The Ongoing Madness of Kurt Angle

I love the bloke, but...

Anyway, here are some of his latest quotes from his interview with Bubba 'The Love' Sponge, courtesy of our friends at fhwrestling.com:

Kurt Angle gave yet another candid interview to Bubba The Love Sponge on Thursday. Highlights of the discussion, courtesy WrestlingObserver.com and PWInsider.com, follow:

_According to Angle, Dixie Carter is paying him more than Vince McMahon ever did. He called her a better businessperson than Vince McMahon and said that there’s a rumor going around that an NFL owner might begin backing TNA.

_Angle said that TNA has opened discussions with Hulk Hogan and Chris Jericho. He believes Jericho, Big Show and Hogan are the top free agent prospects. Angle did a great job putting over Big Show, claiming that he was one of WWE’s hardest workers and that, should he sign with TNA, Angle would push for him to have a long undefeated streak.

_He said that TNA’s ratings are now beating ECW and SmackDown.

_Angle claimed that a doctor once told him that Vince McMahon has blood vessels on his nose (which he masks with makeup on television) that signal high blood pressure; McMahon, according to this doctor, is at risk of a heart attack.

_He said that Shane McMahon, who has done a lot for WWE’s international business, is a better businessman than Vince. Angle took responsibility for helping WWE break into China.

_Angle put over Test (and Bobby Lashley); he had nothing positive to say about Triple H.

_He called his match with Hulk Hogan a “five-star” bout; he put over the Hulkster.

_He said that he hopes Christian gets a chance to headline as a long-term champion but that he needs to change his style to become a more effective heel.

_He criticized Shawn Michaels by mentioning his own track record as someone who has done more jobs than anyone yet not lost overness (but he did admit that HBK offered to put Angle over at WrestleMania). He also mentioned that HBK refused to move to SmackDown.

_He told Bubba to bring Tito Ortiz on the show next week so they can discuss fighting.

Hey, maybe some of it is true... but honestly, I think TNA need to put a stop to this man doing public appearances. In terms of in-ring ability, he is the best I have ever seen. When he played a comedy character he was great on the mic, and it was also difficult not to enjoy the character transformation he went through. His feud with Samoa Joe has also been very enjoyable.

But, for his own sake, I really truly never want to see him in MMA competition. I fear he will though, and although I would be delighted if he proved me wrong, I think he will get humiliated.

Also, Daniel Puder has given an interview to Power Slam magazine (available in all good newsagents for £2.90) where he calls Angle a 'moron' and responds to some of the stuff Angle has been saying about him. Although, if you're undecided about whether or not to purchase Power Slam, I will say that the two-part interview with Jim Cornette from this month and last, was absolutely fantastic in itself!

I haven't updated much lately but I will start doing more often again soon, ideally about once a week.

The Return of Stone Cold

So we all know he is not coming back to wrestle.

But, to be fair, Austin did say he could potentially wrestle a couple more matches, providing the circumstances were right.

He was scheduled to wrestle Mohammed Hassan and also Coachman, but he pulled out of the Hassan match cause he (correctly) thought he was rubbish, and the Coachman match he was not happy with the storyline - originally JR was supposed to come back, but then they decided against it (which obviously turned out to be pointless as they brought him back anyway eventually!)

He did also discuss the Hogan match, albeit at no great length.

So the answer is while he will never wrestle again full-time, he could potentially still work a couple of matches. They would just need to be 'worth his while' or whatever.

For example, this is how one such situation could work:

Austin is due to come back soon, HHH is injured.

HBK is currently in a situation with Edge & Randy Orton.

So that story runs on a little while, and on one episode of Raw, HBK is getting his ass whupped by Rated RKO.

"Smash". Austin's music hits, he comes down for the save, stuns both of them & drinks a couple of cold ones with HBK.

Crowd go wild.

So, this leads to a match at WM 23, which is not far away. The build-up does not involve Austin wrestling, just mainly promos (which all 4 people involved are good at) and the odd bit of action that keeps his physical work down to a minimum.

In the match, Austin starts and 'stomps a mudhole' in one of Edge/Orton. Tags in HBK, and eventually the tide turns. HBK gets a bit of a beating, Austin eventually tags in & wins the match.

Again, huge pop from crowd.

Austin gets 'one last match', without putting his body in too much jepoardy. HBK & Rated RKO get storyline continuity, with a conclusion that is far more entertaining than just fizzling out cause of HHH's injury. WWE gets a story that the fans are sure to be into.

Simple, eh?

Get me a job at WWE!

TNA better than WWE? Oh It's Real ; It's Damn Real!

So on Saturday I taped TNA:iMPACT!, and on Monday I taped WWE Raw. I watched them both this morning.

TNA finished up with an entertaining brawl between Kurt Angle & Samoa Joe, which also featured (at the very end) Christian Cage, Tomko & Sting.

Before that, pretty much all the angles & matches were passable at a minimum - including the standard VKM attempts at getting a rub of their more famous counterparts at WWE - and quite frankly, I get the impression that the show would actually benefit from doubling in time to 2 hours.

Then I watched Raw... I saw a parody match between Rosie O'Donnell & Donald Trump. WTF? The crowd were clearly not impressed either, and in fact both 'TNA' & 'VKM' chants were very audible.

There was also Raw's newest aquistion... the Great Khali. Plus a tag match between Cryme Tyme and Cade & Murdoch, as well as a womens tag match that featured Maria.

TNA won hands down here, and that is getting to be the norm now. I just hope Stone Cold Steve Austin provides me with some old-school entertainment when he returns next month.

On the plus side, New Years Revolution did not totally suck!

In results from the card:

Match 1
Jeff Hardy beat Johnny Nitro in a decent steel cage match to retain the Intercontinental title. Not quite up the standard of the belter of a ladder match that they had a few weeks ago on Raw, but decent nonetheless.

Match 2
Cryme Tyme come out on top in a Tag Team Turmoil event. They defeated Cade & Murdoch, who had knocked out The Worlds Greatest Tag Team. In turn, they had eliminated both the Highlanders & the random team of Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Super Crazy. Ultimately the action took a dip in quality once Benjamin & Haas left the ring.

Match 3
Kenny Dykstra beat Ric Flair in an average, now typical-Flair-bout.

Match 4
Mickie James beat Victoria in a passable match for the Womens title. This included interference at the end from Melina, Maria and the lovely Candice Michelle.

Match 5
Rated RKO retained the tag belts after their match with DX ended in a no-contest. This was an enjoyable enough match, but I was hoping for a bit more from DX when they got their inevitable revenge at the end. This was a costly match for Triple H though, as he is now likely to be out for four to six months.

Match 6
Chris Masters beat Carlito in an average bout. Both men could do more to enhance their careers in my opinion.

Match 7
John Cena beat Umaga in an ok but predictable-ish bout. Between Umaga & the Great Khali it is starting to feel like they are using Cena in a late 80's /early 90's Hulk Hogan type capacity!

A Random Ramble

Well, I aint posted on here much lately, mainly due to the fact that I have been very frustrated by the wrestling biz... To be honest, I am only really watching Raw & TNA:iMPACT! as of late... Smackdown! & ECW are absolutely dire... Mr Kennedy could probably do with a move to Raw, I would say... CM Punk is the shining light in ECW... Lashley is ok, but no way should he be a) a world champion right now ; b) anywhere near ECW... I actually hope Paul Heyman replaces Russo at TNA, and they start to kick WWE's ass... That way, WWE might actually buck up their ideas... The VKM spots in TNA are funny. I highly doubt WWE will EVER respond to anything they have to say. They have a lot more to lose, for starters... Kurt Angle v Samoa Joe is easily the most entertaining feud in wrestling right now... Watched the Chuck Liddell win over Tito Ortiz. Liddell was mightily impressive - in my opinion - and to be honest I genuinely hope Kurt Angle never goes up against either of them (Liddell in particular), despite what he keeps rambling on about... Nice to see Benjamin/Haas, MNM & the Hardyz all teaming together lately, although the latter two are likely to not be permanent... If they was, & all on the same show, then that would be a very decent tag division. Throw in Kendrick & London and you would have four enjoyable tag teams. Chuck in DX & Rated RKO, and you have the best division in WWE by MILES... The MNM tandem will obviously be off for a while at least. The Joey Mercury injury was absolutely minging... The way Lita left WWE was pretty disgraceful to be honest. Love her or hate her, there is no denying her influence... Still, JBL was very funny in the Cryme Tyme segment... I read an interview with Jim Cornette in Power Slam magazine. Absolutely superb, and summed up all the BS going on in WWE right now... Like Kevin Federline... Need I say anything else...

ECW, 2007

Sort of watched December to Dismember.

Rubbish.

Apparently Paul Heyman was sent home after a bust-up with Vince.

Seems to me, if they let Heyman have creative control (like the superb One Night Stand PPV in 2005) that the whole ECW brand would be far superior to what it is now.

The logic that it should be more like a WWE show is frightening, especially when you consider that Smackdown is one of the two flagship shows!

I am still a fan of Raw and I watch that every week. But I am at the end of my tether with Smackdown and ECW.

TNA iMPACT is the second best wrestling show on TV right now, as far as I can see.

My All-Time Top Three...

WWE Wrestlers

1) Stone Cold Steve Austin
2) The Rock
3) Kurt Angle

Non-WWE Wrestlers

1) AJ Styles
2) Samoa Joe
3) Christopher Daniels

Pay-Per Views

1) Wrestlemania X-Seven (2001)
2) SummerSlam 2002
3) One Night Stand 2005

Matches

1) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock (Wrestlemania 17 - 2001)
2) Kurt Angle vs Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 21 - 2005)
3) Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit (Royal Rumble 2003)

Wrestlers Who Have Passed On (That are not Eddie Guerrero, that is TOO obvious)

1) 'British Bulldog' Davey Boy Smith
2) 'Ravishing' Rick Rude
3) 'Mr Perfect' Curt Henning

Wrestling DVD's

1) The Self-Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior
2) 'Cause Stone Cold Said So
3) Wrestling With Shadows

WCW Matches I Haven't Seen, But Wish I Had

1) Goldberg vs Scott Steiner (Fall Brawl, 2000)
2) Goldberg vs Hulk Hogan (Nitro, 1998)
3) Bret Hart vs Chris Benoit (Nitro, 1999)

As Above, But Not WCW!

1) Shawn Michaels vs Davey Boy Smith (WWF One Night Only, 1997)
2) Samoa Joe vs CM Punk (ROH, Oct 2004)
3) Terry Funk vs Sabu vs Shane Douglas (ECW, Feb 1994)

Divas

1) Trish Stratus
2) Stacy Kiebler
3) Christy Hemme

Tag Teams

1) The Hart Foundation
2) The Legion of Doom
3) Edge and Christian

Commentators

1) Bobby 'The Brain' Heenan
2) Jesse 'The Body' Ventura
3) Jim Ross

Commentary Catchphrases

1) "Oh, my God!" (Joey Styles)
2) "The irresistible force meets the immovable object" (Gorilla Monsoon)
3) "You could cut the electricity with a knife!" (Gorilla Monsoon)

Wrestler Catchphrases

1) "If you smell what The Rock is cooking" (The Rock)
2) "And that's the bottom line, 'cause Stone Cold so" (Steve Austin)
3) "What'cha gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?" (Hulk Hogan)

Wrestlers On The Mic

1) The Rock
2) Stone Cold Steve Austin
3) Mick Foley

Non-Wrestlers On The Mic

1) Paul Heyman
2) Vince McMahon
3) Eric Bischoff

Most Memorable Moments

1) Stone Cold and The Rock singing
2) Hulk Hogan and The Rock in the ring for the first time
3) The 'censored' footage of Jake 'The Snake' Roberts digging Damiens teeth into 'The Macho Man' Randy Savage - thanks for the nightmares!

10 Matches I Wish Could/Would Happen

1) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Hulk Hogan

2) Kurt Angle vs Bret Hart

3) Sabu/RVD vs AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels

4) Ric Flair (at peak) vs Kurt Angle

5) Undertaker vs Goldberg (ya know, WCW's version of Goldberg!)

6) Big Show vs Andre The Giant (probably with the Great Khali as special ref, ha ha)

7) Eddie Guerrero vs AJ Styles vs Kurt Angle

8) TLC Match - Edge/Christian vs The Hardy Boyz vs The Dudley Boys vs RVD/Sabu vs AJ Styles/Christopher Daniels

9) Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Goldberg (see match 5!)

10) Ric Flair (at peak) vs Chris Benoit

Man I could go on for ages!

Survivor Series - A Quick Rant

At the Series this year, we have three traditional matches and four singles bouts.

Why?

Ok, Lita vs Mickie James, fair enough. Plus one other - say, Mr Kennedy vs Undertaker.

But are are you telling me that there is no-one else on the roster (London & Kendrick, Shelton Benjamin, William Regal, for instance) that could have been any use?

Silly booking, in my opinion.

I am really not looking forward to Batista v Booker T, and Benoit v Chavo could be a good match, but will have the same 'Guerrero' thread that ruined Rey Mysterio.

Very. Big. Sigh.

The Future of Rey Mysterio - A View From The Sheriff

Rey is believed to be out for four to six months. During this time, his contract is up for renewal. It is strongly believed that Kurt Angle will try to persuade Mysterio to join him at TNA.

So, my question is - why SHOULD he stay with WWE? After all...

1) What can he do on Smackdown that he has not already done?

He has feuded with most the top guys. The Cruiserweight division will not be pushed, and WWE views Rey as too big a star for that. I think that is the wrong way to go, personally, and we all know that Rey feuding with the bigger men is not a great option. After all...

2) His reign as World Champion sucked

A big disappointment. Although he is a big star, he is not 'World Champion' material. I have always been a fan of Rey, but even I was fuming when he won the World Championship.

Not only did his title reign suck, but he also was very annoying in the programme that followed. After all...

3) The Eddie Guerrero factor

Seriously, this was a major problem. Not only that they kept pushing it, but that in his feud with Chavo, I personally felt that the minute Chavo cut that promo about Rey 'leaching' from the Guerrero name, I was on his side!

Rey should have said no. Which makes me wonder, what are his best options? After all...

4) Raw already has DX and John Cena

So is Rey going to do any better over there? Especially with the likes of Carlito and Jeff Hardy already in the upper mid-card?

Personally I think Rey would get lost in the shuffle. The only plus side would be some potential fresh fueds... or would there? Randy Orton and Johnny Nitro, for example, have been done. If he was to feud with say, Chris Masters, there is a huge size difference. Edge is a main-eventer now. So really, who is there?

I reckon he could have a great feud with the horribly under-utilised Shelton Benjamin, but then after that, I am stumped.

So, ECW is probably his best option. After all...

5) ECW needs star power

Bobbly Lashley moving there helps the brand, and may help Lashley himself. Still, I am not sure he is the man to carry ECW forward. RVD will almost certainly not get a championship run again any time soon, and Sabu is also a long shot to actually get the title. Test is okay, but definitely not world champion material. Thing is, somebody needs to take it, as Big Show has a variety of injury problems.

But we come back to the problem of Rey as a world champion. He would do nothing to help the brand stop looking inferior to Raw, and even Smackdown - which is poor - and his value has plummeted a bit anyway since he took the belt on the blue brand.

So maybe TNA is his best shot, after all.

Did you like the regular 'after all' leads then?! heh heh

Fantasy Survivor Series

For the first post from my 'Blog Challenge', I am going to do something relating to Survivior Series, as it is Survivor Series week.

Ok, these are the simple rules - six matches, five wrestlers per team, any era.

Match 1

Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, Matt Hardy, Jeff Hardy, Carlito

vs

Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Edge, Christian, Shane McMahon

Match 2

Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty, Batista, John Cena

vs

Bret 'The Hitman' Hart, Jim 'The Anvil' Neidhart, Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall

Match 3

Ultimate Warrior, Hawk, Animal, The Hurricane, Jimmy Snuka

vs

Macho Man Randy Savage, Ax, Smash, Crash, Umaga

Match 4

Andre The Giant, Undertaker, Kane, Chris Benoit, Owen Hart

vs

Big Show, Brock Lesnar, JBL, Kurt Angle, Mr Perfect

Match 5

RVD, Rey Mysterio, Sabu, Eddie Guerrero, Chavo Guerrero

vs

Chris Jericho, Shelton Benjamin, Charlie Haas, Tajiri, Nunzio (that was for Our Kid!!)

Match 6

British Bulldog, Tito Santana, Bubbah Ray Dudley, D-Von Dudley, Spike Dudley

v

Ted Dibiase, Jake The Snake Roberts, Booker T, Finlay, William Regal

Suggestions From The Sheriff To Improve US Wrestling

Ok, let's get straight to the point here... Smackdown, in the main, sucks - despite an outstanding recent PPV - and so does ECW.

This is what I would do:

1) Consolidate the World titles, the Tag Team titles and the Intercontinental/US titles

For years, when a championship changed hands, it felt like it mean something. Not now, though. Too many championships - and silly booking - have reduced this.

Less championships mean more when they are won. So lets get the amount of them down.

In addition, the roster is nowhere near strong enough to justify so many champions.

2) Drop The Raw & Smackdown Brand Split

However, to give it a seperate feel, keep some of the divisions seperate still. Also, make sure some decent stars are going over to ECW. I will explain more...

3) ECW

As above. Build up the roster. Give it a two-hour show. Make all matches under 'Extreme Rules', but don't over-do it with the weapons. Try to keep the traditional big man that Vince likes, out of there (he says with Big Show & The Great Khali on there now... oh well...).

I have another idea, which you will see below.

4) The World Title

Don't let it be changed constantly, and don't let it be changed cheaply. Keep 'screwjobs' out of matches as much as possible.

5) The Intercontinental Title

First of all, yeah - leave this belt, not the US belt. Then, make a big thing out of it. Put it on a real star, and make sure they have really good storylines. When I was young, the Intercontinental Title -more often than not - meant something, and was not far off the World Title.

With some history education to the fans, decent writing and a bit of star power, the Intercontinental Title can mean something again.

6) The Womens Division

Leave it as it is. Keep it on Raw, and keep the Divas that aint so good at wreslting, out of the ring and on Smackdown.

7) The Cruiserweight Divison

Shift it to ECW!

This could be done quite easily, actually. Clearly the division gets barely any air-time, and most cruiserweights spend half their career jobbing to other stars.

Also, Paul Heyman was partly responsible for a lot of smaller wrestlers (and the cruiserweight style) being introuduced to the US.

So, write a storyline where the Cruiserweights walk out on Smackdown, and sign contracts with ECW. Then, get ECW making a big deal of the division. Get Rey Mysterio over there, for example. Then, book them freely. Don't worry that the quick action will overshadow the big guys or anything, cause there wont be many big guys wrestling on ECW.

8) The Tag Team Division

So, make THIS division the baby of Smackdown. Again, build it up. Educate the fans on the good teams, the history. Create new tandems with under-used people. Get MNM back together. Get the Hardy Boyz back together. Get Benjamin & Haas back together.

See this is the thing. I was watching 'TNA:Bound For Glory' and the second main event was AJ Styles & Christopher Daniels v LAX.

That's right - the second biggest match on the card was a tag team title match. The belt changed hands too, and it felt like something big had happened.

So it can be done. Again, they just need to make sure it is written propely, that the belts are treated with respect and make sure that there are characters in the division that the fans care about.

9) The Rest of the Roster

So, we have:
The Womens division on Raw
The Cruiserweights in ECW
The Tag Teams on Smackdown

In theory, that should leave the best of the rest and a few glorified jobbers. To me, that leaves plenty of people to be wrestling on Raw & Smackdown, competing for the World Title, the Intercontinental title and the rest having decent enough, slow-burning feuds.

You know, how it used to be?

10) TNA

Finally, 'the other lot'. To me, if WWE is going to get back to it's best, it needs TNA to be as successful as possible. Competition is good! Without WCW & ECW we would never have had Stone Cold, The Rock, etc. and Diesel would probably still be champion!

So, my suggestion to them is this - the in-ring action is sound, so keep it going. Protect Kurt Angle and use him wisely, because that way he can still be an astronomical asset. Finally - Brock Lesnar, Chris Jericho etc - anyone that still has a future in the wrestling business that is not tied down, fight tooth & nail for when they become available.

So there. The US wrestling business sorted. Not that hard, was it?

Confirmed Matches For Survivor Series (and other news)

First things first - I did a general round-up on the 4th November, which appears to have gone missing. Well done Blogger. AGAIN.

Any more rubbish and I will be moving my 'Blogger' blogs to either Xanga, Wordpress or Blogrig.

Anyway - this can be viewed by clicking on this link, but it has mysteriously disappeared from the front page.

Right, on with this post...

Survivor Series

Confirmed matches so far:

Team DX vs Team Edge & Orton

Team DX: Shawn Michaels, Triple H, Jeff Hardy, Matt Hardy, CM Punk

Team Edge & Orton: Edge, Randy Orton, Johnny Nitro, Gregory Helms, Mike Knox

Team Cena vs Team Big Show

Team Cena: John Cena, Kane, Bobby Lashley, Rob Van Dam, Sabu

Team Big Show: Big Show, Test, MVP, Finlay, Umaga

Each afternoon this week, wwe.com will announce a new match, running all the way through till Monday.

In Other News...

Firstly, I am quite pleased that Survivor Series is going back to it's traditional format. In this day age of too many PPV's, 'the big 4' are in danger of getting lost in the shuffle. Now, that is certainly true of SummerSlam, but WrestleMania always has a 'big event' feel. The other two have a distinct advantage - Royal Rumble has the Rumble itself, and now Survivor Series going back to the traditional format means that once again it should have the feel of a big event.

Also, one of the attractions of the old-school Survivor Series matches was that we never used to see the big stars all team-up like that. With the teams coming across all three brands, it now means that once again we will see some matches that would not really just happen on any of the shows.

See, sometimes the writers do put in a bit of effort...

In a recent interview Kurt Angle stated that he could defeat UFC Light Heavyweight Champion Chuck Liddell with only six months of MMA training. Angle also said that he could beat the current #1 contender for Liddell’s belt, Tito Ortiz.

I seriously wonder about Angle. I mean, it should be noted that this is the same Kurt Angle who was rocked and lost teeth from a worked - albeit wreckless - John Cena punch. At one time, there is no doubt that he would have been able to seriously compete - and quite possibly beat - Liddell, Ortiz and any other MMA competitor on the planet. But realistically, with his body the way it is, he should leave alone any thoughts of MMA competition. Just look at what happened with Daniel Puder.

Speaking of Puder, in an interview with Bubba The Love Sponge, he once again called out Kurt. Puder, currently a fighter for the Strikeforce promotion, reiterated the challenge that he would wager his entire purse that he could beat Kurt Angle in an MMA fight. He furthered his claim by saying if no deal could be worked out with an actual MMA promotion, he would fight Angle in his backyard and bow down to the gold medalist if he lost. Bubba, who is friends with Angle, got on the offensive against Puder, claiming the only offense he displayed in his match with Angle was an illegal armbar. He also criticized Puder, who he called a “chump” and a “poor man’s Tito Ortiz,” for using Angle’s name to get a rub. Bubba argued that Angle would knock Puder out in the first round if the two ever fought. Angle is scheduled to guest on the show later this week.

WWE have reportedly given explanations over two men who were recently released - Ted DiBiase and Tim Horner - from producer positions.

Horner was criticized for having a weak mind for match finishes - he also allegedly had trouble reacting to match variables on the fly.

DiBiase, who as part of the ECW brand was considered most honest in his show reports, was criticized for difficulty in communicating match finishes from the office to the wrestlers. He had been previously removed from the creative team for having “dated” views. Another issue that is believed to have hurt DiBiase’s status was his refusal to return to the ring on a limited basis, citing his various injuries.

Finally, in news from a MAJOR star in the wrestling world - K-Fed is no longer “Mr. Britney Spears”!

Citing “irreconcilable differences,” Britney Spears filed for divorce from husband Kevin Federline in Los Angeles court Tuesday.

The couple reportedly have an ironclad prenuptual agreement. So as you can imagine, Spears is expected to be getting the better of the deal by far!

Finally, it is believe that Britney has declared that part of the problem is she has developed huge feelings towards yours truly, Sheriff Kimbo.

Ok, I made that last bit up...

General round-up, 4th September

Well since the last post, we have had SummerSlam and there are a couple of other things to report on but let's cut to the chase:

The Release of Kurt Angle

Right then first of all, there was this statement on wwe.com:

“Due to personal issues, Kurt Angle has been granted an early release from his contract. WWE looks forward to establishing a new relationship with Kurt in the near future.

The only Olympic gold medalist in WWE history, Kurt Angle arrived in 1999 and quickly became one of the most decorated champions in sports-entertainment history. “The Wrestling Machine” is not only a six-time World Champion, but also held the Intercontinental Championship and WWE Tag Team Championship; he also won the 2000 King of the Ring tournament. Recently joining ECW, Angle’s unmatched intensity was rivaled only by his technical and athletic in-ring prowess.”

Then there was the rumours:

1) There were reports going around that prior to his release, Kurt Angle told friends he wanted off the ECW brand.

Angle reportedly expressed the belief that he only wanted to be on ECW if he could get a championship push. A number of wrestlers actually went to Johnny Ace and Vince McMahon requesting that Angle be moved to another brand.

It is unclear if this, if even true, had anything to do with his release, but it is known that the biggest issues Angle faced at the end of his WWE tenure were family problems and injuries.

2) Just prior to issuing Kurt his release, WWE management met with the wrestler and laid out some goals he would need to meet in order to remain with the company.

Angle apparently rejected to fulfill some of the unclear duties, which resulted in his release.
WWE officials were reportedly very considered with Kurt Angle’s physical and mental issues and felt that the relationship could not continue unless Kurt took major steps to improve his state.

In terms of sympathy, sources say it’s a bit less than it would have been had Angle’s time in ECW not been filled with frequent, transparent politicking.

Then various employees had their say on wwe.com, including the boss, Vince McMahon:

“It’s unfortunate that Kurt was released, and it’s really unfortunate for the WWE fans who, for a while at least, won’t see Angle in action,” the Chairman tells WWE.com.

“(Angle) is a consummate professional; obviously he’s a great athlete, and he’s the only Olympic Gold Medalist in WWE history. Not to have Kurt with us is really unfortunate all the way around…but circumstances were such that Kurt should have been, and was, granted his release.”

The WWE Chairman noted that Angle “only knows 100-percent” and refused to tone down his
in-ring style, even as the injuries began to pile up.

Nonetheless, the door will be open forKurt Angle down the road.

“WWE would certainly welcome Kurt back with open arms,” says McMahon. “I think Kurt has some issues he has to face, as we all do from time to time. We all have our demons, and as human beings, it is important for us to overcome them and become better human beings, athletes and business people.”

However, after treating Kurt Angle’s WWE departure in an optimistic fashion, the company changed its tune in a new message to fans.

According to Keith Lipinski, WWE sent the following via its Mobile Alerts program:

“According to sources, the meeting between WWE Execs & Kurt Angle was heated & confrontational. Angle was an emotional wreck departing WWE Titan Tower.”

To be honest it remains to be seen why WWE is no longer attempting to protect Kurt Angle’s image in its stories about the release.

However, Kurt has now given his own version of events:

Kurt Angle views his WWE release as an opportunity to rest and catch up with family, he tells fans in a letter on his website.

“It’s time to rest! After 6 long years, I looked into my wife’s eyes and finally saw that she, too, was severely stressed and worn out due to my livelihood that she had to endure,” writes the wrestler.

Just prior to his final match at an ECW house show, Angle realized that his priorities were not in check. He explains, “Something happened that made me realize that wrestling wasn’t the most important thing in my life. I sat down with my wife Karen, who had tears in her eyes. I could see in her face how concerned she was for me.”

The wrestler, who suffered from neck trouble throughout his WWE tenure, explains that his diehard effort in the wrestling was taking its toll.

“Week after week, day after day, 250 days a year on the road can be a living hell for anyone, especially when you’re in daily pain for months on end. It was at home when I began to realize how severe the problems were-when a simple task like taking out the garbage is like a full workout and I needed Motrin in order to get up and do it,” says Angle.

Nonetheless, Angle feels he is leaving on good terms with WWE (he referred to Vince McMahon as a great man) and hopes to step back in the ring:

“I, Kurt Angle, will be back! That’s a promise. And that’s damn true!”

On the web: kurtanglewwe.com

And now, for the Sheriffs point of view! To be honest, I think Kurt needs a break. While Stone Cold Steve Austin is my all-time favourite wrestler, I believe that Kurt Angle is the best wrestler I have ever seen. The bloke has been amazing throughout his career and can drag decent matches out of almost anyone.

However, his body has clearly suffered too much wear and tear and, quite frankly, his health was beginning to become a major point of concern.

That said, hopefully with some rest, a new ring style that will protect him, and a revised contract that will see him spend a minimal amount of time in the ring - similar to the Undertaker - then hopefully we will see him return.

Sometimes, less is more. Kurt needs to realise that.

Anyway, on with the rest of the news

SummerSlam

As one of the big four I was looking forward to this and, although there was no stand out matches like Wrestlemania - or even One Night Stand - it was generally a decent event, with one horrible exception!

In results from the card:

Chavo Guerrero beat Rey Mysterio in a match that was better than I expected it to be. No reason why that SHOULD be the case as they are both decent wrestlers at cruiserweight level. But I am so sick of Eddie Guerrero being dragged into storylines that I was not looking forward to it. The end still involved Eddies widow Vickie, but hopefully this story is coming close to an end.

The Big Show then defeated Sabu to keep his ECW title in another decent bout, though that is mainly due to Sabu and the extreme rules rather than the giant champion. It makes me sad that he is even in ECW, let alone the champ. Vince really should give creative control to Paul Heyman. Wont happen though.

Randy Orton then lost to Hulk Hogan in a predictable - but to be fair, passable - bout. A win for Orton would have done a lot for his career - and a defeat would have been irrelevant to the career of Hogan - but we all know the score here. Still Hogan got the biggest pop of the night and I guess that meant the short-term goal of him featuring was achieved. Incidentally, Hogan remains undefeated at SummerSlam.

Mick Foley then quit against Ric Flair in the 'I Quit' match when it looked like Flair was going to clatter Melina with a barbwire bat. Strangely, in the build-up both men expressed an interest in LOSING the match. Anyway it was decent enough, obviously Foley is an expert at these kind of matches but did not have the young blokes he has had to work with in recent times like Edge and Randy Orton, so instead this was a bit more like watching him brawl with Terry Funk. In a way it makes for even more uncomfotable viewing!

Batista beat King Booker via disqualification (meaning Booker held the title) in a horrible match.

Then DX defeated the McMahons in a reasonable tag bout which had tons of outside interference at the beginning, including the Spirit Squad, Finlay, Regal, Kennedy, Big Show and Umaga (the latter was distracted away via a brawl with Kane). While I hope DX hang around for a bit, I hope their feud moves away from Vince & Shane.

Finally Edge beat Cena in another decent enough match between these two. Again, I hope their feud ends as soon as possible though!

Other News

Monday’s “Kiss My Ass Club” angle involving Vince McMahon and Mick Foley should lead to a match between the two at WrestleMania, reports are suggesting. Foley has recently been requesting a feud with Vince McMahon, and Monday’s angle plants the seeds for a confrontation between the two early next year. Sources believe Foley’s interest in the angle comes from a desire to work a less-intense match, while still remaining high-profile in WWE.

Carlito is reportedly unhappy with his current status on the WWE roster. Allegedly, the wrestler feels that while he should be nearing a main-event push, he’s stuck in the middle of the card and in a romance storyline that does not play to his strengths. According to one source, additional frustration comes from the fact that WWE officials actually tell the wrestler to “act like The Rock.” Carlito feels that such an instruction will prevent him from breaking out as a top star.

While the story around Trish and her retirement obviously has kayfabe aspects, it is the case that she will be retiring very soon.

Is it just me or did Chris Masters look like he has lost a bit of muscle? SURELY that can't be a coincidence...!

Former WWE superstar Sean O’Haire has been calling WWE for a job. Although O’Haire has a reputation for being a legitimate tough guy, he’s struggled in mixed martial arts competition since departing WWE. Interest on WWE’s end does not appear too great, however, as he never received a callback from WWE after working a tryout in the spring.

Vince McMahon is reportedly not a fan of ECW Vixen Francine, and she could be an early casualty when WWE stops using some of the “ECW originals.” In fact, upon seeing Francine backstage at the most recent One Night Stand PPV, McMahon asked Johnny Ace who hired someone that 'looked like that'!

There have been reports that there were no drug test failures among WWE RAW and ECW wrestlers. The clean test results came as little surprise to those within the industry, as news of the SmackDown! testing allowed members of the other brands to be sure their bodies were ready for testing. Nonetheless, by now, the general belief is that nearly everyone within WWE has gotten off steroids and other drugs that would yield positive test results. Marijuana is the only illegal substance used somewhat frequently.

Expect some of the Diva 2006 Search contestants to be hired in various roles soon.

Referee Robert Brisko and trainer Eric Langley both quit WWE developmental territory Ohio Valley wrestling recently. Reports suggst that the territory is in chaos right now.

Review of ECW's One Night Stand

First up was a promo from Paul Heyman, which was of a high quality as usual. Then the action began:

Match 1: Tazz v Jerry Lawler
Outcome: Tazz win

As I had predicted, this was nothing more than a squash match. However, the influence of Joey Styles - he ran in and jumped on Lawlers back, before Tazz got the Tazzmission on Lawler - meant that Lawler saved face. Still, I am glad this was over quickly as I highly doubt these two are in the condition to wrestle a long match.

Match 2: Kurt Angle v Randy Orton
Outcome: Kurt Angle win

This was one of the better matches on the card - as you would expect, with Kurt Angle being involved. Angle is starting to use a bit more of his amatuer background in the ring, but still keeping it entertaining to the pro-wrestling audience.

In the match, Orton got some pretty funny stick from the ECW fans, and Angle got a great reception. Now while Kurt Angle is certainly not an advocate of hardcore wrestling, the ECW fans know good wrestling when they see it, and - in my opinion - Angle is the best ever.

After outwrestling Orton for long spells of the match - although Orton did have his own spells of offence - Angle eventually won with the ankle lock.

Match 3: The Full Blooded Italians v Super Crazy and Yoshihiro Tajiri
Outcome: The Full Blooded Italians win

This was a decent crusierweight tag match (Big Guido was in the corner of the FBI) which once again summed up how useless WWE are at booking their own cruiserweights. One particularly enjoyable spot was the stereo tarantula that Crazy & Tajiri put on the FBI!

The win came from the FBI hitting Tajiri with a double fisherman's buster while Big Guido attacked Super Crazy on the outside. After the match, the Big Show (complete with new music) came down & cleaned house.

JBL then cuts an anti-ECW promo, and gets a lot of heat from the ECW crowd. He also announces that he is taking over from Tazz as Smackdowns colour commentator.

Match 4: Sabu v Rey Mysterio (WWE World Championship)
Outcome: No contest

This was generally thought to be a dream match and, while it might not go down as an all-time classic, it certainly did not disappoint.

There was plenty of high spots in the match, chairs were involved a lot, and the action was fast paced. Thoroughly enjoyable.

The match finished when Sabu tossed a chair right at the head of Mysterio sending him to the outside. Sabu followed out and put Rey on the table between the apron and guardrail and then set up the chair in the ring and dived off the top onto the table with a DDT on Rey to the floor. Seriously, that was insane! Trainers ran down to ringside to check on both men, a doctor says they can’t fight anymore, and it was over.

Match 5: Terry Funk and Tommy Dreamer v Edge and Mick Foley
Outcome: Edge and Mick Foley win

The match of the night, no question.

It started with a decent promo from Mick Foley, with one particular laugh out loud moment, about how here was a time when he loved ECW, when he respected ECW, back in the days when it was run by a visionary, when it was owned by a true creative genius, followed by - 'Let’s hear it for Stephanie McMahon'. He then chanted 'Long live the Alliance'!

There was then promo's from Edge and Lita, before Funk and Dreamer came down, accompanied by Beulah. She made the challenge to make it a 6 person tag match, which was accepted.

This match was insane. There were so many vile spots even I was looking away at times. Tables, ladders, chairs, barbed wire, baseball bats, two by fours, fire - you name it, it was involved. There was a lot of spots around a large piece of ply wood with barbed wire on it, which Foley & Funk were caught in at the end, and Funk actually had to be cut out of!

There are two images that will stick in mind from this. The first one was the fact that at one point, Mick Foley was on fire! This came from being hit by Terry Funk with a 2X4, with barbed wire on it, which had been set on fire! Foley was extinguished on the outside as he fell out of the ring.

The second was Terry Funks eye. Seriously, I think they were concerned he was gonna lose it or be blinded or something, as halfway through the match he had to go off to have it bandaged up, and when he came back it looked horrible. I am pretty squeamish about eyes, and that sight really genuinely bothered me!

The match ended when Edge hit the edgeomatic (with the barbwire around the neck of!) on Dreamer. Edge then nailed Beulah with a spear! Edge covered her for the win and pinned her as if he was nailing her!

Match 6: Balls Mahoney vs. Masato Tanaka
Outcome: Balls Mahoney win

Well not only was it always going to be hard to follow that, but for Masato Tanaka, it was also going to be hard to follow his performance from the first One Night Stand, as last year it was HE who had the match of the year, that time with Mike Awesome.

He did not on this occasion, but it was certainly a passable bout. Also enjoyable watching Balls Mahoney, if nothing else for the chants of 'Balls' by the ECW faithful!

The match ended when Balls hit Tanaka with a huge chair shot. He actually showed off the chair after and trust me, it was pretty darn dented!

This was followed by a pretty pointless angle involving Eugene, who was battered by the Sandman.

Match 7: Rob Van Dam v John Cena (WWE Championship)
Outcome: Rob Van Dam win

Well, as predicted, John Cena got one of the most hostile receptions ever in modern pro wrestling! There was even a sign in the audience saying, "If Cena wins, we riot"! Also, as predicted, RVD won - and KIMBO won a pint of Guiness off McEyebrow, and a tenner off Crank!

This was certainly not a poor bout, but the atmosphere definitely helped. The start was quite funny, when Cena threw his shirt into the crowd but they kept throwing it back! At one point, even the security guard threw it back & gave him the finger!

Personally I think Cena handled it well, however the fact is that the ECW audience know their wrestling, and Cena is basically a very average wrestler at best, who not only has a rubbish street fighter gimmick that is simply not believable (as he looks pretty un-menacing!) but also he is given promos to say about how he built his way up - but lets face it, he has had everything handed to him on a plate, though to be fair he does have a strong work ethic, and from what I gather does anything asked of him. Still though, I do not think the fans in the Hammerstein Ballroom were bothered about his work ethic!

Anyway the match ended when Edge run down & hot Cena with a spear, and RVD followed itup with a five-star frog splash. Prior to this, two ref's had taken bumps and were out, but Paul Heyman ran down & made the 3-count. Afterwards, the ECW locker room came down & celebrated with RVD.

Overall - The Sheriff's view: Well, this was not as controversial as the previous years (the RVD & Paul Heyman promos were riveting, and then there was the JBL/Blue Meanie incident in the WWE/ECW end of show brawl) but it was certainly as entertaining - if not more so - than the first One Night Stand in terms of in-ring action.

In particular, the Edge/Foley v Funk/Dreamer tag match was superb entertainment, and the Angle v Orton & Mysterio v Sabu matches were very good. The main event was also very good, but as I said, I think the crowd may have had a part to play in that.

I just hope that Paul Heyman gets to have proper creative control of the new ECW show, as I would hate for this to just turn into another WWE programme.

Review of Wrestlemania 22

Match 1
World Tag Team Championship
Kane & Big Show (c) vs. Chris Masters & Carlito

Sheriffs Prediction: Chris Masters & Carlito win
Correct?: No. Kane & Big Show win.

The Finish: Show picked up Carlito by the throat but Masters hit a chop block from behind. Kane grabbed both men by the throat but they fought him off. Kane nailed a big boot to Masters and then an uppercut to Carlito and went for the chokeslam but Masters came in off the top, however he nailed Carlito by mistake. Kane sent Masters to the outside and then gave Carlito the chokeslam for the win.

Sheriffs Verdict: An average bout, definitely passable but never anything to bring the house down. However, with the Spirit Squad winning the titles the night after on Raw, well, that was just ridiculous.

Match 2
Money In The Bank Ladder Match
Bobby Lashley vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs.Shelton Benjamin vs. Ric Flair vs. Rob Van Dam

Sheriffs Prediction: Lashley win
Correct?: No. RVD win

The Finish: ECW chants filled the arena as Van Dam started to climb and he has a hand on the case but then Benjamin came from nowhere and landed right on the ladder! Benjamin nailed right hands and then Hardy set up a ladder next to it and started to climb but Benjamin nailed him and went over to that ladder and they traded shots, but RVD tipped it and both toppled to the outside! RVD is on top of the ladder and grabbed the case.

Sheriffs Verdict: Thoroughly enjoyable, no doubt all the wrestlers were sore after that. The second best bout of the evening. All four commentators were on as well, and to be fair did a good job.

Match 3
United States Championship Match
Bradshaw Layfield vs. Chris Benoit (c)

Sheriffs Prediction: JBL win
Correct?: Yes.

The Finish: Benoit covered but Bradshaw kicked up at two. Benoit missed a splash in the corner and went for a German but Bradshaw grabbed the referee to block it. Benoit then walked into a back elbow and Bradshaw went for the Clothesline from Hell but Benoit side stepped and went for the Crossface. He got it locked in and Bradshaw rolled it over and grabbed the ropes and the referee counted the pin.

Sheriffs Verdict: Again, passable. This was mainly due to Benoit, who never really has poor matches. I think JBL may have a good run with the belt, as I predicted in the preview. From a pure entertainment point of view that would no doubt be a good thing, though from a wrestling point of view, not so much.

Match 4
Hardcore Match
Mick Foley vs. Edge

Sheriffs Prediction: Edge win.
Correct?: Yes.

The Finish: Foley wrenched barbwire across the forehead of Edge, and then he grabbed the lighter fluid and went over to the table that was set up earlier. Foley covered it in fluid and then Lita came from nowhere and hit Foley in the knee with the barbwire bat! Lita covered the table in fluid and then set it alight and then Edge spears Foley off the apron through the flaming table! Holy s**t! Edge crawled over and covered for the win!

Sheriffs Verdict: Best match of the night. Absolutely superb, and, much like the Randy Orton match at Backlash 2004, Foley did a real good job of making the younger man look a star. Not that Edge does not deserve credit, because he really does. Both men put a lot into this and certainly - in my opinion - stole the show. In addition, Joey Styles replaced JR for this one and did a good job, it was nice that he got to be involved.

Match 5
Handicap Match
Booker T and Sharmell vs. The Boogeyman

Sheriffs Prediction: The Boogeyman win.
Correct?: Yes.

The Finish: Boogey sent Booker shoulder first into the ring posts and then pulled a handful of worms from his pocket and ate them. Sharmell grabbed Boogey’s stick and went to hit her, but he kissed her with the worms! Sharmell freaked out and ran to the back and then Booker missed a splash in the corner and got hit with a double choke slam and covered for the win.

Sheriffs Verdict: You would feel sorry for anyone having to follow that, and this was never going to be anything anyway. Booker was injured so they kept it short, sweet & simple. Very average, and definitely forgettable.

Match 6
Women’s Championship Match
Mickie James vs. Trish Stratus (c)

Sheriffs Prediction: Mickie James win
Correct?: Yes

The Finish: Mickie went for a single leg but Trish countered into a small cradle for two. Mickie went for a headscissors in the corner but Trish came back with a running powerbomb for two! Trish nailed right hands and then did the MaTrish to miss a clothesline and then went for the Stratusfaction but Mickie then licked Trish in the lower areas and freaked Trish out. Mickie then went for Stratusfaction but botched it and nailed Trish with a Mick Kick and covered for the win!

Sheriffs Verdict: Just like at New Years Revolution, definitely enjoyed it. These two only have Victoria to challenge for title of 'best women wrestler'. Shame about the messy finish, but a decent match overall.

Match 7
Casket Match
Mark Henry vs. The Undertaker

Sheriffs Prediction: Undertaker win
Correct?: Yes

The Finish: Taker nailed right hands and then a headbutt but Henry came back with a clothesline. Henry worked over Taker in the corner and then went for some mounted punches but then Taker dropped him with a powerbomb! Taker threw Henry on top of the casket and then dived over the top rope and over the casket onto Henry on the outside! Taker sent Henry back into the ring and picked him up for the Tombstone and he nailed it! They opened the casket and Henry was rolled into the casket and the lid was shut.

Sheriffs Verdict: Average. Not a terrible match but it will not go down as one of my favourites, that's for certain!

Match 8
No Holds Barred
Mr. McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels

Sheriffs Prediction: Shawn Michaels win
Correct?: Yes

The Finish: Shawn landed a huge elbow drop to Vince from a 30 foot ladder, on to a table, with Vince inside a trash can! Trainers made their way to ringside and Michaels made his way to his feet. Michaels threw the ladder to the outside and we wouldn’t let the doctor in the ring. Michaels did the DX chop to Shane McMahon and then spat on him! Michaels pulled McMahon up and got right in his face and told him he’s going to knock his teeth down his throat, and did just that with Sweet Chin Music for the pin.

Sheriffs Verdict: Good match, enjoyed it. First time since his return that HBK has not been involved in the best match at Mania, but it was probably the 3rd best effort of the PPV and one that he sure as hell can be proud of, especially when you bear in mind that, even though he is in good shape, Vince is 60!

Match 9
World Heavyweight Championship MatchTriple Threat Match
Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton vs. Kurt Angle (c)

Sheriffs Prediction: Randy Orton win
Correct? No. Rey Mysterio win

The Finish: Rey nailed a 619 around the ring post on Angle and then a seated senton and a roll up for two on Angle. Orton got back up and kicked Angle to the outside and then hit a gutwrench into a neckbreaker for two. Orton stalked Mysterio but then Angle came from behind with the Angle Slam for two. Angle stalked Rey and went for the Angle Slam but Rey reversed into an arm drag sending Angle outside and then hit the 619 on Orton. Rey hit the West Coast Pop on Orton and won the match.

Sheriffs Verdict: Well fair play to Our Kid, he got this one right. The match was not bad, the action was good but the problem was that it was cut down to roughly ten minutes, when it could have easily been at least double that. Rey Mysterio as heavyweight champion though? Not particulalry believeable, and while this may be harsh, it probably would not have happened had it not been for the death of Eddie Guerrero. Still, he always has good matches, which is more than what can be said for the champion on the other show...

Match 10
Playboy Pillow Fight
Candice Michelle vs. Torrie Wilson

Sheriffs Prediction: Torrie Wilson win
Correct? Yes:

The Finish: Candice choked Torrie with her legs upside down over the ropes and then did the Go Daddy dance. Candice snapmared Torrie onto the bed as the fans chanted boring. Candice came off the ropes onto Torrie on the bed and then pulled some scissors out of a purse and cut off Torrie’s dress. Candice went under the bed and pulled out her Playboy and then sent Torrie to the corner but Torrie moved and rolled up Candice for the win.

Sheriffs Verdict: While they are nice to look at, the fans were correct with their chanting. Also, did not see much use of pillow, bearing in mind it was supposed to be a pillow fight!

Match 11
WWE Championship Match
Triple H vs. John Cena (c)

Sheriffs Prediction: Triple H win
Correct?: Sadly, no. John Cena win

The Finish: Triple H went for the Pedigree but Cena back dropped out of it. Cena went for the FU and he nailed it. But Triple H kicked out. Cena went up top for a cross body but Triple H ducked and then went for the Pedigree but Cena stepped through and locked in the STFU again. Triple H screamed in pain and he’s close the to the ropes and he looks to have passed out. The referee checked his arm but he says alive on the third check but then he had no choice but to tap out.

Sheriffs Verdict: *sighs* Well, I am not a fan of John Cena these days, I must say. The beginning was a waste of time (had that not gone on so long I am sure the Smackdown main event could have been longer) and overall, while it was certainly not an awful match, it was hardly something I will be remembering for years to come.

The Sheriffs Overall Analysis

Three excellent matches, a couple of good ones and the rest were average. It was certainly not a let-down, and in terms of the roster, I do not suppose they could have come out with much more. That said, I would rather have seen MNM defend the tag belts against someone than see the Boogeyman or a Playboy Pillow Fight. A cruiserweight title match would also have been better.

It was great to have JR on commentary (and to NOT have the Coach!) as he really does have that main event feel to him, but it is hard not to feel some sympathy for Joey Styles. One person I have run out of sympathy for however is Bret Hart, who's refusal to turn up at Wrestlemania was absolutely ridiculous.

As for myself, I got 7 out of 11 predictions right, which I think was pretty darn respectable!

Other News

Randy Orton has been suspended for 60 days. This takes effect from the 12th April. The actual details have not been released, however it is believed that it is to do with his backstage conduct. In addition, the incident itself was apparantly not that bad, but was more of a case of the straw that broke the camels back... Tyson Tomko has been released... After the Cowboy Bob Orton incident, it is also believed that two other employees of WWE have hepatitis... The proposed angle between Hulk Hogan & Stone Cold Steve Austin did not happen on the post-Mania Raw, and I have not heard anything else about that... Bret Hart did actually manage to hang around after the Hall of Fame ceremony and had a chat with quite a few people. It is reported that, in particular, he spent a lot of time catching up with Stone Cold... Although he has still not signed a new contract, it is believed that Chris Benoit sees himself staying with WWE for the rest of his career... However it is believed that Stacy Keibler will not be signing anew contract when hers expires... The issue between WWE and Brock Lesnar is still on-going and believed to now be quite tense. WWE are reportedly showing no signs of relenting...

Wrestlemania 22 - Tonight

Well, in some ways it seems to have taken ages yet at the same time it does not feel like it has been two minutes since WM21.

What is quite interesting is that apparently Vince has been very indecisive in terms of his match winning decisions - he reportedley changed his mind for those results as much as five times Friday alone.

Here is the full card for tonights PPV:

WWE Championship
John Cena (c) vs. Triple H



This match was always going to happen ever since Cena moved to Raw. One of the biggest things though is will HHH do his best to make Cena look like a proper star the same way he did with Batista and, although he did not need as much help, Chris Benoit?

Overall, while I am not overly excited about this, I do think it will probably be a reasonable match. Although it is fair to say that I am not a fan of John Cena, the one thing I will say is that he works hard and does everything that is asked of him. If HHH is on form, they should be able to have a relatively decent match.

Sheriffs prediction: HHH Win. Whilst Vince definitely appears to still be behind the Cena push, I can not see HHH losing three Manias on the trot. In addition, they may use this as a way of pushing Cena further by having him chase HHH for the title, and eventually winning it back, maybe at Summerslam?

World Heavyweight Championship
Kurt Angle (c) vs. Randy Orton vs. Rey Mysterio



In terms of the two world title matches, this is the one I am more looking forward to. Three of the most entertaing stars in the business today, all of them consistently have good matches and all three are capable of telling a good story.

Whilst discussing this match with McEyebrow & Buncey they both said it would not be right for Rey Mysterio to be World Heavyweight Champion. To be honest I can see their point, but also I do not feel that Rey is someone that would be right in that role. He does not need a belt to get over, and there are plenty of stars that had great careers but were never really world title material, such as Rowdy Roddy Piper, Jimmy 'Superfly' Snuka and Jake 'The Snake' Roberts.

For me Kurt Angle is the best wrestler the industry has ever seen, and he should be world champion. Randy Orton is definitely a heel superstar in the making, but his last title reign was a complete waste. That said, it was mainly because 1) HHH took the belt off him a month after he won it, and 2) He was playing a babyface character, which he should just never do.

Sheriffs Prediction: Randy Orton win. My heart says Kurt Angle and I hope that is the case, but me head says Orton is a mate of HHH and is quite possibly being primed for his second run with the belt.

No Holds Barred Match
Vince McMahon vs. Shawn Michaels

If this match measures up to the one Vince had with Hulk Hogan at WM19, we are in for quite a treat. When you bear in mind just how much superior a wrestler that HBK is to Hogan, it sets it up nicely. Both Vince and Shawn are great storytellers, and Shawn is one of the greatest of all-time, and that includes where he is today - one of the best.

Overall I see this being an entertaining match, though I obviously do not expect it to be the best match on the card. Vince has obviously pushed this feud very hard and I expect this to be rewarded this evening.

Sheriffs Prediction: HBK win. The McMahons have had the better of this storyline all the way through, but I expect Shawn to get the last word, even though he will probably have to face such fearsome obstacles as the Spirit Squad... Er...

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
Shelton Benjamin vs. Rob Van Dam vs. Ric Flair vs. Finlay vs. Matt Hardy vs. Lashley



Last year this match nearly stole the show (it would have done had it not been on the same card as HBK v Kurt) and to be honest, I think it helped Edge evolve as a star over the past year. In all fairness, after the Smackdown main event, I am quite possibly looking forward to this the most...

Shelton Benjamin is one of the best wrestlers on the roster today. It is just his character - and I am not 100% sure where the fault of that lies - that is holding him back from being a huge star. The same could potentially be said of Lashley, and I think it would be best if one of these two got the win here. I certainly do not think it will be Matt Hardy, and it would be pointless to give it to Ric Flair. Finlay is not bad & could be a dark horse, and RVD is probably the most over out of them all. It is mildly intriguing, and I look forward to the outcome.

Sheriffs Prediction: Lashley win. I think Vince might have one eye on a Lashley v Orton feud round about the time Wrestlemania 23 rolls around...

Casket Match
Undertaker vs. Mark Henry



I am sure this match will have some good moments, and Undertaker has, on occasion, being surprisingly good when carrying a match with a big man. However I think that this is the only match that has an almost certain outcome...

Sheriffs Prediction: Undertaker win. No-one actually expects Mark Henry to be the one to finally beat 'The Phenom' at a Wrestlemania do they?

Hardcore Match
Edge vs. Mick Foley



This should be quite a good match, and Edge is fairly consistent at being able to have decent matches. However, unless Edge has agreed to give Foley his 'defining Wrestlemania win' or whatever before Mick gets too old, I expect this to be a similar situation to the 2004 Backlash where Mick Foley made Randy Orton look absolutely superb, and, if Orton has any humility, will look back and thank Foley for what he did for him.

Sheriffs Prediction: Edge win. I would quite like Foley to have a great match and win it. But I think this will be all about making Edge look like a star.

United States Championship
Chris Benoit (c) vs. JBL



I am not sure who will win here. I do think it will be an ok match as Chris Benoit is up there with Kurt Angle, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart etc for just being able to have good matches.

JBL is an average worker but his mic skills are superb, and he would probably make for an entertaining champion. The thing here is that neither star reallly needs the belt to help them get over, however, it does at least have a credible feel to a championship match, which can only be good for the US title.

Sheriffs Prediction: JBL win. I think this Mania will be a night for the heels, and I think JBL could possibly have a 'Honky Tonk Man' style run with the belt.

World Tag Team Championship
Kane & Big Show (c) vs. Chris Masters & Carlito



Much like the aforementioned US title match, the one thing I like about this feud is it is a title match with a credible feel. The Tag Team division has been pretty weak for years (hardly the days of The Hart Foundation, Legion of Doom, Demolition, The Rockers etc) but by throwing together some singles stars, that can sometimes lead to a relatively entertaining feud.

I do not expect it to be a great match, but I do think it will be a relatively good effort.

Sheriffs Prediction: Chris Masters & Carlito win. In the build-up to this, Show & Kane have definitely had the better of the exchanges. But I have a sneak feeling that the youngsters may get a little push here.

Women’s Championship
Trish Stratus (c) vs. Mickie James



The feud between these two has been entertaining, and I actually felt that they stole the show at the New Years Revolution PPV in January. As there are not many great alternative options, I fully expect this to carry on beyond Mania.

Sheriffs Prediction: Mickie James win. To give the feud a fresh feel and keep it entertaining this has to happen at some point.

Playboy Pillow Fight
Torrie Wilson vs. Candice Michelle



Nice bit of eye candy for us all, no real expectations.

Sheriffs Prediction: Torrie win. But as the announcers always say, we are all winners.

Handicap Match
Boogeyman vs. Booker T & Sharmell



Oh how Booker T's star has fallen. This feud has not exactly been cringeworthy, but it is fair to say this is little more than a comedy match. The Boogeyman is one of those characters that needs to go elsewhere for the drama & emotion, because you just will not get it in the ring.

Sheriffs Prediction: Boogeyman win. I expect this to be another signal that any hope Booker has of having another world title reign is pretty much dead and buried.

What else will happen?

There is obviously the usual, like the Hall of Fame ceremony... JR will be calling the Raw side of things, not Joey Styles. It is hard not to feel a little sympathy for Styles...The news is that Hulk Hogan will not be appearing, though Stone Cold Steve Austin may be... Interestingly, there is apparently a segment lined up between the two for the following nights Raw, though they are the only details I am aware of... It is highly unlikley that Bret Hart will make an appearance other than the Hall of Fame... The only other surprise I can think of outside the active roster would be Batista or possibly even Roddy Piper... Whatever happens, I am looking forward to it!!!