Predictions from the Faculty Lounge
PPV: WWE’s The Bash (June 28)
Written by: Anthony J. Valvo
Predictions by: WrestleView.com staff and readers
Before I go into this column, I just wanted pay my respects to Michael Jackson and Farrah Fawcett, who both passed away last week. Gone way too soon in my opinion. I may share my thoughts about these two legends in my next column. This column is for my peers on WrestleView.com, not for my personal business.
Hello and a good morning to all of you this weekend! I decided to start this column a bit early because I can not waste my summer vacation like this. It is a picture perfect day outside the office and I must enjoy it. Anyways welcome to the latest edition of Predictions from the Faculty on WrestleView.com. This weekend is our third PPV we predicted for the month of June, and it has a new name as well.
For years, the summer goes hand in hand with ?The Great American Bash?. According to my research, it all started in 1985 when Ric Flair successfully defended his NWA World Championship against Nikita Koloff with David Crockett as the referee. From Jim Crockett Promotions to World Championship Wrestling to now World Wrestling Entertainment, this PPV Title reminded me of, in a way, the middle of summer. Tragically, the WWE has now changed this PPV to simply ?The Bash?. I don?t have anything clever to say on that issue, but it is a sad day. I like the title ?Great American Bash?. It is like changing the Cyber Sunday name to Annihilation?oh wait, that just happened.
For the past few months, as most of you know the WrestleView columnists and recap specialists have rigorously predicted the outcomes of each PPV Match starting the TNA’s Against All Odds back in February. Our goal is to find out who will score the most victories before the end of January 2010 is over. As of now, Joe Baiamonte has been our Dean of Wrestleview for all but one brief moment. Still, he is our current Dean and, in a way, our Predictions Champion. However, Dean Baiamonte struggled with his latest predictions and can not rest easy. First, Josh Boutwell is closing in with a very nice 7-1 record from Slammiversary and is now in striking distance of possibly capturing his first run as the Dean. Also, perennial powerhouse David Stephens pick up a game on Baiamonte and is only three wins out of first place. And also, Jose Marrero is closing in, as he is pretty close now at the top. Who will come out on top this weekend? Will Joe Baiamonte put his picks in on time and continue his dominant reign as The Dean. Will Josh Boutwell or David Stephens send him packing? Will someone go undefeated with their picks (It has only happened once so far among faculty members). We will find out after the main event of The Bash.
Finally, before we go onto our predictions, I must show you the current records as of the last PPV we had predictions. This previous PPV was TNA’s Slammiversary.
PREDICTIONS FROM THE FACULTY RECORDS (as of June 21, 2009)
1) Joe Baiamonte (Baiamonte’s Casa)…..47-28 (5-3) (Present)
2) Josh Boutwell (Viva La Raza! and TNA Recapper)…..45-30 (7-1) (Present)
3) David Stephens (That’s a Wrap! and ECW Recapper)…..44-31 (6-2) (Present)
4) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings)…..42-33 (7-1) (Present)
5) WrestleView Students (Our loyal readers)…..42-33 (5-3) (Present)
6) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V.)…..40-35 (5-3) (Present)
7) Matt O?Brien (Notes from the Nosebleeds)…..36-24 (5-3) (Present)
8) Phil Chroniger (On Second Thought)…..35-28 (6-2) (Present)
9) Josh Piedra (The Shoot)…..31-24 (6-2) (Present)
10) Doug Lackey (Reality From Ringside)…..21-19 (4-4) (Present)
11) Chris Kelly (TNA Epics Recapper)…..16-9 (6-2) (Present)
12) Sean Hurley (The Sharpshooter)…..13-15 (0-0) (Present)
13) Mike Tedesco (WWE S.S. and Smackdown Recapper)…..5-3 (0-0) (Present)
14) Ryan Droste (Ask WV)…..4-4 (0-0) (Excused)
15) Mike Klubnik (Stylin? and Profilin?)…..3-5 (0-0) (Excused)
And now, enough of Mr. V’s rambling?.the students want to know and who knows, maybe Adam Martin and Hunter Golden want to know as well. Here are the Faculty’s predictions for WWE’s The Bash.
**As always this is a student-friendly article. If you want to be a part of this, please e-mail me your predictions at mistervwv@yahoo.com. If you score the highest, you will earn a gold star in my next column. Thank you all in advance for participating**
***NON TITLE MATCHES***
NO COUNTOUT AND NO DQ
Dolph Ziggler vs. The Great Khali
Joe B. – KHALI.
Josh B. – KHALI. I like Dolph but I just don’t see him winning whatsoever.
David S. – KHALI gets the win because in the real world there is no way Ziggy would stand a chance.
Jose M. – THE GREAT KHALI.
Anthony V. – Let me get this straight?these two are in this PPV and not John Morrison or Evan Bourne??? You have to be kidding me!! This rivalry should be the dark match or a TV feud, not here. Since I have to pick a winner and because of the stipulations, I am going to say THE GREAT KHALI Punjabi Plunges his way to winning this match and then makes out with a Jeff Hardy fan, in which will make her a follower of the Punjabi Playboy.
Matt O. – KHALI.
Phil C. – KHAAALLIIIII!!!!
Josh P. – Wow… there’s a squash match if I ever saw one. THE GREAT KHALI
Doug L. – KHALI via the world’s largest and slowest chairshot. The only other result that I can think of is Ziggler taking Khali out in a gargantuan way, sending Khali out of action for a couple months like he usually does every year…
Chris K. – THE GREAT KHALI. This stip seems to favor Ziggler but I think Khali will win with a choke slam or Chop to the head.
Sean H. – I’m picking THE GREAT KHALI in this one.
Mike T. – THE GREAT KHALI. I think Ziggler has outsmarted him too many times. But then again Khali already beat Ziggler pretty convincingly a few weeks ago… I’m still going with the Great Khali.
Consensus – (Enter Vince McMahon’s Theme Music) According to the WrestleView Faculty, we believe that is no chance that Dolph Ziggler will defeat THE GREAT KHALI in this match given the circumstances. GREAT KHALI 12-0.
John Cena vs. The Miz
Joe B. – CENA.
Josh B. – CENA. Possibility of Miz going over if Show gets involved but I still see Superman, er i mean Cena winning.
David S. – JOHN CENA, but I really like Miz’s shirt and I wonder how it is selling?
Jose M. – John Cena has been on quite a roll on PPV as of late I dont think a loss here will hurt him as much as a win can help Miz. I am going with MIZ.
Anthony V. – I like the Miz, but I don?t see a win happening for him. Children and the PG crowd make their parents pay 40-50 dollars to see John Cena win matches, especially non-title ones. I am going to say it will be a decent match-up, but JOHN CENA defeats the Miz.
Matt O. – MIZ.
Phil C. – CENA by DQ, but he will catch a beatdown by Miz with whatever foreign weapon Miz gets DQ’d with.
Josh P. – The Miz is still being built up as an upper mid carder and I don’t think that he will go over John Cena in this one. I merely see this as an opportunity for The Miz to grab some attention. JOHN CENA
Doug L. – THE MIZ in a very weird, odd match. Without Big Show in the card, I have the strangest of feelings he’ll be playing a part in this mayhem… swings and misses between Cena and Show leading to Miz picking up the pieces and walking away 23-0… or whatever number he’s at now.
Chris K. – JOHN CENA. The Miz will look good but Cena is on a PPV streak so I think he goes over.
Sean H. – CENA in a hard fought matchup that’ll hopefully elevate The Miz substantially.
Mike T. – I think the MIZ is getting the upset here. Perhaps after some interference from Big Show? John Cena buried him big time on Monday so Miz could really use the win here.
Consensus – This rivalry has gone on every since the Miz was drafted on the RAW brand, and the Faculty seems to enjoy this secondary feud to HHH/Orton’s feud. Maybe the outcome would change if this was a match on RAW, but since it is a PPV the Faculty has chosen JOHN CENA in a vote of 8-4 margin. Though the majority has chosen Mr. Cena, do not be surprised to see a Miz upset in the works.
***TITLE MATCHES***
WWE WOMEN?S CHAMPIONSHIP (SINGLES MATCH)
Melina (champ) vs. Michelle McCool
Joe B. – MCCOOL.
Josh B. – MICHELLE. Taker’s baby mama gets the belt.
David S. – MCCOOL is more attractive, talented, doesn’t whine, and seems like a more enjoyable person to be around so I pick her.
Jose M. – A Melina vs. Gail Kim match would be huge for Summerslam and can?t happen if she is not the champ. I am going to give it to MELINA even though I would not be surprised to see it go the other way
Anthony V. – This one is pretty tough. I feel that McCool is getting pushed hard by the WWE. Melina, well she has not really made a splash on Smackdown and that does surprise me a bit. I also think that Alicia Fox will be involved in this match as well. So on a coin flip, I will go with a former teacher. MICHELLE MCCOOL.
Matt O. – MCCOOL.
Phil C. – MICHELLE MCCOOL.
Josh P. – I don’t know why, but I just cannot see Michelle McCool as a viable women’s champion. I mean, yeah, no one really cares about the women’s division so they could put the title on anyone, but I don’t think it’s changing hands here. MELINA
Doug L. – McCOOL via decent match. The Women’s Strap is a very complex situation on Smackdown… Layla has shown promise… Gail Kim is there, don’t know if she’s done anything substantial but she’s there… things could get very intriguing, but I see a change happening.
Chris K. – MICHELLE MCCOOL. Melina was very unhappy to leave raw and has done very little since so I think McCool goes over to become first woman to win Woman’s and Divas belt.
Sean H. – Haven’t been following this much…I’m going to stick with the champion, MELINA.
Mike T. – I’m going with MICHELLE MCCOOL making history here. McCool busted Melina’s jaw on Smackdown so that could be a factor here.
Consensus – Wow, when was the last time a women’s title match took place on a PPV? I don?t have my stats on me, but wasn?t it at the Royal Rumble? And no, I am not including those ridiculous Miss WrestleMania contests. Ok, moving on here, my apologies. We all think that Melina is a worthy champion; the faculty does not deny that. However, is Melina’s Title Reign about to come to an end? Surprisingly in a wide margin, we believe so. In what can be a decent Women’s Championship match, MICHELLE MCCOOL will be the first diva to claim both women’s title (not at once of course), winning according to the Faculty 9-3.
UNIFIED TAG TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH (REGULAR TAG MATCH)
Colons (Primo and Carlito) (champs) vs. Legacy (Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase Jr.)
Joe B. – PRICELESS (AKA LEGACY)
Josh B. – LEGACY. Primo & Carlito are an awesome team but I think the former Priceless team will go over.
David S. – LEGACY brings it home this time.
Jose M. – Primo and Carlito have had an interesting run. It’s time for LEGACY to step up and become champs again.
Anthony V. – This was an easy one for me, but I won?t surprised if I am wrong. Simply, The Colons have run their course as tag team champions. They are not getting a strong reaction and they are not the best team in the WWE. So with that in mind, Legacy needs this more and we are going to see NEW Tag Team Champions. Now, only if instead of those tag belts each can have Million Dollar Belts. CODY AND TED.
Matt O. – LEGACY.
Phil C. – Priceless (AKA LEGACY)
Josh P. – I think the Colons’ reign as unified tag team champions are coming to an end. Legacy has been working hard as of late to try and get themselves up to a level that’s respectable enough to stand aside Randy Orton as WWE Champion. I think this is their time. CODY RHODES AND TED DIBIASE JR.
Doug L. – LEGACY in a no-brainer. With Rhodes and DiBiase regaining the titles, who knows who will contest them. Cryme Tyme? WGTT? Hart Dynasty? The list may not be long but it can be made longer…
Chris K. – LEGACY. The Colons have become very stale with the belts and Legacy need the strap to become a bigger threat with Orton.
Sean H. – Priceless…err, LEGACY. I’m picking Cody Rhodes and DiBiase Jr in this one.
Mike T. – LEGACY will hold all the gold.
Consensus – (Enter Vince McMahon’s Theme Music)… The Colon Brothers have done well the past year and held those tag titles for a nice, long period. However with the emergence of the Legacy, it is time to drop the belts to a tag team that will take these belts to a whole new level. The Faculty all agrees that LEGACY, with a 12-0 vote, will be the NEW Undisputed Tag Team Champions for the WWE.
INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP (TITLE VS. MASK MATCH)
Chris Jericho (champ) vs. Rey Mysterio
Joe B. – JERICHO.
Josh B. – REY. Rey Rey can’t lose his mask (again) can he? I got Rey Rey taking it yet another great match from these two.
David S. – I know most may disagree but MYSTERIO for the win. Rey is fighting for both his mask and huge merchandise checks he gets from mask sells. That is my take.
Jose M. – This is the absolute hardest match to predict. Forget the rumors of Misterio being unhappy the big news to me is the Dos Caras Jr. signing. Rule of thumb says you can?t have two masked guys on the same show because it loses its novelty so I am going to give it to JERICHO.
Anthony V. – I don?t really understand the rules on this. Does Rey have to pin Jericho in order to save the mask, or can Rey save the mask if he wins by DQ? I am not so sure about this. If I am wrong, it is my fault but I am going to say that REY MYSTERIO wins by DQ and keeps his mask. Jericho still keeps his title.
Matt O. – MYSTERIO.
Phil C. – JERICHO by DQ, retains title and Mysterio retains mask.
Josh P. – This is a hard one to call. Does the WWE want to repeat the same thing that happened in WCW when Rey lost his mask the first time? That might actually be happening because I think Jericho is on a tremendous roll with this storyline and throw in the fact that he warned Misterio that his mask would be his downfall so with that said, Jericho will retain and Misterio enters the WWE maskless. CHRIS JERICHO
Doug L. – JERICHO due to preparation for newcomers to follow. For what other reason could there be if we just saw John Morrison upset CM Punk last week? It is finally time for the push that is long overdue…
Chris K. – REY MYSTERIO. This is a hard match to call. Y2J is mega hot but rey rey without a mask will crush all the younger ppls feelings. I’m gona flip a coin The Coin says…. Rey.
Sean H. – Not sure who to pick here, my gut says Jericho but my mind says Mysterio. I’m picking MYSTERIO seeing as how Jericho beat him last month. It’s a toss up though.
Mike T. – REY MYSTERIO will take back the title and keep his mask. They make too much money selling his masks – they won’t take it off him. This has been a great feud.
Consensus – This could be the match of the night. The faculty agrees that it is going to be a tough call on this one. Will the match end in a DQ or will someone pin their opponent and sacrifice something dear to them? The Faculty of WrestleView worked diligently to solving this dilemma and with a close vote of 7-5, we see that REY MYSTERIO will not lose the mask again (he lost it once in WCW in a Mask vs. Miss Elizabeth’s hair match, remember?). Though the vote favors Rey, don?t be surprised if the majority of the Faculty is incorrect, as Jericho is riding high recently on the Smackdown Brand.
ECW CHAMPIONSHIP (20 MINUTE CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE)
Tommy Dreamer (champ) vs. Mark Henry vs. Jack Swagger vs. Finlay vs. Christian
Joe B. – JACK SWAGGER.
Josh B. – CHRISTIAN. Captain Charisma gets his belt back and Dreamer gets screwed once again.
David S. – SWAGGER gets my pick but I would not be surprised if Finlay sneaks out the win. The Championship scramble match can provide great heat for Jack if he slyly wins.
Jose M. – JACK SWAGGER.
Anthony V. – First, I must address that I did mark out when Striker had his chalkboard segment on ECW last week (just like any teacher would, right?). This is a tough choice for me because I think anyone can win this. I see a few pinfalls in this one, with the final pin going to happen with 10 seconds left. My bet will be that JACK SWAGGER cheats by grabbing the tights on someone and becoming a 2-time ECW Champion. Be on the lookout for Finlay though (my personal favorite at this time).
Matt O. – SWAGGER.
Phil C. – DREAMER retains.
Josh P. – I think that the WWE finally realized what the Tommy Dreamer character is all about. The underdog that will take a beating and still overcome everything in the end. For some reason, I’m inclined to say that Tommy Dreamer is going to retain here in this match. TOMMY DREAMER
Doug L. – HENRY after the rest get done beating the holy hell out of each other. I feel an upset in this one. Finlay beating on Christian and Dreamer for poking his eye out… Swagger beating on the same two for calling him a nerd… and finally Christian and Dreamer going at it after Dreamer just can’t take one more white bread insult… amazing how Mark Henry seems like the adult in this whole battle, huh?
Chris K. – TOMMY DREAMER. I am just going to guess.
Sean H. – TOMMY DREAMER.
Mike T. – The real shocker here is ECW is getting twenty minutes on a PPV! It’s not a WWE PPV in 2009 if one title doesn’t change hands. Tommy Dreamer could get the win here but I’m going to go with the dark horse FINLAY. The man’s earned it. He’s a tough bastard.
Consensus – Where is Dean Baia’s pick when we need it? Well, for the first time in Predictions from the Faculty we have at least one vote for ALL FIVE wrestlers in a scramble match! However, when it all comes down to the faculty, there was only one vote for Christian, Mark Henry, and Finlay. However, the ones that did not vote for the Irishman would not be surprised if he finds a way to join the other four as an ECW Champion. Many of us do believe that Tommy Dreamer will have a good shot at defending his title, but in a split decision, the Faculty predicts that the NEW champion of ECW will be JACK SWAGGER. Either or, this will be a fun match to watch and as Professor Tedesco stated ?ECW is getting 20 minutes on a PPV?. Should be a good one. SWAGGER got 5 votes, Dreamer got 4 votes, and Christian, Finlay, and Mark Henry got 1 vote each.
WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP (SINGLES MATCH)
CM Punk (champ) vs. Jeff Hardy
Joe B. – PUNK.
Josh B. – JEFF via DQ (Punk retains). Punk makes his heel turn complete by blasting Hardy with the title belt (or something like that) to cause an intentional DQ and cause all the fat chicks in the crowd to go psycho.
David S. – PUNK retains to legitimize his MITB moment.
Jose M. – WWE did not put the title on CM Punk to take it off of him whether Jeff is staying or not CM PUNK is the man for a while.
Anthony V. – Jeff Hardy even has a countdown until he leaves the WWE on his Twitter page (from what I heard at least). So that alone tells me that CM PUNK will successfully defend the championship.
Matt O. – PUNK.
Phil C. – PUNK.
Josh P. – Jeff Hardy isn’t likely to walk out of this as World Champion. CM Punk’s reign is going to be long and have a meaningful purpose this time. CM Punk will definitely win, but I think the bigger question in this match would be whether or not Punk turns full heel. CM PUNK
Doug L. – CM PUNK in a great depiction as a heel. At first I thought that he would be painted as toeing the line… walking the border between Face and Heel. After upstaging Hardy on the commercial-free Raw and his unsportsmanlike behavior against Morrison, CM has quickly become one of the top heels of the federation. He still has a long way to go to reach Orton or Edge standards…. but still great heat to keep the strap on him… imagine the heat for a CM/Rey rivalry!
Chris K. – CM PUNK. I think Jeff comes up a little short and gets fired by Vince McMahon to write him off TV. (hinted on SD)
Sean H. – COOKIE MONSTER PUNK in a hell of a match!
Mike T. – CM PUNK will retain here and possibly complete the heel turn. The build-up has been fantastic.
Consensus – (Enter Vince McMahon’s theme music for a THIRD time?reminds me of the Attitude era). Sure, Josh Boutwell ?Crossed the Line? (I got to stop doing the cheesy jokes) and predicted a Jeff Hardy win, but it will be by DQ in his eyes. Students, but stocks in IHop or Denny’s, or wherever Samoa Joe eats at because they will rise as Jeff Hardy, according to the Faculty, has no chance at capturing the World Heavyweight Title. The vast majority of the Faculty predicts that CM PUNK will successfully defends the title against the Extreme Enigma, winning the vote by a score of 11-1.
WWE CHAMPIONSHIP (THREE STAGES OF HELL)
Match 1: Regular Match
Match 2: Falls Count Anywhere
Match 3: Stretcher Match (if necessary)
Randy Orton (champ) vs. HHH
Joe B. – ORTON.
Josh B. – ORTON. HHH has never lost a Three Stages of Hell Match but Orton has to get a clean win during one of these title reigns, right?
David S. – It is time that HHH gets the title off smug little Orton. I would actually love if they go all three stages then end with old school draw, but hey that is just me.
Jose M. – That damn title needs some stability give it to ORTON.
Anthony V. – I think the WWE will be fools if they give this to Trips. I think Orton wins the first match, H wins the falls count anywhere, and RANDY ORTON wins the final match with the help of the new tag team champions.
Matt O. – ORTON.
Phil C. – ORTON 2-1.
Josh P. – The last time WWE had a 3 Stages of Hell was Armageddon 2002. I was there live, 5 rows back, and witnessed Triple H defeating Shawn Michaels to capture the world heavyweight championship. However, I don’t think Triple H will be walking out of this match as champion. Orton’s reign shall continue and you know that once they get to the No DQ portions of the match, Legacy is bound to get involved. Orton is going to snake his way out of this one. RANDY ORTON
Doug L. – ORTON with a little help from his friends in the utilization of a stretcher. As long as there are stipulations involving no disqualifications, Orton will continue to hold this belt. The only way you will see it leave his waist is inside the confines of a cage or cell… and let’s pray that never happens again unless the victor is 100% healthy.
Chris K. – RANDY ORTON. Orton will win this 2-1 and cut a promo on raw saying ” I went though hell and I still beat u”.
Sean H. – RANDY ORTON.
Mike T. – RANDY ORTON will take this one. The World Championships really need to stop being whored around for a few quick fixes.
Consensus – Professor Stephens is the only one to choose a new WWE Champion, while the rest of the faculty may be tired of the WWE Championship being passed around like a note in Mr. V’s classroom. It should be an entertaining main event, but the majority of the faculty predicts that RANDY ORTON defends his title against a rejuvenated Hunter Hearst Helmsley, with Orton claiming the vote by a score of 11-1 over the King of Kings.
Well, this sums up the latest edition of the sometimes weekly edition of ?Predictions From the Faculty?. To our loyal readers, you can join the fun by e-mailing me your predictions at mistervwv@yahoo.com. As I mentioned before, the winner get the famous Gold Star in the next ?From the Desk of Mr. V? column. Good Luck to those who already gave me their picks and thank you for participating.
On another note, congratulations to Bobby Lashley this weekend. When he is not pointing to the Main Event Mafia at a couple of those TNA shows, he is a Mixed Martial Arts fighter. He defeated Bob Sapp in Round 1 (1:17) by TKO (Strikes). I will be sure to put a gold star for you in my column, sir.
On behalf of the entire WrestleView Faculty, I am the resident teacher Mr. V saying enjoy The Bash and thank you most kindly for reading our predictions. Please keep on reading quite possibly the best columns in professional wrestling today (on WrestleView.com)! Until TNA’s Victory Road, You are officially…DISMISSED!