So according to well-founded rumors, the main event of No Way Out is going to be Brock Lesnar vs Eddie Guerrero. While several here were chiding the WWE for not striking while the iron was hot with Eddie, perhaps they did the smart thing and waited awhile to make sure it wasn't just a momentary burst of popularity. (Anyone remember Hulk Hogan's 2002 post-Mania title run?)
It's also quite possible that Chris Benoit will be winning the Royal Rumble, earning his own title shot at Wrestlemania.
As much as we like to bitch about Vince refusing to acknowledge/give credit to anything manufactured outside of the WWE, they've always seemed to give proper respect to the significance of Eddie Guerrero and Chris Benoit facing each other. When they feuded briefly several months ago, there was a lot of reference to their past, outside of the ring as well as in. Tazz helped play this up a lot, of course, but they also cut promos on each other talking about their history. On the Christmas in Iraq special, they got a 10+ minute match, which shows to me that the WWE obviously knows that the people are interested in seeing the two of them.
So, for the big question... Is it possible that they could be building to an Eddie Guerrero vs Chris Benoit world title match at Wrestlemania 20? Could it be that Vince wants to guarantee a 5-star match at Wrestlemania? While it may seem unlikely, based on the past, it certainly seems possible.
As much as I think Eddie vs. Benoit for the world title at WM20 would be the best thing since slice bread #2, it aint gonna happen. There is a better chance of neither of them getting the world title ever, than of them facing each other while one is holding the world title. Plus I think WM20 will have a Chavo/Eddie grudge match, and then maybe, just maybe, Eddie will get into the world title chase.
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You know we could see BOTH of these men fighting for the championship belt(S!) at Mania. If the 'rumors' are true, we could end up watching Benoit vs. Triple H for the World Title and Eddie Guerrero vs. Kurt Angle for the WWE title... leaving Lesnar to face Goldberg.
Where this scenario leaves guys like HBK and Jericho, I'm not sure.
The more I think about it, the more it looks like Eddy is taking the title from Brock at No Way Out and defending against Kurt Angle at WrestleMania.
Think about it from Vince's perspective. If WrestleMania is infact Goldberg's final date with the company, do you really want him in the final match? Do you really want to close the show with Lesnar/Goldberg? It's a big-time match and I'm sure it'll have great heat but the quality is a toss-up. I think it'll wind up being really good because Lesnar is good with big guys but you never know where Goldberg's head will be at. What if Goldberg refuses to job at the last minute or makes things difficult?
It's much safer to go with Guerrero/Angle as the Smackdown World Title match because it's a great match and they'll do whatever WWE wants them to do.
Also looking at it from Brock's character. Brock loses the title to Eddy and gets a big win over Goldberg the next month to get his momenteum back. That possibly sets up a rematch against Eddy in May or whatever WWE wants to do.
This way you put Eddy over strong for the World Championship one month and Brock doesn't really get hurt because he gets to beat Goldberg the next.
But this is still Eddy Guerrero, Chris Benoit, and Vince McMahon so I'll believe it when I see it. :)
Eddie/Angle would be another good possibility. There's been talk about putting the belt on Benoit at Backlash, since it's in his hometown. Giving Guerrero a 2 month title reign before Benoit gets a shot would legitimize Eddie's reign. I could see them doing something where Benoit reminds Eddie that way back when, they promised each other that if one of them ever one the world title, they'd give the other a shot. (If they did something like this, they should really involve Malenko somehow, also. He'll be in the building anyway.)
In reality, I'm still hoping for the Benoit/Brock main event. Sure that squashes a lot if idea's for Rumors but at the very least Benoit and Brock have history they can rekindle real quick.
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Even if the smarks get what they say they want they'll still find something to bitch about, like if the result of one of said matches doesn't go the way they want it to, or the Kane/Undertaker match.
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Originally posted by samothI think if Benoit or Eddy were to win a title, all smarks would be satisfied.
Not if that match isn't the main event, or doesn't have a totally clean ending.
Smarks are the same people that did everything they could to shit all over Y2J/HBK from last year, just because they weren't happy that Shawn got the W.
You think WWE now is bad? Some of us had to live through 1993-1996!
Another thought occured to me... What are the odds of them doing another double-elimination at the end (ala Luger/Hart), leading to a Benoit-Angle-Guerrero triple threat match for the title?
Originally posted by fuelinjectedWhat if Goldberg refuses to job at the last minute or makes things difficult
Brock would destroy him in no time, which would actually work out even better for his character.
I don't know about that. I mean, we all know how easily Goldberg can cripple a guy in the ring through sheer incompetence. Now imagine what he could do to a guy if he actually *tried* to injure someone.
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Surely a smark's wet dream would be for Benoit to beat Triple H at WM, which could actually, possibly work. You can imagine smarks around the world jumping and running (for some of them the first time in years) if Triple H tapped out to the crossface at MSG.
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Originally posted by samothI think if Benoit or Eddy were to win a title, all smarks would be satisfied.
Not if that match isn't the main event, or doesn't have a totally clean ending.
Smarks are the same people that did everything they could to shit all over Y2J/HBK from last year, just because they weren't happy that Shawn got the W.
Well, the wrong guy went over at WM, so the bitching was warranted.
And count me in for the Brock/Benoit WM match, with Benoit going over. ::hopes the rumors turn out to be false::
So with all this talk of Benoit vs. Triple H at WMXX, I wonder if he does drop the strap, would the following Monday on RAW be when Evolution turns on him for "dropping the ball" (or maybe at the RAW after Backlash) ...
This would make perfect sense if Triple H is going to be off finishing up Blade 3 and/or starting that next film he's in ... but we all know that he rules the roost, even when he's not on the show.
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Originally posted by Tribal ProphetI don't know about that. I mean, we all know how easily Goldberg can cripple a guy in the ring through sheer incompetence. Now imagine what he could do to a guy if he actually *tried* to injure someone.
Sort of like what Brock did Bob Holly? Seeing as how William Regal and Chris Jericho have already proven they could get the best of Goldberg, I'm pretty sure Lesnar could make Goldberg cry.
Originally posted by Tribal ProphetI don't know about that. I mean, we all know how easily Goldberg can cripple a guy in the ring through sheer incompetence. Now imagine what he could do to a guy if he actually *tried* to injure someone.
Sort of like what Brock did Bob Holly? Seeing as how William Regal and Chris Jericho have already proven they could get the best of Goldberg, I'm pretty sure Lesnar could make Goldberg cry.
Huh? When'd Jericho shoot all over Goldberg? Regal, we all know about, but are you talking about the winning streak angle?
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Originally posted by Tribal ProphetI don't know about that. I mean, we all know how easily Goldberg can cripple a guy in the ring through sheer incompetence. Now imagine what he could do to a guy if he actually *tried* to injure someone.
Sort of like what Brock did Bob Holly? Seeing as how William Regal and Chris Jericho have already proven they could get the best of Goldberg, I'm pretty sure Lesnar could make Goldberg cry.
Huh? When'd Jericho shoot all over Goldberg? Regal, we all know about, but are you talking about the winning streak angle?
Like a month or two ago, Goldberg and Y2J got into a fight backstage at RAW I think. And Jericho seem to just get the better of Goldy by taking him down in a hold or something. Can't really remember anything else about it though.
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I'd like to ignore the fact Rhino jobbed to Billy Friggin Gunn because this show was okay other than the fact Billy Freaking Gunn is still prominent in 2008. Karen Angle is hot.