411 Fact or Fiction Wrestling: Were You Surprised By Jeff Jarrett’s WWE Hall of Fame Induction?

Welcome back to 411 Fact or Fiction, Wrestling Edition! Stuff happened, people loved/hated it and let everyone else know. I pick through the interesting/not so interesting tidbits and then make 411 staff members discuss them for your pleasure. Battling this week are 411’s Len Archibald & Robert S. Leighty Jr.

Questions were sent out Tuesday.

Participants were told to expect wrestling-related content, as well as possible statements on quantum physics, homemade pharmaceuticals, the Turtle Total Trip Theorem, pizza and hydroponics.

1. Alexa Bliss will win the women’s elimination chamber match.

Len Archibald: FACT – I can’t think of any reason why anyone else would win going to WrestleMania. Sasha Banks has been teasing a heel turn for a while and seems like she is on a collision course with Bayley – who, quite frankly needs an overhaul as she has not connected to the WWE audience as well as she did with NXT (sadly.) Mickie James winning is laughable right now, as is Sonya Deville and Mandy Rose. Honestly, the only thing that makes sense is Alexa winning and being rewarded for being the face of the Women’s division on Raw by entering WrestleMania as champ. As to who she will face, I guess that comes down to the second question…but I think Bliss faces someone else to give her the WrestleMania moment she has been craving for, but her opponent will first have to handle a swerve when one we expected to always be a good guy finds her dark side. Bank on it.

Robert S. Leighty Jr: FACT – I see no reason to take the title off Bliss right now as she has been the best thing to happen to either division since the brand split. Her keeping the title and losing it at Mania to Asuka would be ideal, but at worst she deserves to keep the title until Mania. I understand that since this is the first Women’s Chamber Match they may want to switch the title to just get home the idea that the odds are against the champion, but her keeping the title would be the better story, and my guess is they will run with that.

2. Nia Jax will defeat Asuka at the elimination chamber PPV.

Len Archibald: FICTION – There are rumors that Nia Jax is facing Alexa Bliss at WrestleMania – which in some storyline purposes would make sense. They have been “frienamies” for the past year and Jax has never been able to win the Women’s title when it has mattered. But it would be Heel/Heel. Now, I have stated in the past that we are in an era where heels and faces do not exist in WWE, but this is an obvious dynamic where both will be booed out of the building at an event that will be very smark heavy. At the same time, it is terribly obvious that they are pushing the undefeated storyline. I know they ruined a moment last year when Charlotte faced her first lost the PPV before WrestleMania, but Askua’s undefeated streak feels like a different monster and it is not going to be fed to of all people…Nia Jax. Jax will lose and probably find herself involved with Absolution, where she can make a more organic face turn. Meanwhile, Smackdown, and Charlotte will not be ready for Askua.

Robert S. Leighty Jr: FICTION – The WWE is trying to add intrigue and mystery to the Mania build as everyone thinks they know the card and this is their way of trying to make people second guess things. Asuka losing would be a massive mistake as the end story should be her winning the title while still undefeated and then fending off challengers until someone is woman enough to top her and get the boost of ending her dominant reign.

3. You were shocked to hear that Jeff Jarrett is going into the WWE Hall of fame.

Len Archibald: FACT – Shocked can’t even begin to describe my feelings on this. It is confused, bewildered what-the-fuck, Twilight Zone cats and dogs living together, mass hysteria. Jeff Jarrett is the holy grail of WWE blacklisting. Sure, we knew of bad blood between WWE and Savage, Warrior and Bruno – but there is the age old adage that everyone eventually comes back to Vince McMahon. Except Jeff Jarrett. Jarrett was coldly and brutally fired on LIVE television when WWE acquired WCW and we never. EVER. Heard about Jarrett anywhere. I know there are some who believe that WWE never mentioned anything about Impact/TNA because they didn’t want to give shine to potential “competition” – I think it goes deeper. Impact was Jarrett’s baby. And Vince is honestly so petty that he would go out of his power to virtually erase TNA from the WWE universe to spite him. Think about it…WWE pretty much acknowledges the rest of the wrestling world…except Impact. Who founded it? Yeah. So…I dunno, man. This is just mind-blowing in every conceivable way. Now CM Punk is the WWE Blacklist Holy Grail. I don’t know what to believe anymore. All I know is that if this was something Triple H negotiated (and I wouldn’t be surprised if he did) when The Rock is voted in as POTUS, Triple H MUST become Secretary of State. He just may be able to broker peace in the Middle East. I’m flabber-fucking-gasted.

Robert S. Leighty Jr: FACT – I will say Fact in the sense that I was shocked because I never even considered Jarrett. It is rather surreal to see him come back to the WWE after all these years and especially after the rough year he has had personally, but time has shown no bridge is apparently too burned. I also assumed Warrior and Bruno would get the call because they were big enough stars to think the WWE would work things out, and I just never saw Jarrett in that light. I didn’t think JJ was a big enough star that they would care about going out of there way to repair things, but seemingly HHH just loves creating peace. That’s not to say, JJ isn’t worthy because really it is Vince’s Hall of Fame and his call, so JJ has had a good enough career as others already inducted.

SWITCH!

4. WWE will introduce women’s tag team titles by the end of 2018.

Robert S. Leighty Jr: FICTION – I would have said Fact if the WWE still had single branded PPVs, but with that ending the last thing we need is 2 more sets of titles to take up PPV time. The shows are already going to be stacked with title matches so adding more titles isn’t going to help anyone. The Women are doing just fine with the 2 Main Singles Titles, and I think the division still needs to get deeper and stronger before any tag titles should be brought in the fold. The Male Tag Division is an afterthought at times even with the great work of The Usos, New Day, and The Bar, and I could only imagine how soon they will push the women’s tag division to the side.

Len Archibald: FICTION – Yes, WWE Women’s tag titles will become a reality. It is only natural. But it isn’t happening in 2018. There simply are not enough women yet on the roster to compete for both the Women’s Title on both brands, have some minor interconnected feuds AND Tag Team titles on top of that. I could see WWE perhaps out of the blue creating them to introduce The Iconic Duo, but that is still only 2 more bodies. I think the titles come in 2019, after the 2018 female class of NXT is called up and WWE has enough current women on the roster to fill a female Royal Rumble.

5. Roman Reigns will win the men’s elimination chamber match.

Robert S. Leighty Jr: FACT – This would be FACT a thousand times over as we are getting Brock/Roman no matter how much people want to complain. I know everyone wants Rollins in there as he seems to be without a match and delivered a killer performance on Monday, but I think he is being positioned as one of the challengers for Reigns after Mania. For better or worse Roman is there guy and they just need to put the title on him and push him as the guy instead of all these start and stop pushes. If you want him as the top guy then just do it already and see what happens. Getting cold feet on him at Mania 31 a few years ago knocked him down a peg and they shouldn’t make the same mistake. Now if he has fallen out of favor that is a different story, but by all accounts that hasn’t happened.

Len Archibald: FACT – Ugh. Is this the no explanation needed part of FoF? Reigns is facing Lesnar. That’s pretty much there is all to it. Sure, we could be served a curveball and Rollins wins it (where a triple threat with Reigns and Lesnar as a “true” rematch of WM 31 happens), Balor challenges for the title he never lost, or even Cena winning only to use that momentum to call out The Undertaker (which would be a nice twist) – but that is not happening. If Reigns does not win the Elimination Chamber, I will be convinced that Vince has directed ALL attention to the XFL and Triple H is messing up all of his father-in-law’s plans as revenge for the Hog Pen Match.

6. You would be behind the idea of WWE six-man tag team titles if they were part of Raw, Smackdown, and 205 Live.

Robert S. Leighty Jr: FICTION – Much like the Women’s Tag Division concept, this also isn’t needed. The WWE struggles at times getting tag teams together and over let alone 6 Man Teams. Also, as noted previously, more titles are not the answer and will only take away from any value of the current Tag Titles. I was never a fan of the 6 Man Tag Titles in the 80s when I was growing up and wouldn’t be a fan today.

Len Archibald: FACT – Trios Titles are fun. Some of WWE’s best televised matches are 6-man tags. It only makes sense. The Shield, The New Day, The Club, The Wyatts, Sanity, Titus Worldwide and another black guy, Mustache Mountain and Jack Gallagher, The Miztourage – there are a slew of options and directions to take that could also open other possibilities for storylines. It is a great idea.