WWE Notes

So I know that I've been bad about giving you guys your stolen article of the week, WWE Legend, and Top 5 list that you've all become accustomed to. But with all this UFC 71 business going on, it's just been crazy around here. Phones ringing off the hook, bricks going through windows; its chaos, really. But never fear! I'm here with your SMACKDOWN recap, RAW preview, Saturday Night Main Event preview, and One Night Stand preview.

Let's get started! On Friday, Batista speared all his opponents to win the right to face Edge at One Night Stand. Although the Batista-Edge feud is in its infancy, I think it will be a successful one. Throw in the fact that their match will be inside the confines of a steel cage, and this becomes something worth looking forward to. Edge had an awesome promo on SMACKDOWN (he needs to speak every single week, he's that good) while proclaiming himself to be the greatest champion ever.

Benoit and MVP had a nice little segment which ended in three German Suplexes (there's a name for this succession, but I can't remember it). I love this feud and I actually think it's the best thing going on SMACKDOWN. The rivalry between a brash, young Superstar and a wily veteran is something that will always resonate with sports fans.

There was some sort of tag team action, but I'm relatively positive it was not entertaining. I'm tired of non-descript teams (Taylor and Regal) facing badly-gimmicked teams (Deuce and Domino). Also, what is going on with Matt Hardy's push? They're having him beat everyone in sight (including Mr. Kennedy a few weeks ago), but they aren't doing anything with it. He hasn't claimed a feud, demanded a title shot, or anything that would designate a typical push.

This week's RAW should be decent, with Cena and Lashley teaming up against Khali, Umaga, and Shane-O in 2 on 3 tag match. Shane apparently has a huge announcement to make, but I just expect it to be extreme stipulations or additional matches. Usually, I don't like it when the WWE teams people who have no business being together (Cena and Lashley), but I care so little about these feuds, I'd much rather have them kill two birds with one stone and make more time for the tag team matches.

I know, I can't believe I said it either. I'm actually excited for the tag matches! Being this close to the PPV, the WWE doesn't want to give too much away or have anyone get hurt, so you can't expect much from some of the bigger ticket wrestlers. And so, the burden of good matches will fall on the newly-developed tag teams. Expect to see heel and face development and lots of interference. Maybe an 8-man brawl at some point? I hope so. The WWE is teasing a Cade and Murdoch heel turn, but I don't think it will happen. There's a really nice balance of power right now in the tag division (no injuries!) and I expect the WWE to capitalize on this.

I have no idea why they would have Saturday Night's Main Event just ONE DAY prior to a PPV. They aren't even scheduling big matches for it, which makes sense, since they don't want wrestlers to get hurt. So far, I've seen two matches, only one of which I can recall: Finlay and Hornswaggle vs. Boogeyman and Little Boogeyman. Now who wouldn't want to see that? Perhaps they're using this to appease the wrestlers who didn't make the cut to be included in One Night Stand. Who knows?

One Night Stand, on the other hand, despite being held in Jacksonville and not featuring any of the ECW Originals, is shaping up to be a decent card. I think we need to stop pretending that this is an ECW PPV and just accept it for what it is -- a general WWE card with extreme rules. Can anyone even tell me what brand Lashley is on anymore? Anyway, this card features a Street Fight between Vince and Lashley for the ECW Championship, a Falls Count Anywhere match between Cena and Khali for the WWE Championship, and a Steel Cage match between Edge and Batista for the World Heavyweight Championship. Two of these matches should be good. We know that Vince can put on a show (see Valentine's Day Massacre of 1999) and Lashley is improved. Edge makes his matches good, no matter who he is facing, and he'll need to be as good as ever if he plans to make Batista look like a real wrestler. I have faith in Edge, though, and I think this will be the best match of the night. The disappointment, of course, is the Khali-Cena match. I expect a double count out a la Backlash 2007. They can't give the most decorated belt in Sports Entertainment to (gasp!) The Great Khali...can they? Check out this prediction from my award-winning article "One Night Stand Officially Sucks Before It Happens": "I wouldn't be surprised if there were matches featuring no ECW extremists at all."

With most of their talent on the disabled list (see our new polls on the right!), it is more important than ever that the WWE correctly manages its remaining wrestlers. The next two weeks will give us a very good indication if this is going to happen. If mismanaged, the post-WrestleMania slump could easily continue until SummerSlam in August.

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