wrestling / Columns
411 PPV Roundtable Preview: WWE Cyber Sunday 2008
Introduction:
Yes, it’s that time of the year again, as WWE presents its only “interactive” PPV, Cyber Sunday, where the fans have the chance to vote for the matches, stipulations, and opponents that they would like to see. Sort of. And all for the low, low price of 99 cents per text message, too. Aren’t they generous?
Cynicism aside, Cyber Sunday features five, and possibly six, titles on the line, so the stakes couldn’t possibly be higher. Throw in the randomness of the fan voting, and you never know what could develop this Sunday!
Just a reminder, all 411 WWE PPV Roundtables also take part in StableWars PPV contest, so you can match wits with the 411 Staff for fabulous prizes. And for No Mercy, the 411 Curt Hennig Memorial Award for “Perfection” in PPV Prediction goes to Gavin Napier, former author of Ask 411, who defeated all comers and finished an amazing FIRST overall, winning the StableWars grand prize.
But that’s not all, as 3 more 411 writers also had perfect scores for No Mercy, and it came down to tiebreakers, with Gavin winning by a mere 2 seconds. The bastard.
2 – Stephen Randle
4 – Mathew Sforcina
5 – Aaron Hubbard
30 – Michael Bauer
35 – Matt Adamson
37 – Michael Weyer
41 – Dan Torkel
55 – Robert S. Leighty Jr.
57 – Julian Bond
60 – Bayani Domingo
77 – Jeremy Thomas
82 – Michael O
87 – Andy Clark
124 – Matt Short
And the 411 Iron Mike Sharpe Award for “Participation” in PPV Prediction goes, once more, to the man who finished 171st of the 179 participants, Scripted Through Sin’s Jarrod Westerfeld. I hear he’s building a trophy case.
The Staff:
Stephen Randle, The Wrestling News Experience
Dan Torkel, Brooklyn Brawlin’
Julian Bond, Against The Grain
Aaron Hubbard , The Wrestling Bard
James Craig, 411 Movies/TV East Coast Musings
Robert Leighty Jr, From The Bowery
Jarrod Westerfeld, Scripted Through Sin
Andy Clark, The Shimmy
Michael Weyer, Shining A Spotlight
Jeremy Thomas, 411 Movies/TV movie reviewer
And Michael O, Cheers n Jeers
Everyone’s ready to go, let’s take a look at the matches for…
WWE Cyber Sunday 2008
NOTE: Shelton Benjamin vs ??? – Fans Choose The Opponent (Festus, R-Truth, MVP) for the United States Championship was not announced until Friday night, and thus, we have no picks for it. Quel dommage.
Fans Choose The Tag Match
Choices: Kofi/Punk vs Simply Priceless (c) – World Tag Team Championship, Cryme Tyme vs Miz/Morrison, Noble/Mickie James vs Regal/Layla
Stephen Randle: I sense we’re headed for a Survivor Series match involving Punk, Kofi, and the Second Generation, and Manu’s still around to prevent any tag belt changes.
Choice: Punk/Kofi vs Simply Priceless
Winners: Ted Dibiase and Cody Rhodes
Dan Torkel: I think we know the mixed tag won’t happen, and I am confident in the fans to pick Punk and a Tag Title match on ppv. Therefore we get Punk/Kofi coming off a loss going for the tag belts. I don’t think they pull the trigger here, instead they can draw this out with a huge Survivor Series elimination match and do the title change later.
Match – Punk/Kofi vs. Priceless for the Tag Titles
Winners – Priceless (Manu-ference)
Julian Bond: As much as the other two matches are somewhat interesting storyline wise, they’re totally free TV Raw-only material. So I’m assuming that everyone will vote for the long-awaited match-up between Priceless and Kofi/Punk in order to see the later finally get some revenge for the beatdown they suffered last month. So I’m going for a title change since I have a feeling that they want to have at least one during the PPV.
Stipulation/Opponent: Kofi/Punk vs Simply Priceless (c) – World Tag Team Championship
Winner: NEW World Tag Team Champions Kofi/Punk
Aaron Hubbard : Okay, I think we can count out the mixed tag, although it would be a ton of fun. Cryme Tyme vs. Miz/Morrison wold be good, and has a story behind it. On the other hand… CM Punk is in the other match, and is for (meaningless) belts. I’m guessing that gets the votes. Since it’s for the titles, I’ll predict Priceless retains. In the event of the other matches, my picks are Mizorrison and Noble/James.
Stipulation/Opponent: CM Punk & Kofi Kingston vs. Simply Priceless
Winners: Priceless
James Craig: I’m banking on the continuation of this entertaining feud here. I think the potential for a promo cut by Miz and Morrison on how it was their popularity that got them voted onto the card may very well be tremendous. As far as the match itself, I foresee some villainous antics stealing the match away from Cryme Tyme.
Fans Choice: Cryme Tyme vs. Miz/Morrison
Winners: Miz and Morrison
Robert Leighty Jr: I think the fans will be voting for a Title match more than the other choices. With that said, I can’t see them switching the tag straps on a match that isn’t 100% guaranteed to happen.
Stipulation/Opponent: CM Punk & Kofi Kingston vs. Simply Priceless
Winners: Simply Priceless
Jarrod Westerfeld: Noble and Regal aren’t winning – you know that and I do. I’d like them to win just to further a storyline that could use some airtime. Kofi and Punk could win, but let’s face facts: Cryme Tyme and Miz and Morrison have great chemistry together and have a fun storyline that fans can get behind. Not only that but Cryme Tyme is still the hottest tag team in the company so fans are going to flock to them, maybe more so than they would to Punk and Kofi. When we do get Cryme Tyme and Miz and Morrison, assuming numbers aren’t fudged like they had been in previous Cyber Sunday/Taboo Tuesday events to reflect what the WWE actually wants on the show, then I’m going with Cryme Tyme to pick up the win here.
Choice: Cryme Tyme vs Miz/Morrison
Winner: Cryme Tyme
Andy Clark: There’s not much of a question that the World Tag Team Title Match will get the nod because it is clearly the bigger match. I’m fine with that, but I cast my vote for Miz & Morrison vs. Cryme Tyme just to show WWE that there are people out there that like those teams. I’d like to see that match get some support even though I’m sure it won’t win. The Tag Title Match should be pretty good but I don’t expect a title change.
Tag Match Selected: World Tag Team Title Match: Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes(c) vs. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston
Winners and STILL World Tag Team Champions: Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes
Michael Weyer: Hard to imagine the title match not getting the nod (although the mixed match might be fun too). For that, Kofi/Punk are a good face team and giving them the belts might liven the tag scene up a bit, which it desperately needs.
OPPONENTS: Kofi/Punk vs Simply Priceless
WINNERS and NEW World Tag Team Champions: Kofi and CM PUNK BABY!
Jeremy Thomas: All three of these midcard tag team feuds have actually been given some pretty good time on and off on Raw & ECW over the past couple of months, and it’s nice to see that the ‘E is giving one of them a chance to get on here; this is probably my favorite of the “voting choices.” Of the three, I’m personally torn, as I would love to see the tag straps get Pay-Per-View time, yet MnM 2.0 is the awesome. I think the fan favorite feud here is Cryme Time vs. Miz & Morrison, and I gotta give that the edge to win. If that’s the case, I’m going to pick MnM 2.0 to go over their street hood rivals via chicanery and awesomeness to keep this feud going.
Stipulation/Opponent: Cryme Tyme vs The Miz & Morrison
WINNER: MnM 2.0 (Chicanery & Awesomeness)
Michael O: It is my hope that we see Miz & Morrison locking up with Cryme Tyme, but I have to figure the Universe wants a title match. And while I certainly think that Punk & Kofi could or should have put up more of a chase, I don’t think we’ll be going 2 for 2 when it comes to PPV with no title changes.
Tag Match Selected: World Tag Team Title Match: Ted DiBiase & Cody Rhodes(c) vs. CM Punk & Kofi Kingston
Winners and STILL World Tag Team Champions: Ted DibBiase and Cody Rhodes
Kane vs Rey Mysterio – Fans Choose The Stipulation
Choices: Falls Count Anywhere, No Holds Barred, 2/3 Falls
Stephen Randle: Well, since this match means nothing and Rey can’t lose his mask this time, it’s time for Kane to get a win.
Choice: Falls Count Anywhere
Winner: Kane
Dan Torkel: The obvious pick here is Falls Count Anywhere, which I think suits Rey better because it allows him to get a win off either a huge spot, or fluke accident spot. With Jericho the champ, I think they are better suited with Rey to maybe go to title feud.
Choice – Falls Count Anywhere Match
Winner – Rey Mysterio
Julian Bond: Despite its slow start, I hoping that this feud finally kicks into a high gear with this match here. I’m going for a Falls Count Anywhere bout cause’ this is what I think fans would pick to see Rey really fly and take it to Kane. To further the feud until a blow-off at Survivor Series, I’ll take Kane to destroy Rey and an attempt to rip his mask off.
Stipulation/Opponent: Falls Count Anywhere
Winner: Kane
Aaron Hubbard : 2/3 Falls will not win. Falls Count Anywhere and No Holds Barred are pretty much the same thing, but No Holds Bared sounds cooler. At any rate, this should be good. Besides the David-Goliath chemistry, Kane can use weapons and Rey always uses the environment in creative ways when he has the chance. At any rate, I think Kane will this.
Stipulation/Opponent: No Holds Barred
Winner: Kane
James Craig : First off, it was hard to decide on a stipulation here. But in the end, I think that the Falls Count Anywhere match will be the winner. With this as the stipulation, I think we’re going to see Rey being able to utilize his speed and get in some spots in until Kane eventually gets a hold of him and lays in what brutal looking offense of his own. I think the power game wins here, and THE FEUD MUST CONTINUE!
Stipulation: Falls Count Anywhere
Winner: Kane
Robert Leighty Jr: No way does 2/3 falls win because this isn’t 1970 anymore. No Holds barred should be the obvious choice because fans demand violence. Falls Count anywhere would be ok, but No Holds Barred seems to be a better choice. Rey won the previous match, so I’ll give Kane the nod as he beats the Holy Hell out of Rey with what ever he can get use.
Stipulation/Opponent: No Holds Barred
Winner: Kane
Jarrod Westerfeld: No one cares to see these two go at it for 3 falls. Let’s emphasize this: NO ONE CARES. No Holds Barred is a possibility, but I think the real winner is the Falls Count Anywhere because the idea for fans is it allows for the freedom of cooler looking spots to pop up, plus it adds an extra dimension that the No Holds Barred format lacks. With that in mind, one has to think that Kane wins this one to even up the score as these two will probably continue to feud into Survivor Series where they’ll help form some 10 man elimination tag team.
Choice: Falls Count Anywhere
Winner: Kane
Andy Clark: It’s a shame that the 2/3 Falls Match was thrown out there as the obvious “boring” pick. There’s not a lot of difference between No Holds Barred and Falls Count Anywhere, other than FCA harkens back to the old Hardcore days. I voted for that one because Rey’s match with Chavo at No Mercy in 2006 was pretty good. I imagine the rest of the WWE Universe went the same way.
Stipulation: Falls Count Anywhere
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Michael Weyer: The No Hold Barred stip works best for a Kane match and promises some hard-hitting action as the two do work well together in a classic big man/little man battle. In the end, I see Kane getting the win over him after some brutalizing hits.
STIP: No Holds Barred
WINNER: Kane
Jeremy Thomas: Well, we know this isn’t going to end the feud, so it’s time to pick a match that works in Kane’s favor. I think the fans will probably vote this one as a FCA match because let’s face it, 2/3 falls are never particularly exciting and the No Holds Barred match favors Kane more then FCA, which most fans will not want. What’s nice is that all of these matches do favor Kane more, and so it’s easy to see what the ‘E wants to do. Kane needs a win for the feud to go on, and I think he gets one here after a sick bump so they can have the blow-off at Survivor Series.
Stipulation/Opponent: Falls Count Anywhere,
WINNER: Kane (Choke Slam off the stage)
Michael O: Personally, I’m rooting for a 2/3 falls match, a stipulation match that we don’t see nearly enough of. Remember the good ol’ days? When ALL the matches were 2 out of 3 falls? Of course you don’t, you’re not a hundred years old. Neither do I, but those sound like good times, indeed. Anyways, ‘No Holds Barred’ is obviously the most sexy option, so that is what I think will be chosen. As for the winner? I could see this going either way, but I think Kane will pick up the win, setting up some kind of rubber match for the Survivior Series, which I believe is in a few days from now.
Stipulation: No Holds Barred
Winner: Rey Mysterio
Undertaker vs Big Show – Fans Choose The Stipulation
Choices: KO Match, Last Man Standing, “I Quit” Match
Stephen Randle: This feud…must continue. After all, we haven’t hit a Hell in the Cell match yet, have we?
Choice: Last Man Standing
Winner: Draw
Dan Torkel: Well it depends if they are doing one on one off booking. These stipulations make no sense as a KO would lead to a 10 count anyway so they are essentially the same stipulation. I think the fans choose Last Man Standing and Taker gets Chokeslammed but locks in the chokehold and Show passes out and cant recover in time. Does anyone smell Casket Match at Survivor Series?
Choice: Last Man Standing Match
Winner: Undertaker (Choke)
Julian Bond: I was totally shocked earlier this month when Big Show cleanly beat the living daylights out of the Undertaker at No Mercy in a pretty good fight. So I’m guessing that they won’t go for yet another upset this time and that Taker will be the one doing the beating instead. I’m thinking that the fans will side with the good ol’ brawl standard of the Last Man Standing match and I’ll go with Taker for the payback.
Stipulation/Opponent: Last Man Standing
Winner: Undertaker
Aaron Hubbard : This is kind of hard to pick. If the fans choose an I Quit Match, Undertaker will win because he will never say I Quit. However, KO Match or Last Man Standing could easily lead to a Big Show win. The problem with an I Quit match is that it’s a feud ender, and I think they want to push this to Survivor Series. Okay, I’m thinking too hard…
Stipulation/Opponent: I Quit Match
Winner: Undertaker
James Craig I am looking forward to this match, and I have a feeling it may end up being the best big man match we will have seen all year, just as long as it’s Last Man Standing. While it may end up being too much like a falls count anywhere match between Kane and Rey, it will be vastly different in terms of pacing and chemistry. I see Show taking the win setting up a HIAC match for Survivor Series?
Stipulation: Last Man Standing
Winner: Big Show
Robert Leighty Jr: The story seems to dictate an Knockout Match, but I’m not sure if they fans will vote for what the WWE seems to be building too. Last Man Standing matches have been beaten into the ground over the last 2 years, and I don’t think it sets up well for these 2. An I Quit match would be interesting, and I hope the fans go with that choice. As for the match, Taker should get his win back from the last PPV unless they want Show to look like a real bad ass by having him roll through Taker again. Still, I’ll go with Taker.
Stipulation/Opponent: I Quit Match
Winner: Undertaker
Jarrod Westerfeld: I can throw out “I Quit” just because the fans saw that one earlier this year and it isn’t nearly as exciting. The WWE would like a KO match and it is new and something we haven’t seen before so fans might be intrigued to find out more about it as well as how it plays out, but the winner is going to be a Last Man Standing match. Fans are going to believe that makes the most sense given this feud, and it’s probably the only way to resolve this one. Here, again we’re left with a stipulation where Undertaker can lose without being pinned or dominated, but odds are this is the leveler of the feud. I’m tempted to go with Undertaker here, but I have this strange feeling that Big Show is going to steal one here and keep up this feud as the dominating figure in this feud, leading to the big blow-off at Armageddon.
Choice: Last Man Standing
Winner: Big Show
Andy Clark: This is an easy choice. Nobody wants to see a KO Match (I hope). An “I Quit” Match works but I fear the pacing will be mind numbingly slow with two big guys, and after WWE finally got big man pacing down right at the last PPV I’d hate to see them screw it up. Last Man Standing is right up there with Hell in a Cell and TLC as the go to stipulation in WWE and it is a more quality play off of the KO situation than a Knockout Match would be. If it is Last Man Standing expect one of the infamous draws.
Stipulation: Last Man Standing
Winner: Draw
Michael Weyer: With these two, all three are great choices but I see the KO match being picked as that plays a big part in the feud. Expect the usual hard-hitting affair between these two going around the place and using every object they can find but I see Taker getting the win back big time.
STIP: KO Match
WINNER: The Dead Man
Jeremy Thomas: While a KO match obviously favors Big Show in the storyline, I think that the fans will probably go for one of the other two; a flip of the coin gives me “I Quit,” so I’m going with that. Taker/Show was surprisingly good last month, and I could see them pull out another good one here, but the end result is simple. Taker got beat badly last month, and he doesn’t job two PPV’s in a row. Taker wins, possibly with interference from a returning Edge who wants to take out Vicky’s new partner in crime.
Stipulation/Opponent: “I Quit” Match
WINNER: Undertaker (Edge-erference)
Michael O: Hmmm. The ‘Knock out’ match might be the favorite, given that it’s something new and Show’s big knock out punch has figured prominently in this feud, but it sure sounds boring next to the other two choices. Picking the match really comes down to picking what WWE fans find more exciting: ‘I Quit’ or ‘Last Man Standing’. I think they find ‘Last Man Standing’ slightly more exciting, but we haven’t seen an ‘I Quit’ match for a while now, so I’ll go with that. Oh yeah, and Undertaker will win it.
Stipulation: I Quit
Winner: The Undertaker
Santino Marella (c) vs ??? – Intercontinental Championship – Fans Choose The Opponent
Choices: Roddy Piper, Goldust, Honky Tonk Man
Stephen Randle: Really, Goldust has no chance to win the vote, so it could go either way after that, and I’m picking who I would vote for. It’s a moot point anyway, though.
Choice: Honky Tonk Man
Winner: Santino Marella
Dan Torkel: I really hope they don’t derail the HONKAMETER EXPRESS with another Legend title win here. I am hopeful to see Honky but I think the crowd votes for Rodney the Piper. I don’t think Santino loses the belt here though.
Choice: Roddy Piper
Winner: Santino (Roll up with tights)
Julian Bond: My boy Santino has been running his mouth for way too long about the good ol’ Tonky Man, so I’m guranteeing that everyone will pick him. So with that Santino will beat him and possibly retire the precious comedic gold that is the Honk-A-Meter…you know…since he actually beat the guy he named it after.
Stipulation/Opponent: Honky Tonk Man
Winner: STILL Intercontinental Champion Santino Marella
Aaron Hubbard : So, Roddy Piper, Honkytonk Man, or Goldust? Hmmm…well, since this is my pick and the PPV is a Klusterfunkk as it is, I’ll just go on a limb and say that whoever is picked, Charlie Haas will use his impersonator gimmick and squash Santino. That would entertain me the most.
Stipulation/Opponent: The Honkytonk Man
Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: The Hassytonk Man (Charlie Haas)
James Craig: No matter what direction this match goes, it isn’t going to be pretty. I think we’ll see Roddy Piper get the fan’s nod, and in the match Santino holds onto the belt and there for the Hon-a-Meter will continue on via Glam-a-ference.
Fans Choice: “Rodney the Piper”
Winner: The Honk-a-Meter Lives ON! Santino Marella
Robert Leighty Jr: Using Haas would be a great way to pay off his run, and it wouldn’t kill Santino because he is a comedy act anyway. I would like to see Santino keep the 3 challengers from the arena, and have him come out to the ring to gloat. He then says “I don’t care who my opponent is, just bring someone out here.” Now you pay off the Haas story by having him come out as the “Haastimate Warrior.” He runs through Santino in 15 secs and Santino’s reign ends like the man he is chasing in the Honk-o-meter.
Stipulation/Opponent: Fans vote for Piper
Winner and NEW Intercontinental Champion: The Haastimate Warrior (Charlie Haas)
Jarrod Westerfeld: I’m lost because I know the idea is to have Honky Tonk come in and school Santino, and I’m sure fans are tickled by that idea despite Roddy being more popular than Honky, but is Honky Tonk really up to the idea of working with the WWE again? He was adamantly against signing anything with the company because it would tie him up and keep him from making more money on the outskirts in the indy scene where he gets most of his business from, these days. Has that changed recently? Normally I’d write off Goldust, but I think some fans would actually appreciate seeing the whacky character return and battle Santino for a comedy match. I’m actually thinking Goldust would win out over the two legends if only for the fact that today’s fans would know Goldust better than those two just because he’s so fresh in their minds compared to the past generation stars of the then WWF. But we’re going to go with Piper, and we’re going to have Santino sneak a victory over him and walk out still promoting his campaign of matching the Honk-y-meter.
Choice: Roddy Piper
Winner: Santino Marella
Andy Clark: I fear WWE may have painted themselves in a corner on this one. They want Honky Tonk Man to win. I want Honky Tonk Man to win. The storyline makes more sense for Honky Tonk Man to win. Roddy Piper WILL win. Piper is more over with older fans and younger fans are more familiar with Piper than Honky, even with the Honk-a-Meter. It wouldn’t even surprise me that much if Goldust doesn’t get more votes than HTM. It doesn’t really matter who wins the vote, Santino retains.
Opponent: Rowdy Roddy Piper
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Santino Marella
Michael Weyer: I know a lot of folks are pulling for Honky Tonk Man but as someone who had to put up with his 14 month horror show of a title reign two decades ago, I NEVER want to see him with that belt again. Piper is just massively over and he’d be a good opponent for Santino. In the end, I still see Santino retaining, perhaps by DQ but it should be a fair match.
OPPONENT: Roddy Piper
WINNER and still Intercontinental Champion: Santino
Jeremy Thomas: Okay, the obvious choice is Honky Tonk, and as much as it would rock, I actually hope they don’t. Why? Because if the Honky Donky Man shows up and Marella beats him, he has no reason to continue the Honk-A-Meter! I’m actually thinking Piper will be the most likely choice, but whoever his opponent is, Santino’s going to win. There’s no point in bringing these guys back for a title run, and thus, Santino gets the win via a roll-up or Beth distraction or the like. Something that won’t win him any credibility, because that’s how Santino rolls.
Stipulation/Opponent: Rodney the Piper
WINNER: Santino Marella (Beth-erference; STILL WWE Intercontinental Champion)
Michael O: I’d love to see Goldust return, and it’s always a party when the “Rowdy” one shows up, but this is all about the old Honky getting the majority of the vote. At least conservatives will have one election they can watch this year that won’t make them sick to their stomachs. Yeah, so Honky probably comes out, loses, and then maybe costs Santino the belt on RAW just to tie up this little thing while he’s still around. I’d love for all this Santino funny business to play out over the next year as well, but the WWE isn’t nearly awesome enough to do that, so this is probably the beginning of the end. Hope I’m wrong, though. But if I’m not, I do hope it’s the Honky Hass Man who relieves Santino on RAW.
Opponent: Honky Tonk Man
Winner and STILL Intercontinental Champion: Santino Marella
Matt Hardy (c) vs ??? – ECW Championship – Fans Choose The Opponent
Choices: Evan Bourne, Finlay, Mark Henry
Stephen Randle: What kind of WWE have I walked into, where Evan Bourne has a legitimate chance to wrestle for a major title on PPV? Once again, it doesn’t matter who wins the vote.
Choice: Evan Bourne
Winner: Matt Hardy
Dan Torkel: I don’t think the crowd buys into Evan yet and no one wants to see Mark Henry again, so by default (THE TWO GREATEST WORDS IN THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE…DE FAULT) its Finlay. Matt wins though because his title reign just started and I think he has a future against Miz or Morrison.
Choice: Finlay
Winner: Matt Hardy (Twist of Fate)
Julian Bond: I think after last night’s kick-ass performance and his matches in general, Bourne has definitely locked himself into place to be voted for Hardy’s opponent. This could be a potential show-stealer if done between the two and since Bourne is still a newbie in the company, I guess he barely loses to Hardy to set himself up as a top contender in ECW.
Stipulation/Opponent: Evan Bourne
Winner: STILL ECW Champion Matt Hardy
Aaron Hubbard : Well, Mark Henry is out. So Finlay or Evan Bourne? I think the fans are impressed with Evan Bourne because he’s been allowed to be one of the most unique wrestlers in WWE, and after Evan defeated Mark Henry on ECW this week, there is no doubt in my mind that Evan will get the pick. This will be the match of the night.
Stipulation/Opponent: Evan Bourne
Winner and STILL ECW Champion: Matt Hardy
James Craig: I think the “E” wants to build a sort of back up Jeff Hardy in Evan Bourne. To have a high flyer who is always just inches away fro mthe big win. I think they’ve done a great job in building Bourne up in the eyes of the fans, and as such, the Fans reward Bourne with the match. Matt Hardy will squeak out a win, but Bourne will be oh so close. Think Kaz in TNA after his first title match with Angle, only not forgotten about afterwards.
Fans Choice: Evan Bourne
Winner: Matt Hardy
Robert Leighty Jr: Please be Evan Bourne. Please. I have no problem with Finlay and would be all for him getting a run with the title, but Bourne is the most exciting young wrestler the E has and him getting a shot here would be awesome. The match would be exciting and while I don’t see the title changing hands, it could set up things for down the road.
Stipulation/Opponent: Evan Bourne
Winner and STILL ECW Champion: Matt Hardy
Jarrod Westerfeld: I think the fans are going to be big on Evan Bourne to get the shot here just to get a more fun looking match compared to the alternative options made available to them. I doubt fans want to see Hardy and Henry clash again, there’s no appeal of Finlay and Hardy clashing when Finlay is mostly over thanks to his partnership with Hornswoggle, and the only one left that the fans are big into and would like to see more of is Evan Bourne. What comes of this all? Nothing; Matt isn’t losing his title anytime soon, and Evan Bourne isn’t going to win the title this early into his WWE career despite how over he currently is with the ECW crowds, and even the RAW crowds.
Choice: Evan Bourne
Winner: Matt Hardy
Andy Clark: This is an interesting group here. I voted for Evan Bourne. WWE wants you to vote for Mark Henry. These things are normally a popularity contest though and Finlay (or rather Hornswoggle) is more over than either of them. I’m not complaining because Matt and Finlay have had some great matches on SmackDown in the past. I’d love to see Bourne get the shot but Finlay isn’t a bad second option. I’m tempted to go with Finly for the win because there really aren’t a lot of people for Matt to feud with, but I’ll stick with Hardy to retain.
Opponent: Finlay
Winner and STILL ECW Champion: Matt Hardy
Michael Weyer: Henry’s had his shot already and WWE really does seem to be pushing Bourne althtough Finlay could be a good choice too. Still, I see it being Bourne and a good matchup between them. Matt will retain so Bourne keeps going and sets up the next big ECW program.
OPPONENT: Evan Bourne
WINNER and still ECW Champion: Matt Hardy
Jeremy Thomas: The ‘E wants you to vote for Henry. I want you to vote for Bourne. You’ll vote for Finlay. And Matt Hardy will win.
Stipulation/Opponent: Finlay
WINNER: Matt Hardy (Twist of Fate; STILL ECW Champion)
Michael O: Mizark has to be considered the favorite, but I’m hoping the Universe is as bored as I am with that noise and picks one of the other two. Finlay is more popular than Bourne, who probably should have rented a leprechaun to appear with him in an attempt to even the playing field in the weeks leading up to this event. He didn’t, and that may have cost him the election, but I’m still going to go with the dark horse on the strength of the hope that the Universe wants an exciting, Bret Hart vs 1-2-3 Kid, good guy vs good guy who has no chance, style of match.
Opponent: Evan Bourne
Winner and STILL ECW Champion: Matt Hardy
Chris Jericho (c) vs Batista – World Heavyweight Championship – Fans Choose The Special Referee
Choices: Steve Austin, Shawn Michaels, Randy Orton
Stephen Randle: Start the shenanigans! Seriously, as popular as Shawn is, Austin is still the biggest moneymaker in pro wrestling, and you know he’s winning the vote. I suspect Jericho pisses Austin off one too many times, so Austin beats him up, but won’t give the belt to Batista, and calls it a DQ.
Choice: Steve Austin
Winner: Batista by DQ
StableWars Tiebreaker Bell-to-Bell Match Time: 9:00
Dan Torkel: Jericho has too much momentum as an angry heel champion to de dethroned. My gut says Stone Cold because of undying fan love, but Shawn could get the call in stripes. Either way I call shenanigans on the match as all the ref choices get involved, leading to Batista taking an errant Superkick, giving Jericho the win, all the while Orton and Austin brawl leading towards Wrestlemania 25. It will also lead to a triple threat match between Jericho, Michaels, and Batista.
Choice: Shawn Michaels
Winner: Chris Jericho
Julian Bond: I don’t think it’s even a question that Austin will be the man to look over this match. If not him, I’ll be deathly suprised! I said last month that Batista would finally get the win when he meets Jericho in the ring, but I’m still feeling Jericho’s “barely sneak out a win despite everyone thinking otherwise” mode going strong. So I retract my statement and will go with Jericho in the “upset”, but end up getting stunned to make the fans happy.
Stipulation/Opponent: Steve Austin
Winner: Still World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho
Aaron Hubbard : I don’t really care if I win this or not. I will always score poorly on this PPV, and I’m just gong to go with who I pick, even though I know it will be wrong. Forget the referee, because I’m pretty sure Jericho is going to use every dastardly trick in the book and write another chapter in the process before the referee is forced to disqualify him. This will then lead to a triple threat at Survivor Series involving the Heartbreak Kid.
Stipulation/Opponent: Shawn Michaels
Winner: Batista (via DQ, Chris Jericho retains title) in 15:37
James Craig: Both men are on good runs as far as it goes with matches and promos. Big Dave looks like a monster coming out of RAW, but Jericho has shown that he is as ruthless as they come in his current heel role. The Fans will vote in Michaels to stack the deck, but in the end, Michaels will have to count the pin on Batista, and he’ll hate every second of it.
Fans Choice: Shawn Michaels
Winner: And Still World heavyweight Champ, Chris Jericho
Robert Leighty Jr: Michaels should be the ref, but there is no denying the popularity of Steve Austin. He will probably win the fan vote like last year, and hopefully won’t factor into the match (again like last year). Jericho has looked like a bitch during this short build, and he needs to go over here.
Stipulation/Opponent: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
Winner and STILL World Champion: Chris Jericho
StableWars Tiebreaker Bell-to-Bell Time: 14:13
Jarrod Westerfeld: It’s a tossup, really. Either Steve Austin is still the most popular figure in all of wrestling right now and he easily wins with a 10% point spread over Michaels, or the WWE actually pushes the idea of Shawn Michaels being the better option to screw Chris Jericho out of the title. There’s no option for Randy Orton in this equation, and in fact I’d almost put him at exactly 7% (give or take a few points to round it to that figure) and there isn’t enough reason for fans to invest their vote behind Orton being the referee for this bout as it doesn’t favor the face, Batista. If you get Ausin, you’re going to see Jericho steal one without any consequences in the course of his attempt, and if you get Michaels then expect Jericho to try and throw the match out by attacking Michaels if he’s in a position that he can’t get Michaels to call the match in his favor. Either way, Jericho is more than likely remaining the champion here one way or the other, but I think I could actually see this one being thrown out in DQ fashion.
Choice: Shawn Michaels
Winner: Batista via DQ
StableWars Tiebreaker Bell-to-Bell Time: 18:27
Andy Clark: We all know who is winning here, although HBK might make it closer than WWE would like. I’d actually much rather see either Michaels or Orton ref the match instead of Austin, but that’s me. Jericho wins regardless of who officiates.
Referee: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho
Michael Weyer: Damn, hard choice between the three. Austin is…well, Austin and fans remember that. Michaels would make sense for the special ref forced to let Jericho win but Orton might be interesting as well as he hates both guys and wants the belt back. I’ll go with Austin if it’s a legitimate vote as he does work a ref position well but expect Michaels to make his presence known. For the actual match, it’ll be damn good to be sure but Jericho is just way too hot as the heel champ for that to be changed anytime soon so he retains.
SPECIAL REF: Steve Austin
WINNER and still World Champion: Y2J
Jeremy Thomas: Well, Orton’s SOL on this one. They’ve been remarkably not playing up Michaels, and instead have been pushing Austin, so I think he gets the fan’s choice. This match has been built up well, excepting the abortion of a main event they had this week on Raw, and Jericho and Batista are two guys who can really go in the ring, so I have expectations here. I foresee the match ending with a clean Jericho win, and then Austin stunning the living shit out of him for the crowd pop.
Stipulation/Opponent: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin
WINNER: Chris Jericho (Codebreaker; STILL World Heavyweight Champion)
Michael O: So, does the hatred WWE fans have of Chris Jericho outweigh the love they have for “Stone Cold”? Of course it doesn’t, so I expect to see the Rattlesnake make a business picking-up appearance this Sunday. I don’t expect to see a new champ, though it would be interesting if Big Dave became fully immersed in the HBK/Y2J feud in a move that would make many obsessive compulsives and metaphorical circle completists very happy.
Referee: Stone Cold Steve Austin
Winner and STILL World Heavyweight Champion: Chris Jericho
Triple H (c) vs ??? – WWE Championship – Fans Choose The Opponent(s)
Choices: Jeff Hardy, Vladimir Kozlov, Triple Threat Match
Stephen Randle: Well, duh, Jeff Hardy is only the most popular Superstar currently active. Once again, it doesn’t matter, because Triple H isn’t letting go of the belt until WrestleMania.
Choice: Jeff Hardy
Winner: Triple H
Dan Torkel: I think the fans will choose both just because, but they might go solely with Hardy. If only Jeff we will have a DQ with an irate Kozlov. If a triple threat I see them having Triple H outsmart Jeff again by pinning Kozlov after a Swanton.
Choice: Triple Threat Match
Winner: Triple H
Julian Bond: The story between HHH, Hardy, and Kozlov has been very interesting these last few weeks and I think that it will reflect in the voting of the Triple Threat match. I will again take HHH to retain, but I think that his number will finally be coming up next month if he ends up going one on one against Kozlov (yea…I said it…Kozlov as champ!).
Stipulation/Opponent: Triple Threat Match
Winner: Still WWE Champion Triple H
Aaron Hubbard : Jeff Hardy will be involved in the match. Whether or not the fans choose to add Kozlov into the mix is the real question. No matter what happens, Triple H will retain his title. If by some miracle Vladimir is the only pick, Triple H will use a sledgehammer and a Pedigree to win. If it’s just Jeff, Kozlov will interfere and the match will be thrown out. In a triple threat, Jeff will Swanton Kozlov only to get caught in a Pedigree by Hunter.
Stipulation/Opponent: Triple Threat
Winner and Still WWE Champion: Triple H
James Craig Alright, I have a feeling that this is going to end up being voted the triple threat match. This match is going to pit two men against Hardy that he hasn’t been able to beat recently. So while we’re going to see Hardy hit his usual spots, I think it may end up being Hardy sneaking the pin on a prone Kozlov after HHH does the dirty work.
Stipulation: Triple Threat
Winner: NEW WWE CHAMP Jeff Hardy via pin on Kozlov
Robert Leighty Jr: No matter the option, HHH will retain, and all 3 men will be involved in some manner. Hardy’s fan base will make sure he is in the match, and I also think they will keep Kozlov out of the match.
Stipulation/Opponent: Jeff Hardy
Winner and Still WWE Champion: HHH
Jarrod Westerfeld: Here’s the only time I think the WWE would actually fudge numbers to give us the match they actually want despite the popularity behind Jeff Hardy and the idea of another Hardy and Triple H match. There isn’t enough actual fan heat behind Kozlov to get him into this bout for either option, singles or triple threat, but I do believe the WWE wants to push this triple threat as they’d love to give us a Kozlov and Triple H bout and tease an actual championship switch. I don’t buy it would happen here, but I certainly see this being the stage where Kozlov looks dominant and ready for a singles run against Triple H at the next pay-per-view, meaning Jeff is eating a pin here, unfortunately.
Choice: Triple Threat
Winner: Triple H
Andy Clark: It obviously won’t be Triple H vs. Kozlov one-on-one. The question is whether the WWE Universe goes with Hardy getting his one-on-one shot (which makes more sense from a kayfabe standpoint) or if they go with the more intriguing match, the Triple Threat. I have a feeling the Triple Threat wins out because the storyline goes that way, they still get Jeff in the match, and there is a proven “gimmick” thrown in. I actually think Hunter’s title could be in trouble, the question is who gets it? I maintain that Jeff’s big win should be held off until WrestleMania but I’m not sure that WWE agrees with me. I’ll go out on a limb and say Jerry Jarrett’s boy shocks the world and wins the title.
Stipulation: Triple Threat Match
Winner and NEW WWE Champion: Vladimir Kozlov
Michael Weyer: I’m pretty sure we all know it’s a Triple Threat match as Kozlov should be able to prove himself against both men. I know so many are hoping Jeff Hardy takes it but they’ve been giving him so many chances and it hasn’t taken and I just don’t see it changing here. I’m sorry, I just don’t think Jeff is going to be able to carry the company with his history and such and if he hasn’t gotten it now, I don’t see it happening here. So once again, HHH retains.
STIP: Triple Threat Match
WINNER and still WWE Champion: The King of Kings.
Jeremy Thomas: Well, the triple threat is the obvious choice here, and the fans will love it so there you go. This has the potential to be a really great match; of course, Triple H isn’t dropping here. Hardy’s not going to win yet (and shouldn’t until at least the Rumble or WrestleMania), and Kozlov is one of those guys who makes a great upper-midcarder and threat for the belt, but probably won’t get a run for a while. I think Jeff eats the pin so Kozlov vs. HHH can continue for another month or two, but the champ is walking out retaining.
Stipulation/Opponent: Triple Threat
WINNER: Triple H (Pedigree on Jeff; STILL WWE Heavyweight Champion)
Michael O: There can be no doubt that Jeff Hardy will be involved in this match. There can also be no doubt, or almost no doubt, that HHH will be leaving with his belt. The only question that remains is if the WWE has done a good enough job in building up Kozlov that the fans are willing to cut Jeff’s chances of winning by a significant margin so that he can be involved. I think maybe, and I won’t be shocked at all if we get the triple threat, but I’m betting that Hardy will get one more chance to go one-on-one, and have it ruined for him by a butt-hurt Russian.
Stipulation: Hardy vs Hunter
Winner and STILL WWE Champion: HHH
