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‘Wrestlemania’ Preview: John Cena Fights the Rock and CM Punk Challenges Undertaker’s Streak

April 2nd, 2013 at 9:16 PM
By Chris Arney

'The people's champion.' photo (c) 2013, Matt Brink - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

It's Wrestlemania. It's [essentially] in New York. It's the grandest stage of them all. What else needs to be said? The Sports Media 101 PPV Panel:

Mark Eddinger, from Motor Sports 101. @WorldRacing101, falls into third with 31.5 points.

Peter Schifani, from New York Jets 101. @NY_Jets101, bounds into second place with 32.5 points.

Brennon Keys, from Rams 101. @Rams_101, falling further behind with 27.5 points.

And, of course, Chris Arney @WWrestling101, laughing from the top spot at 37.5 points.

Intercontinental Championship
Wade Barrett (c) vs. The Miz

ME: The Miz has had success in the past at WrestleMania, but the Intercontinental Championship will stay with Barrett, for now. 2013 should be a big year for Wade and a WrestleMania win will get that off to a great start.

PS: Does anyone really care about this match? Barrett's barrage has slowed to a crawl. Expect Miz to win via Count Out or DQ, so Barrett retains.

BK: With questions surfacing about The Miz's star power, the budding rivalry between Wade Barrett and The Miz doesn't seem like it's going much further than Wrestlemania. Meanwhile, Barrett is a very convincing champion with a fitting title belt. Barrett wins here, and he will hold the belt until a better challenger comes along.

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‘Elimination Chamber’ Preview: Setting the Stage for ‘Wrestlemania’

February 16th, 2013 at 11:45 AM
By Chris Arney

'IMG_0405' photo (c) 2013, Matt Brink - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/

For anyone with a general sense of how 'Wrestlemania' is shaping up, there likely won't be a great deal of surprises at 'Elimination Chamber'. Still, with CM Punk and The Rock facing off again, The Shield in a match, and the Chamber match itself, there is quite a bit of incentive to watch, this Sunday. And who knows? Maybe WWE will pull a few swerves. That brings us to the Sports Media 101 PPV Panel:

Mark Eddinger, from Motor Sports 101. @WorldRacing101, sitting in second with 29.5 points.

Peter Schifani, from New York Jets 101. @NY_Jets101, getting comfortable in third place with 28.5 points.

Brennon Keys, from Rams 101. @Rams_101, falling further behind with 26.5 points.

And, of course, Chris Arney @WWrestling101, expanding his lead at 33.5 points.

Brodus Clay & Tensai vs. Team Rhodes Scholars

ME: The pairing of Tensai with Brodus Clay is sickening since now the WWE is wasting two big guys to a silly and stupid gimmick. For their sake, Team Rhodes Scholars wins.

PS: These new "Monsters of Funk," as Brodus has dubbed them, are on a roll and Team Rhodes Scholars is reuniting for one night only. Expect Clay and Tensai to win this

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‘Royal Rumble’ Review: WWE Fulfills Basic Expectations, but not Much More

January 28th, 2013 at 5:17 PM
By Chris Arney

'The Rock at Raw, Miami, 2 April 2012' photo (c) 2012, Ed Webster - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
It would be tough to argue that the 'Royal Rumble' was disappointing, but "underwhelming" seems to be a fair adjective to describe a pay per view that lacked surprises and show-stealing elements. The Sports 101 PPV Panel:

Mark Eddinger, from Motor Sports 101. @WorldRacing101, sitting in second with 27 points.

Peter Schifani, from New York Jets 101. @NY_Jets101, coping with last place with 24 points.

Brennon Keys, from Rams 101. @Rams_101, enjoying Peter's misery with 24.5 points.

And, of course, Chris Arney @WWrestling101, mentioning that he's in first place at every possible turn with 29 points.

In the pre-show, Antonio Cesaro beat The Miz cleanly. Perhaps the WWE isn't keen on some aspect of that feud.

(+1 for all)

Alberto Del Rio had Ricardo Rodriguez tape Big Show's feet to the ropes so that he physically couldn't stand to break the 10-count during the World Heavyweight Championship match. This was an okay-but-forgettable bout. Del Rio retained.

(+1 for ME, PS, and CA)

Team Hell No kept their lengthy Tag Title reign going with a decisive win over The Rhodes Scholars. Daniel Bryan made Damien Sandow tap to the 'No' Lock. Again, there wasn't anything special, here. One has to wonder if somebody backstage has soured on Sandow.

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‘Royal Rumble’ Preview: the 30-Man Elimination Match and CM Punk Vs. the Rock

January 26th, 2013 at 9:34 PM
By Chris Arney

'The Rock at Raw, Miami, 2 April 2012' photo (c) 2012, Ed Webster - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
Aside from 'Wrestlemania' itself, it doesn't get any bigger than the 'Royal Rumble'. And this year's, emanating from Phoenix, AZ, offers not just the traditional battle royal that everyone loves, but also a match that could easily headline the show at 'The Grandest Stage of Them All', in the form of CM Punk vs. The Rock – a match with an outcome that isn't all that obvious. Here is the Sports 101 PPV Prediction Panel:

Mark Eddinger, from Motor Sports 101. @WorldRacing101, sitting in second with 27 points.

Peter Schifani, from New York Jets 101. @NY_Jets101, coping with last place with 24 points.

Brennon Keys, from Rams 101. @Rams_101, enjoying Peter's misery with 24.5 points.

And, of course, Chris Arney @WWrestling101, mentioning that he's in first place at every possible turn with 29 points.

 

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‘Survivor Series’ Review: a Good Show with Some Odd Surprises

November 19th, 2012 at 12:43 PM
By Chris Arney

'CM Punk' photo (c) 2011, Ed Webster - license: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/
'Survivor Series' was one of the most solid nights of content that WWE has produced in some time. Every match basically delivered on expectations, there was a twist that will interest Internet fans (although the casual fan has no way of understanding it), and even the filler "bonus" match was well received. So there was little to complain about in regards to the show, itself. As for the Sports Media 101 PPV Panel's predictions, well… that might be a different story:

Mark Eddinger, from Motor Sports 101. @WorldRacing101, leading the pack with 19.5 points.

Peter Schifani, from New York Jets 101. @NY_Jets101, in third place with 16.5 points.

Brennon Keys, from Rams 101. @Rams_101, licking his wounds with 14 points.

And, of course, Chris Arney @WWrestling101, in an uncomfortable second place with 18 points.

In the pre-show match, 3MB did, indeed beat Team Cobra or whatever Santino and Ryder are calling themselves.

(+1 for BK and CA)

The show proper kicked off with the "bonus" match, which turned out to be the expected elimination match between the lesser tag teams, though Tensai and Brodus Clay were added, only to be the first ones eliminated. The face International Airstrike, Rey Mysterio, and Sin Cara all survived after eliminating the heel Prime Time Players, Epico, and Primo.

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