Wrestlemania XXX predictions and fallout

We are almost there! Wrestlemania is shaping up to possibly be the biggest and possibly greatest of all time.

At this time of year, every year, I look forward to the show of shows and get as excited as a kid at Christmas time. Sometimes, it can feel like wasted happiness once that last match has finished and it's all done with. "That's it. Good bye. I'll be back for your money next year!" Kinda like Christmas some years.

But THIS year! This year is going to be big and as important a night as WCW's fold to the WWE. I feel like WWE has the potential to pull off something that will change it forever.

The matches on paper look great and every one has the ability to change the pace, direction and future of the Superstars involved if not the whole WWE. 

Will it all be as big as I hope? We have to wait and see but let's have a look as to why I think this Sunday could be so important.

Fast Three Count with @BrenFinney

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Fast Three Count

Fast Three Count is something I'm gonna try to do now and again to keep my brain active, talk wrestling with the IWC and hopefully learn a thing or two about the great industry we love.
Three random suggestions from Twitter followers will get a quick post in reply with my thoughts on the suggestions.

Without further ado, the first Fast Three Count with @timvicious

Fan Reaction

Fan reaction is as big a part of wrestling as knee pads and turnbuckles. The sound and sight of an absolute electric crowd just going nuts for what they're seeing always gets me pumped. 

One of my favourite matches is Rock vs Hogan at Wrestlemania X8, yeah it was amazing because it was Rock and Hogan but also because of the fan reaction to every drop of sweat the two poured.

Standing ovations are something that chills me like nothing else, the first one I really remember was for The Hardy Boys and Edge and Christian for their tag team ladder match and I can just remember getting goosebumps and knowing this is what all wrestlers should be aiming for.

Put it this way, without fan reaction you are just Brian Christopher.

Merchandise

Does a superstar have to be good to shift merch? No. Do they have to shift merch to be good? Often it seems so.

If a guy happens to resonate with the money spenders be it parents for their kids or fans for their own collection/wardrobe he will be pushed no doubt.

I personally have purchased T-shirts for myself and got some as presents when I was younger, worn with pride because of my love for WWE. Also buying heaps of videos, DVDs and games I'd like to think I've made a small ripple in the ocean that is WWEs bank account.

Promos done in ring gear and not actually performing in a match that night on the show at any point

Sure sometimes it can't be avoided for instance masked Kane, Umaga, Big Boss Man, Undertaker and so on but when it comes to the likes of Cena, Hogan, Rock, Orton why would you get all dressed up, knee pads n'all to talk it up?

If gets them in the right frame of mind, thats cool but it doesn't stop them looking a bit odd. Be it a in backstage segment, in ring promo or match run in it just seems like extra effort for what? 

yeah yeah you got a character, but we all know if you're a wrestler you love Under Armour so just chuck some of that on clothesline someone over the rope to stop a match. 

Whatever you choose to wear, just don't get it from Batista's wardrobe.

Four For RAW

After last nights escapade and crash on the first junction on The Road to Wrestlemania tonight is already proving to be a huge night. If not on screen but everywhere else in the world.

A few things that we can be sure of are we have a Royal Rumble victor whose name isn't Victor at all, it is Batista.
Bray Wyatt is moving on up to the guillotine by feuding with Cena.
The New Age Outlaws are the WWE SIX TIME TAG TEAM CHAMPIONS OF THE WOOOOORRRRLLLLDD!
And Randy Orton is still the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.

Tonight of all nights the fans in attendance have to be heard. From start to finish they have to be the entire IWC and Universe's voices. They have the chance to really show WWE what we think and get someone to take notice.
I'm hoping they'll blow the roof off for the entire 3 hours while us at home can do the same from where you are right now.

The Royal F'N Rumble...

*Warning: This may come across as rantish, nonsensical and not the usual style I post. That's because I'm going on 3 hours sleep, being robbed of 20 quid from a billion dollar company and just going on a bender on twitter with anyone that'll listen!*

Now by the Royal F'N Rumble I don't mean it like EC F'N W but more like Miley F'N Cyrus.
Normally I am upbeat, positive and always try to find the silver lining, but watching this years Rumble has got me, well, wanting to trap my wobbly bits it the kitchen drawer.

Four for RAW

So here it is the go home RAW before Heck in a Cell. Leading into PPVs RAW normally delivers a wrestle light, segment heavy kind of show maybe to protect talent and leave us wanting the physicality more at the PPV. With the contract signing between Bryan and Orton I think there is a good chance that we may not see either of the two in a actual match tonight.
So what can RAW offer us before entering the Devil's Playground.

Personally I love a big brawl to end a RAW going into a PPV, it leaves things evenly matched between opponents as it's not a one on one situation. With contract signings usually ending in chaos, I wouldn't be shocked, but would be happy to see Bryan, Orton, Michaels, Triple H, Big Show, Cody & Goldie and The Shield in a huge brawl to sign out the show.

Four for RAW

Battleground served more as a three hour RAW preshow than a big PPV. But as a preshow it has done a damn good job of hyping up RAW tonight. Tonight we will see the return of the Rhodes clan, some form of advancement of the WWE Championship saga including Bryan, Orton, Triple H and now Big Show by the looks of things. We may also see seeds planted for a tag title defence for the near future!
There's a good chance that we will end up hearing from the newest Paul Heyman Guy and big guy, Ryback, crying about his ruined honeymoon.
There's a lot that could happen tonight, some of it way more obvious than other and I am excited to see what seeds will be planted going into the last quarter of the WWE calendar.

Can anything really happen on RAW? I would love it to. Can you imagine if tonight a WWE Championship match was set and we got a new actual champion? I would love it to! Whenever we get to see a new champion on RAW it's pretty much always an awesome night. 

Despite the image above, I am not even suggesting it should Bryan. Orton, Big Show or even a relative outsider such as Ziggler, Ryback or Punk would make for a good Monday night.

Sunday Segue Battleground Predictions

I must be doing something right because Kinny Killa and Sugs asked me to join them on their Sunday Segue Podcast. This weeks episode is a four man effort as @TopRopeElbow joined us to shoot the breeze on last Monday's RAW and give out Battleground predictions.

Battleground isn't exactly going in with all the bells and whistles but that shouldn't stop you enjoying the actual show. There is a few opportunities for advancements and new chapters from tonights card involving a number of Superstars.

Ziggler VS Sandow

I'm going for a Ziggler win here. Just by the logic that the briefcase is extra weight on the owners shoulders, making it harder to seemingly kick out. But will this Kickoff match be the last we see of Mr. Money in the Bank tonight?

Let's talk. SummerSlam

SummerSlam is only bested by Wrestlemania in my opinion both in historic value and importance.
It has been home to many great and memorable moments and is one of the big four monthly shows, never dropped or moved around the calendar and has always held a certain amount of significance even in its early days.

Tonight sees SummerSlam on its 26th birthday, further solidify its status as the "Biggest event of the Summer" with a main event that has got me itching to see. The potential pay offs that could happen are everything a Attitude fan could want, with the McMahons and Triple H playing extras in the John Cena / Daniel Bryan feud over the WWE Championship and Randy Orton lurking in the shadows with his MiTB briefcase in tow, this could really be a landscape changing night.

During the go home episode of RAW John Cena teased a little .... Attitude Adjustment (seriously no pun intended)...of his own and gave Bryan a dry slap in retaliation over being told he wasn't a wrestler. Is this a little heel tease?

I'm dying to see a new side of Cena as much as the next guy, but I don't see it happening in reality. Partially down to the rumour he's taking time off after SummerSlam. It wouldn't make much sense turning just to leave, surely it'll be the anticlimax of the Summer if it did happen. Maybe a heel return but can't see him leaving as one.
Either way tonight could be the start of a new chapter in Cena's lengthy career (It's gone from 10 years strong to 12 years in 6 months apparently)

Mr. COO, Triple H who has a great SummerSlam history is the appointed official so the 1-2-3 is actually in his hand. Hunter has the power to help or screw who he wants here, even it's helping both superstars from getting screwed by McMahon or McMahons.
Triple H may call it straight down the middle to the last second and then screw either guy. Could Trips actually be on side with McMahons all along?
It maybe his role on the PPV could be for after the main event, he may call the Cena vs Bryan match down the middle just to screw the winner and assist Randy Orton to win after he cashes in.

I'm not claiming any of this is true or will happen. Hell I'd love none of this to happen so I can actually be shocked and happy with paying for this event.
The main event is what I'm really hyped for but with Punk and Lesnar about to put on a solid punch up I'm hoping at least two matches tonight will leave me hanging on for RAW tomorrow night.