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Thoughts on Wrestlemania 31

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Sunday we saw a plethora of a Wrestlemania moments including Triple H defeating Sting, The Undertaker’s redemption, and Seth Rollins make history by being the first Money in the Bank winner to not only cash in his contract at the show of shows, but during the championship match as well.

Long story short, pretty much all of the right people won with the exception of Sting. While the match itself was alright for two legendary competitors, there were too many theatrics involved with the finish (and the entrances to boot) and this tainted Sting vs. Triple H instead of it being the clinic it could have been. With all this buildup, Sting should have received the victory but it was not to be by way of the sledgehammer.

The Undertaker’s victory over Bray Wyatt was one of his better ‘Mania matches due to the innate psychology that the match was built around. The exorcist/sit up spot was something fans must have been dreaming about for some time as there were definitely chills up the spines of those watching.

Daniel Bryan is going to boost the prestige of the Intercontinental Championship and deserved the win. The headbutt war with Dolph Ziggler was questionable and probably looked better on paper, but overall it was a very good ladder match. All competitors did a great job especially Luke Harper and Dean Ambrose who put their bodies on the line.

Paige and AJ winning without any issues between the two was good but it was interesting that there was no animosity involved in the match.

Like Bryan with the Intercontinental Championship, John Cena is going to boost the United States Championship like never before. Cena’s “Rocky Balboa” got the story book ending against Rusev’s “Ivan Drago” which was much needed and doesn’t taint the Bulgarian Brute at all. We’ll just have to see how his character is handled from here on to see where he goes but the man can work. His omega-Russian entrance was one of the highlights of the night.

The Rock and Triple H’s segment started off well but dragged for far too long. After awhile it became obvious that they were waiting for Santa Clara to get darker for The Undertaker’s arrival. If you’re watching on the network it’s best to just skip to the end where Ronda Rousey gets involved. This should have been saved for Raw with a match or two being inserted in its place.

Who chooses Wrestlemania’s musical guests and why do they have them perform at all? It’s clear that WWE’s demographic does not care when there is minimal participation in the act and maximum participation at the concession stands and/or restrooms.

Big Show wining the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was surprising from a storyline standpoint but not from a logical one. Show is after all, a giant and it would have been a shame if he didn’t win one of these. Miz vs. Mizdow is still happening and that’s all anybody wanted out of this match anyway.

Randy Orton’s victory over Seth Rollins moves the feud nicely especially with the events that unfolded later on. WWE is striking this feud while the iron is still hot with greater stakes and kudos to them. Check the height on that RKO again, Rollin’s must be at least eight feet in the air before he hits the mat for the three count.

Last but not least Brock Lesnar looked as dominant as ever and Roman Reigns looked decent as well. This was the most believable match WWE could have had with the outcome being the only realistic scenario to get the title off the champion. Reign’s comeback was a nice touch and Lesnar’s bloodshed is proof that WWE needs more of it (but not too much) in there product. Save the non-PG stuff for the Pay-Per-Views and it’ll be all right. Rollins is already going to be one of the best heel champions ala Ric Flair’s weasel tactics.

We can’t wait for next year.

Pro Wrestling

Wrestlemania 31 Predictions

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Tonight in Santa Clara, California’s Levy’s Stadium WWE will answer all of the questions that have been building in the minds of the WWE Universe for nearly a year at Wrestlemania 31.

Will Roman Reigns begin his first World Heavyweight Championship reign upon conquering Brock Lesnar?

Will Bray Wyatt defeat a broken Undertaker to become the new face of fear?

Will Sting dethrone Triple H?

Will John Cena break Rusev’s undefeated streak and become the United States Champion once again?

When is Seth Rollins going to cash in his Money in the Bank contract?

Here’s what we think might occur on the grandest stage of them all.

Fatal Four Way for the Tag Team Championships – Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (c) vs. The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos: Cesaro and Kidd have become the unlikely duo to hold gold lately and deserve a strong run to finally break through the glass ceiling. However, The Usos are looking to regain their titles as well. The New Day and Los Matadores are clearly the filler teams and unfortunately round out the Tag Team division for the most part. Since The Usos’s father Rikishi is being inducted into this years WWE Hall of Fame Class, it is a pretty safe bet that they will get the Wrestlemania “feel good” moment; thus retaining their Tag Team Championships.

Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match – “Bad News” Barrett (c) vs. R-Truth vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper vs. Stardust: Every man, woman and child in the WWE Universe is rooting for Bryan to walk out of Wrestlemania with gold, but it is probably not what is going to happen. With so many competitors, WWE is sure to throw a swerve in this match. Stardust will be the dark horse victor, becoming the new Intercontinental Champion to raise the stakes in his continuing feud with Golddust.

Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton: This is a match that has been building for quite some time. Rollins and Orton will tear down the house in a solid 20 minute match. Orton will get the upper hand many times, but due to outside interference from Rollin’s Authority buddies, The Viper is going to get Curb Stomped into oblivion.

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal: There are a bunch of neat mini-feuds bubbling in this cauldron of a match with The Miz vs. Mizdow being the proverbial nail sticking out the most. Our money is on either The Miz or Ryback.

Divas Tag Team Match – AJ Lee and Paige vs. The Bella Twins: While AJ and Paige have become “frienemies” again, the magic is going to have to end sometime due to the common goal of taking the Divas Championship from Nikki Bella’s waist. This match should be a Fatal Four Way for the Divas Championship, but unfortunately it isn’t. The Bellas will win due to their chemistry defeating Lee and Paige’s dissension.

United States Championship Match – Rusev (c) vs. John Cena: Rusev will be pushed to the limit, but he will not be enough for Cena in WWE’s retelling of “Rocky IV”. Cena will emerge victorious, bringing the United States Championship back to the good ol’ U. S. of A.

Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker: Wyatt and ‘Taker will tell a great story in the ring. This tale of redemption needs The Undertaker to come out on top, avenge his broken Wrestlemania streak and hopefully face Sting in what should be their swansong at Wrestlemania 32.

Sting vs. Triple H: This should have happened years ago but the fact that we are getting it at all is well worth the wait. The match will be slowly paced, but will be a highlight in both men’s storied careers. The Vigilante Sting will come out on top before challenging The Undertaker the following night on Raw.

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match – Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns: It all seemed like WWE was going forward with the “original plan” and have Reigns slay Paul Heyman’s beast, but that all changed Wednesday when Lesnar announced that he had signed a multi-year deal with WWE. Now that it is confirmed that Lesnar will stay with his current employer, does that mean that he will be adding Reigns’ list to his World Heavyweight Championship reign of terror? It will be interesting to see where this goes, but we feel that it’s now or never for Reigns to shine and Vince McMahon knows that. This is why we feel that the “original plan” will stick and Reigns will walk out of Wrestlemania as the new WWE World Heavyweight Champion with Rollins waiting in the wings to unsuccessfully cash in his Money in the Bank contract.

Pro Wrestling

WWE Fastlane Predictions

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In lieu of the traditional “Elimination Chamber” pay-per-view, WWE has decided to change the game this year with a new event titled “WWE Fastlane.” While fans will not get an Elimination Chamber match this February, they will get what looks to be a stacked card for the inaugural event on the Road to Wrestlemania. Here are our predictions for each match.

Intercontinental Championship Match: Wade Barrett (c) vs. Dean Ambrose – This looks exciting. The feud has been built up in an old school way centering more around promos and less around beat downs. The psychology of the match should be fun and the ability of both men is going to make it awesome. Ambrose is better when he’s on the chase (and we’d like a long term program between these two) and that’s why we believe Barrett is keeping his title.

Tag Team Championship Match: The Usos (c) vs. Cesaro and Tyson Kidd – Another match that could be promising with enough time. Kidd is finally on a pay-per-view again and Cesaro can work well with anyone. While the Usos have the gold, there is also the sub angle involving Jimmy and Kidd’s significant others – Naomi and Nattie. Expect the ladies to get into a scuffle, leading to the Usos retaining.

Goldust vs. Stardust – A normal match that should have been given more time to blossom into a fireball for ‘Mania rather than rushed for Fastlane. In the time they are given, the Rhodes brothers will put on a clinic; but they probably won’t be given the minimum 20 minutes they deserve. Hopefully this will be part of a series of matches, with Stardust’s arm raised at the end of their first cosmic clash.

Ryback, Erick Rowan and Dolph Ziggler vs. Kane, Big Show and Seth Rollins – Expect a few high spots from Rollins and Ziggler to get this Chevy where it has to go, but for the most part this will be a standard Six Man Tag that we will see again on Raw or Smackdown at some point in the near future. It’ll be good, but The Authority will prevail following a dirty finish involving J&J Security.

United States Championship Match: Rusev (c) vs. John Cena – If this what Rusev has been built up for in the year he has been on the main roster, he can’t lose now. Rusev must crush Cena at Fastlane for his legacy to mean anything in the near future. The two should have a somewhat lengthy feud, but if the Russian sympathizer is finally going to be pinned or submitted by Cena, it has to be at Wrestlemania. Judging by the booking of Cena in these angles, the match will either end in a disqualification or Rusev will play dirty for a victory. We’re expecting the former with Rusev going postal on the Cenation leader.

Divas Championship Match: Nikki Bella (c) w/Brie Bella vs. Paige – Paige desperately needs to regain and continue to re-shape the Divas division, but not just yet. Nikki Bella is playing the mean girl role well and can put on a good match to boot. The five to 10 minutes we see will be decent with Nikki coming out with the win. Paige needs the big win at ‘Mania for this feud to get the payoff the Divas angles rarely see.

No. 1 Contendership for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan – This is for all the marbles. We’re going to see some highlights in these men’s careers in this one. It’s also the one that’s too close to call. Will WWE go with what has been rumored as “the original plan” or will the WWE Universe’s voice be acknowledged for the second year in a row? The angle alone has quelled a lot of the backlash from the Royal Rumble (we personally love that it’s been explored) and for the WWE to address the situation so well makes us not mind which way this could go. It would be great to see Bryan go all the way again, but Reigns will probably meet WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar at the Granddaddy of ’em All.

Pro Wrestling

WWE TLC 2014 Predictions

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Another year has come and gone which means Wrestlemania season is just around the corner. As is tradition, WWE will make sure 2014 goes out with a bang in this year’s installment of their annual TLC pay-per-view. Below are our predictions for the winners of each match.

The New Day vs. Goldust and Stardust (TLC Kickoff)– While the cosmic duo sets its sights on the darkening of The New Day, we at The Bonesaw feel that since The New Day has debuted very recently, it is likely that they will prevail against the brothers Dust. Expect a good back and forth with plenty of tag team twists and turns as both teams have great chemistry with their partners and deliver unique offenses. The one variable is which two members of The New Day will be doing the brawling. Our money’s on Big E and Kofi Kingston due to their more direct confrontations with Gold and Stardust.

Nikki Bella (c) vs. AJ Lee (Divas Championship Match) – A re-match for the championship that should (hopefully) last longer than their Survivor Series encounter. These two young women will make the match as interesting as they can with the time they are given but it a tough call due to the constant flip-flopping of the title. History tells us Lee will regain her championship, but we predict Bella. One thing’s for sure: sister Brie will have some involvement in the outcome.

The Miz and Damien Mizdow (c) vs. The Uso’s (WWE Tag Team Championships Match) – A tag match that will be entertaining due to The Uso’s hybrid style and Mizdow’s hilarious antics. Chances are the champions will retain, but just barely as The Uso’s will outmaneuver the self proclaimed “A-lister” and his goofy “stunt double.”

Luke Harper (c) vs. Dolph Ziggler (Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship) – Ladder matches are notorious for death-defying spots and hard hitting action. Harper and Ziggler will put their bodies on the line with an intense showing of instestinal fortitude. The two rising stars will put on a heart-stopping clinic  that will culminate in Ziggler winning back his championship.

Rusev (c) vs. Jack Swagger (United States Championship Match) –  Aside from their characters being natural enemies, Rusev and Swagger have shown great chemistry in their feud. TLC will be no different when stars, stripes and sickles clash again for the United States championship. The Bonesaw believes Rusev will again conquer the good ol’ U.S. of A. – but would enjoy seeing Swagger knock off the Bulgarian Brute as it would greatly benefit his career.

Ryback vs. Kane (Chairs Match) – The inclusion of a Chairs Match is very unnecessary in any circumstance. The feud of Ryback and Kane is probably a short placeholder that would fare better with a regular match or a no-disqualification stipulation. The match will be decent if it is not given too much time. If we see more than 10 minutes, this could turn into a stinker. It is very likely that Ryback will continue his rampage.

Erick Rowan vs. Big Show (Steel Stairs Match) – Similar to Ryback vs. Kane, this very shoehorned in match with a steel stars stipulation rather than chairs might be decent if given a short length. Fans would much rather see Rowan battle his former tag team partner Harper, but it is what it is. The Big Show is almost a lock to win this one.

Dean Ambrose vs. Bray Wyatt (Tables Ladders & Chairs Match) – This match will steal the show. It will be as violent as PG programming will allow and the in-ring psychology will tell a fantastic story. Wyatt will endure the beating of his life, but The Eater of Worlds will defeat the unstable one in order for the feud to continue. The promos alone are too good to stop this freight train now.

 John Cena vs. Seth Rollins (Tables Match) – It should be noted that should Cena lose, he also loses his no. 1 contender spot against Brock Lesnar for the WWE title. Not to Rollins, but to an unknown  challenger to be announced at a later date. Seeing as Rollins is in possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase, the match is more about a notch on his belt as he will get his championship match whenever and wherever he likes until the next Money in the Bank pay-per-view. It will be a hard fought battle and a great main event, but chances are Cena will find his can of spinach and emerge victorious yet again. Having said that, we really hope Rollins wins.