Opportunity Knocks
(How Wrestlemania 24 should go, but won’t!)
By: Chris â<80><9c>The Authorityâ<80> Schultz
Today is the day! Can you feel the excitement? Your anticipation level is at an all time high. Getting out of bed this morning, you just have the feeling it’s a special day. Sure, it might not be your birthday or Christmas morning, but to most professional wrestling fans, today is truly a holiday. The day you have marked off on your calendar is finally here. It’s time to get ready for the granddaddy of them all. Get ready for Wrestlemania 24! Today not only marks the end of the professional wrestling fiscal year, but also the beginning of the road for what’s to come. The build up is over and it’s time to get it on! Unfortunately, this showcase of immortals has been all too predictable in years past, so I would like to use this forum to let you know what would make this years Wrestlemania the greatest of all time. Let’s get started.
It all starts tonight with the Battle Royal to determine who will go on to face the ECW Champion, Chavo Guerrero, later in the night. The favorites have been established as Kane, Mark Henry, and/or The Great Khali. However, I personally don’t want to see any of these superstars the last man standing. In my opinion, there are only two wrestlers who deserve to get the push of their careers tonight and go on to challenge for the ECW World Heavyweight Title. Those two men are Hardcore Holly and Elijah Burke. If I am not mistaking, The Undertaker is the only current WWE Superstar that has been with the company longer than Holly. This man has done what he’s been asked to do throughout his entire career. He remains in top physical shape year round and to this day, has never won a legitimate singles title. Bob Holly is one tough SOB and downright deserves his time in the spotlight.
Elijah Burke might not be the crafty veteran Holly is, but it amazes me when I see such great potential wasted. This guy has proved he can go in the ring and has the mic skills to go along with it. I was happy to see him get his title shots in the past against CM Punk, but it was obvious he was never going to get the victory. Burke could very well be the most hated heel in the business down the road, but we will never know unless he is given the ball to run with. I truly believe Elijah Burke is a star in the making. If the WWE doesn’t notice, the boys down the road in Orlando might be the next stop for the Elijah Express.
Whomever wins the Battle Royal, I don’t want them to beat Chavo Guerrero. Chavo has really impressed me in his short tenure as ECW Champion. I would like to see him have a pretty good run with the gold. However, the winner of this Battle Royal should become the champ in the future. As much as Chavo’s been through, it’s great to see him have the opportunity to headline. I don’t think anyone would disagree that he’s paid his dues.
I really don’t have much to say about the Playboy Bunnymania Lumberjack Match except that I will be watching closely for wardrobe malfunctions. No, I am just kidding. What really needs to happen in this match is for another WWE Diva to step up and challenge Beth Phoenix for the WWE Women’s Championship. Neither Maria or Ashley stand a chance and Mickie James had hers. This leaves you with Candice Michelle who as we know, is on the shelf with and injury. So who? Look no further than Beth’s tag team partner for tonight. That’s right, I believe Melina should make another run at the title. With the exception of Victoria, Melina is the only realistic option. Let’s face it, Beth Phoenix is no joke. She might go down as one of the most dominant Women’s Champions we have ever seen.
One of the matches I am most eager to see tonight is JBL vs. Finlay. The build up for this one on one encounter was short lived. One of the best RAW broadcasts leading up till today is when JBL punished Hornswaggle, while a helpless Finlay could only watch as he lay handcuffed to the steel cage. Then, all of a sudden, it became all talk. Finlay had a little revenge this last Monday, but look for tonight to be a bloodbath. This needs to be downright gruesome. Look for Finlay to pick up the win with some help from his son. I don’t mind if that is the case, but at least give us a good match that will leave us cringing at the pain inflicted on each other.
I’ll be honest, Batista vs. Umaga really doesn’t seem like much of a classic Wrestlemania match up. I don’t imagine this will be a wrestling clinic or technical showdown, but they do match up well. I don’t care who wins the encounter, but it would be nice to see something out of the ordinary in this fight and not just two beasts throwing punches. Umaga does have the ability to go high risk and use his quickness to his advantage. Can Batista show us something new to his arsenal? We shall see.
The other match I am most looking forward to is the Money in the Bank. In years past, this match has delivered and should be no different this year. I like all the wrestlers in this match and consider each of them to be the future of this great business. You want to know what would be cool? Why not turn Carlito in to this major bad ass who comes out with his hair braided wearing something like jeans and a wife beater? Carlito needs this win. Since coming onto the scene in the WWE, they have wasted this young talent. Now, to take things a little further and have the unexpected happen, have Carlito cash in the briefcase tonight against either Edge or Undertaker. This would have the media and fans buzzing for weeks. C’mon, why not? It’s things like this that will have us going to work and school tomorrow saying to our friends and coworkers, â<80><9c>Did you see what happened?â<80>
Regardless of the outcome, Money in the Bank should steal the show tonight. It would be nice to see them add an 8th man at the last second in the form of Matt Hardy. This would be another unexpected turn of events that would shock the world. All of these men belong in the match and they are the reasons I turn on the television throughout the week. Let’s see what happens.
Now it’s onto Ric Flair’s last ride. To be completely honest, I hope Ric doesn’t win. Please don’t take this the wrong way, but I believe this match has the potential to steal the show. Not only because Shawn Michaels brings his A game to Wrestlemania, but to go out at Wrestlemania the day after being inducted to the WWE Hall of Fame? You won’t have a more story book ending to the greatest career in professional sports. Ric Flair is, without question, the best wrestler of all time. I am fortunate to have witness most of his 30 year plus career. Thank you Ric! Thanks for the memories. We will miss you.
Amongst all the hype, the Big Show/Floyd Mayweather match could be the worst of the night. The only way this could be remotely entertaining is if they let the Big Show do whatever he wants to that shrimp in the middle of the ring. Mayweather got his money, now it’s time to deliver. Floyd better pray God has mercy on his soul after the Big Show demolishes him. What really sucks, is McMahon, nor Mayweather backers will allow â<80><9c>Moneyâ<80> to get hurt. Please don’t let Show lose. No one will buy it for a minute! If anything, have a surprise guest help Mayweather. Just make sure he is one bad Mfer!
Okay, it’s time for my off the wall suggestion for this evenings big event. Let Edge beat the Undertaker. That’s right, I said it. What could shock the fans more than this? Hey, 15-1 isn’t a bad record. It’s time to pass the torch. I admire and respect the Undertaker, but by losing in a match that he is heavily favored to win, could establish Edge as the biggest heel in all of wrestling. I am pretty sure this won’t happen, but if we are to really expect the unexpected, this would top anything we have ever seen before. This is an opportunity for the WWE to really go a different way and lose the perception of always being so predictable. Can anything truly happen? We shall see.
Last, but certainly not least, you have the 3 way dance for the WWE Championship between Randy Orton, Triple H, and John Cena. If Triple H comes out on top, it wouldn’t be a bad thing. The Game is considered the best in this industry today. Here comes the twist. The Cerebral Assassin needs to also reestablish himself as the most ruthless competitor who holds no remorse and will do whatever it takes to win. Tonight, Triple H should resort to his old ways and cheat to win. The days of Triple H being a babyface are over. Whether good or evil, the fans will never lose interest in The Game. Okay, here is another stretch, but how awesome would it be for The Rock to get involved in this. Everyone would think he is there to help John Cena and bring order to the match. Then, in a twist of fate (sorry Jeff Hardy), The Rock helps his old nemesis recapture the WWE Championship. What an ending! Man I wish I could write this show. Alright, it’s time to end my rant. I hope everyone enjoys the show tonight. I will be part of the millions watching on PPV. Maybe one of my wishes comes true. If not, the show will go on. Till next time.
If you agree or disagree with the Authority, you can email him at cjschultz77@yahoo.com.
