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SummerSlam 2003
By: Shawn Stinson
It’s the weekend and that means SummerSlam is right around the corner.
TheBalrogsLair.com staff makes their selections as to who will win their
matches, who World Wrestling Entertainment should have win the match, as well
as, looking to see if the match will be worth watching.
And has always, this is just for entertainment purposes, no real money should be
bet or exchange hands.
Click here to view this month's PPV
Roundtable participants!
Pre-Prediction Comments:
Rick Elsey:
So let’s see… Summer Slam. Ah, I
remember when Summer Slam was the halfway point of the year’s storylines, and
the true launch point for all stories that would eventually climax at Wrestle
Mania the next year.
This year’s version, as has been the case for many PPV events, just looks to me
as if it is another randomly thrown together card.
Fozmaniac:
Gazing into my crystal balls, the Fozmaniac predicts...
Roland G.:
Summerslam is almost here. And that means prediction time...
Joe Balrog:
Hmmm...isn't there an Intercontinental Title? And isn't there a
Cruiserweight and Women's Championship? Oh yeah, there are! Well,
you'd never know it by looking at the card for the second biggest event of the
year, SummerSlam. But you would, however, see Zach Gowan, Shane McMahon, and Eric Bischoff all competing...
The Matches
Matt Hardy vs. Zach Gowan
US Championship
Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit vs. Rhyno vs. Tajiri
The Undertaker vs. A-Train
Kane vs. Rob Van Dam
World Tag Team Championship
La Resistance vs. The Dudley Boyz
Eric Bischoff vs. Shane McMahon
WWE Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle
The Elimination Chamber
World Championship
HHH vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Nash vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Bill Goldberg
Matt Hardy vs. Zach Gowan
Shawn Stinson:
One of the few matches with exactly has a nice storyline to back up their match.
Hardy (and the rest of the Smackdown roster) have been destroying Gowen from day
one. So this shouldn’t be any different. Hardy has been fabulous in this
go-around as a singles wrestler, while Gowen’s injuries might not allow him to
compete. If this match does happen, it should be a good match, but won’t steal
the show by any means.
Who should win? - Matt Hardy
Who will win? - Matt Hardy
Rick Elsey:
On paper I think this match has a lot of entertainment potential, as Matt is
very believable in his current role. Gowen bumps and gigs (blade) like a pro
already in his very short career. My problem with this match is as follows: Who
is this match benefiting? Hardy wins… big deal, he beat a gimp. Gowen wins… poor
Matt, and who cares anyway, beating Matt Hardy doesn’t exactly move you up the
ladder. This match only serves two purposes. First, it keeps Matt Hardy out of
the US Title hunt; second, it continues to expose Gowen’s many, MANY,
weaknesses.
Who should win: Matt Hardy (by the cheap tactics of Shannon Moore)
Who will win: Matt Hardy
Eddie:
Donno if this match will even take place. Gowen wins. In my opinion Hardy
shouldn't be jobbing to him, but at the same time it's a good opponent to put
Gowen over. They've dropped the ball on Zach in many ways.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: Hardy
Why: It's not yet time for that feelgood Gowen win, and Hardy has a whole bunch
of tricks up his sleeve.
Good Decision? Yes. Viva Mattitude.
Good Match? Could be very good indeed.
Roland G.:
Who should win: I'm starting to feel really bad for Zach. The guy has become
cannon fodder and hasn't been given a real win yet. I still think its a tragedy
he lost to Vince. Zach deserves a win.
Who will win: Matt. Although, it won't do anything for him.
Match Analysis: I've heard this has been taken off the card due to Zach's being
utterly destroyed by Lesner. But if the match happens, I think my intrest level
will be good enough not to get bored.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: Matt Hardy
Why: Because Gowan can't make it in WWE
Analysis: There's none really to give - Matt Hardy's lack of a proper push
is enigmatic of the poor writing skills that are going on at Titan Towers right
now.
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: Matt Hardy
Who should: Zach Gowen
Analysis: Gowen is a jobber.
U.S. Championship
Eddie Guerrero vs. Chris Benoit vs. Rhyno vs. Tajiri
Shawn Stinson:
Words can’t describe what this battle of
former ECW stars is going to be like. I never have been a fan of fatal four-way
matches, but this one does have the opportunity to be a good one. With
outstanding wrestlers like Guerrero, Benoit and Tajiri it should be an
old-school dream.
Who should win? - Rhyno
Who will win? - Guerrero
Rick Elsey:
This could be a show-stealer considering who all is involved, but that’s
only if it is given a respectable amount of time and a well placed spot on the
show. I have a feeling it will be a cluster, because all of these men will be
told to hold back, so as not to upstage the grand Elimination Chamber, or the
Undertaker/A-Train match.
Who should win: Guerrero (by cheating of course)
Who will win: Rhyno (because he is a heel as well, and because Benoit will
continue to get the shaft)
Eddie:
This should be the match of the night. I expect Eddie Guerrero to retain. At
this point he's more over with the crowd than anyone else on the roster is. If
they have him drop the belt, it'll be Benoit winning. Either man is great as US
Champion and deserves to be in the WWE Title battle.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: Benoit
Why: I think that Eddie might lose the belt here, hopefully to move up the card.
Rhyno isn't too established yet, and Tajiri is always going to be limited by his
size and language problems, so the Crippler is the only logical choice to pick
up the belt. Logic, in WWE booking? Could happen.
Good Decision? Ayup. Benoit would be another credible champ after Eddie, and he
would put on good matches in defence of the belt. Obviously, this would only
help the returning US Title become respected and established.
Good Match? Four-way matches are a risky proposition, but the talent in the ring
here should guarantee some good action, especially if they're given plenty of
time. This is the match that I'm most looking forward to.
Roland G.:
Who should win: You could say either Benoit or Guerrero should win. The
other two haven't really been given much of a build up other than trading pins.
Eddie deserves it the most.
Who will win: Eddie.
Match Analysis: My only fear here is that if Eddie goes over, it will blowoff
three contenders rather than just one. But they have to keep riding the wave.
Should be a very fun match to watch.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: Benoit
Why: Chris Benoit is the absolute best wrestler out there and since he has
hit a somewhat glass ceiling, he needs to get that title and run with it for a
long period of time.
Analysis: This match is going to steal the show.
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: Guerrero
Who should win: Benoit
Analysis: I've enjoyed watching this feud and it's been pretty good. You can expect this match to be the best on the show and it has solid buildup behind it, for undercard feuds like it, that's the way it should be. After making some mistakes with Eddie Guerrero and being heel, they have done a great job at rebounding, helping him regain some credibility as a heel going into the match. At the same time they've done well establishing Rhyno as a top-tier heel against Chris Benoit, giving the Benoit character some depth to go with his athletic ability and giving Tajiri a stage to be a "performer." This has managed to be the best thing that they've built to on the card and that is both a knock at everything else and praise of this.
The Undertaker vs. A-Train
Shawn Stinson:
Is this 1999? And should be party like it? I’m not sure this match is going
to amount to much except a bunch of big guys trying to out-power each other.
Does nothing for the wrestling fan in me.
Who should win? - Neither
Who will win? - Undertaker
Rick Elsey:
I only have one question… and I already know the answer, but just for kicks
I’ll ask anyway… Why is this match on the show? Do we really need to see this
match for any other reason than to have Sable, Steph, Big Show or Vince come out
and aid A-Train or Undertaker? Where is John Cena? The most logical match for
Taker would have been Cena/Undertaker 3, since both of them have a high-profile
win over the other. Hell, they could have given us a hot 8 Man Tag with The
Basham’s & The World’s Greatest Tag Team vs. Billy Gunn, Jamie Noble and The APA.
Or better yet, Ultimo Dragon vs. Rey Mysterio! But no… we have to have A-Train
on the PPV, because he is big and Vince loves to shove big oafs down our
throats.
Who should win: A-Train (to continue Taker’s current streak of half-heartedly
losing to younger guys)
Who will win: Taker
Eddie:
Undertakers win via DQ. I don't expect
too much out of this match. I have the feeling it won't be a pinfall ending.
A-Train gets a small rub by beating down 'Taker, who practically still wins via
DQ.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: 'Taker
Why: 'Taker always wins - he is unstoppable. Also, I think he is still seeking
revenge on the A-Train from earlier in the year.
Is it a Good Decision? Well, I don't want to see another A-Train push, so...
yeah.
Will it be a Good Match? Never say never, but I imagine that a slow plodding
match with the potential for an overbooked finish like this will be pretty bad.
Roland G.:
Who should win: Seeing as how the Undertaker is just a big ball of space
wasting, The Ape Train should go over.
Who will win: Come on. The Undertaker has never lost to anyone...EVER. Or at
least, that's how it seems. If he doesn't win, it won't be clean - but with him
doing the job to Cena on Smackdown twice (both unclean), he'll get the win.
Match Analysis: No one cares about either of these guys anymore.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: The Undertaker
Why: A-Train is not worthy of a push. Having him beat anyone is a
waste of time.
Analysis: I like big man matches. I'll probably like this match more
than some of the other ones on the card, but I don't see how this is going to
advance either one of them. And where is Cena? Why isn't he
involved?
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: Undertaker
Who should: Undertaker
Analysis: I suppose that WWE offered the best you can offer for two people who you're not interested in seeing. At this point, WWE, very seriously, is best using Undertaker to elevate people. The last chance they had, with John Cena, they screwed it up three times. Undertaker is no longer effective or, dare I say it, a draw in this capacity (having feuds with competitors). Preferential booking at it's worse, is the reason why this match is happening. And it's also why no one cares that it is.
Kane vs. Rob Van Dam
Shawn Stinson:
This match should be two Kane vs. Shane McMahon and Rob Van Dam against
Christian. Instead WWE decided to hold off the Shane battle until next month.
Granted there is a back storyline behind this match, but does anyone really
care? Van Dam will probably take all the bumps here and get squashed. Damn Vince
McMahon and his ECW hatred.
Who should win? - Kane
Who will win? - Kane
Rick Elsey:
This match has the most back story of any on the card. And I’m betting it
gets less than 6 minutes. Kane is not Kane anymore. RVD is less than he was a
year ago thanks to triple H and his backstage politics… this match would have
been a World Title Match this time last year. Now I’m betting it goes on in the
first hour. I am not looking forward to this. WWE is not serious about RVD and
to continue a Kane push, simply sets him up to be squashed by Goldberg, or
Triple H (again).
Who should win: RVD (because he is more talented)
Who will win: Kane (because he is "home-grown" and never main evented for ECW)
Eddie:
Kane wins. Kane should have fought Shane and not RVD, as right now this
doesn't look like the right match to do. Storyline wasn't all that. I don't
expect too much out of this bout, but given an opportunity, both Kane and RVD
put their best performance, therefore I do have a feeling the match will be
good.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: Kane
Why: Kane is still being pushed as a monster, and I expect this to be the
kiss-off to this simmering feud. RVD doesn't seem to be being pushed at all
right now, and so it would make sense for him to be pinned here and then move
on.
Good Decision? Given the current storylines, yeah.
Good Match? There's no reason why these two shouldn't put on a very good match.
Roland G.:
Who Should Win: Kane. You can't have a monster that loses. Well, maybe the
WWE can. Then he could be A-Train.
Who Will Win: Kane. He needs the build up for...Shane McMahon.
Match Analysis: Eh. I thought the Kane buildup was going well until he started
the whole, "I'm not gonna do what you want me to do." So, I guess that includes being entertaining. And RVD is too busy whining to put on a great match these
days.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: Kane
Why: I don't think that RVD is all that great in WWE. Maybe it's the
"toning down" of WWE's product, but Kane has a monster push going right now and RVD doesn't.
Analysis: This will be a decent match, but WWE really needs to have Kane
just mutilate Rob Van Dam to continue his monster push.
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: Kane
Who should: RVD
Analysis: This has been squandered in the hopes of producing this match immediately. RVD is damaged goods and won't get over with Kane. What WWE easily could've done is have Shane McMahon face Kane, to allow time for a feud with Kane and RVD to blossom. The Raw brand has incredibly bad booking at this time, and that's taking into account everything over the past 24 years. This is a low-point for any one promotion (Raw being considered separate from SmackDown, as it should).
World Tag Team Championship
La Resistance vs. The Dudley Boyz
Shawn Stinson:
I was beginning to think as Summer Slam approached we were going to see La
Resistance destroyed by the Dudleys and tossed through tables. This will allow
the young boys to head to Louisville for some more seasoning. Now with the
introduction of a new member on this past weeks’ Raw, I’m not sure how it is
going to play out. This match won’t be a stellar battle of holds, but should be
enjoyable.
Who should win? - La Resistance
Who will win? - Dudley Boyz
Rick Elsey:
I’m almost positive that Spike Dudley will become involved in this match now
that Rob Conway (or whatever they end up calling him) is with La Resistance.
This match I’m looking forward to, because the French guys have amazing heat and
the big swerve from raw this past Monday made me want to see this. I have a
feeling this may end up being one of the better matches.
Who should win: The Dudley Boyz
Who will win: The Dudley Boyz (it is time a pay off, and this will be it)
**Just a little side note here… if I was booking this feud, I’d thrown in a
little homage to the Dudley’s ECW past and have Rob Conway’s character be called
François Dudley. They could say that Big Daddy Dudley had a French fetish and
spent his last days shacked up in France with a refined French woman. That would
get the current anti-French sentiment within the Dudley’s all stirred up but
they might have a moral dilemma to overcome when it is revealed that one of
their brother’s is French.)
Eddie:
Dudley Boyz win. They should win as well. Dudleyz rejoined months ago and
still haven't won the belts. It's about time. La Resistance will be more fresh
with Rob Conway joining them, and I'm guessing these three will fight the
Dudleyz (Spike included) from here on.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: La Resistance
Why: The spotlight is on the Frenchmen at the moment, since they were joined by
Rob Conway on Raw. He should also function as their secret weapon in this match.
Good Decision? I suppose so. The powers that be will have to build up La
Resistance if they're going to achieve anything of note, and the Duds don't
really need the belts.
Good Match? It will probably be a decent match.
Roland G.:
Who should win: La Resistance
Who will Win: La Resistance
Match Analysis: The Duds deserve nothing. I hate them.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: The Dudley Boyz
Why: La Resistance isn't experienced enough to wear that gold. I
don't see them as formidable champions.
Analysis: Well, the third Frenchman will be out for this one as I'm sure
Spike will be. It should be interesting to see the ending of this match
and what the bookers plan.
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: La Resistance
Who should win: The Dudleyz
Analysis: WWE has ably created a basic jingoistic feud that became stale decades ago in this feud.
Eric Bischoff vs. Shane McMahon
Shawn Stinson:
Finally a match which I recommend going to the bathroom, eating, making a birdhouse, etc. McMahon has a history of taking some of the most incredible
bumps during Pay-Per-View matches. Most of those bumps came against active
wrestlers and Bischoff is far, far from that. So this should be a snooze-fest.
Who should win? - Shane McMahon
Who will win? - Shane McMahon
Rick Elsey:
Again… why? Couldn’t they just have had Shane ref the Kane/RVD match or done
a "I’ll be in his corner, and I’ll be in his corner thing"? Where are Hurricane
& Rosey? Where is the new Goldust/Lance Storm act? Where the hell are Rico and
Miss Jackie and this amazingly fresh gimmick they gave him? Where is the Women’s
World Title? WHERE THE HELL IS THE IC BELT!!! Do you see a major pattern between
both shows and their nearly insane lack of priorities when it comes to TV
content building to a PPV climax?
I’m sure this match will be filled with sports entertainment, as Bischoff is not
a wrestler. Shane will bump like a mad man, that is for sure… but what is the
major storyline arch coming out of this? I hope Linda McMahon comes down and
screws her son, by going with Bischoff. Then I’d like to see Linda give Stone
Cold the boot for beating people up last Monday (I hardly think pulling you from
the ring is "physically provoking" you). Then I’d like to see a long drawn out
angle where Bischoff and his new-found power manipulates and wrecks the Raw
brand, forcing a Vince McMahon/Eric Bischoff match at Survivor Series or Rumble,
where Bischoff wins complete control of Monday night and the right to bring back
Nitro. And for those who will say, why won’t you just drop the "bring back WCW"
thing… well, WWE keeps mentioning it… so why can’t we?
Who should win: Eric Bischoff
Who will win: Shane McMahon
Eddie:
Shane McMahon wins. This match should have been a No DQ, or a Street Fight.
No stipulation has been added to it, which makes it weak. The storyline behind
it was weak as well, as it could have been focused on WCW ownership and RAW GM
Spot. This would have made the feud much better. Shane should have fought Kane
in my opinion.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: Shane
Why: Do you really think that Vince would book Eric Bischoff to go over his own
son? Also, Shane has to look strong going into a possible showdown with Kane.
Good Decision? Yup. There's nothing to be gained from a Bischoff victory.
Good Match? I'm not too optimistic, and it certainly won't be a classic, but if
it's kept short there's the potential for an entertaining encounter.
Roland G.:
Who Should Win: Shane. Only because Bischoff has nowhere to go
wrestling-wise.
Who Will Win: Shane. You think for one second a McMahon isn't going to be booked
to go over Bischoff at a PPV?
Match Analysis: Well, we could always be looking for Shane to do a crazy bump,
but honestly, I don't really care that much.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: Me
Why: Well, if Bischoff and Shane are both going to be wrestling at
SummerSlam, then why not me?
Analysis: Ugh - I'll be ordering pizza or taking a piss during this one.
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: Shane
Who should win: neither
Analysis: I don't understand the point of this match and I've been paying very close attention Monday nights. If they wanted to have Eric Bischoff and Shane McMahon feud, they could've… but this was downright sloppy. You can't blame people for being upset with Shane coming in, if it just turns out that they do the same thing with him on the TV as has been done with the McMahons on SmackDown. So far, he's been a pollutant, and quite frankly, no ones interested in another talent that accomplishes nothing. The last attempt to sell this match on Monday night, sunk to a new level of low class in an angle that has been well-discussed.
WWE Championship
Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle
Shawn Stinson:
Where to begin with this match? Their Wrestlemania match was absolutely a
classic, despite of the fact of Angle’s neck injury and Lesnar nearly killing
himself. I don’t expect anything less this time. Angle’s workrate is first-class
and Lesnar’s brute strength and wrestling ability is second to none. If you are
taping this PPV, this match will be a keeper.
Who should win? - Kurt Angle
Who will win? - Kurt Angle
Rick Elsey:
This ought to be a good match, as long as Vince McMahon’s involvement is
kept to a minimum. I say bring back Heyman.
Who should win: Brock Lesnar
Who will win: Brock Lesnar
Eddie:
Lesnar wins. I expect McMahon to help him out.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: Angle
Why: This is a tough one to predict. I think an Angle victory here would be
slightly unexpected, and quite dramatic. Also, there won't be TWO big title
switches on a card...
Good Decision? Yeah, I think that Angle is a credible and entertaining champ.
Good Match? With these two? Should be.
Roland G.:
Who Should Win: This is the hardest one to call. Both have been built nicely
and this fued could really have some legs to it. So, in that line, Kurt should
win to establish himself as much a threat to Lesner as Lesner is to him.
Who Will Win: Kurt.
Match Analysis: Kurt should and will win, but I don't think he should win clean.
Not yet anyway. Vince will run interference in this match and hopefully get in
Brock's way somehow and accidentally cost him the match. That way, Brock can
sever all ties with Vince and be a stand alone "Manster" (I hate Micheal Cole).
Watching him absolutely kill Zach on Smackdown was great and the black and white
blood and blurry camera only added to the mystic of it. I know that the WWE
would have shown the RED blood, but the network wouldn't let them - but it
worked in their favor anyway.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: Kurt Angle
Why: Brock has a very long career ahead of him - Kurt Angle has a broken
neck and I don't think that he'll be able to go much longer than a few more
years. Brock can dominate WWE after that.
Analysis: This is going to be a great match to watch. Their
WrestleMania match was awesome so I expect nothing less here.
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: Brock Lesnar
Who should: Kurt Angle
Analysis: For starters, Brock Lesnar should have gone into this without the championship. Second of all, Kurt Angle shouldn't have had a pin on Brock Lesnar only a month before the show. But that doesn't mean anything really, because over months this has been sabotaged. If the idea is that your heel is a monster, he should be an insurmountable one that needs to be beaten by the only credible heel Kurt Angle, in a quest to regain his title. But Brock is the challenger and Vince is his manager. They have to make the best of it at this point, but they need to realize that the fans aren't stupid, and know what happened before WrestleMania, it was only six months ago when they first feuded.
The Elimination Chamber
World Championship
HHH vs. Chris Jericho vs. Randy Orton vs. Kevin Nash vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Bill Goldberg
Shawn Stinson:
The first Elimination Chamber was nice because it was new, fresh and
exciting. This one? I’m not sure it is going to come close to living up to
expectations. Anyone remember the classic Al Show-Big Boss Man Hell in the Cell
match? Of course you do. It’s always hard to top the first of anything and I
don’t this one will come close. If you like blood, blood and more blood. Then
this should be the match of you. If you like watching wrestlers wrestle, then
this won’t come close to pleasing you.
Who should win? - Chris Jericho
Who will win? - Bill Goldberg
Rick Elsey:
This match was put together for one soul purpose. There are 6 men and the
rule is that the title changes hands as long as Triple H isn’t there at the end.
So Triple H does the job to a buddy (Nash or Michaels) and then he isn’t
champion, but he doesn’t elevate anyone (Orton, Goldberg or Jericho). Well, now
that I look at another way… it may be so that Triple H can hide the whole match
and then pin Jericho or one of his buddies for the win.
I will tell you this… you can bet that Goldberg is not walking out with the
title. Either way this will be a spot fest-cluster fuck, just like last years.
Call it innovative… but it is no War Games. That’s for damn sure!
Who should win: Goldberg or Chris Jericho
Who will win: Triple H
Eddie:
Triple H wins. Good match. Triple H should win at this point in time and
drop the belt to Goldberg one-on-one at Unforgiven. If Goldberg wins the
Championship, it should be with a bang -- He should either eliminate all five
guys, or do something that will really put him over.
Fozmaniac:
Who Will Win: Jericho
Why: Process of elimination: HBK is only a part-timer, Goldberg isn't working
house shows and he's still being built up, Nash is neither over nor talented,
and hopefully the management realises this and Randy Orton is too green. That
leaves Jericho and Tripper. Now, I've been burned before by betting against HHH,
but this is an opportunity for him to lose the belt without being pinned
himself, and that idea is bound to appeal. If Hunter is going to lose the belt
in the near future, he'll do it here.
Good Decision? I know it isn't likely, but if HHH drops the belt here, it would
be a breath of fresh air, as he's such a stale champion. Y2J is credible and
talented enough to make a good replacement, even if he's only a transitional
champ.
Good Match? Potentially quite a spectacle. Jericho and Michaels will probably
bump impressively for the guys who favour power moves, and it might be a chance
for Randy Orton to impress. For some odd reason, I find myself quite looking
forward to this match, even though it has Kevin Nash in it.
Roland G.:
Who should win: I know everyone will hate me for it, but HHH should win to
set up the money match with Goldberg at the next PPV. I could make a case for
Goldy and Jericho - and even a case for Orton, but The H's should win because of
what's down the road.
Who Will Win: I'm calling for the H's to win.
Match Analysis: I geeked for this one. Only because I'm dimwitted enough to
believe that something crazy could happen, like Jericho walking away with the
title.
Joe Balrog:
Who should win: Kevin Nash
Why: He's had his ass handed to him by HHH each PPV that he's fought him
at. If he doesn't win here, he will never again be acceptable as a World
Title contender in my eyes. I expect Goldberg to win, though.
Analysis: HHH will make himself look amazing in this match. The
Elimination Chamber match is pretty damn brutal and I'm a big fan of brutality. I will enjoy this match - you should too!
Trevor Hunnicutt:
Who will win: HHH
Who should: HHH
Analysis: Since WWE is not adequately prepared to offer a match with HHH and Goldberg right now, they've gone with this match. I don't see it as doing any long term damage that already hasn't happened and may assist in offering a solid main event for the Raw brand show next month. My feelings are that HHH should win this match, but not go over everyone else at the same time. To make that work, an angle would need to be incorporated into the match. Short term, Chris Jericho has been suggested late as an interesting replacement, both in the company and by the company's critics. If WWE is prepared to immediately lose money and back themselves into a corner by rushing Chris Jericho into the top spot again, instead of Goldberg, who's damaged but not as damaged as heel Jericho, than they can do it. Others like Kevin Nash have been heard, but that's far from a popular choice in the company.
Roundtable Participants
Shawn Stinson, writer of The Focal Point
Rick Elsey, writer of The Logical Approach
Eddie, Owner of WWE Recap & Thoughts & writer of News & Analysis
Fozmaniac, writer of Smackdown Showdown
Roland G., Editor-in-Chief of The TBL Newsletter & writer of Roland's Chamber
Joe Balrog, writer of RAW Wishes & Balrog Babblings
Trevor Hunnicutt, writer of The Figure Four Leglock
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Cactus Jack and Terry Funk were originally scheduled to face the New Age Outlaws in a "Barbed Wire Match" at WrestleMania XIV, but PPV executives objected to them doing so, hence the Dumpster Match.
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