True or False #5 - With WrestleMania Attendees (WrestleMania Edition)

I’m kicking off WrestleMania weekend with a very special edition of True or False.  As you might remember, I did a similar two-part feature last year (featuring long-time readers Kyle & Javier, as well as notorious wrestling reviewer and author Scott Keith).  This year I’m doing something a little different, with each panelist being somebody who will be attending WrestleMania this year at MetLife stadium!

The first participant is actually the person who will be attending WrestleMania with me – one of my best friends from Rutgers, Jim.  The two of us first bonded over wrestling, and since our dorms didn’t initially carry Spike TV, we would take the bus to the main campus every Monday night to watch Raw on the big screen at the Red Lion Café (which was a pretty awesome experience).  We both went to WrestleMania X-8 in Toronto, although not together, and we will be going to Axxess this Saturday (the 1:00 session).  We’ll also be tailgating somewhat recklessly in the stadium parking lot Sunday morning.

My other guest is one of the finest wrestling websites on the net, WrestleChat.Net.  Along with being supremely appreciative to all of their followers and supporters, these guys do their homework.  They research their stories and they don’t post something that’s questionable all for the sake of “being first.”  They’re cool guys and I definitely recommend their site (they’re also fun to interact with – they’re open to differing opinions, many of which are mine).  Be sure to follow them on Twitter:  @WrestleChatNet.

Anyway, let’s get to it…

Continue reading "True or False #5 - With WrestleMania Attendees (WrestleMania Edition)"....

1.  The build for this year's WrestleMania has been the most uninspired and disappointing of the modern era....

WrestleChat.Net:  TRUE.  This year's WrestleMania card, aside from maybe 1 or 2 matches, seems to have lacked any sort of planning or months of commitment.  Only John Cena vs The Rock (and maybe Triple H vs Brock Lesnar) seems to have actually been written in stone months in advance.  While CM Punk vs Undertaker was rumored to have been concrete for months now, that idea did not reflect in their booking for this match.  I believe that there were many better ways to start that feud as opposed to CM Punk winning a 4-corners match for the chance to end "The Streak".  From top-to-bottom, this card lacks that one match that the viewer (or those who spent $700 to attend the show live like I did) can have an emotional investment in.

Jim:  True.  Build up has been weak except for Rock vs. Cena.

Matt:  True!  Over the past couple of days I’ve actually started getting really excited for Sunday, but I came to realize that I’m looking more forward to the experience and spectacle of WrestleMania than any particular match or potential outcome.  The booking has been lazy at best and nonsensical at worst.  How exactly did Miz go from feuding with Antonio Cesaro for the United States Championship to suddenly feuding with Wade Barrett for the Intercontinental Championship?  What became of Barrett’s mini feud with Sheamus?  How about those spotty, unresolved issues between Kaitlyn and AJ?  And Dolph Ziggler’s random feud with Team Hell No has come out of nowhere.  And then perfectly talented and over guys like Kofi Kingston and Antonio Cesaro have been completely jobbed out and are being left off of the card.  Yet unproven guys like Fandango and Big E. Langston have matches?  And even the top matches are undesirable for one reason or another.  We already saw Rock/Cena and Triple H/Lesnar.  I suppose the only match I’m looking forward to is CM Punk vs. Undertaker, and that’s because of the strong build over the past two weeks.  And the result of that match is a foregone conclusion.

2.  Dolph Ziggler will cash in his Money in the Bank contract at WrestleMania....

WrestleChat.Net:  FALSE.  I'd love to see it happen, but I just don't see where or how it would happen.  I think that Extreme Rules, where Alberto Del Rio is currently rumored to defend his World Heavyweight title in a Submission match against Jack Swagger once again makes the most sense.  If Dolph Ziggler/Big E Langston takes place early in the night, that will surely increase the possibility of it happening.  If it does, expect the nonexistent roof at MetLife Stadium to be shattered.

Jim:  False.  He will cash in on Monday Night Raw the next day.

Matt:  I want to say true, but this depends on the booking of the event.  That is to say, if the World Heavyweight Championship match opens the show – which it has the past two years – then I don’t think he will.  As long as the tag team match happens BEFORE the World Heavyweight Championship match, I think we’ll see Ziggler cash in (and win) to give WrestleMania a big moment feel.  In WWE’s twisted head, I think constantly jobbing him out has been their way of “pushing” him to the title.

3.  The Diddy performance will ultimately bump one match from the WrestleMania card to the preshow....

WrestleChat.Net:  TRUE.  Actually, I'd say a combination of Diddy's performance and with the addition of Living Colour doing "Cult of Personality" will bump the Tons of Funk & Funkadactyls vs Rhodes Scholars & Bellas to the undercard.  And that's a good thing since guys like Antonio Cesaro deserve a spot on this card and don't even have a match, yet WWE found a spot for this awful 8-person Tag match.

Jim:  False.  There will be another pre show match or matches then the nine matches on the card plus the Diddy performance (NOTE:  Jim answered this question before it was announced that Miz/Barrett would take place on the preshow).

Matt:  We now know that this is true, as the Intercontinental Championship match, of all things, was moved to the preshow.  Personally, I thought the mixed tag match would get the boot.  I think there’s a 50% chance it still will.

4.  Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar will steal the show at WrestleMania....

WrestleChat.Net:  FALSE.  I think this match will be superb just like their showdown at SummerSlam last year, but the way I interpret "steal the show" is which match will be the best actual wrestling match.  The best actual wrestling match on the show will belong to Chris Jericho and Fandango.  The ups-and-downs of the Triple H/Brock Lesnar match may be enough to elicit the best crowd reaction, but I still feel like Jericho/Fandango will put on the best show.

Jim:  False.  Triple H vs. Lesnar will be brutal but Rock vs. Cena will steal the show.

Matt:  False.  I’m leaning towards Punk/Undertaker.  And depending on how much time they’re given, I wouldn’t be surprised if the tag team title match, the World Heavyweight title match, or Jericho/Fandango emerge as surprise favorites.

5.  It's total BS that "New York" is not only featured in this year's WrestleMania logo, but that it actually gets top billing as well....

WrestleChat.Net:  TRUE.  As someone who lives in New Jersey and has had to listen to the Giants, Jets, and Nets all get referred to as New York teams when they're a good 20 minutes from New York has always annoyed me.  This is NEW JERSEY!

Jim:  False.  They needed to include NY as the top billing for the marketing of the area. It's the same argument made about the NY Giants and NY Jets who play in the same stadium

Matt:  This may very well be the one I feel most strongly about!  TRUE!!!  Just because you can kinda sorta see the skyline and just because it’s at a stadium in which New York teams play does NOT mean the event is taking place in NY/NJ.  The ONLY excuse I can see is that the Hall of Fame is being held in New York’s Madison Square Garden, but even that’s pretty weak.  At the very least, “NJ” should be first.  The event is in freakin’ NEW JERSEY!

BONUS!

6.  April 7th will be an unseasonably beautiful day and night, free of any rain (or snow!)....

WrestleChat.Net:  TRUE.  A week ago, most expert meteorologists were calling for a cold night with periods of rain.  Now, it looks like we're going to get a dry night with temps near 60 at the start of the show.  Sounds like perfect weather for a WrestleMania to me.

Jim:  False.  It looks to be in the mid 50's that day while I am used to 80's and 90's this time of year in California.

Matt:  I’m going to say true simply because I don’t want to be wearing a jacket all day and night.  Here’s hoping to a beautiful Sunday!

Remember to visit WrestleChat.Net on their website and to follow them on Twitter as well!  And continue checking the blog all weekend for more WrestleMania Weekend features!