LIVE Raw thoughts - April 30, 2012

11:11 - I can't believe I'm going to say this, but everything that just happened was actually the lesser of two evils.  Then again, I REALLY didn't want to see Cena/Tensai.  But I'm sure we can all agree the BEST route to go would have just been to have Brock put Cena on the sidelines.  Sometimes (usually) the best explanation is the easiest one.

11:05 - I have a feeling that this is going to be one of those John Cena promos that people hate.  I don't mind 'em, but most seem to do.

10:55 - Wow, so hoping worked!  Punk vs. Bryan on PPV for the WWE Championship?  Sign me up.  Awesome of WWE to listen to their fans and keep Bryan in a main event title program.  But I continue to hold out hope that the storyline with AJ isn't over yet.

10:52 - When Lawler came out and Bryan got a bit TOO excited, I got a bad feeling.  When they made it a foregone conclusion that Bryan would win, it made me think he's not going to beat the record.  A man can hope, though!

10:46 - I wouldn't be surprised to see Daniel Bryan face Zack Ryder in the last match and just beat Orton's time to become #1 Contender for the WWE Championship.  And who's facing Cena?  Smart money is on a Lesnar rematch, but that can't be announced tonight since the suspense is in whether or not he's been fired.  Lord Tensai, perhaps?

10:44 - This had to have been the worst possible combination.

10:32 - I'm fine with Kofi and Truth winning the tag titles.  Quite simply, the titles were getting no recognition on Primo and Epico.  At least when Air Boom were the champs, they were being featured regularly on Raw and Smackdown, and even appeared on PPV.  With a midcard-to-upper-midcard tandem holding the titles, hopefully they'll get a bit more attention.

10:23 - So this is weird, but WWE.com has a very nondescript story about the Bellas being fired:

http://www.wwe.com/shows/raw/2012-04-30/bella-twins-fired

Note the wording.  Not "released," but "fired."  And there's no natural storyline behind it.  If this is legit -- and it might be, since there were rumors behind it -- why not feed them to Kharma and wrap up that storyline?

10:18 - I really do like the idea that a four minute match (while still very short) is a highly competitive battle.  I feel like a lot of these Beat the Clock Challenges degrade into 1 minute matches.  That may still end up being the winning time, but at least the matches leading up to that have been a regular time.

By the way, who else thought that the Tag Titles were not only going to be defended on a PPV.....but against John Cena, no less???  If that happened, A.W. definitely deserved his paycheck.

10:05 - Is leaving better than anyone really an insult?

9:56 - Love the fact that Michael Cole remembered -- and MENTIONED -- that he did a dance off with Naomi on NXT.  Awesome.  Also, is JTG back to his old gimmick?  Didn't he change his appearance for like two weeks?

9:50 - I don't know if that was a mistake or not, but it's actually a very clever concept.  Have they ever had a Beat the Clock Challenge end in a tie?

9:42 - I definitely would've kept the Bellas as Divas champ until Kharma's return.  I'm not sold on Layla as a face either.  Don't we have enough smiling, happy face Divas?

9:29 - It is really quite telling when it's a foregone conclusion (for the announcers) that neither guy has a chance of winning the Beat the Clock Challenge at the 3 minute mark.

9:18 - I was fine with that opening.  A lot of people have spoken out against a Lesnar/Triple H feud, but to be honest I have no problem with it.  In fact, I sorta think that should have been Lesnar's initial feud when he returned to the company.  There's a natural story there, with Triple H as COO and negotiating Lesnar's contract (as we saw a moment ago).  And somebody as pro-WWE and old school as Triple H has easy ammunition with the way Lesnar left the company in the first place.  And this is one feud from Lesnar's first run that never really got any attention.  Plus, Lesnar could have returned with a big victory without WWE having to worry about jobbing out their "face."

8:13 - Well I think it's safe to say we have a pre-Raw discussion topic.  Last night, at Extreme Rules, Brock Lesnar absolutely decimated John Cena before Cena managed to hit his finisher and defeated the beast.  Naturally, this resulted in an uproar amongst the majority of the Internet Wrestling Community.  And honestly, I can't help but laugh a little.

Let me make this perfectly clear.  I 100% believe that Lesnar should have won the match.  And it really has nothing to do with the fact that it was Brock Lesnar or that it was John Cena.  My mentality is simply that if you're ever introducing somebody to the main event scene -- and that person is going to be a central fixture for the foreseeable future -- that person shouldn't lose the match.  If WWE didn't want to job out Cena, that's fine. Then Lesnar should have been paired off with somebody else.  So why am I laughing, then?

Mostly because of the arguments people are making for why Cena shouldn't have won.  And how it's practically the exact opposite of what they said when Cena was in a program with the Rock.  There was a brief rumor that Cena would be disappearing for a while to film Marine 3 (that now seems unlikely).  And so NOW people are suddenly making the argument that Cena will be leaving while Lesnar will still be around, so why did Cena win?  Yet where was this argument when people brought up that EXACT point in reference to the Rock?

There's a particular uproar over on Scott Keith's blog.  And I like Scott, so I don't want to pick on him, but I couldn't help but scratch my head when he referred to Cena winning as "short sighted booking."  Yet his fantasy booking sees Lesnar defeating -- in dominating fashion -- every single current WWE main eventer (Cena, Punk, Sheamus, Orton, etc.) before getting fed to the Rock.  So you have one guy who is only around for a year making your entire promotion looking like chumps, only to job him out to a guy who only appears a handful of dates a year?  How is that NOT short sighted booking?  You're banking on one match (Rock/Lesnar) to pop a huge buyrate, when NEITHER of those guys will be on the next 12 PPVs.

So, again, I do believe that Lesnar should have won last night.  But by that same token, I strongly believe that Cena should have won at WrestleMania.  One thing is for sure:  I am eager to see the fallout of Extreme Rules on tonight's show.

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-20

Alright so this question needs to be asked: What in the blue hell is the party budget over at the Mystic Falls High School? On top of having a new event every week, they’re even ordering crystal chandeliers. Crystal chandeliers that are apparently being discarded, no less!

Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-20"....

So the ongoing joke this season has been the many, many, many deaths of Alaric Saltzman. And these repeated deaths made me wonder if his actual death, should it ever happen, would lack an emotional impact. But I have to say, I was extremely moved by the scenes revolving around Alaric’s demise. Of course, they ended up faking us out yet again by having him get forced into his transformation, but nonetheless I think this episode proved that his eventual death (again, assuming it happens) can still be handled in a touching way. The various scenes hit all the right notes.

In particular, the scenes between Alaric and Elena were great, and I’m especially happy that they didn’t cross any potentially uncomfortable barriers. To be blunt, having a middle aged man and an attractive young woman grow close can give people the wrong idea (check out the fanfic out there), and I’m glad they avoided anything that could be misconstrued here. We know that these two characters care and love each other, so it was a good idea to resist having them say “I love you.” And even a simple kiss on the cheek – while innocent – would have taken away from the moment. But what they did say was beautiful. Elena focused on the fact that she was not only losing another friend, but also the one person who could protect her in the most human way possible. And for Alaric, Elena and Jeremy weren’t a burden that he was trying to get away from. They were the one thing that truly gave his life purpose. It was through their scenes that I realized that, amongst all of the supernatural events they’re surrounded by, their relationship provided them with the human comforts that they were lacking.

I also thought it was sweet how all of the characters united to be there for him when he made the decision not to go through with the transformation. When you have a series that features deaths so frequently, it’s easy to become a bit desensitized to it. It’s always refreshing when these characters act like they care when somebody in their life is, ya’ know, going to die. The silent acknowledgement that he touched each of their lives was sweet as well. Definitely one of those moments where less is more.

The scene between Damon and Alaric, while brief, was enjoyable as well. I was actually a bit surprised that it wasn’t longer. This is one of the closest and most complex friendships we’ve seen on the show, so I expected it to get a bit more attention (of course, this really didn’t end up being the end for Alaric, so perhaps that is why). Having said that, their short moment together was sweet and nice.

One thing I found very interesting about this episode was the sudden villainous tone of Esther’s behavior. Since being introduced to her, it’s seemed like she was always interested in doing the right thing. She had seen the err of her ways, and wanted to rid the world of the evil she had unleashed upon it. However, in this episode, she seemed far more willing to hurt and take advantage of innocent people in order to accomplish that mission. She knowingly used Alaric’s “disability” (for lack of a better word) in order to get what she wants – knowing that it would kill him. She forced Elena to participate, despite her protests and knowing full well what she was taking away from her. And she was willing to kill Matt and Jeremy if they got in the way. And even after her demise, Esther still went against Alaric’s wishes, and was willing to sacrifice Bonnie in order to accomplish that. This was probably the worst Esther has looked yet.

Last week I noted how Jeremy is the one person who would show a preference to Stefan over Damon, given the fact that he wasn’t victimized by Stefan the same way the others have been. Well, this week Caroline surprised me by acting extremely pro-Stefan. I wasn’t disappointed – hey, I want Elena to end up with him too – but I didn’t expect it. While Caroline and Damon have always had a complicated relationship, I did always sense a certain closeness between them as well. And while I’m glad it’s happening, I am a tad surprised that many of these characters have been so willing to accept Stefan back into their lives now that he’s good again. Of course I understand Elena and Stefan, since they each love him, but it’s odd to me that everybody but Bonnie has seemingly opted to just forgive and forget.

Actually, I’m starting to suspect that Caroline might be reading my columns, because she was also the first character to bring attention to the growing closeness between Elena and Matt. Since one of the characters noticed it, and brought it up, clearly the writers want to make sure that the audience has noticed it as well. Which makes me wonder where this might be going. They’ve clearly got their hands full with Elena being torn between Stefan and Damon, so why throw Matt into the mix?

Speaking of which, it was a really fun pro-Stefan/Elena episode. Like I’ve been saying for the past few episodes, jerky Stefan was a lot of fun, but I’m glad to see the Stefan of old back. And it’s nice seeing Elena and Stefan attempt to rebuild their relationship. For what it’s worth, I think they’ve found a solid foundation for this love triangle. Stefan is the one Elena truly wants to be with, but Damon is the one she cannot resist feeling something for. It certainly makes each relationship distinct, and makes me truly unsure of who she will choose this go around.

And just a random observation here, but I found it strange that Jeremy so openly mentioned vampires in front of Jamie. Does he know who Jamie is? The same thing happened on Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Smallville. Once all of the central characters were in the know, the writers seemingly forgot to have the main characters keep their secrets from random side characters.

Then again, maybe Jeremy was just being a world class c-blocker. If so, well played.

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My latest Internet obsession...

Sorry, but I won't be able to see The Vampire Diaries tonight, so you may have to wait an extra day or two for my review.  However, because I haven't updated the blog in a while, I thought I'd share with you my latest Internet obsession:

http://whatshouldwecallme.tumblr.com/

It's a tumblr blog with humorous GIFs for common situations.  Really funny stuff, and updated numerous times throughout the day.

Also, for what it's worth, I HATE the new Blogger interface.  It's sorta like Facebook or Twitter, where they have a very basic and easy to follow format, and replace it with something that's far too advanced for its own good.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.  As far as I'm concerned, this "improvement" has a lot of bugs and drawbacks.  Thumbs down!

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A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-19

This was another fun episode that continued to mix up some of the interactions we’re used to seeing. For example, Alaric typically shares almost all of his scenes with either Elena or Damon. This episode, he was kept completely separate from them and interacted primarily with Stefan. Even rarer, he mixed it up with Klaus and Rebekah. And while Elena, Jeremy, and Damon isn’t anything new, it is something we haven’t seen in a while. And I particularly enjoyed the way Jeremy picked and chose which of Rose’s messages to share with Damon and Elena.

Continue reading "A Case of the.... The Vampire Diaries - Episode 3-19".... 


I actually really liked Jeremy’s stance throughout the episode. I’ve enjoyed the role reversal between Damon and Stefan, but as each begins to ease back into their more familiar roles, it was nice to see somebody side with Stefan. Elena has remained loyal to Stefan in her own way, but characters such as Alaric, Bonnie, and Caroline have seemed to grow closer to Damon as Stefan drifted from the group. Jeremy, meanwhile, has legit reason to be hostile towards Damon (he’s killed him, afterall). And, if memory serves, he wasn’t really at the receiving end of Stefan’s madness. So I sorta liked it when Rose told Jeremy to tell Elena and Damon that she’s rooting for them, only for Jeremy to pause awkwardly and instead say that she sends her regards.  


Nonetheless, I did enjoy Rose’s dissection of the difference between Elena’s relationships with Damon and Stefan. Stefan’s love is pure and safe, and perhaps “right,” but Damon forces her out of her comfort zone. As Rose said, Damon is either the best or worst thing for her. And, again, I thought it was sweet how Jeremy was trying to protect her, and needed to be gently told why he should allow them to explore their feelings.

I also thought the scenes with Elena and Damon were well handled. Both characters responded to the situation with the right amount of trepidation. Both were reluctant – Elena because she worried that she might be betraying Stefan and Damon because he didn’t want to get his hopes up. And Elena asked the right questions, namely, why he tries so hard to not be good. And I liked Damon’s honest answer – because he doesn’t want people to expect him to do good things. However, while I enjoyed his vulnerability, I sorta wish more focus was put on the fact that it wasn’t a very admirable answer. Generally speaking, good people don’t prevent themselves from doing good things because people would expect goodness from them.

The big moment was when Elena finally succumbed to her temptations and went after Damon. Again, I thought this was well handled. My favorite part, though? That they didn’t have sex. I feel like so many of these teen soap operas culminate in the sex scene far too quickly (I’m looking at you, 90210!) I’m not so naïve that I don’t think that there are a bunch of teenagers (or 200 year olds) who jump into the sack the second they kiss, but I do think it’s a little unrealistic. On top of that, from a storytelling perspective, it deprives the audience from looking forward to another “big” moment. So I’m glad Jeremy interrupted the moment so that they couldn’t get to that point.

Over at the “home” front, I was a bit surprised they had Stefan reveal the lineage destruction issue with Klaus so quickly and readily. What was the benefit? I would guess to show that there’s no longer an interest in killing Klaus, but that’s still some important information to just give away. And when you consider Klaus’ tumultuous relationship with his siblings, as well as his general uncaring nature, why isn’t it a bit dangerous for him to know that that he can eliminate all of them just by staking somebody he readily has access to? However, I really did like the twist at the end, where we learn that Esther possessed Rebekah’s body and is continuing her plot to eliminate the originals.

If there was one thing from the episode that I found very contrived, though, it was the conflict between Caroline and Tyler. I recognize the need to create a little tension between them, since they’re already at odds over the “if we kill Klaus, Tyler dies” issue, but this felt way too forced. While Tyler may not know the extent, he should be well aware of the fact that Caroline has – on more than one occasion – attempted to kill Klaus (or, at the very least, taken part in missions that would result in Klaus’ death). Surely if she was harboring feelings towards him, she wouldn’t have done that. And when she revealed the lineage issue to Tyler, her concern wasn’t for Klaus’ well being, it was about Tyler. Tyler finding a drawing that Klaus made of Caroline seemed like a really flimsy plot device to create an issue between them. Why not just use the fact that Caroline hasn’t stopped the rest of the crew from plotting to kill Klaus, which in turn would kill Tyler? Sometimes the easiest explanation is the best one.

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Random Observation: Are traditional turns obsolete?

Earlier today I was thinking about some of my favorite face and heel turns, and it came to make me realize that it's been a while since we've seen a truly memorable one. I took that thought one step further and couldn't help but realize that, in many ways, your traditional turn has become obsolete. Going into WrestleMania, for example, our face WWE Champion was CM Punk and our heel World Champion was Daniel Bryan. Both have been excellent in their roles, yet neither really turned, either. Slowly but surely Punk became a likable hero, and in that same fashion Daniel Bryan descended into an unlikable villain. Neither did one monumental action to solidify their turn....it just sorta happened over time.

That's not to say turns are completely gone. Last year Christian pretty conclusively turned on Randy Orton. Likewise, Kane became a heel when he attacked John Cena. So, yeah, every now and then you'll have your big moments (Mark Henry turning on his team the night of the draft, Beth Phoenix attacking Kelly Kelly, Eve revealing that she was just using Zack Ryder, Alex Riley beating up Miz), but more often than not, people just seem to find themselves in a certain role.

Zack Ryder was wrestling as a heel during his stint on Superstars. Yet when he gained popularity and was promoted to Raw, he was suddenly a face. There was no big moment to make him a fan favorite. On a lower scale, guys like the Usos and Tamina are faces now, when not too long ago they were heels. Ditto for Tyson Kidd. And Natalya seems to switch depending on which show she's wrestling on.

Is this a criticism? Not necessarily. My two big examples -- CM Punk and Daniel Bryan -- probably worked so well because it was so organic. But I can't help but feel like certain people have been deprived of some milestone moments. Christian smashing the King of the Ring trophy over Edge's chest is forever etched in my memory. As is Batista powerbombing Triple H through a table and signing his WrestleMania contract. Moments such as those, built over time, can make a person's career memorable.

So I ask you....what is the last turn (heel or face) that truly made an impression on you?

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LIVE Raw thoughts - April 16, 2012

11:04 - Given the circumstances, it was probably better for Tensai to win. Losing that match would have really hurt him, I think. However, I do question the decision to job Cena to Rock....then Tensai.....then Lesnar. Of course, losing to Tensai isn't going to hurt Cena, but I would just think it'd be best to make both Cena and Lesnar look strong going into their match.

10:58 - For a guy who is constantly tormenting himself about his loss to the Rock, Cena seemed awfully at peace the night after the show.

10:54 - I have to say, that "People Power" Johnny Ace logo would actually make a pretty cool t-shirt. I wouldn't buy it, but it's cool looking. By the way, nice twist with the Lord Tensai reveal.

10:48 - Overall it's been a really strong show. But the past 20 or so minutes have been pretty lackluster. Who do I think Cena's mystery opponent will be? Probably Miz. He's the only upper card person we haven't seen at all yet, and he's not really doing anything else storyline wise, so jobbing to Cena doesn't impact any other story.

10:25 - See, folks, they haven't completely given up on Daniel Bryan. And while I wish they had kept him and AJ together, I am at least pleased that they clearly haven't abandoned the storyline relationship altogether.

10:13 - I'm trying to think of a better name for the "Yes Lock" that still incorporates the "YES!" chant. Maybe "Say Yes!"?

10:01 - I'm going to have to agree with what most of the critics are saying when they bring up the fact that, up until this moment, there hasn't been any sustained, established beef between Cena and Ace. Where is all of this hatred coming from?

8:55 - So there you go. They're doing something with the "YES!" chants. Although the "Yes Lock" isn't exactly witty.

9:48 - Is Kane working on his CSI cutaway or something?

9:42 - Funny that Brock didn't mention his post-WWE football career. Joking aside, that was a great video of Brock and an effective way of using him. If he's really only going to be used a select amount of dates, videos such as these can be a great way of having him appear on his "off" weeks.

The only downside is that everybody already believes Lesnar is a bad ass. The fans need to see Cena's tough side. I hope he retaliates with that same level of aggression. Bring up the fact that Lesnar couldn't cut it after a couple of years, and he's been doing this for nearly a decade.

9:39 - Is it me or does Brock Lesnar have more of a drawl than he did the first time around?

9:23 - How many times are they going to give us Santino vs. Otunga before they realize not many people care?

9:18 - CM Punk and Mark Henry seem to have really good to great matches together. Granted, I never saw Henry's PPV matches with Orton (which were apparently very good), but I've been highly impressed with the matches Punk has had with Henry. And hey, Punk finished a match with the elbow smash (sorta)! Legitimizes that as an additional finisher (sorta).

9:08 - Great to see the return of the "YES!" chant. It's gone international!

9:04 - Nice, active, enthusiastic crowd tonight. As we've seen the past few weeks, that can make or break a show. Off to a nice start.

8:50 - So Raw is in London tonight. I guess that means we'll see the telephone booth on the stage tonight! Check back in 10 minutes for my LIVE Raw thoughts.

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Classic Horror Movie Review

I remember watching this movie as a kid, but for the life of me I couldn't remember the title. I have very, very vivid memories of the mom getting hit by a car and her leg coming off when she was pulled from underneath (as well as the necklace/escalator scene). And that damn mutant cat as well! Well, upon doing some research I finally found out the title -- "The Kiss," a horror film from 1988. Of course, I don't remember the voodoo stuff, but that severed leg thing still sticks with me. Anyway, I came across this pretty hilarious review of the film. Check it out. Does anybody else remember this movie?

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LIVE Raw thoughts - April 9, 2012

11:05 - A very up and down edition of Raw. The ending was fine, as they've done a pretty good job building Cena/Lesnar. But I repeat what I said last week....the booking would have made more sense, and been more effective, if Cena had beat Rock at Mania. If Rock beat Cena, why would Brock attack Cena to become the top dog?

11:01 - When Jerry Lawler complains about the wrestlers getting in the way of the fun time the Three Stooges were supposed to have, that pretty much says it all, doesn't it?

10:55 - While I absolutely loved the Old School edition of Raw a couple of years ago, I'm not quite as thrilled by the Blast from the Past Smackdown. Even though Smackdown has been around for over a decade, it just doesn't seem to have the same rich history as Raw. A lot of that is because Smackdown hasn't really changed all that much visually in its time on television (whereas Raw has change drastically). It just feels like it'll be a typical Smackdown, just with some legends. Like, Smackdown NEVER used the red, white, and blue ropes or the old block logo.

10:50 - That was an incredibly awesome video for an awesome match. But I do love that they were using footage of CM Punk that was clearly taken last year. Thus, he could not have possibly been talking about the WrestleMania XXVIII match.

10:28 - I have to say....since moving to Raw, I really haven't been feeling Alberto Del Rio. There's nothing much about the guy that excites or entertains me.

10:26 - By the way, Alberto Del Rio is one of those guys who shouldn't be wearing a t-shirt to the ring. It totally contradicts his aristocratic character.

10:25 - I'm thinking this doesn't look good for Zack Ryder.

10:16 - Remember at the beginning of the show how I said that they're REALLY inconsistent in regards to how the roster reacts to a brawl? I mean, the entire backstage cleared out because John Cena and Brock Lesnar were rolling around the ring. And yet where were they when Mark Henry beat on CM Punk? Or when Jericho and Punk were fighting and rolling around the ring? Or when Jericho poured beer all over Punk?

10:01 - I really don't like that WrestleMania attire that Punk has been wearing. I hate the color scheme.

9:53 - I keep hearing all these great things about Albert in Japan. And while we haven't seen anything but brief squash matches.....I really haven't seen much that impresses me.

9:51 - Didn't they make a fairly big deal out of Tatsu returning on NXT with facepaint? How long did that last? Two weeks?

9:47 - By the way, that Three Stooges clip was dreadful. I also hate this inconsistent use of guest hosts....where some are actors promoting their movie, while others are playing their characters as if they're "real."

Also, I'm sure this isn't what Tatsu had in mind when he said he wanted a Lord Tensei feud.

9:41 - I hate that sort of distraction. Cody Rhodes was there last week.....why would he need to stare at the screen to watch what happened?

9:38 - Do you think Kane just roams the hallways until he finds one that is painted red?

9:18 - I love that Johnny Ace has his WrestleMania suit (with plaque) hanging in his office.

9:13 - Perfect opening. Excellent idea having Johnny Ace endorse Lesnar, and then having Lesnar thank Ace in order to establish him as a heel to the audience. Even better not having Cena say anything and instead having him initiate physical contact with Lesnar. He looked like a chump last week, and this helped him save face. The pull apart brawl was effective (although it does always open the door to make you ask why the roster doesn't seem to care when one person is getting attacked by 5-10 people, yet they felt the need to break up this two person fight). The intensity felt real, and the sight of blood -- since it's been so rare the past few years -- REALLY sold it. I'm sure a lot of people will have issue with Cena smiling, but I thought it worked. It reminded me of when Foley was smiling after he got thrown through the cage at King of the Ring. I interpreted it as Cena enjoying the chaos and physicality. Like I said, the tension was already there.

Oh, and GREAT job by Mark Henry, who had the awareness to give Sheamus a little shove when they were standing next to each other. Great "little thing" that kept them in character.

9:06 - So there you go. He can still jump onto the apron.

9:01 - Brock Lesnar returns and they open the show with the Three Stooges? And instead of talking about the big return, Lawler is calling it the most fun Raw in a long time?

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I challenge you to a duel!

A few months ago I got an iPhone, and I've really just started to take advantage of the available apps and games. At the moment, the only two games I really play are Draw Something (my favorite) and Words With Friends.

Sooooooooo, if you any of you have an iPhone and play either of these games, feel free to challenge me! My username for both games is mbasilo.

Here's the caveat, though: I sometimes go days without playing. So no nudging me or asking me to hurry up and play. And I also occasionally suck at both. But other than that, feel free to throw me a challenge and let's have some fun. I also added a graphic on the sidebar of my blog with my username.

And hey, if there are any other recommendations, I'm always looking for suggestions.

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Dive Bar Shirt Club: Greasewood Flat

I received my Dive Bar Shirt Club t-shirt for the month of April yesterday, and for only the (I believe) second time since joining the club, I actually wore the shirt right away. This is our busy season at work, so every Friday and Saturday (if you need to come in) you're allowed to wear jeans. As an added way to enjoy the day, there's also a designated theme for each weekend. This weekend's theme was "Destinations," and what better way to exemplify that than by wearing a t-shirt from a dive bar in Arizona. And hey, the place has a website as well (although it's a .net), so that means I can just cut and paste. Love the t-shirt, though!

1880's Stage Stop
During the Arizona Territory days, Reata Pass was on an old stagecoach stop along a dust-filled, rocky trail that wandered often steeply uphill northeast from Phoenix and on to connect Fort McDowell on the Verde River and Prescott. Crossing the McDowell Mountains in those days was no easy task as the climb took its toll on the passengers and horses. Travelers were treated to a hearty meal and cool drink while the horses were being watered, A knee-high foundation of boulders and mortar supported a wooden one-room stage station built in 1882. Portions of the adobe walls and old stone foundation still exist, making Reata Pass the most authentic "cowboy" restaurant in the Valley. The old jailhouse across the road is original and was used elsewhere in the 1880's to hold Indian prisoners.

Scottsdale's Pioneer Blacksmith Family
The Cavalliere family was one of the first to settle in Scottsdale, before the town's incorporation. They still own and run Scottsdale's oldest continuous business, the historic Cavalliere Blacksmith Shop in Old Town, founded in 1909. George "Doc" Cavalliere II purchased Reata Pass in the fifties and proceeded to add on to the western "town" as an event would require. Three generations of graceful Cavalliere ornamental ironwork accent the various inside as well as the patio and cookout areas outside. Rusty western relics collected by the family over the years, such as branding irons and spurs, hang in scores from the rafters and walls here and the family's sister cowboy bar next door, Greasewood Flat.

Movie Location
Reata Pass has been used as a backdrop for several movies over the years. "Cancel My Reservation", "Raising Arizona" and earlier portions of "Bonanza" were shot here. Bob Hope and a young Michael Landon frequented the restaurant during the filmings. At one point movie producers built a church as a backdrop for an early western called "Peace and the Gunfighter". In addition we have hosted many of the rich and famous, such as Tennessee Ernie Ford and Barry Goldwater to name a few. We even built a large chair for one of our regular customers, who weighed around 500 pounds.

Greasewood Flat Website: http://greasewoodflat.net

Dive Bar Shirt Club: Website - Twitter - Facebook

Dive Bar Shirt Club T-Shirt Gallery

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The Daniel Bryan Phenomenon and Should John Cena Have Won?

Well it's been a really, really busy week at work so I haven't had much time to update the blog. But over the past week, the talk of the wrestling world has been Daniel Bryan and Brock Lesnar. I thought I'd offer my two cents on each matter.

After a disappointing showing at WrestleMania, Monday Night Raw proved to be Daniel Bryan's coming out party. No, it wasn't because of anything he did (he didn't even wrestle and barely appeared), it was because of the phenomenal live audience. I've argued on different occasions that WWE shouldn't book for the thousands in the live audience, but that they should do it for the millions watching at home. My logical is simply that you need to do what's best for the story and best for the overall audience. That line of thinking, however, GREATLY diminishes the important part the live audience plays in the enjoyment of any given show. And this Monday's Raw was an epic example of what a difference they can make. That crowd MADE Daniel Bryan. Hell, they literally made a t-shirt!

The question is, where do they go from here? Personally, I think they should stay the course. Don't change what's clearly working. While the live audience is massively important, they're not always necessarily right either. That is to say, just because they cheer for somebody doesn't mean that person should be a good guy. Sometimes it works (CM Punk being the prime example). Sometimes it doesn't (Orton's initial face turn comes to mind). As odd as it sounds, Daniel Bryan's character is so likable because of the fact that he's so incredibly unlikable. He treats his girlfriend like garbage and he's clearly using her. He wins cheaply and then celebrates like he's the best ever. He's arrogant and doesn't seem self aware. You turn him face and suddenly the charm is gone. A babyface who wins cheaply and celebrates just looks like a loser.

And while tonight's Smackdown seems to end the relationship between Bryan and AJ, I really, REALLY hope they end up together again. These two have incredible chemistry and a big part of Bryan's act can be attributed to AJ. She's PERFECT in that role. And to be honest, no other Diva would fit. You pair him with, say, a Bella or Eve, and the whole dynamic of the relationship changes. The spiel with Bryan works because his girlfriend is sympathetic (and relate-able to the female audience).

This awesome reaction may die down. I daresay it probably will. But at least WWE is smart enough to strike while the iron is hot and to not resist it (completely anyway) like they did with Zack Ryder. I hope this means big things for Bryan (and AJ, since I think she's adorable). I don't mind them taking actions to ensure that he remains a heel in the eyes of the fans. I do mind them doing things that destroy why the audience reacts to him in the first place.

The other big news is that Brock Lesnar returned and attacked John Cena. Instead of focusing on Brock, however, I'd like to reanalyze the booking of WrestleMania 28. Specifically, should John Cena have won? Throughout most of the storyline I've sided with Cena, so I don't want this to be a pro-Cena/anti-Rock thing. I'm saying, purely from the perspective of where they've decided to go post-WrestleMania, I think they would have been better off going with a Cena victor. Hear me out....

Cena goes face to face with the Rock and comes up short. Cleanly. The next night Cena concedes that the Rock is the best of all time (and, by proxy, better than him). He's then met by Brock Lesnar, who proceeds to eliminate him with one move. Presumably, we'll see Cena go up against Lesnar next. Clearly, you can't have Lesnar lose, so Cena has to come up short yet again. So in the two matches that he faces the representative of another era, he loses. After beating pretty much every person on the current roster. Will Cena recover? Of course. But it does look bad for him to lose to both Rock and Lesnar two feuds in a row. And it makes the current roster look like they pale in comparison to the preceding ones (which is especially bad considering that none of these guys have really been pushed all that strong).

I think they would have been better off going the Goldberg route. Have Cena go over Rock (and this won't make Rock look bad, either. After all, he hasn't wrestled in nearly a decade) and, in his own face fashion, proclaim that he's proved that the present is better than the past. This also provides the motivation for Brock to make the attack (which was lacking this time around). The way it played out, Cena lost clean after talking about how he can't lose. And then he proclaimed his opponent was better than him. Then he got laid out by a returning monster. He looked like a chump. Big time.

This also wouldn't have impacted Rock's promo and ongoing storyline. Despite coming up short, Rock could claim that he hasn't lost his touch and he's determined to prove that he's still got it. And in order to prove that, he's going to win the WWE Championship. This will also make any upcoming match that much important. Rock now has something to prove.

Yes, Cena is the most protected guy on the entire roster (of the full time Superstars), but why put your biggest star in a situation where he's going to lose two feuds against the old guard? And if they aren't going to protect Cena and have him lose, why not give that opportunity to one of their current guys? Rock and Brock are already established and don't need that rub. CM Punk or Sheamus totally could.

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LIVE Raw thoughts - April 2, 2012

11:13 - Alright, so Cena's promo was pretty disappointing. They did a great job of making people intrigued about what he might say and how he might react, and they responded by having him give his old standard promo. I think they would have been MUCH better off having Cena take the mic, but before he had a chance to say anything have Lesnar come down. Then they do the handshake and F5 bit. The shock of Lesnar was reduced significantly because of the fact that fans were chanting his name for 5 minutes. And on top of that, it would build another week of intrigue to hear what Cena has to say.

By the way, what a production fail! They totally missed the handshake and practically missed the F5. Overall, really great show....but disappointing ending.

11:08 - With all due respect Cena, Daniel Bryan did not need your help getting his saying over tonight.

11:06 - Let's see if this is all a ruse so that Cena can attack Rock. Not holding out hope, but let's see. It just seems interesting that they've built up this intrigue, only to see Cena go into overdrive with the nice guy routine. Let's see....

11:04 - Let's see how this plays out, but isn't this the exact type of promo people DIDN'T want to hear Cena give?

11:02 - What an interesting dynamic when the audience actively wants somebody to lash out at them.

10:58 - I actually didn't realize it was 11 yet. That's a good thing. Let's see what Cena has to say (I already like that he's not exuberant as he walks down the aisle).

10:53 - That was a perfectly competitive match for Zack Ryder. I'll reiterate this: There is no shame losing clean to somebody who is higher up the card than you. Yes, there are instances where this should be avoided or when the opposite should happen. But typically speaking, I don't have an issue with it. Ryder got in a nice amount of offense and if things had gone slightly different there's a reason to believe he could have won. I'm not saying the guy should be jobbed out -- I'd love to see him get some more wins under his belt to remind the viewers that he can consistently win -- but this wasn't terrible.

10:48 - So for the first time ever I believe, Miz is wearing his PPV ring jacket on television.

10:40 - Another thing I like about the first Raw after WrestleMania: The introduction of some new characters.

10:26 - The real test is to see if this Daniel Bryan reaction is (a) a geographic thing and (b) a response to his treatment at WrestleMania. I'm curious if he'll still be this over a month from now in Oklahoma (randomly picked location).

10:24 - I am in awe of how over Daniel Bryan is with this audience.

10:21 - The audience yelling "SI! SI! SI!" is hilarious. Awesome. Although if they remove Bryan from the title picture ALREADY, that'd be terrible.

10:19 - At least Sheamus' name is in capital letters on the World Heavyweight Title.

10:14 - I initially found Punk's countout loss curious, but I understand now that they needed for him to be out of commission in order to do the Jericho spiel. By the way, I really hope that wasn't real alcohol, because that would be pretty disrespectful of Punk's decision of how to live his life (I remember Jake the Snake once got annoyed because he was sober, and Jerry Lawler spit actual whiskey in his face). By the way, the Jericho slip didn't kill the segment for me. He still made contact with the kick and it wasn't overly ridiculous. He's human. Human's trip sometimes.

9:58 - Prediction: They will soon stop having Daniel Bryan yell "YES! YES! YES!" because it's getting so over with the audience.

9:52 - I will give them this: They made the matter of winning important going into the WrestleMania match....and they're making the loss seem important as well. A rarity these days.

9:47 - Wait, wasn't Sheamus' interview supposed to be "next" a while ago?

9:42 - So should we expect WWE.com to put up a column on their website about all the dirt sheets being right about A-Train resigning with WWE? By the way, I'm pleasantly surprised to see WWE kinda sorta make reference to the fact that Lord Tensai is a former WWE Suprestar. Glad they didn't just ignore that.

9:33 - I liked it better when Santino would use the Cobra to stun somebody and then he'd roll them up for the pin. I hate the idea that it's knocking people out. And hey, looks like Brodus may now have a feud.

9:20 - Effective promo from the Rock. It was smart to open the show with him because, really, the story should be Cena's reaction to the loss. When Rock was talking about his vision, I couldn't help but worry that they were AGAIN going to announce a match a year in advance. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a great idea to promote Cena/Rock a year in advance. In my eyes, it worked. But I'm not convinced that this should be a yearly thing either. And I actually thought about this the other day. Was that the first time we've seen Rock do the People's Eyebrow since his return?

9:03 - Thankfully I made it home in time for Raw (although I am disappointed I missed the Hall of Fame ceremony). I love the Raw after WrestleMania because, at its best, it's WWE's chance to reinvent itself. It (hopefully) paid off the stories it had been building for months, and many of their top stories can begin building towards new stories. Of course, this isn't always the case, but it's still fun to get an idea of where everything is going.

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LIVE WrestleMania thoughts - April 1, 2012

10:58 - The story they seemed to be pushing as the show closed was that Cena had the match won and got overconfident. Problem is, I don't think he DID have the match won. I would have preferred that they went a little further with that, and showed that Cena could've won but instead opted to add insult to injury by mocking Rock with the Rock Bottom, and that ended up being his undoing. I would've gone with Cena winning, but Rock winning can work if they decide to either turn Cena heel or at least have him give up the nice guy act. He's been so over the top in interviews outright saying that he won't turn heel that I sorta expected him to tonight. Maybe that's waiting for us tomorrow night.

Overall, I thought it was a really entertaining show. The first hour was bad.....with Daniel Bryan losing in 18 seconds and the Divas match. Plus there was the unspectacular Rhodes/Big Show match that may have had the wrong ending. But things picked up significantly after the great Undertaker/Triple H match. And while there were slow moments, the momentum really lasted until the end of the show. Highlights were Punk/Jericho, Rock/Cena, and Triple H/Undertaker. Which was probably expected.

10:55 - I guess I spoke too soon. That was a very abrupt and unexpected ending. With 5 minutes to go, do we see a Cena heel turn?

10:54 - Only about 5 minutes left and it doesn't feel like they're close to the end.

10:41 - I'm not sure I would call that top rope legdrop "picture perfect."

10:30 - A bit of a heelish twinge to Cena's behavior tonight.

10:25 - I'm sorta shocked we're hearing "Let's Go Cena/Cena Sucks!" instead of "Let's Go Cena/Let's Go Rocky!"

10:12 - I kinda love the fact that the redo John Cena's entrance video every time he gets a new t-shirt.

10:09 - So is Diddy the Ricardo Rodrigues of MGK?

10:04 - So is this new GI Joe movie a reboot or sequel to the one that came out a couple years ago?

9:56 - That match arguably got off to a slow start, mostly hampered by the focus on the DQ stipulation. But that entire end sequence was brilliant. It was just two guys who genuinely wanted to win. Realistic wrestling with some fun, innovative reversals. And you really didn't know who would win. Overall, I'm glad Punk won. That was a really great match.

And does somebody want to tell WWE that WrestleMania is in NJ (and not NY) next year?

9:37 - Jericho yelling "hit me in the head!" is great.

9:34 - Yowza, I'm not really a fan of Punk's trunks. Is he mixing red and green? He looks like Xanta Klaus. But I do love that they gave him a true Champion's entrance, with some cool pyro as he came out. And what's with the lack of in-ring intros for the World title matches?

9:27 - Looks like Jericho added some snazzy red lights to his ring jacket. Looks like I was wrong about adding the lights to his trunks as well. BUT I was right about it needing to be dark for his entrance.

9:20 - I've got no problem with Ryder eating the pin as it was shown that he was on fire and clearly in control before outside factors ruined his momentum. I also don't really have a problem with Eve low blowing him. They showed that Ryder was pissed, so it wasn't like he was some puppy dog she put down.

9:15 - Here's a fun little typo. According to WWE.com, Undertaker's undefeated streak was almost "91-1":

9:04 - Some attire discussion!! First off, Miz has a new ring jacket. Pretty cool. Second, I was right about Ryder bringing back his ring jacket! Third, love that Kofi brought back the warm up pants/jacket for his entrance. Fourth, love the sunglasses on the back of the head for Ziggler. Actually, looks like EVERYONE in this match has new tights/trunks. Bravo to all 12.

9:02 - Johnny Ace is looking awfully Lex Luthor-esque tonight.

9:01 - Wow, they really are trying to get everybody on the show!

8:58 - And hey, Flair appears on camera! Is this the first time that somebody contracted by a competitor of WWE appears, by name, at WrestleMania? And awesome moment for Edge, who you could see was savoring it. He's always been one of my favorites, since his debut, and it's great to see him so nicely acknowledged.

8:52 - Three great characters from a great era. And it was a great moment. Another reason not to do Triple H/Michaels. Why sully that moment, like Flair has done with his post WrestleMania career?

8:50 - The visual of Undertaker and Shawn Michaels assisting Triple H out of the ring was awesome. Those three characters -- and all they represent -- stand for so much of their era. Great sight.

8:48 - I enjoyed that moment of respect between Shawn and Taker. The Undertaker is so established in his character by this point that he can have moments where he acts human and it won't ruin his mystique. REALLY hope this doesn't lead to Triple H/Shawn Michaels, though. Shawn's my favorite, but I'm glad he's stayed retirement and found happiness post-wrestling. And if he does ever come back, why do it for a match we've seen countless times before?

8:45 - The welts on both of their backs were sickening. These guys went all out and had a great, entertaining match. I was a bit surprised by how decisively Undertaker won. And I was a little disappointed that the announcers didn't bring up the fact that this match ended almost identically to the match that retired Shawn Michaels (from crawling up Undertaker's leg's, to Undertaker giving the throat slit). Great job by all three pros.

8:41 - Undertaker stepping on the sledgehammer just as Triple H grabs it, and then shaking his head "no" and hitting him with the chair was great.

8:37 - I really do like the story they're telling here with Undertaker, Triple H, and Shawn. All three characters are playing their roles great. Shawn is particularly interesting.

8:30 - Interesting that the actual Hell in a Cell structure isn't playing into the match at all. Couldn't they have done no DQ and not obscured the vision of the top few rows?

8:26 - And am I mistaken, or is Triple H bleeding above his eye?

8:24 - That spinebuster on the stairs looked BRUTAL.

8:16 - How did the cameraman not get in the way during that?

8:14 - He kinda has a mohawk going on there. And is Shawn going to tuck in that shirt or what?

8:12 - Actually, that's a pretty nice haircut.

8:09 - That's a pretty bad ass jacket Undertaker is wearing.

8:06 - Neat entrance for Triple H. And I like the new design on his trunks. Is anybody else's reception getting messed up with these close up entrances?

8:04 - I enjoyed Shawn's salute to JR. He seemed genuinely happy to see JR at the announce booth.

8:03 - Since this match is in Hell in a Cell, does that mean no annual Undertaker Plancha? And am I mistaken, or was there the sound but not sight of pyro for Shawn Michaels' entrance?

8:00 - Ever since I heard that they're allowed to just make up these attendance numbers, these announcements have always seemed like a waste to me.

And hey, I was right! JR returning to commentate for a match. And wow, Cole paid him a compliment. "It wouldn't be WrestleMania without Jim Ross."

7:55 - Wait, was the ref actually aligning Maria in place as Eve prepared for the moonsault?

7:53 - Nearly an hour into the show and they're STILL chanting "Daniel Bryan." But nobody cared about that match, right?

7:43 - Not surprised to see Big Show win, but I'm disappointed. Cody was doing fine with the title (even though he rarely defended it) and he was only a few months away from breaking Honky Tonk Man's record. Big Show didn't do great with the US title (he defended it even less), but let's see how he does with the IC title.

7:35 - Well, I was part right. Rhodes did break out a new color scheme -- red and white instead of white and black. But the IC title is still on the white strap (still matches). Not sold on the long vest, though. Hope Big Show isn't sporting that awful camouflage singlet.

7:32 - Seriously? A Deadliest Catch commercial on WrestleMania? After paying over $50 for the show? And it lasts noticeably longer than the World Heavyweight title match? Despicable.

7:30 - Wow, I'm actually pretty surprised by the result. Good to have some surprises, I guess.

7:22 - Here's an interesting factoid for you: The live audience at WrestleMania has many "YES! YES! YES!" signs out there. They were chanting it when Bryan entered the ring. And they got 18 seconds. And now we have Kane vs. Orton -- going well beyond that, and Orton claimed more people were looking forward to their match anyway -- and the crowd is chanting for Daniel Bryan.

7:17 - I'll give partial credit to Kane. Believe it or not, I do think those are new tights. Still a little annoyed by Sheamus/Bryan, though. They could have had a really fun match.

7:11 - Hmmmm, I'm not a huge fan of that. I get what they were going for. But these two both deserved better. Opening with the World Heavyweight Championship is questionable enough (yes, I know there's a certain honor, but still). But then to end it after one move? Sheamus has received a strong push and Bryan has been a great heel act. Why not give them something a little more special?

Although I must say, AJ's concerned look after it happened was adorable.

7:06 - Really awesome opening video, but a bit of a bummer that it didn't make ANY reference whatsoever to either of the World title matches. Focusing on Cena/Rock was obvious, but so much attention on the Triple H/Undertaker match seemed unusual.

By the way, it looks like we are opening with the World Heavyweight Championship match. Two years in a row. Bad news: Sheamus isn't debuting new attire, which is a big a no-no to me. And they're using white ropes, which is a bit of a letdown as well. It's WrestleMania, not Raw or an ordinary PPV.

Good news, though: D-Bryan has an AWESOME new ring robe. And it looks like he might have new trunks, too. And AJ. Damn. Damn, gotta love AJ.

7:00 - So in addition to having company over, my Internet is also having severe issues tonight. HOPEFULLY this doesn't get in the way of my LIVE thoughts. I'm still able to connect through my phone, so check my Twitter page if I'm MIA for an usually long amount of time.

6:37 - Some pre-show thoughts. For one, I was right about John Cena wearing a new color scheme, and according to photos on WWE's Twitter page, he's going with Celtic green. Of course, the Boston Celtics played the Miami Heat earlier this evening, so it looks like Cena may be embracing the heel reaction he's sure to get. Interesting idea.

Check back at 7 for my LIVE thoughts, but as I said they'll be a bit sparse over the next hour as I have family over. Eager for the show to start!

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WrestleMania Predictions!

Well the day is finally upon us!

There is one thing I will say about WWE that no other wrestling organization past (WCW) or present (TNA) can touch, and that's the spectacle they make of WrestleMania. Sure, you hear that Starrcade was WCW's biggest event, and I don't even know what TNA considers their biggest event....but to me, those always felt like "just another event" with some lip service provided to try and make it seem special. Not WWE. They genuinely make WrestleMania seem like an absolutely epic spectacle. And bravo to them for that.

Anyway, it's been a bit of a WrestleMania week here on the blog as well. For one, I altered the main banner to look like the WrestleMania logo. On Monday I provided my LIVE Raw thoughts. On Tuesday I posted my first of two WrestleMania Editions of True or False, with Kyle and Javier. On Thursday I posted the second True or False, with Scott Keith (and thank you, sir, for the plug). And now, here are my Atypical WrestleMania Predictions.

What makes them "atypical"? Well, instead of predicting the results to matches, I'm going to make guesses on what "unexpected" results may occur and what new attires may be worn. Last year, my claim to fame was to guess the EXACT new color scheme of John Cena's new clothing line. I'm still proud of that. So here we go...

First and foremost, Cody Rhodes will debut a new color scheme.....and the Intercontinental Title will match! My guess is pretty back, though. His trunks/hoodie go from white/black to black/gold. And the IC title returns to the more traditional black strap.

Kofi Kingston debuts a new Joker-inspired design for his trunks. This is a cheat, actually. He hinted that he might do that.

We probably all guessed that Zack Ryder would wear his RyderMania trunks. That's a given. I'm taking it one step further, though, and guessing that he'll bring back his ring jacket (which he hasn't worn since he got a t-shirt).

CM Punk debuts a specialty pair of trunks, like he did a couple years ago with GI Joe. My guess is that they're modeled after his original Best in the World t-shirt. The front is the scribbled Chicago flag with the fist and lightning bolt. The back says "Best in the World."

Jericho will also wear a pair of trunks that light up, similar to his jacket. Don't know the logistics of it, but it'll happen! Also, the strongest argument for the WWE Championship NOT opening the show: It needs to be dark out for Jericho's entrance.

Yes, Cena will debut a new clothing line. Don't know what'll be or what the color scheme will be, though. Also, both Batista and Lesnar run in and interfere in the main event, but don't play a part in the finish. Batista attacks Rock, and Lesnar attacks Cena. Essentially, each person is helping the person from their "era."

I've got company coming for my dad's birthday tonight, so I gotta go. I WILL be provided LIVE thoughts, but for the first hour or so they'll be a little limited since family will still be over. Psyched for the show!!

UPDATE (5:04) - Two more things that I forgot to mention. I think we'll see orange or blue ring ropes. Or both. If there's both, I see the top and bottom rope being orange, and the middle rope being blue.

At Royal Rumble Sheamus ditched the green trim on his attire for red. At WrestleMania, he'll ditch the red for gold.

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