With only two more shows of each brand before WM, it looks like this WrestleMania may have no tag title match. It's as if the titles on both shows have been completely forgotten. Sure, Eddie and Rey are the champs on SD, but it looks like they'll either be breaking up and facing each other, or doing a face/face match against each other. And let's not even get started on Regal and Tajiri and how they've been tossed aside as champs.
If it were to happen where there'd be no tag title match on the actual WM card, would this be the first WM where the tag titles were not defended?
The titles weren't defended at WM III or WM XII (unless you count the Free For All). I'd rather have no title matches than two fatal fourways. Just give the SD titles back to the Bashams and have them wrestle Regal/Tajiri in some interpromotional action.
Depends how exact you want to get. The World Tag Team Titles (older, RAW) were defending on preshows instead of the PPV on 19 and 12. (SD! Titles were defended on the PPV on 19.) The only show where no tag teams were defended in any part of the event is 3, if the history listing is accurate.
In recent years, tag title matches are to be among the last matches added to the card, especially when there's no issues around the titles (like right now.) There's still time for a Fatal Fourway or a Suicidal Sixway or a Envious Eightway or whatever to be added.
However, this year is the first in many it feels like - at least this far - that they're not going to try and get everyone on the card for a WM payday. They already have 8 matches announced, plus probably Rey vs Eddie, possibly London vs Chavo (though that screams Heat) and the time Piper's Pit, the HOF and Hogan will all take up.
I can't keep it straight - aren't the Dudleyz ready to return as soon as there's an opening? If they are, why not hold off the Eddy/Rey breakup until after Wrestlemania (or maybe AT Wrestlemania) and stick them all in a Tag Team Tables match for the titles. I'm sure Eddy and Rey can come up with some innovative table spots, and by putting off the singles match, you suddenly have something of a draw for an upcoming Smackdown PPV.
As for RAW, that'll probably be the Heat match, but they could throw some random heel team together (Maven and Snitsky, perhaps?), and have Eugene make a cameo to help Regal and Tajiri win. But, yeah, it'll probably just be La Res on Heat.
"Take away the right to say fuck and you take away the right to say fuck the government." -----Lenny Bruce
An interpromotional match with Regal/Tajiri vs. Rey/Eddy would be pretty sweet.
(edited by krakken2000 on 16.3.05 1028) "Flaming Box of Stuff:
If a brewery closes in the middle of the Pacific Northwest and no one cares, what happens to the soon-to-be-unemployed? The refreshingly low-keyed Seattle troupe answers that question in "It's the Water." Set in the 1970s — the show opens with black lights, "Dark Side of the Moon" and a character named Burnout — but not so '70s that anyone makes a "Laverne and Shirley" joke.
In the opening sequence, the plant manager, a one-man Revenge of the Nerd, ducks his workers' questions about rumors of a layoff. From there, the show moves from direct silliness (a bear-hunting expedition during the final company picnic) to an unexpectedly moving encounter between a brewery grunt and a waitress in a local tavern. There's a pleasing lack of strain in "It's the Water."
Is there going to be a Heat? I seem to recall reading somewhere that WM begins at 7pm this year and will be 4 hours long.
I'd say do another 4 way tag match for the RAW titles with Tajiri/Regal v. La Resistance v. Hurricane/Rosey v. Maven/Simon Dean.
I liked the teaming of Maven and Simon Dean from Heat on Sunday and think they could make a fun team with some entertaining segments. Also, Hurricane has never, to my knowledge, had a proper WrestleMania match in his WWE career. He was in the Hardcore cluster in WM18, but I don't think that counts. Other than that, the only other thing I can remember for Hurricane at WM is him standing around backstage when The Rock had his interview last year. Give the guy a WM match!!
Unles the WWE wants to tap into the legends pool and bring back the Killer Bees or a Hennan Family team, let's rest the belts for the show and give the ladder match more time.
"To be the man, you gotta beat demands." -- The Lovely Mrs. Tracker
Eddie and Rey drop the title back to the Bashams next week after miscommunication and agree to wrestle at Mania to see just who is the best. The Bashams get stuck in a title defence against a mystery team (the Dudleys). Eddie nd Rey wrestle with Eddie winning by turnign heel, the Duds win the titles as superfaces, and hey ho you gotsa loada post-show angles to work with (Rudo Eddie, the friction twixt face Duds and a heel Spike).
OOOOOOOOOOOR they just throw some random crappy fourway together.
Originally posted by oldschoolheroEddie and Rey drop the title back to the Bashams next week after miscommunication and agree to wrestle at Mania to see just who is the best. The Bashams get stuck in a title defence against a mystery team (the Dudleys). Eddie nd Rey wrestle with Eddie winning by turnign heel, the Duds win the titles as superfaces, and hey ho you gotsa loada post-show angles to work with (Rudo Eddie, the friction twixt face Duds and a heel Spike).
OOOOOOOOOOOR they just throw some random crappy fourway together.
The problem with your scenario OSH is that I think Eddie has entered that area where it will be impossible for him to turn heel & have the fans accept it & boo him. The fans simply will not allow a heel turn to happen.
You've got a better shot at turning Rey heel, & the truth is it would be a nice way to freshen up his character, which has been completely unchanged since he debuted in the WWE. Plus opening up the opportunity to cheat as a heel, would allow him to get more "realistic" wins over some bigger guys & still have it believable (if they want to move Rey to a bigger belt...).
I don't think anyone can deny that the tag team divisions on both shows suck right and are incredibly weak. It was almost the same last year, both the RAW and Smackdown titles were on the line at Wrestlemania XX in short and rather meaningless 4-ways.
"Don't compare my arm...to your cheap arm!" -Edward Elric
I'm sure there'll be a Heat, as WrestleMania started at 7pm last year and they just pushed the show up to 6:00. Question is whether or not they'll put a match on the show or not, as sometimes they do and sometimes they don't.
The RAW Tag Titles are deader than dead right now. La Resistance is really viewed as the only REAL team on that brand and their act got stale a while ago. Meanwhile, Regal & Tajiri are the champs, yet they haven't wrestled on RAW since they won the titles over a month ago. I didn't even remember they were champs until I saw them at the RBC Center last week.
As for SmackDown, while the initial plans were for Eddie v. Rey, I could see them switching that to Eddie & Rey v. Bashams. Eddie v. Rey has more 'WrestleMania' appeal, but the tag match makes more sense in storyline terms.
The answer to WWE's financial problems...
Never 'Wiener of the Day', and is actually quite bitter about it.
Originally posted by OlFuzzyBastardAs for RAW, that'll probably be the Heat match, but they could throw some random heel team together (Maven and Snitsky, perhaps?)
How about a less random Hassan and Daivari team? Seeing as they keep complaining that Hassan 'unpinned on RAW' hasn't got a WM match it would make more than a little sense. Them winning the tag belts with some cheating could even create some nice heel heat if anyone really cared about Regal and Tajiri. That said, having Eugene run in to help Regal and Taj, with huge crowd cheers for his surprise return, only to be flattened by a Magic Carpet Ride (which i've never actually seen, but sounds great) would be nice.
Not only that, but Lex Luger looks oddly similiar to Gabrielle from Xena... Come to think of it, we never did see the two of them together, did we... Tribal Prophet