBL John Bradshaw Layfield Kurt Angle Owen Hart Sting The Rock Triple H Undertaker Vince McMahon Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10727 Hall of Fame Hopefuls Part Five: Headliners Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the fifth and final chapter of "Hall of Fame Hopefuls," exclusively available at Cheap-Heat.com. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and over the past month I've had the chance to chat about some of the most iconic talents […]

Hall of Fame Hopefuls
Part Five: Headliners
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Ladies and gentlemen welcome to the fifth and final chapter of "Hall of Fame Hopefuls," exclusively available at Cheap-Heat.com. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty and over the past month I've had the chance to chat about some of the most iconic talents to ever be featured in-or-around a professional wrestling ring. We began with tag teams, moved on to the celebrity wing, then to managers and broadcasters, and last week I named the most deserving Divas whom I believe belong in the WWE Hall of Fame. For this ultimate edition, we're listing ten possible headliners for future Hall of Fame classes. These are the men who will fill the same sort of role as Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, the Ultimate Warrior, and of course the "Macho Man" Randy Savage. Let's kick things off with the only Olympic Gold Medalist on the countdown.

Kurt Angle
Kurt Angle is among the greatest technicians in the history of professional wrestling, and might be the greatest active competitor inside a squared—or six-sided—circle. After taking home top honors at the 1996 Summer Olympics, Kurt Angle was at a loss for how to continue his athletic career. After much soul-searching he decided to try his hand at professional wrestling and made his in-ring debut for the National Wrestling Alliance on October 24, 1998. Angle was spotted by the WWE immediately and first appeared for the �Federation at the Survivor Series the following year. Angle enjoyed a dominant winning streak lasting over two months and made history when he won the WWE Championship from the Rock at No Mercy 2000, just eleven months after debuting. A former King of the Ring, Kurt went on to achieve unprecedented honors including the WWE, WCW, and World heavyweight championships—in addition to secondary belts like the U.S., Intercontinental, European, Hardcore, and tag team titles. Although the "Wrestling Machine" has been absent from World Wrestling Entertainment for nearly a decade, it's safe to assume his seat will always be ready, should he decide to take his place amongst the "Immortals."

Triple H
The man that would one day become Triple H started his career in 1992 after training with the legendary Killer Kowalski. He debuted for World Championship Wrestling in 1994 as Terra Ryzing, but was soon repackaged as "Jean-Paul Levesque"—a French nobleman with a finishing maneuver known as the "Pedigree." He signed with the WWE in 1995 and brought his aristocratic act to a whole new audience as the "Connecticut Blue Blood" Hunter Hearst-Helmsley. Triple H teamed with Shawn Michaels in 1997 to form D-Generation X, which Hunter continued to lead clear into the new millennium. Triple H won his first world title on an episode of Raw following Summerslam 1999 and has since become one of the most decorated performers in WWE history. A 13-time world heavyweight champion, Triple H is also a former King of the Ring, Royal Rumble winner, and a member of BOTH the Wrestling Observer Hall of Fame and the International Sports Hall of Fame.Triple H has scaled back on in-ring competition since taking a job in Titan Towers in 2010, where his main focus has been on creative and talent relations. Triple H is a lock for the WWE Hall of Fame—the only uncertainly is when we might see it happen.

The Rock
Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson has been igniting the box office for 15 years, but got his start in entertainment by "electrifying millions—and millions" of people around the world. The Rock debuted for the WWE in 1996 at the Survivor Series as "Rocky Maivia"—a name created by combining Rocky Johnson with Peter Maivia—in honor of his father and grandfather. Audiences didn't take to the Jerri-curled babyface and soon began to greet the future "Great One" with chants of "Rocky Sucks" and "Die, Rocky, Die." The Rock found himself in the driver's seat of the Nation of Domination after ejecting their former leader Farooq, and by 1998 was well on his way to world heavyweight title. The Rock became the WWE champion at the Survivor Series that year when he "screwed" Mick Foley in the "Deadly Games Tournament." The Rock held numerous championships during his time with the WWE, but made his greatest mark in ways that no previous Superstar could have imagined. The December 1998 pay-per-view—Rock Bottom—was named for the champ, but that was only the beginning. In 1999 the WWE debuted Smackdown—a phrase made popular by the Rock—which led to an enormously popular video game series by the same name. The Rock returned to the WWE in 2011 to host Wrestlemania XXVII, and went on to win the WWE championship for an 8th time at the Royal Rumble in 2013. If the Rock isn't worthy of the WWE Hall of Fame—then why does it exist?

Sting
Steve Borden began his wrestling career much the same as fellow Hall of Famers Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels—as part of a tag team. Borden was originally one-half of the Blade Runners with the man who would one-day be known as the Ultimate Warrior. Originally referred to as "Blade Runner Flash," Borden would ultimately change his name to Sting. He debuted for Jim Crockett Promotions in 1987 and quickly engaged in a heated rivalry with Ric Flair and the Four Horsemen. Sting won his first world title on July 7, 1990 from the "Nature Boy," and by 1991 was considered the "Franchise" of World Championship Wrestling. When the New World Order started to take over WCW during the summer of �96, Sting went into hiding and returned in the rafters where he proceeded to watch the events of �97 unfold. Sting finally met "Hollywood" Hogan for the WCW championship at Starrcade 1997, where he defeated the former Hulkster and regained the title on behalf of WCW. Over the next several years, Sting's character would evolve and alternate allegiances, even aligning with Kevin Nash and the NWO Wolf Pac. Sting had the privilege of performing in the main event of the final Monday Nitro in March of 2001 against his longtime nemesis, Ric Flair. When the company closed, Borden opted not to join the competition and instead signed with the WWE alternative Total Nonstop Action Wrestling in 2003. Sting's induction seems all-but-imminent now that the "Vigilante" has signed with the WWE—14 years removed from the Monday Night War. Sting is also a longtime resident of the "Lone-Star State"—the site of next year's potential record-breaking Wrestlemania—so now seems like a perfect time to consider him for the WWE Hall of Fame.

Chris Jericho
The self-professed "Ayatollah of Rock and Rolla" is one of the most diverse performers to ever lace-up a pair of wrestling boots. Chris Jericho started his journey toward the WWE Hall of Fame in 1990 when he began training under the highly-acclaimed Hart Brothers. Jericho traveled the world and learned various nuances of the business during his time in Mexico and Japan, and eventually debuted stateside for Extreme Championship Wrestling in 1995. It wasn't long before national promotions started to take notice of young "Lionheart" and in 1997, Chris Jericho signed with WCW. He achieved mild-success while employed by Turner, engaging in memorable rivalries with high profile talents such as Dean Malenko and even Bill Goldberg. Jericho joined the World Wrestling Federation in 1999 and made his long-awaited debut by interrupting the Rock on Monday Night Raw. Chris Jericho holds the record for most intercontinental title reigns at nine, and is further renowned for being the very first Undisputed Champion in WWE history. Jericho is the WWE's 4th Grand Slam Champion, coming in just behind Hall of Famer Shawn Michaels, as well as current "Authority Figures" Triple H and Kane. Chris Jericho has been able to withstand the test of time by reinventing himself and relying on the number one rule of showmanship—"always leave them wanting more." Chris is an aspiring actor, a successful podcast host, and most notably—he is the lead singer for the hit heavy metal band FOZZY. Hopefully Y2J will "save us" from boring speeches when he inevitably accepts the honor of being added to the WWE Hall of Fame.

John "Bradshaw" Layfield
John "Bradshaw" Layfield signed with the WWE in 1995 and has remained involved with the company to some degree ever since. He began as the Texas roughneck Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw, an homage to clichéd Sports Entertainment cowboys such as Stan Hansen and Black Bart. Bradshaw found much of his early success in the tag team ranks, both with Barry Windham as the "New Blackjacks," and later with his longtime partner Ron Simmons in the APA. Bradshaw and Simmons won the WWE tag titles on three separate occasions before finally separating in 2004. By this time, Bradshaw's real-life role on Wall Street started to seep into the storyline, and the JBL character was born. John "Bradshaw" Layfield formed his "Cabinet" and took the WWE Championship from Eddie Guerrero in a bloody Bull Rope Match at the Great American Bash. His record-breaking streak as champion came to an end at Wrestlemania 21 when he dropped the coveted title to John Cena. JBL remained adamant about regaining his gold, but failed to do so, instead choosing to focus on secondary singles titles such as the United States and Intercontinental Championships. Today Bradshaw is a color commentator on Monday Night Raw and hosts a daily radio segment with Michael Cole. If Jerry Lawler and Booker T are going to flash their Hall of Fame jewelry at ringside, then so too should John "Bradshaw" Layfield.

Goldberg
Bill Goldberg was an Atlanta Falcon who entered the world of professional wrestling in 1997 after training at WCW's Power Plant. Goldberg immediately turned heads with a physical presence unlike anything wrestling fans had ever seen. His matches might have been short, but they added up to an astounding 173-0 winning streak lasting until Starrcade 1998. Goldberg lost the title but maintained his winning edge, only losing to a select few individuals such as Kevin Nash and Bret "The Hitman" Hart. Goldberg was loyal to World Championship Wrestling until its dying day, and opted to sit-out the remainder of his contract, rather than sign with World Wrestling Entertainment. Goldberg made his WWE debut on the Monday Night Raw following Wrestlemania XIX in Seattle, where the former-Falcon warned the Rock: "You're Next!" Goldberg was featured prominently on the WWE's Raw brand during his year with the company, and won the world heavyweight championship from Triple H in a "Title vs. Career Match" at Unforgiven 2003. Goldberg's final match with the company would be a polarizing affair featuring Brock Lesnar with "Stone Cold" Steve Austin as the guest referee. While the match left a lot to be desired, Bill Goldberg walked away victorious and even shared a ceremonial beer with the "Rattlesnake" before getting 'Stunned himself. Goldberg might not have been the most technically proficient superstar in wrestling history, but he sold tickets and remains a household name almost 20 years after his debut.

Owen Hart
There are a variety of reasons why Owen Hart has yet to be added to the WWE Hall of Fame; his widow Martha is adamant that he not be included, although his brother Bret seeks closure and continues to pressure Martha into changing her mind. The logistics of the situation aside, Owen Hart is one of the most deserving professional wrestlers who's yet to receive a WWE Hall of Fame acknowledgment. Owen began learning his craft under the tutelage of his famed father Stu Hart. His wrestling career was hindered as his debut in 1983 came during a time that Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Federation was acquiring Stu's Stampede territory. Owen wasn't afforded the chance to learn on his family's home turf and instead made a name for himself on the independent circuit before being signed to the WWE in 1988. Owen competed as the Blue Blazer and was even featured at Wrestlemania V against Mr. Perfect. Owen left the WWE and spent time back at home in Calgary, as well as in WCW, before returning to the �Federation in 1993. Beginning in the autumn of '93, Owen entered into what would become a defining program in his career—a bitter year-long rivalry with his older brother Bret. The two first met at �Mania X where Owen got the best of Bret, and then again at Summerslam in a 5-star championship cage match wherein the "Hitman" emerged victorious. Owen became a celebrated tag team specialist alongside partners like Yokozuna, the British Bulldog, and Jeff Jarrett. In addition to numerous tag team accolades, Owen is a former intercontinental champion, European champion, King of the Ring, and 3-time Slammy Award Winner. Sadly however, Owen lost his life in a tragic accident at the Kemper Arena on May 23rd, 1999; Owen Hart was a world-class performer who most certainly deserves one final "Wrestlemania Moment" as his memory is honored in the WWE Hall of Fame.

The Undertaker
Mark Calaway stood nearly seven feet tall and was originally brought to the mainstream by WCW in 1989 as "Mean Mark Callous." He replaced Sid Vicious as one-half of Teddy Long's "Skyscrapers" along with Dan Spivey, but soon embarked on a singles career that would introduce him to a wider audience. Calaway signed with the WWE in 1990, leaving wrestling fans flabbergasted when Ted DiBiase introduced his otherworldly team mate at the Survivor Series. The Undertaker was a sinister heel during his first two years in the �Federation, and captured the WWE Championship from Hulk Hogan one year after his debut at the �Series in �91. By the time the "New Generation" was taking over from the "Old Guard," the Undertaker transitioned from fearsome freak to beloved babyface. He introduced the "Casket Match" to the WWE Universe against Kamala and later the world champion Yokozuna. He regained the WWE belt at Wrestlemania 13 against the man he originally replaced in WCW— Psycho Sid—and started down a championship path that would ultimately include 7 world titles. The Undertaker's contributions to the WWE are innumerable and impossible to list in one paragraph, but include match types such as "Buried Alive," the "Last Ride Match," and "Hell in a Cell." The Undertaker's Kayfabe brother Kane was introduced to compliment the �Taker character, but has since gone on to achieve a mythical status of his own. The Undertaker is one of the most inventive Superstars in the history of the WWE; whether he's the Phenom of the World Wrestling Federation or the American Badass, it's hard to argue with success. I think it's safe to say the Undertaker is a guaranteed future-Hall of Famer, so I'll stop here and patiently await next year's Wrestlemania in the Dead Man's home state of Texas.

Vince McMahon
The WWE Hall of Fame would cease to be had it not been for the vision of one global entrepreneur. Vince McMahon took his father's New York-based wrestling promotion and developed it into a worldwide entertainment conglomerate, currently trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Vince became a focal point on �Federation broadcasts beginning in the early 1970s, and by the end of the decade would be the driving force within his father's company. Vince's distribution outfit—Titan Sports—acquired the World Wrestling Federation in 1982, just a few years shy of Hulk Hogan and the advent of Wrestlemania. Vince remained dedicated to the announce desk throughout the 1980s and �90s, forming lasting bonds with color commentators such as Jess "The Body" Ventura and Jerry "The King" Lawler. In 1997 Vince stepped outside his comfort zone and into the spotlight, where he would become the diabolical "Mr. McMahon" character that audiences love-to-hate. McMahon feuded with main event talents from numerous generations including Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Triple H, and most famously "Stone Cold" Steve Austin. In addition to his countless honors outside of professional wrestling, Vince is a 2-time world champion—having held both the WWE and ECW world heavyweight championships. Vincent J.—Mr. McMahon's father—was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1996, so there's certainly room for more McMahons should the opportunity someday arise. Vince McMahon has received his share of criticism throughout the years from both industry insiders and outsiders alike, but few can debate whether Vince McMahon belongs in his OWN Hall of Fame.

I want to thank everyone who took the time to read "Hall of Fame Hopefuls." This was a fun way to highlight some of the biggest names in wrestling history that haven't yet found their place in the "Pantheon of the Immortals." In five weeks I've named sixty different Superstars from various eras and countless generations, all of whom deserve recognition for their contributions to the industry. Until next time, this has been Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "The B+ Players."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-over-under-wrestlemania-xxxi-odds-part-2-the-main-events/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-over-under-wrestlemania-xxxi-odds-part-2-the-main-events/#comments Sun, 22 Mar 2015 02:56:57 +0000 Scott Hayes Blogs Other Blogs Bray Wyatt Brock Lesnar HHH John Cena Roman Reigns Rusev Sting Triple H Undertaker Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10571 And… We're… BACK! No longer writing from the floor of an Atlantic City casino. I come to you like from SPRING! … wait… We got five inches of snow last night? That's NOT SPRING, NATURE! But the only season that REALLY matters? Boom! We have four more matches to break down. The Main Events heading […]

And…

We're…

BACK!

No longer writing from the floor of an Atlantic City casino. I come to you like from SPRING! … wait… We got five inches of snow last night? That's NOT SPRING, NATURE! But the only season that REALLY matters?

Boom! We have four more matches to break down. The Main Events heading into Wrestlemania 31, or XXXI, or Press Play.

OVERVIEW!

Coming out of the Royal Rumble, John Cena and Rusev crossed paths. They set off on a feud. They had US Title match at Fastlane. Rusev won that, by locking Cena into the Accolade. Cena "Never Gives Up"… I mean it IS on all his shirts. So? His body did for him. He passed out. Rusev won. A HUGE win for Rusev. Something they SHOULD have done last year at Mania with Bray… Anyway, now we're all set for the rematch. Initially Rusev was like, "Nah, Captain America… I broke you. You get no rematch." Eventually super angry Cena erupted and whooped Rusev which led to this here rematch. The United States Championship has had a much higher profile during Rusev's reign. He's been booked super strong, and has yet to be pinned/submitted on WWE TV/PPV. Cena is Cena. He is the Face of the WWE. He's had an insane run at the top, and his presence with the US Title only serves to elevate that title. Him winning it only elevates it further. I look forward to this match, hopefully building on the good match they had at Fastlane.

Favorite!

John Cena: -300. I see John Cena walking out of Mania with the US Championship. I hope like hell this doesn't bring the return of the US spinner belt… But no matter what the Dr. of Thugonomics does with it? I see Cena being our next US Champion.

Underdog!

Rusev: +150. Its not impossible to see Rusev win here, but I mean… I… WE know better. It'll be interesting to see how WWE handles this for Rusev moving forward. Hopefully they learned from how they handled Bray coming out from this feud last year. I think him winning at Fastlane was already a step in a better direction. Still. Even in defeat here, he SHOULD come out a bigger star. The US Championship WILL come out more prestigious.

Prop Bets of the Match!

Over/Under: Total # of Attitude Adjustments: 2.5

Cena's Shorts: Jorts -200. Camo Cargo -100. Khaki Cargo Even Money. Apollo Creed's Red White and Blue Boxing Shorts +500 (But it'd be awesome though)

Over/Under: Captain America references: 4.5

OVERVIEW!

So we haven't seen Taker since LAST Wrestlemania. Rumors abound on whether or not he would wrestle at this Mania, and even doubt on if he'd compete ever again. Starting before Fastlane Bray Wyatt began cutting cryptic promos, not exactly out of the ordinary for Bray, but stood out was Bray was CLEARLY talking about someone. Quickly he began hinting at speaking about the Deadman. He began cutting promos where he was constructing something, which turned out to be a casket. Fastlane, the Deadman's Gong hit, cue druids, and a casket, and up sat Bray Wyatt. Wyatt wanted to face the man he was afraid of as a child, but no longer fears. Bray is the new face of fear in the WWE. Big kudos to Bray Wyatt who was tagged with selling and building this match by himself. When they're focused on SOMETHING his promos are some of the best in the bidness. Entrances for this should be awesome. After that? Well… we'll see what kind of shape Taker will be in. On the plus side this match doesn't need to be more than 10-12 minutes bell to bell. For whichever story they want to tell. And that's where some confusion sets in.

Favorite!

Bray Wyatt: -100. This is essentially a pick �em. I can see it going either way. They like Bray Wyatt a lot. But… then again… Its TAKER. Can I see the Undertaker losing consecutive Wrestlemania matches?

Can Bray REALLY lose another match like this? Especially considering how things went "post Cena" for him, where they ended up rebooting him.

So… yeah…

Underdog!

The Undertaker: +100. The margin is small on this one. It doesn't make sense for Taker to win, but still… Taker is the man in WWE.

Prop Bets of the Match!

Whose Entrance is Longer: Undertaker -250. Bray Wyatt +200.

Do we see THIS spot: Bray hanging upside down from the top rope, and Taker sits up. Yes: -150. No: +300

Taker's Hairstyle: Dark Mohawk -400. Grey Mohawk -150. Grey Stubble even money. Long +Eleventy Billion.

OVERVIEW!

Back at Survivor Series the Authority was battling for their existence. It was Ziggler versus the world. he eliminated some people and it then the Authority got worried. Triple H jumped in and was set to destroy Ziggler to ensure his squad could stay in power, BUT-BUT-BUT… Crows squawked. Lights went out, and sting made his way to the ring. He took out Triple H. Rolled Ziggler onto Rollins. Three count later AND… DING DONG… THE AUTHORITY WAS GONE! (For like… 3 weeks) … Once the Authority was put back in power, Triple H needed ANSWERS. So he challenged Sting to a FACE OFF at Fastlane. Faces were offed. We get this match. Sting still hasn't spoken LIVE on Television, but has said something on the WWE Network after coming to the ring to save Randy Orton from the Authority's wrath. For this match you don't really need much. You have Sting in a WWE ring, and having his FIRST, possibly LAST Wrestlemania match. You have Triple H who is a hall of fame performer and a very good ring worker, and one of WWE's most hated baddies. Simply for the atmosphere this match is must see.

Favorite!

Sting: -500. Sting is going to his first WWE match at Wrestlemania. Who knows how many matches the Franchise of WCW gets inside a WWE ring, and maybe he loses one, but not THIS one. Stinger Splash. Scorpion Deathdrop. Scorpion Deathlock. Ballgame.

Underdog!

Triple H: +400. Sure there is a chance if this is all part of a longer arcing story that Triple H will weasel a win for the Authority. The X-Factor in all this-

No. Not YOU guys. The potential question mark for all this? We don't really know what Sting's deal is. Will there be future matches? Will he continue to torment the Authority and hopefully rid us of their tedious villainy? Maybe if there is more to the plan Triple H wins, but its a long shot for sure.

Prop bets of the Match!

Better Entrance: Sting -250. Triple H +100.

Over/Under: 3.5 Run ins.

Vince Gets Involved: No -100. Yes +200.

Over/Under: Sting's Facepaint lasts 12 minutes.

OVERVIEW!

Brock Lesnar… if you've heard of him… Is quite the athlete. He's won the UFC Heavyweight Championship. He's been Undisputed WWE World Heavyweight Champion. He's been King of the Ring. Won a Royal Rumble. He even got runner up in a 2nd grade spelling bee Sure he's a beast, and conquerer, but can he spell incarnate? – He dismantled John Cena at Summerslam, and there was much rejoicing. He has defended championship twice, and this will be his third defense since August… BUT you could read a lot more about Brock as I've done 2 parts of a 3 part dissection for Cheap-Heat. Roman Reigns won the Royal Rumble, and there was MUCH less rejoicing. Reigns' return from injury, "Superstar of the Year", and Royal Rumble win did NOT go over well. They had him face off with the "People's Champion", Daniel Bryan at Fastlane. An excellent match that Reigns won. They undid some of the mess they created, but their "Next Big Thing" is still dealing with a moderately negative to hostile crowd especially on TV. Will this match crown a new champion and enter us into a era and establish a Roman Empire? Or will the Beast Incarnate lay waste to the Roman Empire, leaving it in ruins?

Favorite!

Roman Reigns: -200. I think Reigns is winning the match. Though they've done a lot to knock this number down. After Fastlane I would have put this at -500+. If Lesnar IS staying around? There is a damn good chance he could walk out STILL WWE World Heavyweight Champion. Do the crowd reactions impact what creative's plan for Roman are/were? It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, and REALLY interesting to see the reaction if Reigns IS victorious.

Underdog!

Brock Lesnar: +100. Not often Brock is put in the role of underdog. Well he's not really i the underdog ROLE, but just for the gambling. He is a beast and has been handled as such. The Heyman promos blatantly speaking on leaving stink of two things: They really want to get Reigns cheered. AND Lesnar is probably closer to staying than he is to leaving. But the tenor of the promos now about them OWNING the title and doing with it what they want, basically holding it hostage… THAT to me is about a long term story. A story that Roman Reigns could STILL be the man who dethrones Lesnar, just not on this night. Man… I'm nearly talking myself into switching Lesnar to a favorite, but… I WON'T. My own personal fantasy booking shouldn't impact my handicapping.

Prop Bets of the Match!

Over/Under: Lesnar Suplexes on Reigns: 8.5.

Which move happens first: F-5 -300. Spear -200.

Lesnar's Sweat Quotient: Sweatier than most, but not disgusting -250. Oh…My… I didn't think that was humanly possible -100. Puddles on the Mat Even Money.

If Reigns Win We Riot: No -300. Yes +200.

Rollins Cashes In: Yes -50. No +200.

Who Celebrates with Reigns: The Rock -400. The Usos -200. Dean Ambrose: Even Money. The Whole Face Roster +200. The Authority +1000.

Alright Gamblers! You have been armed with the necessary information to go out and make horrible HORRIBLE decisions with your tax returns. May the Force be With You… wait… no. May the Odds be EVER in your Favor. Nah. Probably not the best one to use. Good luck and goodnight. Close enough.

http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-5/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/the-highlight-of-the-night-the-top-moments-from-raw-5/#comments Tue, 03 Mar 2015 23:54:34 +0000 Mark Adam Haggerty Other Reviews Reviews Top Lists Alundra Blayze Andre the Giant Axelmania Bad News Barrett Batista BNB Booker T Bray Wyatt British Bulldogs Brock Lesnar Bushwhackers CM Punk Curtis Axel Daily Show Daniel Bryan Dolph Ziggler Hart Foundation HHH J&J Security John Cena Jon Stewert Lana Luke Harper Macho Man Madusa NWA R-Truth Randy Orton RAW Rey Mysterio Rikishi Roman Reigns Rusev Seth Rollins Smackdown Stephanie McMahon Sting Strike Force Superstars TNA Triple H Undertaker Wade Barrett WCW Wrestlemania WWE http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=10176 The Highlight of the Night The Top Moments from Raw Written by Mark Adam Haggerty Wrestlemania is only four weeks away, and tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from my home—the GARDEN STATE of New Jersey! Of course now I live on the West Coast and was in Las Vegas for Ring of Honor […]

The Highlight of the Night
The Top Moments from Raw
Written by Mark Adam Haggerty

Wrestlemania is only four weeks away, and tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw emanated from my home—the GARDEN STATE of New Jersey! Of course now I live on the West Coast and was in Las Vegas for Ring of Honor when all of my friends were heading to the Prudential Center, but I dare say this was the best episode of Raw since the start of the New Year. I'm certainly apprehensive about the upcoming "Grand Daddy of Them All," but if the next three weeks follow tonight's lead, I think we'll be in good shape by the time the "Road to Wrestlemania" ends right here in California. New Jersey has always been a hotbed for independent wrestling, and I think this episode was staggered in a way so that it appealed to the die-hard fans in Newark. My name is Mark Adam Haggerty, with you as always to deliver my "Highlight of the Night"—The Top Moments from Raw. Let's get started with a very special HONORABLE MENTION …

Honorable Mention
Aside from the "Macho Man" Randy Savage, this year's Hall of Fame class leaves quite a bit to be desired. Arnold Schwarzenegger is being advertised based on his one-night appearance on Smackdown in 1999, rather than his close relationship with Superstar Billy Graham and other WWWF Superstars during the 1970s and �80s. The Bushwhackers will always hold a special place in my heart, but can't compare to the British Bulldogs, Strike Force, the Hart Foundation or any number of other teams from that era, who are not in the Hall. Rikishi most certainly deserves the honor, and I'm happy his sons have been tasked with inducted him, but is Rikishi really a big enough name to be the second biggest induction of the year? Tonight the WWE announced another name for this year's class of 2015—a woman who not only belongs in the Hall of Fame, but probably should have gone in long before Trish Stratus and Lita. Of course I'm talking about Madusa AKA Alundra Blayze. I honestly thought that she was blacklisted by the WWE, but I guess that's not the case. Congratulations to the former 3-time WWF Women's champion—I can't wait to see who inducts her in Santa Clara.

5. Bray's Burning Casket
Cheap-Heat's Gary Mastriano is a very talented wrestling journalist, who also happens to be one of my oldest friends—but Gary and I are divided as to how this year's Undertaker storyline is set to play out. When Bray Wyatt appeared in the Undertaker's casket at Fastlane, I received a text from Gary that read: "So am I supposed to be excited by the Undertaker?" Meanwhile, I'm marking out just as much as my first name might suggest. I think this could be a really cool program, however I can certainly understand why Gary has his reservations. The Undertaker has had consistent contests at every Wrestlemania from 23 with Batista, up until 29 against CM Punk. Unfortunately, the "Dead Man's" last outing was such a disappointment that hundreds upon thousands of self-proclaimed "Creatures of the Night" are now turning on the idea of "one more match." Regardless of whether you're excited to see the "Phenom" square off against the "Eater of Worlds," Wyatt has been highly impressive since starting down this path, especially tonight when he set fire to the casket he constructed in honor of the Undertaker. Might we get some sort of stipulation, such as a Casket Match? Will we see the Undertaker before Wrestlemania, or will he save his return for Levi Stadium? Bray's character is so much more defined than the rest of the roster, which could come easier for Superstars playing specific roles, such as a backwoods cult leader in a rocking chair. I'm excited to see how the next three weeks of Raw will go now that Bray Wyatt has already torched one of the Undertaker's signature symbols, and look forward to their meeting on March 29th.

4. The IC Title Belt
Various historians will suggest that the Intercontinental Championship is the most prestigious singles title in the WWE, and while that might have been true once-upon-a-time, the current state of the belt is questionable at best . I remember a six-year period lasting from 2003 until 2008, where the IC championship wasn't defended at Wrestlemania. That's ridiculous—especially when research uncovers an eleven-year streak of defenses broken only by the "Hollywood Backlot Brawl" at Wrestlemania 12. I think it was probably the influx of WCW championships, such as the Cruiserweight and U.S. titles, that watered down the IC belt. When the roster was split, I imagine pushing the Intercontinental Champion as a main eventer might have been the better route to take, rather than introducing a SECOND world championship. All that being said, I think we COULD be on the verge of a new era for the white leather IC belt. Just because the title wasn't defended at one third of all Wrestlemanias, doesn't mean there haven't been an enormity of stellar champions since, including Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, and even Dolph Ziggler. The shenanigans revolving around the "stolen" title belt aside, the opening matchup between Ambrose and Barrett did more than just offer a comedic outlet for R Truth, it introduced each of the key players going forward. I think everyone involved, including the former NWA world champion R Truth, has a good shot at becoming the next champion. I don't want Ambrose to win, as I feel both he and Barrett are the kind of unestablished talent that's tainted the title, especially as Wade has held the belt what—FOUR times, already? Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper are both incredibly talented workers, either of whom I would be happy to see walk out of Santa Clara holding the championship title high. But truth be told, as much as I love Ron Killings, there's no plausible finish that doesn't include Daniel Bryan wearing the belt, leading 70,000 fans in a "Yes" chant. If the WWE plans to build the U.S. championship with John Cena, then who better to bring back a level of dignity to another historic title belt than Daniel Bryan? I also imagine the WWE isn't interested in another mutiny should Bryan fail to win a big match, particularly at Wrestlemania 31. The intercontinental championship might be a consolation prize for now, but I predict exponential growth for the title and its future holders, mainly due to the countless number of NXT stars set to break through to the main roster.

3. Axelmania!
I pick a lot of my moments based on what they represent, or what they might lead to later on—but this was truly a must-see moment that I dare say isn't going to lead anywhere. John Cena came out and addressed the Newark audience, talking about how he wants to wrestle Rusev at �Mania, but will instead enter his name in the "Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal." This doesn't sit well with Stephanie McMahon for SOME reason—did Cena say anything disrespectful? I understood the idea of Stephanie taking offense to Cena throwing around a name like Andre, but he didn't do it in a blasphemous way. He simply stated that he would be entering the �Battle Royal. The back and forth between the fourth-generation McMahon and the fifteen time world champion was outstanding; I love it when Stephanie gets on her moral high horse in situations like this, suggesting that Cena can't just announce he's in a match—"since when do Superstars book their own matches?" This continued until the BIGGEST pop of the night; as Cena argued with Stephanie, the music hit and Curtis Axel appeared, wearing a Hulkamania-style t-shirt with "Axel" replacing "Hulk." What really moved me about this segment was a combination of how over Curtis Axel was, and how great he came across on the microphone. He's clearly been rehearsing in the mirror, as he didn't slip or stumble, and made every word count in making the overture to challenge John Cena at Wrestlemania. Personally, I would really like to see that match—not more than Cena vs. Rusev II, but I think there's true potential in an Axel/Cena squabble, especially if John Cena can capture the U.S. championship. Axel was in the zone, as he mimicked Hulk Hogan's mannerisms PERFECTLY . But John Cena wasn't done talking just because he was set to compete. In a calm and cool tone, Cena warned Curtis that he should really get out of the ring, because if the match starts, he "will not walk out." The match was a squash, but the story of the segment was the shirt-ripping and pandering by Axel. I'll admit that I've been down on this guy since he split from Paul Heyman, but given his extraordinary pedigree, I think we've just now started to see what the "Axe Man" is capable of.

2. Triple H Fires Booker T
While the showdown between Triple H and Sting is sure to be the biggest match at �Mania, I'm not 100% confident in the way that WWE is structuring their rivalry. For one thing, WCW closed FOURTEEN years ago—why is this program based on WWF's feud with World Championship Wrestling? I think there's a story to be told based on what Booker suggested in the ring with Hunter; perhaps the reason Sting never signed has more to do with the political atmosphere in the WWE, rather than his desire to continue on with the NWA. There's been a lot of rumors in the past about Hunter and his "friends" burying talent before they have a chance to get over, so there's certainly a chance Triple H didn't want Steve Borden stealing his spotlight in 2001. With Rey Mysterio now gone, Booker T is the last vestige of WCW, outside of the U.S. championship, so it makes all the sense in the world for him to get involved in a WCW storyline. I thought Triple H's promo was really good, and it helped fill in the gaps between 2001 and the upcoming match at �Mania. I wasn't sure what to expect when Triple H "fired" Booker T. Obviously he wasn't really fired, this isn't TNA—people aren't terminated on television when they least expect it. But I didn't think he was going to invite Book' back to the announce desk so soon. I thought for sure he would have let the �Universe believe that he fired Booker T, only to have him return the following week. But I guess it worked as a part of what Triple H was trying to convey, and that is the greatest extent of his power in the WWE. I hope to hear from Sting before the match, perhaps he'll have some incite as to how the past fourteen years have been for him as an outsider looking in. I think it's safe to say Sting will go over at Wrestlemania, he'll probably hang around the roster for a year, wrestle Undertaker in Dallas, and go into the WWE Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2016.

1. "The Daily Show" starring Seth Rollins
It's funny how celebrity involvement works in professional wrestling; oftentimes outside personalities get booed off the stage, as was the case with Kathie Lee and Hoda during their Susan G. Komen cross-promotional appearance. But sometimes a guest clicks in a way that even the most ardent internet fans are impressed, and that's what we had tonight with the Daily Show's Jon Stewart. I was confused as to how a TV show from a Viacom network might interact with Universal properties, but was pleasantly surprised when I heard the official Daily Show theme, and saw a pretty convincing mock-set. Seth was pretty entertaining, and made me laugh on occasion with his routine jabs at Jon Stewart's success as a film director. I respect Jon Stewart because he's obviously a wrestling fan. Both he and his pal Adam Sandler can be seen at multiple events on either side of the country. When Jon listed some of the most influential names in history, such as Bruno, Hogan, and Austin, he clearly knew what he was talking about, which made me trust what he had to say relating to Seth's position at Wrestlemania. Leave it to a comedian to get to the point—"What has the Authority done for Seth Rollins?" As Jon said, it's not Seth in the main event at Wrestlemania, it's not Seth challenging for the world title, and no matter what, it won't be Seth who reigns supreme in California. I really liked the brutal honesty from Stewart, playing Devil's advocate, even suggesting that Seth Rollins might be too good for the Authority. I especially enjoyed Stewart's repartee with J&J Security—I imagine the "Katzenjammer Kids" reference went well over the head of the WWE Universe. In the end, Jon Stewart walked the line of sensibility to perfection; he didn't engage in an official match such as Seth Green, but he also didn't half-ass his appearance as did Al Sharpton. He came to Monday Night Raw with a purpose, and that was to use his enormous celebrity to enhance the developing program between Randy Orton and Seth Rollins. He wasn't there to push a book, or a movie, or even his upcoming comedy special that was mentioned in passing after his appearance. Following the low-blow to Rollins, Jon Stewart ran up the ramp swinging his jacket in victory. When he got to the back, he gave the best interview of the night, frantically inquiring whether or not he was safe backstage. Jon Stewart proved tonight that he is more than just a celebrity, he is a member of the WWE Universe, and for one night , he was a SUPERSTAR!

I'm still not sure what kind of main event to expect out of Brock Lesnar, an unpredictable world champion with no contract in place after �Mania, and Roman Reigns, who has yet to connect with the WWE Universe. I'm quite impressed with the WWE's effort in building up the undercard in such a dynamic way. About three months ago I started writing an article about John Cena as IC champion, and how a Superstar of his magnitude could positively influence the title. I ended up scrapping the idea however, as Cena is now challenging for the U.S. belt and Daniel Bryan is in the intercontinental hunt. I'll be the first to admit that the WWE's current landscape is littered with potholes and pitfalls, but it reminds me of that old saying—about breaking eggs to make an omelet? I think I'll leave you with that. Until next week this has been Mark Adam Haggerty reminding you to keep checking out Cheap-Heat and to follow me on Facebook by LIKING "Mark Haggerty's Pro Wrestling."

http://www.cheap-heat.com/shocking-potential-of-wwe-fastlane/ http://www.cheap-heat.com/shocking-potential-of-wwe-fastlane/#comments Sun, 22 Feb 2015 22:14:24 +0000 GuysNation Wrestling Blogs Other Blogs Fast Lane Prime Time Players Sting http://www.cheap-heat.com/?p=9952 Mostly being seen as a “filler” pay per view, being the only big event between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, WWE FastLane actually has the potential to have a shocking things happen in most of its matches. What could take place in Memphis tonight could lead to an even more intriguing WrestleMania 31 than expected. United […]

Mostly being seen as a “filler” pay per view, being the only big event between Royal Rumble and WrestleMania, WWE FastLane actually has the potential to have a shocking things happen in most of its matches. What could take place in Memphis tonight could lead to an even more intriguing WrestleMania 31 than expected.

United States Champ Rusev (c) vs John Cena

It’s widely assumed that John Cena will be the one to finally end Rusev’s streak, giving the Bulgarian Brute his first pinfal loss in the WWE. But does WWE really want John Cena to take a step back by having him be the United States Champion? It would significantly elevate the championship which has been largely overlooked since John Cena last held the belt a decade ago. That would be great for WWE as a whole, as it could breathe serious life into that division, but I’m not entirely convinced they’re going to do it… which is why they absolutely should.

Intercontinental Champ Bad News BarrettВ (c) vs Dean Ambrose

Another match where the winner seems really obvious, putting the belt on Dean Ambrose isn’t exactly the big shocker that this match could produce. They could turn Dean Ambrose heel in this match, playing up to his unhinged nature by having him fly off the handle and badly injure Barrett in the process. The fans already seem to want to cheer BNB, enjoying his antics, and it would freshen up his character (which is badly needed at this point). The double-turn isn’t the shocker I’m predicting, however.

Title unification is what some have been predicting WWE is on track to do at some point, and why not have the winner of this match – whether it’s Barrett or Ambrose – get on the mic and challenge John Cena to a unification bout at WrestleMania? While it seems like WWE would be more likely to make this “announcement” on RAW, it could very well happen on the pay per view. Why not give more people a reason to want to pay the $9.99 for the WWE Network?

Divas Champ Nikki Bella (c) vs Paige

Wait…

Before you skip this part, this might actually interest you, even if you don’t care about the Divas.

Where has A.J. Lee been lately? And what happened to all the pent-up strife Brie Bella had for the way Nikki treated her during the month of hell after their SummerSlam match? Tonight could answer both of those questions. Nikki could cheat to beat Paige, and in the process make it look like she’s not going to let Paige survive for a rematch at WrestleMania… and then A.J. Lee could show up to make the save… leading to Brie Bella getting involved, seemingly to help Nikki… but then Brie could lay out her sister with an eventual announcement of a Fatal Fourway at WrestleMania.

Tag Team Champs The Usos (c) vs The UpperCats (Kidd & Cesaro)

Having the belts change hands wouldn’t be shocking, as WWE likes to play hot potato with the tag straps. What could be really shocking would be a heel turn by The Usos, with Kidd and Cesaro getting to go the fan favorite route. The UpperCats probably best served to be heels, how about The Usos get some help from the Prime Time Players… only to have Titus O’Neil & Darren Young be the ones to turn heel? Getting the duo back together AND having them be elevated to the top heel tag team in WWE, primed for a spot at WrestleMania? That’d be a shock!

Goldust vs Stardust

The battle of the brothers seems better suited for WrestleMania, especially because the two have mentioned in previous years that they’d like to face each other at the flagship event. There’s not much that’s shocking they could do here, aside from possibly a Dusty Rhodes heel turn. Perhaps The American Dream likes the fact that Cody Rhodes finally found his stride as Stardust and wants to support him… but maybe it’s Goldust who gets help from his Hall Of Fame father to defeat his brother in a match that could setup for a rematch at WrestleMania… especially if Goldust is the heelВ coming out of FastLane.

Six-Man Tag: The Authority vs The Resistance

Oh the shocking things they could do with this match… Kane seems to be on the outs with Big Show, so those two don’t necessarily have to be part of The Authority going forward. Featuring Dolph Ziggler heavily in this match wouldn’t be extremely shocking, given what they did at Survivor Series a few months ago, but it could be PART of a shocking outcome. What if Dolph Ziggler seemed to make short work of The Authority… only to have Ryback get involved and turn on Dolph, completing a heel turn and setting up a big match between the duo at WrestleMania?

Bonus: Bray Wyatt isn’t targeting The UndertakerВ

These creepy vignettes from Bray Wyatt seem to indicate that he wants to fight The Undertaker at WrestleMania… leaving many to wonder whether The Dead Man is going to be able to do much of anything inside the ring… or even if it’s worth it for him toВ return at all now that The Streak is over. But what if Bray Wyatt isn’t talking about The Undertaker?

When the Wyatt Family debuted in the Summer Of 2013, the first person they targeted was Kane. If you’ll recall, they carried Kane away after defeating him in a Ring Of Fire match at that year’s SummerSlam, and then the feud fizzled. If Kane is actually heading into his last WrestleMania, why not pass the torch to Bray Wyatt and end the feud once and for all? Wyatt showing up and issuing a challenge for a WrestleMania Casket Match could be a huge shock at FastLane… but not if you’ve been paying attention and have been awaiting the payoff to the feud the two started 18 months ago.

Roman Reigns vs Daniel Bryan

This match wreaks of a non-finish resulting in a three-way a WrestleMania 31… which is why the shocking thing to do is to have Daniel Bryan win this match outright. It’s shocking because it would be the first time since 1992 that the Royal Rumble winner didn’t get a championship match at (or before) WrestleMania. It would also be shocking because the opinion at large is that the booking team (see: Vince McMahon) doesn’t care who the WWE Universe likes… especially if that person is Daniel Bryan.

Sting and Triple H

This face-to-face meeting is almost certainly going to lead to a match between the duo at WrestleMania, so something significant needs to happen tonight to help push things in that direction. As it stands, Triple H just wants to tell Sting to stay away. Sting hitting Triple H with the Stinger Splash, the Scorpion Death Drop and possibly even locking him into the Scorpion Deathlock would be shocking to actually see… though shocking in a long-time-coming type of thing that some of us never thought would happen. Triple H hitting Sting with The Pedigree would be the same type of thing. Having NEITHER happen? THAT might be shocking.

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