Notes from the Nosebleeds #148
December 24, 2011
By: Matt O’Brien of Wrestleview.com
We are just a few hours away from Christmas, and as they say, it is a time for giving. As wrestling fans we often receive while the performers give everything they have in the ring. There is not much we can give wrestlers aside form out support, but we can give them our best wishes. This week I have put on my Santa hat and reached into my giant bag of presents to the nice boys and girls what I hope will benefit them in the coming year. There are only so many gifts one can give. I can play Santa, but I cannot be Santa. That being said, here is a list of those whom I wish the best for in the coming year.
To Dolph Ziggler, I give the gift of victory in the 2012 Royal Rumble match, leading to him challenging CM Punk for the WWE Championship at WrestleMania. Ziggler had a brief run in the Smackdown main event picture earlier in the year, and his rise on Raw has proven he can hang with the best. He is one of those new main event talents whose elevation you can really get behind, despite him being a heel. A Rumble win would be the perfect catapult to the Raw main event. He is currently the best choice to unseat Punk when it comes time to drop the title. Of course, the buildup to a Mania match would be very entertaining since it would involve the next star on the list.
To Vickie Guererro, I give a series of backstage segments with John Laurinaitis and David Otunga. If Ziggler is set to challenge CM Punk, then Vicki will likely end up in cahoots of some sorts with Laurinaitis and Otunga. Any segments these three do together will be highly entertaining and definite show stealers.
To The Undertaker, I give a match at WrestleMania with anyone but Triple H. Rumors of a rematch between the two legends started just hours after their battle earlier this year. Triple H even hinted at another showdown a couple of weeks ago on Raw. Hunter and Taker work well together, but there are so many other interesting new challenges for the Dead Man. There is Miz, Albert Del Rio, Sheamus and Wade Barrett, just to name a few. There are also past opponents that would be worth the price with stars such as Big Show or Mark Henry. Rumors of a Triple H-Undertaker career vs. streak match with Shawn Michaels as the guest referee have popped their heads up every now and then. It just feels uneventful. More than anything, I am just not interested in a couple of guys kicking out of each other’s finishing maneuvers for fifteen minutes, and then being told that it’s a classic match. We have seen that with Undertaker for the past three Mania events. For as scarce as his appearances are, it would be nice to see Undertaker do something different this year.
To the Bravados, I give the gift of a run as Ring of Honor Tag Team Champions. These guys are just too entertaining for their own good. You want to see them be destroyed by their opponents, but you can’t help but smile when they are in the ring. Their in-ring style is simple compared too much of the roster, yet very refreshing.
To Beth Phoenix and Natalya, I give the gift of annihilation upon the return of Kharma.
To Hulk and Linda Hogan, I give a long vacation from any sort of media spotlight.
To Kevin Steen, I give a run with the Ring of Honor Championship. This guy is on fire and would be fascinating to watch with a run atop ROH.
To Lilian Garcia, I give a cot to which she will be chained in my basement. No, I don’t really want to do that. I would like to give her some balloons that say “Welcome Back!” I always like Garcia and her return reminded me how great she was to have as a ring announcer.
To Kamala, I give well wishes and improved health. He has been through quite a lot in the last few months. Hang in there, Mr. Harris!
To Brodus Clay, I give a debut! Not too soon though.
To John Cena, I give a decisive pinfall victory over The Rock at WrestleMania. As big as this match is, there is no reason to give Rock the win. Similar to Rock’s match with Hogan in 2002, the elder gains nothing from the win. Cena doesn’t necessarily need to beat Rock to prove anything. However, a loss could be damaging since he is the top guy in the wrestling business. Imagine if Hogan had beat Rock in 2002, or if Andre had beat Hogan in 1987. It just feels out of place. It is a huge match that is worth every penny, but also one WWE likely knew the winner of the moment they booked it.
To Big Show, I give a well-booked heel turn to take place over the next few weeks. The events at TLC opened the door for a natural build to Show’s turn. His attempts to keep his cool are intriguing, and will eventually fail. When he finally snaps, it will lead to a great match between Show and Daniel Bryan. The match will hopefully be featured on pay per view, perhaps at the Royal Rumble. Aside from the buildup, how they will work the match is just as intriguing. Big Show will certainly cream Bryan, but the new champion could pull off an upset in the end.
To Miz, I give a change of scenery with a move to Smackdown. With Del Rio and Kane as top heels on the brand, plus the rise of Ziggler, Miz would benefit from a brand change. Be it immediately or come draft time, Miz moving to the blue brand would allow him to reignite his past rivalries with Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan, and face new opponents such as Sheamus. After another year, he could return to the red brand with a fresh outlook.
I understand that some of these wishes will not come true, but holiday wishes are just that-wishes. Happy Holidays to all!