Here's today's news:
The Undertaker is scheduled to return on Monday, and is also to appear on the next day's Smackdown tapings.
Bobby Lashley makes his MMA return in March. Any talk of him facing Batista has apparently died down, as nothing has been written about it in months. There were apparently rumors of him returning as part of the Main Event Mafia angle earlier this year, but obviously nothing came of that.
After the break, my thoughts on today's PWInsider.com questions.
It's tough to pick a "best match" for Undertaker at Mania other than the clashes with HBK, but the match with Triple H stands out for sure. I'm not really good at "best" or "worst" type questions.
Someone asks about Evan Bourne not getting over and if it has anything to do with his character. I like his character, as he has that natural babyface vibe about him. But I don't see him getting much higher than where he is now (or rather, was when he left) with it. I don't see him working as a serious character or like John Morrison is now, but I would have said the same thing about Justin Gabriel. Honestly, I think his mic skills might be the biggest thing keeping him from moving up the card. You can put on the best matches in the world, but if you can't cut a promo, you're not going to be a main eventer in WWE (and to some extent, TNA). I disagree with Buck Woodward's assessment. You can't just put someone in the main event and have them get over as a main eventer. See Bobby Lashley or Mr. Anderson (in WWE) for notable examples.
A thought-provoking question: which of the following stars would get over if they came along in the "PG" era?
The Rock- Absolutely. He has charisma in spades. He'd get over in any role you put him in.
Stone Cold- Not quite as much. No beer, no flipping people off, and no profanity would hurt him, but he'd still be a pretty big star.
The original DX- Not to the extent that they did. They'd still be a good act, but they relied on pushing the envelope so much that they wouldn't be as revolutionary.
Mick Foley- Assuming he'd be the same age as he was, he'd still get over pretty well. He didn't really go as over-the-top (with the exception of violence) as other guys then. A less violent Mankind could still work. It would feel kind of neutered though. Mick Foley without blood and weapons? Wow.
Mr. McMahon- Aside from the fact that it's his company, McMahon is one of the top heels of all time. He'd do fine.
Christian is expected back soon, as in possibly before WrestleMania. I'd save him for after Del Rio wins the title. He'd either enter the feud with Edge or return immediately after it to feud with his attacker.
The Miami Herald talked to The Miz after the big WM28 press conference there. He talks about his transition to (and through) WWE and meeting Dan Marino.
Former TNA and ROH wrestler Austin Aries tried out for the new Tough Enough, but didn't make the final cut. I thought he had potential in his TNA run, but had a ways to go to be WWE-worthy.
Here's a link to a talk with Chris Jericho. He has an interesting viewpoint on The Miz as "beatable" WWE Champion. Miz can definitely be booked better. Jericho first won the Undisputed Title in 2001, so I'm not sure why the link says 2003.
Jerry Lawler also has an interview up. He thanks those who have sent condolences his way, and talks about his match with The Miz and a theoretical one with Michael Cole.
Apparently there were rumors that some in TNA see Matt Hardy as arrogant. There haven't been any reports of this. I hate when stuff like this gets out. False rumors suck and bring down the credibility of wrestling news sites in general.
TNA Impact drew a 1.1 rating again this week, despite featuring Jeff Hardy vs. Rob Van Dam for the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. If they were expecting a ratings pop following Hardy's title win Sunday, they were wrong to. There's no word on Superstars' rating as I write this.
Vladimir Kozlov and Santino Marella will defend the WWE Tag Team Championships against Justin Gabriel and Heath Slater in a rematch this Sunday.
Finally, here are Dolph Ziggler's (in-character) comments on Twitter after being "fired" on Smackdown: "(I) will see all of u again, SOMEWHERE! And now its time to make an impact and spike someone else's ratings! U know me, I'd rather be in Dixie."
Pretty funny tease. He's still under contract with WWE, and has been moved to WWE.com's Alumni page along with the also-still-under-contract Kelly Kelly.
That's all for tonight's news. There will be more tomorrow, and a preview for Elimination Chamber.
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