Thoughts From Ringside…

The Road to WrestleMania 29: Part Deux…

We’re now a mere 11 days from WrestleMania 29, I have tonsillitis, and we have a more definite card to be excited (or not so excited) about. Hooray.

Last week, I shared my concerns about this year’s “Road” that we’re on. We only had a few matches set and the excitement level for an event, that on PPV costs MORE than the cheapest ticket to the actual show, just wasn’t very high for me. Well, a little has changed, actually very little.

A few more matches have been added since last week, and only one of them REALLY sparks my interest. Chris Jericho will face the debuting Fandango (#WASTEdango). Yes, I know I have a disdain for Johnny Curtis’ gimmick, but he impressed me with his heel antics this past Monday night. His spots with Jericho really made me interested in what their ‘Mania match could be, and from the looks of things, it very well could steal the show. His guillotine leg drop from off the top looked great, his intensity was great, and of course, Jericho was great. FINALLY an undercard match that I’m REALLY looking forward to. For this, I have to give Jericho, Curtis, and the WWE credit. If you would have told me a week ago that I would be stoked for this one, I would have told you to go suck yourself…followed by a #WASTEdango.

We now have a mid-card championship match on the bill for ‘Mania in the Miz vs. Wade Barrett. I’m going to go on record here and say that this is without a doubt one of the matches that I’m LEAST looking forward to. Nothing in their last few matches makes me interested in this one. Hopefully, it’s the curtain jerker come April 7^th and only lasts 7-10 minutes. Ugh. Just awful. The “BORING” chants they received this past Monday night were deserved. Can we PLEASE get some consistency and prestige back on that title so that people will care about who has it and when they defend it?

The match I’m already saving my piss break for is the latest match added to the card. Team Rhodes Scholars (whom I love as a tag team) will team with the Bella Twins to take on “Sweet T” (good ol’ Albert), Brodus Clay and his Funkadactyls. Why is this a match on the card and not pre-show? Better yet, why is Team Rhodes Scholars not taking the Tag Team Championship belts away from Team Hell No?  I just don’t understand the logic here. I can see what having the belts could do for Langston and Ziggler, but Ziggler doesn’t need it. And, as I said last week, I believe Ziggler will cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase at ‘Mania as well. The man doesn’t need to be holding two titles, but I can see how it would instantly make him even MORE of a superstar than he is today.  That said, I still believe Rhodes Scholars should be holding those belts, wrestling all the other tags in the company, and defending them more often than at random PPVs like Kane and Bryan have. Those belts need to mean more than they do right now.

A lot of people have asked me what I think of this current Cena/Rock program, especially after this past Monday’s LOOOOOONG 45 minute segment. You wanna know? I could care less if this match ever happened. I know it’s good for “business,” but the build has been non-existent until the final 5 minutes of their time in the ring Monday night. Video packages and unbelievable “because I have to win” type statements aren’t going to cut it for me on this one. I don’t BELIEVE that John Cena HAS to win this match. The story telling that needs to be involved here is just lacking immensely.  Everyone wants to go ahead and start calling for the mythical “Cena Heel Turn” after his angst-ridden promo on Raw, which would work obviously, but really? I just don’t understand why every time he gets upset in the ring, people immediately wonder if this is going to be it. Will he turn at WrestleMania? You’d definitely have a memorable WrestleMania moment, but the negatives to that out-weigh the positives right now. If Cena turns heel, who do you book him against? Face Orton? Sheamus? Del Rio?

WWE only has one Raw left to sell this ‘Mania, and in my opinion, it better be the most impressive “go-home” show the WWE has ever produced. Last week was extremely mediocre programming for WrestleMania season, and it left me feeling even more like the $70 price tag just isn’t worth spending my money on. WWE…PLEASE don’t make me regret paying to see your BIGGEST event of the year. Please.

Want to hear more of my thoughts? Follow me on Twitter @DougOMac! RSM Weekly will not air tonight due to illness. 

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