Backlash Predictions!

Usually, Drew does the ppv predictions on The Irish Whip. However, for Backlash, Drew and I (Jared) have gotten together to do joint predictions. Let’s get started.

John Cena vs. Edge vs. Randy Orton vs. Shawn Michaels

Cena: One of the two possible winners. Although his unnecessarily long title reign is quite boring, I could see WWE letting him retain.
Randy Orton: No chance. He was sent home from the European tour because of the mysterious hotel room problem (he apparently was found passed out in his hotel room that he had trashed and it ended up being 30,000 dollars in damages).
Shawn Michaels: I couldn’t see the Undertaker and Shawn Michaels holding titles at the same time. WWE recently is all about passing the torch so I couldn’t see Michaels winning. Plus there is the rumor that he is moving to Smackdown (I doubt it, but it is a rumor).
Edge: The other of the two possible winners. His title reign was extremely fun to watch (although he was fighting Cena for about half a year) and I am ready for another R-Rated champ.

Jared Pick: Edge
Drew Pick: Cena


Melina vs. Mickie James

Melina: Apparently she is in the doghouse right now, but that didn’t stop her win at Wrestlemania. WWE is certainly building her and Mickie James up to be their top divas.
Mickie James: Clearly she is the better wrestler out of the two, but Melina is receiving a strong push.

Jared Pick: Melina
Drew Pick: Melina


The Hardy Boyz vs. Cade & Murdoch

If Cade and Murdoch win this, the tag-team division is officially destroyed. I can’t see having Cade and Murdoch champs at the same time that Deuce and Domino are champs on Smackdown.

Jared Pick: The Hardy Boyz (please God)
Drew Pick: The Hardy Boyz


Undertaker vs. Batista

Undertaker: I keep hearing about how his title reign is going to be long, but there is no telling because WWE changes its mind in a second.
Batista: Vince loves him because he is big….but everyone else hates him. He has gotten much worse as a wrestler since his return from his injury, and even a few of the “face-faithful” fans are starting to join the boos.

Jared Pick: The Undertaker
Drew Pick: The Undertaker


Vince McMahon, Shane McMahon, and Umaga vs. Lashley

Umaga: Will NOT move to ECW, because that would be ridiculous. Although they are pushing him, I can’t see this.
Vince McMahon: I hope Vince realizes that giving himself the belt would kill ECW.
Shane McMahon: Shane face turn??? I have been waiting for it for awhile now. He would be incredibly good in ECW as well.
Lashley: Is in the middle of the biggest push in wrestling right now. Obviously the favorite in the match.

Jared Pick: Shane
Drew Pick: Lashley


Chris Benoit vs. MVP

First of all I would like to say that this has been a fantastic rivalry to watch, and it has been the only reason that I have watched Smackdown in the past few weeks.
Chris Benoit: WWE is in the “pass-the-torch” mode and I could definitely see Benoit go down here to an up and coming MVP.
MVP: Receiving a push, young superstar, and good wrestler. That seems like the right combination for a United States title reign.

Jared Pick: MVP
Drew Pick: MVP


There is a rumored match between Deuce & Domino and London & Kendrick.

London & Kendrick: Held the titles for an ass-load of time. They were exciting and did some cool stuff, but they never reached “star” status.
Deuce & Domino: Maybe WWE is going to try out Deuce & Domino and see how the crowd reacts to the new talent. Only time will tell.

Jared Pick: London & Kendrick
Drew Pick: Deuce and Domino

Drew and I will check back in sometime after the ppv and look at how we each did. Thanks for reading and make sure you post your own views.

Read More...

Wrestlemania Predictions

The Irish Whip reporting...

Here come my impressive and intelligent predictions for Wrestlemania 23, feel free to object by posting.

CHRIS BENOIT vs. MVP for the US CHAMPIONSHIP
This kills...but I predict that Benoit will drop the belt. Here's where it gets interesting - Benoit will lose due to interference from a RAW superstar, causing him to move to RAW after Wrestlemania. This goes along with the rumors that have been circulating for a while that he will do so. Plausible?
Winner: MVP

KANE vs. THE GREAT KHALI
Khali will somehow win this one so that Kane can take some time off. Other people online have been calling for the injury angle to be played here, and I agree with that speculation.
Winner: THE GREAT KHALI

MELINA vs. ASHLEY for the WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP
Ashley will clearly win. She's the top Diva in the company now, and in my opinion she's turned herself into a pretty good wrestler. I actually expect this to be a pretty good match.
Winner: ASHLEY

ECW ORIGINALS vs. NEW BREED
New Breed has this one in the bag. There's no way that WWE will stick with Sabu and Sandman in the long run, and they seem to want to give Elijah Burke a big push. Here's where it begins. I wouldn't be surprised if the New Breed won this match clean.
Winner: NEW BREED

MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
There has been much speculation over who will win this match. Let's pick a winner via elimination:
Finley is out, he's just in there to be the ring general.
King Booker? Clearly won't win.
Jeff and Matt Hardy are in there to have some huge spots, not to win the match.
CM Punk could win, and many folks have picked him, but I just don't see WWE letting him win this match. They definitely
wouldn't have him feud with Lashley.
Randy Orton will not win this match...something will happen in this match to cause him to turn face and feud with...
Edge. His Wrestlemania winning streak will be broken and like I said before, he will feud with Orton.
The winner of this match is Kennedy!...Kennedy. It's finally time for his main event push.

BATISTA vs. UNDERTAKER for the WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Will Taker's streak finally be broken at Wrestlemania? Not today, and NOT to Batista.
Winner: UNDERTAKER

JOHN CENA vs. SHAWN MICHAELS for the WWE CHAMPIONSHIP
From all that I've read, people are going about 50-50 on this match, and I'm kind of feeling the same way. So, I choose to lean towards the side of WWE's writers and Vince McMahon's opinions. Plus...how could John Cena win clean over Triple H one year and lose to Shawn Michaels the next? Cena is WWE's long term investment, they will have him win tonight at Wrestlemania.
Winner: JOHN CENA

BOBBY LASHLEY vs. UMAGA, DONALD TRUMP vs. VINCE MCMAHON
I will not only predict the winner of this match, I will predict the content of this match. First of all, I think this will be the main event. I certainly don't think it should be, but I think it will be. Secondly, Bobby Lashley will win it. No way he loses: Vince McMahon loves him enough to have his own head shaved. Thirdly, the locker room will clear out and many of the faces will take part in shaving Vince's head. Fourthly, Stone Cold Steve Austin will deliver a stunner not only to Vince McMahon, but also to DONALD TRUMP. These are my predictions for this match, let's see how many of them come true.
Winner: BOBBY LASHLEY

That's the card! Again, please post some responses and let's see some debate going. I will make a post-Wrestlemania post to address how my predictions went.

- Drew Arnold, writing for the Irish Whip

Read More...