wrestling / Columns
411 PPV Roundtable Preview: WWE Armageddon 2007
This Sunday, WWE presents their last PPV of 2007, Armageddon. While Armageddon has traditionally been a poorly booked and/or poorly wrestled PPV in the past, this year’s offering has seemingly had an actual creative process behind it, with decently booked feuds and matches set up well in advance. The quality of the matches that have been booked? Well, that remains to be seen, but at least they bought the right groceries this time.
For all the feuds and fights that got us to Armageddon, in fine detail, check out Hayhurst’s in-depth PPV preview.
And here’s the 411 staff that chose to participate and provide their picks for this PPV:
Stephen Randle, The Wrestling News Experience
Daniel Wilcox, Thoughts From The Top Rope
Ryan Byers, The Impact Crater
Bayani Domingo, Truth B Told
Andy Clark, The Shimmy
Matt Adamson, Destiny
Michael Weyer, Shining A Spotlight
Michael Bauer, ECW recapper
Jerome Cusson, 411 Movies’ retro TV reviews
JT, omnipresent lackey
Larry Csonka, Christi’s husband
and Matt Short, The Navigation Log
Well, it’s the end of the world as we know it, so let’s get to it then.
Stephen Randle: Nice of them to at least put the ECW champion in a match on PPV, even if it is the one with potential to be the worst of the night. Has a title belt been treated with this much apathy since the European title? And for the final word on it, Punk was drinking a Pepsi, folks. Put down the torches and pitchforks.
Winners: CM Punk and Kane
Daniel Wilcox: This match has the potential to be really bad. Three of the four guys in this match can be decent workers but I don’t think their opponents are the right workers. It’s a shame that Punk was dragged into this “monsters’ feud” stuff when there are guys like Kevin Thorn and Elijah Burke who could be getting title shots while the top two contenders are WWE Tag Team Champions. Still, after this match we should be able to move on and hopefully get the wheels in motion for a Benjamin/Punk program which could be all kinds of fun. With that in mind, there should be only one guy who gets put over here and that’s Punk, though it is inevitable that he’ll play face in peril for most of the match, and in all likelihood it’ll be Kane getting the pin. Oh, *light bulb!* I say we let Kane turn on Punk, allowing those two to feud for a while, because Kane is stale and needs a change and Punk needs to go over someone who is a legit threat. Then we can have Punk/Benjamin at Mania! Sound good? Good.
Winners: CM Punk and Kane
Ryan Byers: One of these things is not like the other . . . one of these things just isn’t the same. I’d imagine that the main program on ECW over the next several months will be CM Punk vs. Shelton Benjamin for the championship. Putting the Henry/Viscera team over here would be counterproductive to the build to that rivalry, even if it’s Kane that gets pinned. Thus, we’re probably going to wind up with a victory by the Punk/Kane team, though what I’m really looking forward to is the backstage skit in which Punk tries to convince Kane to live a straight edge lifestyle, particularly because drinking lead to him accidentally killing Katie Vick.
Winners: CM Punk & Kane
Bayani Domingo: Why the hell is the ECW champion in a tag match…with two Smackdown guys? Man, Punk’s title reign is now reaching Mysterio levels of lameness. With Striker on their side, the stable known as “Double Stuffed Oreo” might just pull out a win. Mainly because Vince seems to love him a big helping of dark meat. I’m going to say that “creative” isn’t entirely retarded and realizes that only one of these men needs a win.
Winner: The Big Straight REDge Machine
Andy Clark: Punk-Shelton is the way to go. Shelton isn’t in this match is he?
Winners: CM Punk & Kane
Matt Adamson: I’m becoming a very negative bastard, but the WWE is forcing me into it. Putting somebody with the in-ring skill and promise of CM Punk with these three shitheads (Well, two, Kane still works for me) has me dumbfounded. I’m going to assume that they know what they have in him and put him clean over Henry.
Winner: CM Punk & Kane
Michael Weyer: Well this should be…hell, I can’t even be positive, this will be a slow mess which Punk really doesn’t deserve to be in. I’ll give the win to the faces but really wish they’d give Punk the boost to Smackdown already.
WINNER: Punk and Kane
Michael Bauer: Wow, when this could be the worst match on the show, it means you have a strong car… oh wait, the fat freaks are in this match. Sucks to be CM Punk.
Winners: Big Daddy V and Mark Henry
Jerome Cusson: C.M. Punk, unless he is bestowed by the touch of someone greater, will not be able to make this bout even watchable. Can we please get to the Punk/Benjamin program so we can avoid garbage like this? Here’s to hoping this feud ends once and for all. Sadly I think Mark Henry is gonna win and prolong our punishment.
Winners: Big Daddy V & Mark Henry
JT: I’m praying to God that this goes first, so that we can get it over with and hopefully forget it by the time the PPV ends; there is just nothing at all that I like about this match. We know what Punk can do, and Kane and Mark Henry can be decent enough when in the ring with the right person. Big Daddy V is not that person. This just doesn’t make any sense to me. Why is Punk in this match? This couldn’t have been a big man three way and let Punk defend against any number of guys on the ECW roster? As I said, get this over with and out of the way early.
WINNER: Faces
Larry Csonka: This won’t be pretty, and once again Punk as the ECW champion is being completely devalued.
Winners: CM Punk & Kane
Matt Short: This does not look good by any stretch of the imagination. Unless Punk goes over clean in this it’s essentially pointless. I see that it’s probably more likely they’ll have Punk take a loss and lead to a title match on TV. Fuck that. I’m going against my better judgment and picking the faces. They better just be killing time for a Punk/Benjamin feud.
Winners: CM Punk & Kane
Stephen Randle: They really book themselves into corners with Khali, because they want to book him as an unstoppable monster, but when it comes down to it, someone seems to realize that he’s a horrible wrestler who garners no crowd reaction and shouldn’t be beating more popular wrestlers. Finlay falls into that category. Fortunately, they ignore every Khali loss anyway, despite him being pinned by a whole lot of people this past year, and keep pushing him as that unstoppable monster, so whatever.
Winner: Finlay, somehow
Daniel Wilcox:This match has potential to be really bad, and I’m glad to say I don’t think I’ll have to say that again in this roundtable. I love Finlay’s character not changing at all despite his face turn and the fact that he is allowed to look clever in comparison to McMahon is a great sign, but this is the kind of feud where I don’t think there’s anything to gain for anyone involved. Are we expected to believe that Finlay can topple Khali here? I don’t think so, and at the same time jobbing Finlay at this point would be completely assanine, which leaves me thinking we’re getting a DQ finish here, though it could really go either way. I think it would be better for Finlay to take the DQ loss and then put Khali down with the shillelagh. Hopefully this is kept short so there isn’t to much hideous-ness to endure.
Winner:The Great Khali via Disqualification
Ryan Byers: Of all the matches on the card, this is probably the one that I’m looking forward to the most, simply because I think Finlay is one of the best wrestlers on the roster and Khali is one of the worst, and I’m curious to see how good of a match Fit can drag out of the giant. Guys like Taker and Cena have managed to get something halfway decent accomplished with Khali, yet other legends like Flair and Michaels have failed, so the quality of the match may depend on the luck of the (Northern) Irish. As far as a winner is concerned, I’d imagine that Khali takes it easily, because he’s just coming out of some losses in the heavyweight title division and doesn’t need to be getting pinned in a midcard match immediately thereafter.
Winner: The Great Khali
Bayani Domingo: I’m trying to figure out what these guys have in common other than a history of the English suppressing them. If anything Regal should be included in this match just for historic purposes. Khali can’t loses. If they ever hope to make him credible again, whoops too late, then he goes over big.
Winner: Great Khali
Andy Clark: Hornswoggle distracts the referee long enough for Finlay to back Khali in the knee with the shillelagh and then locks in the Celtic Knot. Shane McMahon comes to ringside and tells the timekeeper to RING THE FUCKING BELL. Shane, Finlay, and Horny run away to a waiting limo.
Winner: Finlay
Matt Adamson: I didn’t like Survivor Series as much as pretty much anybody else here and part of that is Irish guy vs. Giant. This show is shaping up to be even worse. Giant will probably win, and since I’m AWESOME at being wrong I’m going to pick him in hopes that Finlay actually gets the win.
Winner: The Great Khali
Michael Weyer: This might be better than expected with Finlay taking it with his hard-hitting style and Khali is showing a bit of improvement but I still see him ruling with his monster persona.
WINNER: Khali
Michael Bauer: This should be interesting because of the way Hornswoggle could get involved. Khali has been made to look like a joke lately, so maybe this match gets him on track.
Winner: The Great Khali
Jerome Cusson: Finlay is the best worker going in WWE right now so of course he’s inserted into a match with the worst. Ah, WWE. WWE has to be done using Khali at some point so one can only hope Finlay gets the deuce here.
Winner: Finlay
JT: Unless there is a stipulation that Finlay can use his shillelagh, I see this being a very short match with Finlay having virtually no shot of even getting a little offense in. I don’t really smell a run-in or anything along those lines so it will probably just that.
WINNER: The Great Khali
Larry Csonka: Finlay is magic in the ring, Khali…not so much. I figure there will be Shenanigans and such, and hopefully it doesn’t suck total ass.
Winner: Finlay
Matt Short: This does not look good by any stretch of the imagination. Unless Punk goes over clean in this it’s essentially pointless. I see that it’s probably more likely they’ll have Punk take a loss and lead to a title match on TV. Fuck that. I’m going against my better judgment and picking the faces. They better just be killing time for a Punk/Benjamin feud.
Winners: CM Punk & Kane
Stephen Randle: Welcome to stage two (or is it three by now?) of your punishment for making an ass of yourself, Kennedy. At least you got to show off your promo skills in the build-up, so they won’t completely push you down to jobber territory.
Winner: HBK
Daniel Wilcox: I like this feud a lot; it’s simple and it’s quite old school. Younger talent thinks he deserves the spot his elder has and tries to force his way past; the veteran has to put this up-and-comer in his place. Despite the recent anti-Kennedy wave that’s stricken most of the IWC, he’s still a fair hand in the ring and even moreso when in there with the right opponent and I don’t think anyone would argue that Michaels is the right opponent. Even since his recent return Shawn has looked as good in the ring as anyone else in WWE and we could get a delightful little match here. While I think Kennedy should and will go over here, I find it ironic that Shawn was brought back from his return early because of the lack of main event talent, and here he is without a pay-per-view win since he’s been back, so I can see an argument for both guys going over. However, with the Rumble coming up, I don’t think this will be a long feud and so Kennedy should get the win here.
Winner: Mr. Kennedy
Ryan Byers: Remember when Shawn Michaels had that worthless feud with Chris Masters, beat him clean, and left Masters to languish in midcard obscurity? Yeah, I’m betting the same thing happens here.
Winner: HBK
Bayani Domingo: I remember when they were pushing Kennedy. Too bad he’s not a big enough deal yet to go over HBK. I can’t imagine Michaels came back from injury so early to do the job twice in two consecutive feuds. Sure, they’ll try to figure out a way to make Kennedy NOT look like a jobber…but they will fail miserable. Miserably. Consider me officially off the Kennedy Bandwagon.
Winner: HBK
Andy Clark: HBK could help Kennedy get some of his heat back. WWE.com is hyping Kennedy up as being similar to Michaels. Why not get Kennedy a bodyguard, maybe one that’s…PSYCHO?
Winner: Mr. Kennedy (Psycho Sid interference setting up Kennedy & Sid vs. HBK & Batista at WrestleMania)
Matt Adamson: Here’s an opportunity for Michaels to teach Kennedy a thing or two about how to wrestle. It should be a decent match and if Kennedy brings his working boots it could be shockingly fun. I’m guessing they will go with a Michaels win here, his time still isn’t up.
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Michael Weyer: Ah, now this will be good. The big question is if Shawn will be willing to give Kennedy the rub with a big win. It should be a great match that brings out the best in Kennedy but I don’t see him getting the win here just yet.
WINNER: HBK
Michael Bauer: Kennedy looks really, really focused in this feud and Shawn Michaels is just being Shawn Michaels. That is some good ingredients and this match will hopefully not disappoint. Michaels does not need the win here, but Kennedy moving up gives us a bon-a-fide number two heel on Raw. That is where I put my money.
Winner: Mr. Kennedy
Jerome Cusson: Okay, this should be a good match as long as both guys are motivated. I’m expecting this to be the match of the night, and I honestly don’t know who will win this match. Michaels being banged up is one of the many x-factors involved here. Kennedy has to be getting a big push at some point since he’s too charistmatic and good not to. I’m 50/50 on either guy winning. So I flip a coin and say…
Winner: Mr. Kennedy
JT: You know, Kennedy has been such a disappointment this year, it’s hard for me to even get into a feud with Shawn Michaels (and I think THAT is saying something). Sure, it seems like he’s had a little extra umph for a few weeks, but so does everyone else that feuds with HBK. So I’m not sold on his rejuvenation yet, I’ll wait to see what he does AFTER this feud.
WINNER: Shawn Michaels via DQ
Larry Csonka: Now this is interesting. It has all of the makings of a good match, but it has problems. First of all there is the fact that HBK was brought back early and his knees are trash and bothering him a lot. It’s slowing him down, but we also know when HBK gets on PPV he turns on “Save the Show Shawn” mode and usually delivers big time. And then there is Kennedy. Kennedy has his moments when he is fine, but then he gets into this crazy ass sandbag/try to make it real mode and starts to fuck matches up. If he follows HBK’s lead, he’ll be fine. I am not positive that they have enough faith to give Kennedy a win here. I wish they would and have him take out HBK until the Rumble to get him some more time off, but I don’t see it yet.
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Matt Short: Kennedy has had good days and bad days lately. Michaels certainly isn’t 100% yet, but HBK working his hardest at any level should equal some good stuff. Kennedy needs a strong outing here, win or lose. He doesn’t look like a main eventer right now, but hopefully HBK can carry him to a good match.
Winner: Shawn Michaels
Stephen Randle: I’m not stupid, I hear the reactions, Triple H is popular again. I still don’t see why they keep planning to book him into WrestleMania title programs rather than mix things up a bit. Hell, if it weren’t for his quad injury last year, I could mention that the last time he wasn’t in a World title match at WrestleMania was 2001. I think the right plan here is to have Hardy win to be fed to Orton in one of those Royal Rumble title matches that nobody cares about (see Bob Holly, Test, Ken Kennedy, Mark Henry), then have Triple H go to WrestleMania (if we must). Actually, the right plan was to use all that Jericho buildup to plan for him to face Orton in a huge, six months in the making, giant title match at Mania, but I suppose that ship has sailed.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Daniel Wilcox: I’m a little giddy for this match. I’ve always been a big Jeff Hardy fan and Triple H is one of my favourites, and both are very hot in terms of the quality of in-ring performance they’ve been putting on recently. If what I’ve been hearing about Orton/Hardy main-eventing house shows in January is true, then it makes sense for Hardy to win here, though things like that can change at any given time. But it seems Triple H has taken Jeff under his wing, much like with Batista and John Cena in years past and is determined to put him over as a new star, a position which I think Hardy probably deserves despite past unreliability. Besides, I’d be surprised if The Game didn’t make it into one of the world title matches come Mania and that means he’ll be in the Rumble. There, Hardy will go over in what will be considered a huge upset. Just don’t screw up this time, kid.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Ryan Byers: These guys already feuded seven years ago, and I doubt that the outcome will be any different this time around. A few people will get swerved in to thinking that Hardy is getting elevated, but at the end of the day Triple H will win and Hardy will go right back to the IC Title division where he belongs. Besides, from what I’ve read, the current plan is for the Royal Rumble title match to be HHH vs. Randy Orton, so having Hardy win here just to get a title shot on free TV would be pointless.
Winner: Triple H
Bayani Domingo: I think I’ll go ahead and listen to the rumors here and somehow I think Hardy will win for no other reason than HHH vs Orton has been done to death. I still say HHH is protected and either Hardy wins via DQ or flash pin and HHH destroys him just to look like a bad ass. Cuz’ HHH don’t job clean. Or hardly at all.
Winner: Rainbow Brite…er…Jeff Hardy
Andy Clark: I am SOOOO looking forward to this one. The loser of this match wins the Royal Rumble. My heart says Triple H wins so Hardy get win the Rumble, but my head says Hardy wins so Triple H wins the Rumble. I’ll go with my heart here.
Winner and NEW No. 1 Contender: Triple H
Matt Adamson: I think the rug might actually get pulled out from under us. Could Jeff Hardy end up with a World Title shot at Royal Rumble? I think its possible. This should be a great match if they work hard and try to build off each others strengths. If they fail to do that, the match could be miserable, but I’m counting on a good one and a Hardy win.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Michael Weyer: Another great one going as both men work well with each other and promises a good battle. I actually think they might give the contenders to Hardy if only to fill in time at the main event slot before the Rumble and Mania and such (with the probability of HHH winning the Rumble). So I’ll buck the common trend and say…
WINNER: Jeff Hardy
Michael Bauer: This comes down to one thing. Does Triple H wish to put someone else over like he did for three straight Wrestlemania Main Events? If he does, then Jeff Hardy gets the biggest push of his career. If not, then HHH vs. Orton comes at us again. Joy.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Jerome Cusson: Here we find out how serious WWE is about their Jeff Hardy push. My hunch is not very because they’ve put him against the one guy who we know doesn’t put people over when he isn’t feeling it. Guess what? Triple H hasn’t since he came back from injury again. This should also be a good match as long as Triple H gives Jeff more offense than he did back in 2001 when he squashed him for the intercontinental title.
Winner: Triple H
JT: It appears that the jury is still out on this one. History would tend to lead me to believe that Triple H would win here, but I see no reason why you cannot give Hardy the rub here. He already is immensely over, and this would almost single-handedly boost him to that next level on the card. He can then lose to Orton at NYR, and Triple H still has two opportunities before WM 24 to get the belt if that’s the direction they decide to go in.
WINNER: Jeff Hardy
Larry Csonka: And here we go. I can actually see Hardy winning here, I won’t say it will be clean, but I see him winning. That way he can go onto what is usually the “throwaway” main event in January. Throwaway because the Rumble is the draw. Hardy would lose there, and then I can see HHH winning the Rumble or the rumored Elimination Chamber the next month.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Matt Short: I think Hardy will get put over here. Triple H has been damn good about giving younger guys the rub in the past, especially if he believes that it will be good for the WWE in the long run. Hence doing jobs for Batista and Cena. Jeff wins, gets his shot at the Royal Rumble and we’ll see where things go from there. It just seems to make more sense to give Hardy the Number 1 contender’s spot and add drama to the title match at the Rumble, which is never the main draw for the show as it is. It looks impressive when your challenger goes through a big obstacle like Triple H to get his shot.
Winner: Jeff Hardy
Stephen Randle: A chance for the women to show off (hopefully), but in the end, just a placeholder until Candice returns for REVENGE~!!!!.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Daniel Wilcox: This should be the best Women’s Match since Mickie/Melina at Backlash, and is also very capable of being Women’s MOTY, even better than Kim/Kong with a little bit of hard work. While Phoenix has been booked strongly to this point, the way Mickie has been booked suggests to me that she will win the championship. She was on a tremendous streak and then The Glamazon suddenly stops all of her momentum. I could be completely wrong on this, and it may just be a way of putting over Phoenix more, but there’s just something about Mickie that I can’t resist… picking her to win.
Winner: And NEW Women’s Champion, Mickie James
Ryan Byers: If they gave these two women around ten minutes on every PPV for the next three months, they could have the greatest feud in the history of the WWE women’s division. Unfortunately, I see this as mainly being a placeholder until Candice Michelle is healthy enough to return from her injury, which should be any week now. As such, it’s pretty obvious that Beth will get the duke.
Winner: The Glamazon (I love that nickname, screw the haters.)
Bayani Domingo: Sorry Mickie, your Lesbo Kiss of Death won’t work on Beth. She likes it rough and my guess is that Mickie will be violated in a ring in a way that most of us had been hoping would have been done on DVD long ago. Wow…way to just objectify these women. Good job B.
Winner: “The Lesbian Killer” Beth Pheonix
Andy Clark: We’re just killing time until Candice Michelle gets back.
Winner and STILL Women’s Champion: Beth Phoenix
Matt Adamson: Well, it’s the women’s match I’ve been looking forward to for two years, but it’s completely screwed up at this point. Crazy Mickie is gone. The entire angle they originally had is shot? Does WWE think we are stupid? This is exactly why I struggle to watch it. My IQ shouldn’t be suspect because of shit like this. Beth wins, who cares?
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Michael Weyer: Wow, another promising matchup. It’s been too long since Mickie got to show her real stuff and against Beth, she’ll be able to let loose, promising a match that actually shows the divas can battle it out. So I see this as starting a nice new program.
WINNER and still Women’s Champion: Beth Phoenix
Michael Bauer: There is no way Mickie wins here. They need a better build and the face chase always helps that.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Jerome Cusson: So now you’re telling me WWE AND TNA are both having good women’s feuds. That my friends is amazing. I think these ladies could do a lot with a ten minute match. Let’s just hope they get it. the impending return of Candice Michelle leads me to believe that Phoenix puts together another dominating victory. I’m actually looking forward to seeing what these ladies can do.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
JT: A wrestling match!!! ….with wrestlers!!! While I do believe that some of the divas on the roster are trying to improve, sometimes it’s nice to sit back and watch a couple of ladies who already know what they’re doing. As everyone else has already mentioned, this is sadly just filler until Candice returns.
WINNER: And STILL WWE Women’s Champion, Beth Phoenix
Larry Csonka: IF this gets time it can be good. I doubt it will, because this is basically a placeholder until Candice gets back, which is bullshit, but that’s the way it is.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Matt Short: With enough time this should be pretty fun. And maybe they will give this more than five minutes since it involves two women who can actually work a mach. Beth retains.
Winner: Beth Phoenix
Stephen Randle: And speaking of placeholder feuds…you know, maybe God is trying to tell WWE Creative something about how to book long, exciting feuds by randomly smiting MVP and Matt Hardy at opportune times, forcing the feud to keep going and forcing Creative to continue to find ways to make it remain interesting. Rey is, of course, a non-factor, as he has been for most of his time since he returned.
Winner: MVP
Daniel Wilcox: Do you know what I like about this match? It’s really easy to pick a winner. This is clearly just a place-holder for the return of Matt Hardy and the reconciliation of his feud with Porter. The only question is how cleanly MVP goes over because he needs to be kept strong for the aforementioned feud. Mysterio is in limbo at this point as we are approaching Road To WrestleMania territory and he doesn’t have much direction or even a potential opponent, at least one on SmackDown. Still, Porter goes over and remains BALLIN’.
Winner: And STILL US Champion, MVP
Ryan Byers: As with the Phoenix/James match and the the HHH/Hardy match, this strikes me as yet another placeholder on a card full of them. Everybody knows that the real rivalry for the US Title is Porter vs. Matt Hardy, and it would be insane for Porter to drop his strap before Hardy makes his comeback.
Winner: Montel Porter
Bayani Domingo: Damn…I could care less bout Mysterio in 2007. MVP is on the rise and without Matt Hardy around I think he’ll just use Rey Rey as a stepping stone. Expect a V.1 appearance to set up their feud as he saves Rey from a further beat down after MVP plants him for the uno, dos, tres.
Winner: MVP
Andy Clark: We’re just killing time until Matt Hardy comes back.
Winner and STILL United States Champion: MVP
Matt Adamson: Ah, a match with potential. I think WWE would be served well by putting the title on Rey. While he didn’t make the best World Champion, he could be a very good U.S. champion, bringing a little prestige to the title that is desperately needed. I think MVP losing this title to Rey will only lead to elevate him. He’s gonna have to lose it someday. Who better to lose it to than a former World Champion.
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Michael Weyer: I know the plan was for Matt but Rey’s a good substitute for it and should be able to give a good rub to MVP. Possibility of a change just to liven it up but I do think they’re waiting for Matt to come back and do it.
WINNER and still US Champ: MVP
Michael Bauer: Holy shit, the United States Title is being defended! MVP has held the title for way too long and has done nothing with it. But if you look at who could go after the belt if each are champ, the list is a lot longer for MVP. I’ll give the champ the nod here to set up a Royal Rumble rematch.
Winner: MVP
Jerome Cusson: Matt Hardy’s injury ruined the potential here. Mysterio is booked very oddly because he’s been losing just about all his matches since his own return from injury. Once again, we could be seeing a very good match but very little drama.
Winner and still United States champion: MVP
JT: I still think that at the end of the day, the payoff has to come with Matt Hardy, not Rey Mysterio. Granted, Mysterio is more than capable of providing an entertaining feud, but the E has simply invested too much time and energy into the MVP/Hardy angle to let an appendectomy get in it’s way. This actually may work out well in Matt’s favor because with the hiatus, they can probably get away with dragging it to WM once he returns.
WINNER: And STILL United States Champion, MVP
Larry Csonka: Once again this is a placeholder until Matt Hardy gets back. I feel MVP benefits from the clean win here, and I hope that he gets it.
Winner: MVP
Matt Short: Now that Matt Hardy and the tag team titles are out of the pictures it makes sense for MVP to start defending his title again.Mysterio is a good first challenger since he’s a well established face.This should be pretty good with MVP dominating for the most part before he gets the win and retains, keeping things nice and warm until Matt Hardy comes back.
Winner: MVP
Stephen Randle: Not since “Blood Runs Cold” has so much buildup been totally wasted, and the climax of that will be when Jericho fails to win at Armageddon. If I thought they had a plan for Jericho beyond this Sunday, I’d probably be a little more optimistic, but…you know.
Winner: Randy Orton
Daniel Wilcox: This rivalry is kind of like watching an episode of ECW. Jericho’s return is a bit like Kelly Kelly; you’re really pumped to see them on TV again and you want them to do well because they’re just so damn awesome. Then comes the title match which equates to Big Daddy V – the “boner killer”, because there’s no way Jericho is going to win. And we already know that Jericho won’t get a rematch any time soon because the number one contender for the Rumble is either Triple H or Jeff Hardy. So Jericho loses and looks like a chump because in the end he didn’t save a damn thing. This is what we call booking yourself into a corner. And the only way out of this corner is for Jericho to go over here, Orton to demand a rematch leading to a triple threat (or even fatal four way) at Royal Rumble. While that would be awesome, I don’t see it happening. Orton to go over, Jericho to look like just another guy. Still, Money in the Bank is probably available this year, Jericho!
Winner: And STILL WWE Champion, Randy Orton
Ryan Byers: Now this is a tricky match to predict. On one hand, bringing Jericho back with amount of fanfare that the company did and then NOT putting the title on him seems like a waste of Jericho. Yet, on the other hand, Y2J’s comeback has been underwhelming to say the least, and nothing he’s done has given me the impression that WWE crowds are willing to buy in to him as the number one guy on Raw. The factor that tips the scales in Orton’s favor is that nothing I’ve read in the dirt sheets indicates that Jericho is in any brand’s title picture for Wrestlemania, so the only thing that could be accomplished by putting the belt on him is killing the momentum for the WM build.
Winner: Randy Orton
Bayani Domingo: JobUs_222. No way Jericho wins this thing his first big match back. I fully expect this to end in some kind of DQ or dirty way and Orton to retain. It’s pretty much in stone. What remains to be seen is if the “e” will even let Jericho have the belt. Signs point to NO. Then again if anyone can carry Orton’s slacker self to a good match it’s Y2J. Let’s just hope he leaves the “Code breaker” at home…where Sharkboy needs it to win on Xplosion.
Winner: Randy “Child Bearing Hips” Orton
Andy Clark: To steal a phrase, Jericho has NO CHANCE IN HELL of winning the title. It should be a good match, but really Jerichoholics, don’t get your hopes up.
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: Randy Orton
Matt Adamson: Alright, Wet Paint vs. Barry Manilow. Sounds AWESOME! I’m destroyed by Jericho’s return. I was a huge fan of his and now I feel embarrassed to be. Orton still has a lot to accomplish before I’ll buy him in the role he’s in. A win over Manilow will do him well, even if he’s a shell of his former coolness.
Winner: Randy Orton
Michael Weyer: This one is very tricky as buzz is HHHH getting the title shot at Mania. Question is if he wants Orton or Jericho to beat. I know they’ve put so much on Jericho and want to buy on the momentum of the comeback but come on. A guy comes back after a two year absence and immediately wins the big one? What do they think this is, TNA?
WINNER and still WWE Champion: Randy Orton
Michael Bauer: So Jericho comes back and gets a title shot in a week. Whether or not you think his comeback has been good, there is no way you can believe Jericho walks out the champ. Add on that two faces are going for the #1 contendership to the title, and it’s pretty easy.
Winner: Randy Orton
Jerome Cusson: Chris Jericho’s return is seen by some as a huge deal. Others consider it a disappointment. This is even going on within WWE by all indications. The question is which side will win. I can’t see a clean victory for Orton because Jericho would be ruined right away. Yet, if Jericho wins the belt and his challenger is Triple H, that isn’t a good situation either. This leads me to believe that we will have yet another disqualification to really piss off the crowd.
Winner: Chris Jericho by DQ so no title change
JT: Again, we have three PPVs between this one and WrestleMania. Why can’t Jericho hold them for two of them? A three month reign isn’t the most excited thing to put on the resume, but would it really hurt them? If they ever plan on giving him another championship, waiting until next summer completely buries him as a savior and wastes his entire return. Unfortunately, I think that’s exactly what they’ll do (if he ever even gets a run).
WINNER: Chris Jericho via DQ (Orton keeps the belt)
Larry Csonka: If they beat Jericho in his first main event then they are even dumber than I thought. That being said, I am HIGHLY doubtful that they have him win the title here, especially since he’s just another guy already. It should be good, possibility of great actually. We’ll likely get a DQ finish to piss me off.
Winner: Randy Orton Retains
Matt Short: Eh, it’s 50-50 at this point. It really could go either way. I’m more interested in seeing Jericho back in a full match. I’d love for him to win the title here but while they’ve hyped his return so much it seems they neglected to really hype his title match. Orton retains through shenanigans leaving Jericho to continue the chase.
Winner: Randy Orton
Stephen Randle: Props to Batista for building his credibility back up since it plummeted last year, but the real money in the end is in Edge-Taker at WrestleMania, and there simply aren’t any more contenders should Batista retain here. I think if you want Taker’s streak to remain intact, you should have him go in at the champion, for once.
Winner: The Undertaker
Daniel Wilcox: Oh hell yes, this match should be absolutely awesome, I’m just surprised they are doing it on what is traditionally a throw-away show like Armageddon. The winner of this will in all likelihood, be the champion by the time WrestleMania 24 rolls around and if most people are to be believed, we can therefore rule out Batista winning this as it seems everyone is backing Edge/Taker for Mania. However, Batista’s gone over huge in the last two months and that means I’m not ruling him out so easily, but that could also mean he would look bad in defeat. Still, I think it’s a toss-up between Taker and Edge as either guy holding the gold going into Mania makes sense. But I think before Edge’s inury he was being set up for a very long reign and so I’m foreseeing management going back to the original plan. THAT OPPURTUNISTIC SONUVABITCH!
Winner: And NEW World Champion, Edge
Ryan Byers: I’ve heard for the longest time that the planned Smackdown main event for WM is Edge against the Undertaker with the title on the line, and now seems like as good of a time as any to get the ball rolling on that feud. After all, the rest of the pay per view looks to be fairly bland in terms of storyline advancement, so you may as well switch title to give the fans something memorable on the show.
Winner: Edge
Bayani Domingo: This is a fairly intriguing match up as Batista/Edge has been so-so, but Batista/Taker has been good. Edge/Taker has also been decent so I expect a fairly good match, but a predictable formula of 2 guys wrestle, one man down. Still, I think the plan is to have Batista keep the title till at least the Royal Rumble and my guess is that he retains here. Conventional wisdom usually gives the advantage to the heel in a “2 faces, 1 heel” triple threat, but I think at this point they’ll go with Edge/Taker at WM and they won’t need the title in that feud.
Winner: “The Metro Man Beast” Batista
Andy Clark: This should be a good match, but is there anyone that ISN’T picking Edge? If it were up to me I would have used Vickie Guerrero to keep Edge and Taker apart until Mania, but that’s me. It sucks that Batista is going to have to job to Edge AGAIN but I guess that’s how it has to be.
Winner and NEW World Heavyweight Champion: Edge
Matt Adamson: I hate a guy as awesome as Edge being in a match with these to slowpokes. Taker is great in the right spot, and that’s usually at WrestleMania. Batista of course wrestles in slow motion, which I hate. Edge should be in there against somebody who will meet his pace and help put on a great match instead of slow him down. Not to say this match won’t be good, it probably will be quite good, but I’d rather see Edge in a fast paced match than what this is likely to be. I predict a win by Edge via nefarious means.
Winner: Edge
Michael Weyer: I don’t know what it is but somehow when Batista and Taker get in the ring together, something clicks and they do great work. Adding Edge makes it more special and this promises to be a good matchup. But I see the ending correcting the past with Edge’s injury and the Rated R Superstar back on top of the Smackdown scene to liven things up.
WINNER and NEW World Champion: Edge
Michael Bauer: The build has already started for Edge vs. Taker at Wrestlemania and there is no doubt in my mind that the title needs to be on the line there. Taker won the Rumble and Title last year, so doing it again is out. Batista could hold it for another month, but I don’t see that happening. Edge being the champ seems to make sense, but if you want Taker to have one more title run, it’s now or never.
Winner: The Undertaker
Jerome Cusson: Batista is clearly losing the world championship. The only question is whether it’s now or at the Royal Rumble. Undertaker going into Wrestlemania as the challenger is far more interesting so I see him not getting pinned but not getting pinned either. Edge had a lot of momentum as the champion because of the heat he could draw and his ability to have a good program with a lot of different people. I think Batista loses his belt here and then wins the Rumble to wrestle Triple H at Wrestlemania.
Winner: Edge
JT: Poor Dave. He has one of the best feuds of the year with the Undertaker, and Edge just shows up and POOF, practically guarantees that he’ll be losing the belt. Anybody who can’t sniff Taker vs. Edge at WM 24 needs some smelling salt as it is completely obvious that is what they are heading towards. I have made the argument that Edge should go over at WM, and doing so to WIN the World Heavyweight Championship would really put him on another level. Sooooo….
WINNER: And NEW World Heavyweight Champion, The Undertaker
Larry Csonka: This, like a lot of matches on this show could be ok or great. Edge is just back, taker has looked good since his return and Batista has been doing well. Whether they can do it in the three -man format or not will have to be seen, but they have a chance for a great match. It makes sense for Edge to win to further the whole storyline with Vicky, so I’ll go with him.
Winner: Edge
Matt Short: Edge should win this. While Jericho’s return hasn’t exactly translated into a match where you can really feel a title change, Edge’s return has. I can easily see him stealing the win after the two bigger men have worn each other down.
Winner: Edge
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