Extreme Rules 2015 Predictions

We are in the fallout from WrestleMania where we saw the “Vigilante” crushed, the Deadman return and the World Champion losing the title without being pinned or submitted. But forget all those storylines, none of them matter for Extreme Rules, the so called “one night of the year when WWE gets Extreme”. Of course, this event has changed a lot from its roots as “ECW’s One Night Stand”, you only got to look at the match stipulations which include a “Kiss Me Arse” match. Yeah, really.

 

WWE Tag Team Championships:

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (C) vs. The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston)

Story Arc: A new tag team on the block (the Lucha Dragons) steal the spotlight from The New Day. But with some new heel tactics, the New Day win themselves a title opportunity.

Prediction: I would have loved to have seen the Lucha Dragons challenge for the titles but it’s good booking by WWE to have the New Day slowly turn heel and earn themselves the number one contenderships. Kidd and Cesaro should go over here to set up a future bout with Sin Cara and Kalisto. Although, equally in storyline terms, the masked duo facing The New Day would also work. However, Kidd and Cesaro are an excellent team and the longer the two have the titles, the better the tag division will be.

Winners: Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

Chicago Street Fight:

Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper

Story Arc: The monster keeps on destroying the man. But this is no normal man.

Prediction: I’m glad to see these two on the card. Not only are these two too good to be left off a PPV but also it shows the WWE giving their midcarders a chance. With both mens past, I expect this to be pretty brutal. It’s not going to be all barbed wire and week-whackers but there should be at least one bump that deserves a Joey Styles “OH MY GOD!” That is, as long as they get enough time. It really depends on who the WWE wants to push. Knowing WWE, neither. I’m hoping Ambrose goes over here. He’s been losing a lot of big matches since breaking from the Shield, this is one he can win.

Winner: Dean Ambrose

Kiss Me Arse Match:

Dolph Ziggler vs. Sheamus

Story Arc: The returning Irishman, with a fresh new attitude and look tries to bully all. One man stands against him.

Prediction: Did we really need this stipulation? I mean really? Both men are good workers, so regardless of the 90’s stipulation, this should be a good match. I don’t know what the WWE are trying to do with Sheamus. He came back as a badass but this stipulation kind of diminishes that. Since he just returned, Sheamus should win this to keep his momentum going. I don’t know what’s next for him. Maybe he goes for Bryan’s IC title? Maybe Cena’s US title?

Winner: Sheamus

 

WWE Intercontinental Championship:

Daniel Bryan (C) vs. Bad News Barrett

Story Arc: The former king of the hill claims the second most coverted prize in wrestling but the former champ wants his belt back.

Prediction: The real question in this match is whether Bryan will be able to wrestle. He’s been injured and it’s currently unknown whether the “YES” man will be able to compete. There are two ways around this. If they know Bryan will be out for a long period then he will have to relinquish the belt. Alternatively, if they think Bryan will be out for only a week or so, then they can have him attacked backstage and cancel the bout. If the match goes ahead, it should be a fun match. Bryan can have a good bout with everybody, even if he is not 100% (just watch some of his ROH matches, he even competed with his eye half hanging out). If Bryan is fit, then Bryan should retain. If not, then he may lose it quickly, either by handing the belt back or losing quickly.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

WWE Divas Championship

Nikki Bella (C) vs. Naomi

Story Arc: Umm... I don't know actually

Prediction: What has happened to the Divas division? First AJ Lee retires then Paige leaves kayfabe injured. It’s a little bit muddled. Naomi heel turn was done well but with the Divas division lacking a face, I’m unsure whether this was done at the right time. If the Bella’s have turned face, then that just adds to the confusion. I’m unsure what to make of this. Like the tag title bout, it makes better business sense to keep the titles on Nikki.

Winner: Nikki Bella

Last Man Standing:

Roman Reigns vs. Big Show

Story Arc: Former challenger takes on the giant (in a lame build up)

Prediction: Let’s first point out that Extreme Rules will take place in Chicago, which is usually quite a rowdy crowd, so expect Roman to be boo’ed. They may even boo the entire match. Although the build-up could be better, this is the right move for Reigns. There’s no point in Reigns remaining in the title picture and throwing the championship on him. The problem is that The Big Show shouldn’t be in one of the main feuds at his age. That said, it could be a decent enough match. As long as these two just slug it out and hit a few big spots. With it being a Last Man Standing bout there should be a big finish. The winner is in no doubt.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Russian Chain Match

WWE United States Championship

John Cena (C) v Rusev

Story Arc: American hero captures the belt but the angry foreigner wants a rematch in his terms

Prediction: One thing WWE has done right is the Cena/Rusev feud. I’m surprised they haven’t built this up more as the rubber match, Rusev won at Fast Lane, Cena won at WrestleMania. So what happens at Extreme Rules? Cena winning would be the sensible call, he’s bringing prestige to the belt and defending regularly. However, another loss for Rusev would damage the previously unbeaten Russian. The best call would be for Rusev to pass out from some chain submission move, possibly the Accolade or STF.

Winner: John Cena

Steel Cage Match

WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Rollins (C) vs. Randy Orton

Story Arc: Fresh off his shocking title win, the new champ finds himself a new challenger with a familiar face

Prediction: This is a proper main event. Maybe a little bit overbooked with the RKO banned and Kane at ringside but other than that this has all of the makings of a stellar cage match. Steel Cage matches have lost that thrill they used to have but Rollins and Orton have excellent chemistry. Rollins is also very inventive so I’m looking forward to see what he can come up with inside a cage. Kane being at ringside should change something. I’m unsure at the moment whether he’ll help the champ or not. If I had to guess, I’d say he’d be against Rollins all match then screw Orton at the end, allowing Rollins to get the win. It’s a shame the RKO and the Curb Stomp are banned because both off the cage would be excellent spots.

Winner: Seth Rollins

Favourite Five Singles Performers

Inspired by The Kevstaa’s post on 411Mania, I decided to list my top five current singles performers. This list always changes, so it was interesting to commit to just five talents. I tried not to go with too many WWE performers but with the addition of the WWE Network, my weekly consumption of WWE has increased dramatically. So where before I may have had a Indy list, now three out of the five are from the WWE.

5) Finn Balor: I’ve written many times of how much I enjoy Balor. I’ve been a fan of Balor since he teamed with Ryusuke Taguchi in NJPW. He was my gateway into NJPW and Japanese wrestling as a whole. I would constantly track down all his big matches when he performed under the name Prince Devitt. All of his IWGP Junior Heavyweight reigns were excellent. The reason why I enjoyed (and continue to enjoy) the Junior division is because it’s the closest we have to the heydays of TNA’s X-Division. Since joining the WWE, Balor has been great. But his match quality has understandably dipped due to working a more WWE style. Previously he may have been in my top three but slips to number five here.

4) Zack Sabre Jr: The Brit has taken over as my “new Prince Devitt”. He’s the guy I spend time tracking down his recent matches online. For those unfamiliar with Sabre. He works a specific British style but fits in perfectly performing in Japan. Check out his match with Balor before he went to the WWE, here. Most recently, he’s been earning plaudits in the American indies and it is about time. It’s great to see him get the respect he deserves and also bring new fans to a style that was considered dead. I don’t know what’s next for Sabre. I can’t see him in either WWE or TNA. I think he’s best suited to working Japan and the indies. Winning the Junior title in NJPW or NOAH would be a good start.

3) AJ Styles: If I had composed these lists every year, I would have no doubt that AJ would fit into each and every one of them. He’s just that good, plain and simple. His time in TNA came to an unfortunate end. He was the embodiment of TNA and I never saw him leaving. But after seeing what he has done since, I’m sure everybody is happy he has left. He immediately took over the vacated role of leader of the Bullet Club from Finn Balor. And since has taken them to new heights with Bullet Club shirts appearing in every and any promotion. The man himself, Styles, has shown that he still has it in him to out-perform everyone with classics at every big NJPW show and will continue to do so. I’m so glad that New Japan gave him this chance, so that we can all see, once again, how phenomenal this man really is.

2) Seth Rollins: I wrote a piece very early on in this blog about the “most watchable wrestler”. It came about after a throwaway comment I made about Zayn being that man. At the time I struggled with the Rollins versus Zayn debate. Since then, Rollins has made the WWE his own show. He is WWE’s top performer putting on great matches with everybody. His crowning moment, of course came at WrestleMania. It was a sight to behold. As I previous wrote, Rollins is the wrestler who got me into indie wrestling. So to see him raise the WWE World Championship at WrestleMania will go down as one of my all-time wrestling moments. But when it came down to the crunch, he was just edged out by Zayn. And here’s why:

1) Sami Zayn: It was the hardest of choices. Even after I decided, I tussled with the idea of swapping these two around. Really, what I am trying to say is that they are both on par with one another. The only reason I put Zayn over the champ, is because I asked myself, “who would I rather see wrestle?” And Zayn just edged it. Maybe it’s because I watch NXT religiously and I don’t watch Raw or Smackdown. But currently, I would prefer to see a Zayn match over a Rollins’ bout. Add in the fact, that Zayn is just so damn likable. Hell, even his silly name for his fans, the “Zayniacs” is warming to me. Zayn is a newbie to my top spot. I wouldn’t have put him there last year and although I liked him on the indies, I was never a massive fan. I don’t think he would have ever have made my top five. But he has here, as number one. Now I hope the WWE doesn’t mess it up when they call him up.

That’s my top five, what’s yours? Do you agree with my choices, who do you rank as number one? Let me know @marcusandberg

Clash of the Champions 1 Review

Time to go old school and visit 1988 for the first ever Clash of the Champions event. There were 35 Clash of the Champions events with the last happening in 1997. While later events were held under the WCW banner, earlier events like this was held by Jim Crockett Promotions. There was a war going on between Vince McMahon and Jim Crockett at the time which led to Crockett putting this Clash of the Champions on free TV the same day as Wrestlemania IV which contained the tournament for the vacant WWF Championship.

We start with some graphics hyping up the matches on tonight’s show. The headliner is of course Ric Flair versus Sting but we also get Dusty Rhodes teaming with the Road Warriors. Should be good.

Our first match is for the NWA World Television Championship. The holder is the future father of Bray Wyatt and Bo Dallas, Mike Rotunda. His challenger is ‘Gorgeous’ Jimmy Garvin. The match is in rounds which is odd but alike to that of British Wrestling from the era. Both workers do well to keep with the gimmick of the match. Rotunda is the better worker, ‘Gorgeous’ is nothing like his nickname with his belly over his white ill-fitting trunks. Kevin Sullivan, who is at ringside for Rotunda gets involved, as does Garvin’s manager, a woman named Precious. The match was announced as “One Fall” which I guessed meant one fall to the finish as opposed to 2/3 falls but actually they meant “one count”. Which is instead of the referee slapping the mat three times, he only needs to strike it once. So the finish comes as a surprise when Rotunda rolls up Garvin for the win. After the match, Sullivan and Garvin fight. Rick Steiner runs out to aid Sullivan and Rotunda. But Precious hits Rick with a 2x4 then chokes Sullivan with coat-hanger. Where are these weapons coming from? The heels try and grab Precious but Garvin pulls her to safety. Decent yet strange opener, the crowd are super-hot already.

“Dr Death” Steve Williams is being interviewed. They promote that he’s been in Japan. Stumbling over his words, he challenges winner of main event. That should be a good match, regardless of the outcome of the main event.

A very young Jim Cornette is at ringside with his tennis racket to manage the Midnight Express. They are defending the NWA United States Tag Team Championships against the Fantastics. The two teams brawl from the get-go with steel chairs involved. Heels then take control and work the hot tag. On the outside, the heels use the on the floor and hit a bulldog. The Fantastics get a sunset flip pin but referee is distracted by own partner. The miscommunication continues as the faces make the tag but referee didn't see it. Fulton of the Fantastics goes mad and throws the referee over ropes. A new referee comes out as Fulton’s tag partner, Rodgers scores the win. However, the old referee reverses the decision, so the Midnight Express retain. The two teams continue to brawl. Cornette even gets involved but accidently hits his own man with racket. The Express then take control and whip opponents with belts. Good heel work by the Express and a good match.

Gary Hart and Al Perez are now being interviewed. They tell Dusty that they are coming for him. This is followed by a clip promoting the Jim Crockett Snr Cup. They announce the 10 ten seeds for the tournament.

Even though we are in North Carolina we have a Chicago Street Fight, which means there’s barbed wire around the ropes. Dusty and Road Warriors face off against Ivan Koloff and Powers of Pain.  Animal is wearing a mask as he has an injured eye. Ivan is busted open early from the barbed wire. Hawk is the only one doing moves, hitting a dropkick and a Gorilla press slam. Everybody else is just punching and pushing each other into the ropes. It’s a like a dull Royal Rumble without any eliminations. Dusty is now busted open and makes a comeback with his elbow routine. The finish then comes out of nowhere. The Barbarian tries for a top rope splash but hits his own tag partner, The Warlord. I didn’t even see it happening, the camera angle was all off. After the bout, the heels get revenge and attack Animal, ripping off his mask and injuring his eye further. Weak match but the crowd enjoyed it. At least it was kept short.

Nikita Koloff is now being interviewed in an odd promo. Is he a face or heel? He speaks about the anti-drug work he has been doing and talks about Dusty. But sounds like angry dog.

The championship matches continues as the NWA World Tag Team Championships are on the line. The champions Arn Anderson and Tully Blanchard are defending against Barry Windham and Lex Luger. The faces are insanely over, the fans love them. This gives Windham and Luger the advantage to start and the faces start well. Then the Horsemen kick into gear and work over the leg of Luger. The hot tag is made but despite a good start, the Horsemen turn the tide again and beat down Windham. DOUBLE A SPINEBUSTER! No kickout, I thought that was Arn’s finisher. J.J. Dillon who is out with Arn and Tully, brings in a steel chair onto the apron. It backfires, and the faces get the pin. New Champs! Good old JR is on commentary for this one and does great to put this over as a historic moment. It was a decent enough match but I expected more epically with tag legends like Arn and Tully.

For the big Main Event, we have judges at ringside which include TV stars because they are best suited to decide the fate of a World title match. NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Ric Flair is accompanied by J.J. Dillon but a stipulation of the match is that Dillon must be suspended in a cage above the ring. The commentators put this match over well, running with the story of Flair being the 5x World Champion in the “apex” of his wrestling life while Sting is the young up and comer. We get an announcement that because of TV, the time limit is reduced from 60 minutes to 45, you know what that means. We get a great opening feeling out process, you know straight away this is going to be a long match. Flair hits his first chop of many and they are lethal. They are so hard, they cut Sting’s chest. Flair plays the classic heel slowing the pace but then Sting explodes with offence. Flair shows why he is the “Dirtiest Player in the Game”, his heel mannerisms are brilliant. The back rakes, the role holding, his “OH MY BACK” shouts. It’s now Sting’s turn to slow the match down with holds first a series of sleepers then a beahug. Flair is now adding biting his hand when in pain in between shouting "MY BACK!" Classic. Flair starts a comeback and throws Sting into barricade. But the momentum doesn’t last for too long as Sting “Hulks Up” and takes all of Stings chops. Sting’s offence is stopped in his tracks after he misses a jumping clothesline on the outside and smashes into the ringpost. Flair sees Sting holding his arm and now focuses on the arm. But Sting, as he has done all match, powers back. At the 25 minute mark we get the first Suplex of the match, which is ridiculous when you think about it. The first Scorpian Deathlock follows but Flair gets to ropes. Flair now works over legs of Sting. BINGO! That’s all the body parts focused on, the head, the neck, the body, the arms and the legs.

15 minutes left and we see the first Figure Four Leg Lock from “the Nature Boy. But despite Flair using ropes for leverage, Sting shuffles through the pain to the middle of the ring. The future “Icon” then flips the Figure Four over putting the pressure on Flair but damages his own legs in the process. Flair is back to his feet first and tries for a Suplex on the steps. Sting reverses into a stalling Suplex into ring. Sting tries to follow it up with a big running splash but Flair gets the knees up. Sting fight back and locks in the Figure Four on Flair! Flair manages to get to the ropes but he’s in desperation mode. He pushes the referee, the ref pushes back, then he hits his amazing corner bump. Flair’s selling is fantastically over the top. Flair tries a sunset flip into the ring at 5 minutes to go but it fails. Sting is now using the back rake, that’s what Flair has drove him to. Sting goes for a big splash in the corner but he misses and ends up on the outside. There’s a brilliant sequence where Flair does his super-bump in corner which sends him to the apron, he then runs along apron and dives off top but Sting reverses it into pin for a close call. Flair is busted open, I don’t know when that happened. Time is running out on Sting but he locks in the Scorpion Deathlock! Flair is in agony, he’s struggling to stay in this as the timer counts lower and lower. But Flair manages to hold on. So it’s over to the judges. After the commercial break, the ring announcer is in the ring reading out the judges choices. Judge 1 goes for Flair, the second sides with Sting and the final judge… says it’s a draw. So the match is a draw and Flair retains. What judge calls the match a draw? You were supposed to pick! Also, there were 5 judges, so what happened to the other two? Just a quick note before I sum up, I didn’t mean to write a play-by-play on this match but I got carried away. The finish aside, this is an absolute classic. In terms of actual wrestling, you won’t get a lot out of this one. But what sets this aside from so many matches is the storytelling. This is a match that made Sting. But the credit for his match should go to Flair. Everything about Flair was A+, it was a masterclass in storytelling from one of the greatest of all time.

Overall, the event is a mixed bag. The entire undercard is damaged because of time, all are about average with the exception of the Chicago Street Fight which is just brawling for three minutes. This is made up for by the Main Event which is a classic. And I’m okay with that. They didn’t have PPV time, remember this was originally shown on free TV. It showcased the talent well and that main event should have got people talking and returning for the TV show they kept plugging.

Rebooked: ECW One Night Stand 2005

ECW One Night Stand 2005

Backstory

There have been many ECW tribute shows that have tried to recapture the excitement of Extreme Championship Wrestling. But there will always be only one true ECW tribute show, ECW One Night Stand 2005.

Extreme Championship Wrestling was a wrestling promotion like none other. ECW came about in one of the most iconic images in wrestling history, Shane Douglas, the reigning NWA World Heavyweight Champion threw down the belt and claimed the Eastern Championship Wrestling title, calling the title a true World Heavyweight Championship. This action was the birth of the rebellious ECW and paved the way for the years following with controversial angles, hardcore stipulations and fans with a passion for wrestling unmatched anywhere else on this earth.

In late 2004 wheels were set in motion for an ECW tribute PPV, thanks to former ECW talent now working for WWE such as Paul Heyman and Rob Van Dam. Heyman was left in charge of booking the show and immediately began ringing former ECW employers to put on the greatest ECW tribute show that there ever was. However, there was one big problem. One of ECW’s top workers and most loyal was injured, Rob Van Dam. A tribute show without the “Whole Dam Show” would be a huge miss. But Rob Van Dam promised he would rehab his injured knee as fast as he could to return for the PPV.

The date was set, June 12^th 2005 ECW would return for a One Night Stand. WWE programming began to promote the PPV. Originally there were plans for there to be anti-ECW group from within WWE to rival the forthcoming show however this storyline never came to light. WWE programming advertised the PPV by showing old clips of previous matches and had former ECW employees to give documentary interviews. The card was slowly beginning to come together. There was a mixture of old feuds reignited and dream matches that never took place. However, one name was still missing, Rob Van Dam.

ECW One Night Stand Preview

With just weeks before ECW returns for One Night Stand we have a run-down of the card, exclusively here on WWE.com.

Infamous Triple Threat

Super Crazy vs. Tajiri vs. Little Guido

Three different wrestlers, from three different countries with three completely different styles showed what ECW was all about when they first met up in ECW and launched all three men onto the big stage in the future. Super Crazy with his Lucha Libre moves, Tajiri with his puroresu skills and Little Guido with hit shooter style. Just liked the original, this is sure to be off the charts.

Impact Players Implode

Lance Storm vs. Justin Credible

Acquaintances, tag partners, friends there are many ways to describe the relationship these two have with each other. These two began teaming in 1999 and formed the name the Impact Players. They had great success winning the ECW World Tag Team Titles. However, despite their skill as a team they now face off one on one to determine who the best Impact Player really is. Both men want to prove themselves as the better man but neither man will be willing to let go.  

Brotherly Warfare

The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) vs. Spike Dudley and Balls Mahoney

Blood is thicker than water. And tables are thicker than blood according to the Dudley family. The Dudley Boyz will return to their ECW roots where they first began and across the ring will be a very familiar face, their own brother, little Spike Dudley. The “Giant Killer” will attempt to topple not just his brothers but the most illustrious tag team in ECW history. Alongside him will be tag partner, Balls Mahoney who together have beaten the Dudley Boyz for the ECW World Tag Team titles twice. 

Mexican Death Match

Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psychosis

These two rivals have wrestled all around the world, from their home of Mexico, to the far off land of Japan but their first break in America came in ECW. Both men have gone on to have wonderful careers but it is debatable that without their first match in the States, they wouldn’t be where they are today. So now these two return to the match that started their careers, the Mexican Death Match.

ECW’s Legacy

Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho

There has been many wrestlers who rode the ride through ECW and went onto become big names but two of the most well-known names had their first big role in ECW are Eddie Guerrero and Chris Jericho. Between them they have won many titles and many accolades and ECW gave them their first big chance with gold. Now these two face off in tribute to all the workers who passed through ECW.

You Broke my Neck

Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) vs. Chris Benoit

An historic moment and a landmark event in ECW happened at November 2 Remember 1994. In the scheduled main event the “Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death Defying" Sabu got dumped on his head by Chris Benoit leaving him on the shelf injured. From then on Benoit was known as “The Crippler” and went onto great success. Despite his quietness, Sabu has made it clear that he’s still wants vengeance for what Beniot did to him and is willing to put everything on the line to get it.

Legends of ECW

Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman vs. Mick Foley and Terry Funk

ECW was notorious for its hardcore nature and rough and ready talent but none envision the image of ECW quite like the four competitors in our main event. Between them they have won the ECW World Heavyweight title 8 times and the ECW World Tag Team Championship 6 times. All four have storied histories with ECW and will all look to pull out all the stops to put on a great performance for the ECW fans.

Well, that’s all for now. We can only predict what the ECW PPV will turn out like due to it’s history of being very unpredictable. To find out what happens dial your PPV provider now.

ECW One Night Stand

June 12^th 2005

The show opens with a large clip package highlighting all the key moments from ECW, including it’s demise. There’s more hype as the video ends with “But tonight we return for a One Night Stand.” The camera then cuts to the arena with its deafening “EC-DUB, EC-DUB” screams in the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York.

Paul Heyman was the first man to make his way out to an ravenous applause. Heyman is stopped from speaking due to the repeated “EC-DUB” chants. Heyman finally gets chance to speak and riles up the crowd even more. He said tonight all the wrestlers will put everything on the line for the fans. We then went over to out commentators, Joey Styles and Taz to run down the card.

Match 1) Super Crazy vs. Tajiri (with The Sinister Minister and Mikey Whipwreck) vs. Little Guido (with Tracy Smothers, Tony Mamaluke and Big Guido)

As you would expect all three men used their differing styles to outdo the other competitors. The action was very fast paced with move after move after move. The match built up to a spot where all at ringside (including non-competitors) fought into the crowd. Then Super Crazy (who had just disappeared) appeared in the balcony. Crazy lived up to his name hitting a moonsault from the balcony onto all below! The match ended soon after back in the ring after Smothers tried to aid Guido but ended up getting the Posion Mist from Tajiri. Tajiri then finished off Guido with the Buzzsaw Kick.

Joel Gertner was at an interview set with Sabu and his manager Bill Alfonso. Alfonso said how Sabu is the most dangerous man alive and Beniot will find that out later on tonight. Alfonso promised Beniot that Sabu will snap his neck in two just like Beniot did to him 11 years ago.

Match 2) Lance Storm vs. Justin Credible (with Dawn Marie)

Before the match Storm took the mic and asked why they are facing off since they are good friends. Credible snatched the mic away from him and told Lance that he was a “Sell-out” by leaving ECW when they needed him most. Credible then brought out Dawn Marie to be in his corner and attacked Storm when he wasn’t looking. In the match the two traded holds and submissions before building the match up. Dawn Marie got up on the apron but miscommunication sent Credible headfirst into her. Justin recovered and went for the That’s Incredible only for Lance to reverse it perfectly setting up a Deep Impact for the win. Following the bout Lance offered a hand shake, Justin refused but then hugged Lance. Lance, Justin and Dawn all celebrated together before leaving.

Match 3) The Dudley Boyz (Bubba Ray and D-Von) vs. Spike Dudley and Balls Mahoney

A different bout to the two that this has followed on from. The Dudley’s made immediate impact attacking their opponents in their entrance. They quickly wiped out their brother with an aided powerbomb through a table. The Dudley’s then worked on Balls and busted him open for the first blood spill of the night. Balls tried to fight back but the handicap was too much. During this 2 on 1 beating Bubba took time out to insult some fans. Spike made his return with a chair and turned the odds in his team’s favour busting both his brothers open. From there the action was even and more importantly hardcore. After almost killing Spike with a throw to the outside, the Dudleys lit a table on fire and powerbombed Balls through it OMG! Post match as the ring crew cleaned the ring Bubba grabbed a mic and continued to insult the fans even calling Hat Guy “a worthless pile of semen.”

Paul Heyman returned to the ring to introduce a video of a tribute to ECW wrestlers that have passed on. The fans respected the one minute silence Heyman requested then continued “EC-DUB” to show their respect for all the workers who have passed away.

Match 4) Mexican Death Match: Rey Misterio Jr. vs. Psychosis

Both men were wearing attires alike to that of what they wore in their original encounter in 1995. The match was held under Mexican Death match rules just like the original. As well as being best friends these two have been great opponents and know each other so well. The first fall went to Rey after he hit the West Coast Pop in the centre of the ring. Psychosis quickly stole the second after Rey’s attempt at a hurricanrana was flipped around a full 360 and Pyschosis got the pin. Joey Styles shouted "Ay Dios Mio” translated to Oh My God! After that move adding “I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like that before!” The match continued with both men going all out for the final fall. The action later entered the crowd. Just like back at November to Remember 1995, Rey found a raised platform to climb. After climbing to the top Rey dived off and hit a hurricanrana on Psychosis. However, Psychosis kicked out! They fought back to the ring where Rey tripped his opponent up on the ropes. Rey finished off with a 619 (which wasn’t met too happily to the diehard ECW fans) to get the final fall.

Joel Gertner was yet again at the interview area. He begins his speech about why he loves ECW only for Terry Funk to appear instantly knocking Gertner out with a punch. Funk cuts a mad promo about how he had to return to the ring tonight. He added it will be an “honour” to team up with Foley and a “privilege” to whup Dreamer and Sandman a****.

Match 5) Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Jericho:

Like the match before both men had “retro attires” as Taz put it, they were wearing attires that replicated previous attires worn in ECW. As said in the preview this bout was a tribute to all the great workers who have passed through ECW. The action was top notch with both men putting on great performances. They teased the fans with multiple near falls and some ECW-esq spots.  Jericho took a dive off the apron toward Eddie who protected himself with a chair. The action continued with Eddie placing Jericho on a ladder for a Frog Splash but Chris moved sending Eddie front first onto the ladder. Jericho capitalised with a Lionsault, crushing Eddie between his opponent and the ladder. The battle raged on as both men traded blows but Jericho’s Liontamer made Eddie submit.

The Blue World Order’s (B.W.O) Stevie Richards, Hollywood Nova and the Blue Meanie all made their way out. Stevie complained how the three weren’t booked on the show while maintaining his NWO parody. He then announced that their leader was here pointing to the entrance. After a long build up with the fans chanting “Raven” Stevie revealed it was all a hoax and called Raven a pussy for not showing up and showing where his true loyalties lie. They continued their “take over” of the PPV until Taz got up from commentary claiming “enough was enough.” Taz marched down to the ring telling them they have one last chance to get out of the ring. Instead Meanie gave Taz a middle finger. Taz then destroyed all three members of the B.W.O quickly, thowing Stevie and Nova about with suplexes then locking in the Tazmission on Meanie. The B.W.O finally pulled Meanie away and scurried away as Taz remained in the ring, standing with arms folded.

Match 6) Sabu (with Bill Alfonso) vs. Chris Benoit

The action started right away with Sabu’s entrance. The “Homicidal, Suicidal, Genocidal, Death Defying" Sabu came running out for his entrance launching two chairs at Benoit in the ring immediately. “The Crippler” took the fight back to Sabu and tried to neutralise Sabu by keeping him away from weapons however with Bill Alfonso at ringside Sabu was handed weapons at every opportunity. The action continued to a point where Benoit attempted to drop Sabu on his head again! However Sabu reversed out of it after blocking numerous attempts. A table was brought into play where Sabu came flying off the ropes hitting a led drop with a chair in his hand onto Benoit who was laid on the table. Sabu never went for the pin always wanting to go for more punishment on the man who broke his neck. Alfonso set up a table between the apron and the guardrail which was later used against his own man as Benoit reversed a dive into a German Suplex off the apron through the table! Sabu locked in the Arabian Clutch for a rare submission victory over Benoit. The bell rung as Sabu won but he wouldn’t let go. Alfonso tried to stop him but Sabu was out of control. After attacking some staff who tried to intervene Sabu exited.

Match 7) Tommy Dreamer and The Sandman vs. Mick Foley and Terry Funk

In the scheduled main event of the evening all four men got thunderous applause and chant. The Sandman even made his trademark entrance though the crowd singing to “Enter Sandman” while swinging his cane and drinking his beer. After all men had entered the crowd burst out their loudest “EC-DUB” chant of the night which went on for minutes. The action itself was what you would expect from four of the toughest men ECW has ever held host to. Every kind of weapon was used in this bout from barbed wire, steel chains and even a ladder which Funk missed a Moonsault from. The action went into the crowd briefly where Sandman smashed Foley up with multiple beer cans. Heading into the closing minutes all four men were bleeding heavily. Sandman was knocked off the apron into a barbed wire board on the outside. Foley followed this up with a Diving Elbow off the apron onto Sandman in the barbed wire. Meanwhile in the ring Funk and Dreamer traded blows before Dreamer hoisted a heavily bleeding Funk onto his shoulders for a Dreamer Driver for the 3-count. After being cut out of the barbed wire, Sandman and Foley joined Funk and Dreamer in the ring. Sandman grabbed a 6-pack of beers and handed them out to the 3 other competitors. They all celebrated, hugged and drunk beer to end the broadcast.

Or so we thought. From out of the crowd and behind the 4 ECW legends came Rhino. He hit the Gore on all 4 competitors and cleared the ring of their bodies. The fans were boo’ing him as he exited the ring to bring something back into the ring. He brought a black bag, he undid the drawstring and brought out the ECW World Heavyweight Championship. Grabbing a mic he said how much of a travesty it is for the true ECW World Champion not to be on the show. He cut a shoot promo directed at WWE for not realising his potential and how he still is a true World Champion. But he was interrupted by the music “Walk” by Pantera. This meant only one thing, “the Whole F’n Show” Rob Van Dam! Van Dam made his way out taking his time to soak in the whole atmosphere. The fans were the loudest they have been all night as Van Dam slid in the ring but Rhino obviously didn’t like Van Dam taking all his attention and attacked him straight away. 

Match 8) Rob Van Dam vs. Rhino

The fans were really vocal in this final unsanctioned match. Van Dam was the obvious fan favourite making his return from injury and Rhino was hated for attacking the ECW legends. Rhino dominated the early parts of the match using his superior strength and power over Van Dam. RVD fought back using quickness to get the momentum before bringing a chair into the match. Rhino fought back smashing the chair over RVD’s lower back but RVD was soon back on the offensive with a kick smashing the chair back in Rhino’s face. Rob Van Dam followed it up with a chair assisted Rolling Thunder. Rhino later nailed a huge Powerbomb which send RVD crashing onto the canvas, somehow RVD got the arm up to keep the match going. The match led to Rhino throwing the chair from the ring after continuously being assaulted with it then lined RVD up for the Gore though a table set up in the corner. However, as Rhino charged, RVD leapfrogged “the Man Monster” and Rhino crashed into the referee sending him thought the table! The match continued with no referee as the two competitors traded blows in the corner. Rhino attempted to lift RVD into a Rhino Driver from the second rope which would have defiantly ended the match-up but RVD countered sending Rhino to the mat with a head kick. Perched on the top rope RVD hit the Five-Star Frog Splash with pin point precision even adjusting his body shape in mid-air to hit Rhino with all his force. RVD rolled back over his opponent but there was no count with the referee still broken in half in the corner. Out came Paul Heyman who slid in and made the 3-count. The show ended with Rob Van Dam celebrating and Paul Heyman picking up the ECW World Heavyweight title and handing it over to RVD. Wrestlers who had competed throughout the night all came out to celebrate and listen to the fans chant “EC-DUB” one last time.

Aftermath

The 2005 ECW One Night Stand proved to be a huge success. Fans and wrestlers alike commented on how well it worked and there were soon petitions made for another. WWE saw the potential they could have and quickly came to a decision in late 2005. ECW One Night Stand was to return and following the show ECW would return as a third brand with its own TV show on the Sci-Fi Channel. The build up began at Wrestlemania 22 where Rob Van Dam won the Money in the Bank match. Soon after RVD said he would use his title shot on the 11^th June, the night of ECW One Night Stand 2.

Unlike the first show, the PPV featured not just ECW alumni but also ECW vs. WWE matches which was headlined by ECW’s Rob Van Dam facing the WWE’s John Cena for the WWE title. The undercard featured such matches as The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer teaming up once more to face WWE’s invading team of Randy Orton and Edge and Sabu facing Kurt Angle. The action led to the main event where the hostile crowd watched as Rob Van Dam beat John Cena cleanly with the Five-Star Frog Splash to become ECW World Champion.

The ECW brand was then launched with Rob Van Dam as the main face of the promotion. Although he lost the WWE Championship within 2 months he held onto the ECW World title for 6 months facing all competitors. The ECW brand served as an alternative to the other WWE brands with its hardcore wrestling and edgy style. Paul Heyman was given plenty of control to make this incarnation of ECW a big success. Heyman mixed the ECW originals with some newer characters which the WWE brought in such as Kevin Thorn- a Vampire with a lust for blood, Elijah Burke - a New York street preacher and most importantly CM Punk- a talented young Straight Edge athlete.

ECW was later given a second PPV “December to Dismember” which Heyman took full advantage of to showcase the ECW talent putting on another good PPV headlined by Rob Van Dam losing the ECW title to the recently turned heel Kurt Angle. Angle had joined the roster originally as a face as the big shock on ECW’s first TV episode but in late 2006 Angle turned heel as he set his sights on the title injuring Van Dam’s ankle in the process. With a new champion and a new year the future looked bright for ECW. Heyman continued to book ECW strongly as it continued to do well in the ratings despite fans unwillingness to see some of the wrestlers move away from the Extreme brand in the annual WWE draft.

CM Punk caused huge waves in the new ECW. He quickly developed a following and won the respect of many of the ECW Legends especially Tommy Dreamer who took the “Straight Edge Superstar” under his wing. Punk battled for the ECW World title on numerous occasions each time getting closer to holding the belt. He won the Money in the Back briefcase at Wrestlemania 23 and over the next 9 months teased on who he would cash the briefcase on (having the choice of all 3 World champions from the 3 brands) Eventually he chose to cash in against ECW World Champion, Tommy Dreamer minutes after he had just won the belt.

Punk turned heel now calling himself “the Saviour of ECW.” He claimed it was his mission to take out all ECW originals and set about on his quest to do so. After “retiring” such Extremists as The Sandman, Balls Mahoney and Stevie Richards, Punk changed his mission objective. From now on Punk said he would not just get rid of the ECW Originals but ECW all together. Many ECW wrestlers stepped up to “the Second City Saint” and many failed including the return of his former mentor, Tommy Dreamer. With ECW falling, Paul Heyman made the call to one man to return to fight Punk, Rob Van Dam. It was “Do or Die” for both men with not just the title on the line but also ECW. Punk defeated RVD in an absolute show stopper to retain the ECW World title and close the ECW brand once and for all.

Wrestlemania 31 Predictions

Some people have been critical of this year’s Wrestlemania build up. Some complaining about the amount of part timers, some complaining about Roman Reigns’ push and other complaining about the storyline build to the matches. However, after watching the Wrestlemania Today programmes, I think they got it right. If you look at it from a storyline point of view they’ve done everything right. Yes, the booking on Raw and Smackdown hasn’t been the best. But from an overall storyline arc point of view, I think they got it right. Here’s my predictions and point of view on this year matches on the Show of Shows.

WWE Tag Team Championships:

Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (C) vs. The New Day vs. Los Matadores vs. The Usos

Story arc: Reigning champions who believe they are the best, put the titles on the line against four teams rather than one.

Prediction: Kidd and Cesaro are great together, they did a good job on Wrestlemania today hyping up the match. This should be a hot opener, expect plenty of high spots and the match ending on a flurry of mayhem. The Uppercats (or the Masters of the WWE Universe or whatever they are called) should leave with the belts. They are the best team in the division and there’s no reason to put the belts on any of the other teams.

Winners: Tyson Kidd and Cesaro

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Story Arc: Okay, so the pre-show matches don’t really have story arc’s. It’s a repeat of last year’s match which pushed Cesaro so well last year… or not.

Prediction: It’s a shame this match ended up on the pre-show. I understand giving time to the rest of the matches on the main card but this really should be on the main card. Ryback has been booked the strongest going into this but I think that’s too obvious. Sheamus could always return and make an instant impact. Hideo Itami won a tournament to be involved in this, expect a good showing but he won’t win. My prediction is WWE plays the safe card. The Big Show turns on Kane and wins the bout.

Winner: The Big Show

Ladder Match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship:

Bad News Barrett (C) vs. R-Truth vs. Dean Ambrose vs. Luke Harper vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Stardust vs. Daniel Bryan

Story Arc: With such a stacked card, a lot of talented Superstars have entered the race for the Intercontinental title, with the title becoming a hot potato recently.

Prediction: My first prediction for this match is that it will open the main show. Everyone knows a ladder match is an exciting match. It’s a simple formula, put this on first to get the people watching at home pumped up. There are so many choices for this match. Aside from R-Truth and Stardust, anyone could win this (hopefully Goldust reappears to cost Cody the belt, to restart that feud). Some rumours have said Bryan is going to win but I think Barrett’s retaining. Maybe leading to a triple threat between him, Bryan and Ziggler. I’d pay to see that.

Winner: Bad News Barrett.

The Bella Twins vs. AJ Lee and Paige

Story Arc: Mean Girls versus the misfits.

Prediction: A four way for the title may have been more suitable. But maybe their saving that for the next PPV. I must say the women’s division has stepped up this year, I actually care about what happens and I will watch. I think that has a lot to do with Paige and specially NXT. And with more NXT women being called up in the future, I think it’s only going to get better. I’m torn on who is going to win. I’ll say the Bella’s just to keep the champ strong

Winners: The Bella Twins

WWE United States Championship

Rusev (C) vs. John Cena

Story Arc: Undefeated Russian brute facing American Hero (Think Rocky IV but without Apollo Creed dying).

Prediction: It’s not a prediction but I hope WWE goes to town on this bout. I’d have Rusev come out with Russian troops with all the cliché’s you can get. Hell, even get a Vladimir Putin impersonator on the stage. Then, have Cena come out with a full American entrance. Bring out Sgt Slaughter and Hacksaw Jim Duggan too. Make it so American it hurts. Usually I’d be against all this. But I like the old school feel to this feud and I hope the WWE runs with it. Going by their match at Fast Lane this should be good. With so many big matches on the card, they might get less time than they did last time. Hopefully they get enough time to tell their story and Cena goes over. It might not be a popular choice but I think Cena is the right man to end the streak. It won’t harm Rusev and who else is there to break Rusev’s streak?

Winner: John Cena

Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins

Story Arc: The handpicked Future of the WWE turns into one of the WWE’s biggest names, returns to the side of his master then is edged out by the new handpicked Future of the WWE.

Prediction: This should just be a brawl from the start to the finish. Orton should be flying at Rollins from the bell. With so many big singles matches, WWE needs to ensure that each match feels different. Make this a brawl from the start to the finish. Hopefully WWE doesn’t pull a DQ or count-out finish on this one. Rollins is a constant top performer and on his WWE singles Wrestlemania debut I expect him to go all out. Expect J&J to get involved at some point. Like the Divas match, this could go either way. But I think Rollins getting the win would open this up for future rematches.

Winner: Seth Rollins

The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt

Story Arc: The former King of the jungle disappears after being dethroned, a new hungry lion hopes to defeat the former King to gain respect and put the King to sleep for good.

Prediction: First off let’s praise Bray Wyatt for building up a match (at Wrestlemania no less) without actually having an opponent. We are quick to praise guys like Daniel Bryan who can wrestle anyone and look good but Wyatt has shown just how good he is at promos. Full credit must go to him. My prediction is that ‘Taker will look to make up for last year’s concussion and put on a great bout. If Sting never returned I would have been 100% percent behind Wyatt. Just for him to get that passing of the torch moment. But Wyatt winning would kill dead the build to a potential bout with Sting at next year’s Mania. Wyatt can still look excellent in defeat. So ‘Taker has got to go over to get back on track and set up the ‘Mania match we all dreamed of.

Winner: The Undertaker

Sting vs. Triple H

Story Arc: The blueblood-turned-degenerate-turned-top dog-turned-company man attempts to put the final nail in the coffin of WWE’s biggest rival.

Prediction: The build-up for this one hasn’t been that good but it’s Sting in a WWE ring! Who’d have thought it? I wonder how this one will go down. Maybe a slower pace to the rest of the bouts. Triple H beats down Sting then the Vigilante has the comeback to win the bout. It may not be a mat classic but it should be a nostalgic bout. I might be underestimating these guys too much. Triple H can still put on top matches. Sting is a bit of an unknown factor. He has put on some great bouts in TNA but in the last few years has looked like an old man past his prime. I’m hoping for a Wrestlemania XXIV Ric Flair versus Shawn Michaels kind of feel. Sting has to go over here, I expect some Authority shenanigans which can lead to a baseball bat / sledgehammer fight. But I think Sting going over is the right call.

Winner: Sting

WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Brock Lesnar (C) vs. Roman Reigns

Story Arc: The Beast faces his match.

Prediction: This is the most controversial match, the bout which has had many of the WWE Universe complaining. I think Reigns facing Lesnar is the right choice, it’s just the build-up for Reigns has been a let-down. To be a threat to Lesnar, Reigns should have been spearing everyone, every week, looking unstoppable. But what is done is done, now we just await the match itself. There is a possibility that the fans will turn on Reigns in the match and boo him. Hopefully that doesn’t happen because I am hoping for a good bout. Reigns had good storytelling at Fast Lane and sold well, if he does the same well, it should be a good bout. As long as they don’t book Reigns like Superman bout with Lesnar destroying Reigns, then the former Shield member not selling anything and winning with a Spear. All along I was completely convinced that Reigns would walk out as Champion. But with Lesnar signing on with the company, that makes me less certain. However, Brock signing a new deal is just a red herring, they wouldn’t have him retain after building up Reigns so much. Would they? 

Winner: Roman Reigns

Of course, there is one more prediction to make. Will Seth Rollins end the night as champion? Will he cash in his briefcase and become the new WWE World Heavyweight Championship? If it happened it would surely be one of the most iconic moments at Wrestlemania. Rollins has defiantly got the skills to be the top guy in the business. He’s proven he has what it takes ever since breaking away from the Shield. Plus cashing in on Roman would re-awaken their feud. But I can’t see it happening. WWE had a plan to put the title on Reigns and I don’t see it ending straight away. Maybe in a month or two.

So that’s the ‘Mania predictions done. With some hope, this should be a great Wrestlemania. But anything is possible with the WWE. Do you agree with my choices, who do you think will be victorious at Wrestlemania? Let me know @marcusandberg