No, I don’t mean Olympic style — I mean the flying elbow-, chair shot-, multi million dollar- type wrestling. This Sunday will be what many consider the wrestling event of all wrestling events, WrestleMania! This year’s massive event is going to be held in the Citrus Bowl in sunny Orlando, Florida. For the first time in years, the WWE will be holding a pay-per-view event under the open sky (hope it doesn’t rain). Everything is set for this to be a great event: good location, good matches, good hype. However there is one side effect to being in Orlando that the WWE may or may of not thought about. Orlando is the home of TNA Wrestling, the barely five year old competition. Within the past two years, WWE stars such as Christian Cage, Kurt Angle, and Booker T have all defected to TNA. While they may not bring in the numbers that the WWE does, their fan base continues to grow. TNA has kept costs down by filiming in the same studio every week or two. Their wrestlers don’t burn out from being on the road almost everyday. And some would say that, unlike WWE, they actually seem to listen to what their fans want and give it to them. 

Speaking of that studio that TNA films at, that is also located in Orlando. Up until recently, TNA has filmed two weeks worth of shows on Mondays, and then aired them each Thursday. This week, however, they aired their first LIVE broadcast of their weekly iMPACT show. Now to bring Wrestlemania and the LIVE iMPACT broadcast together. Both are in Orlando, and with the Wrestlmania this Sunday, many WWE stars are already checking into their hotel — the same hotel that the TNA stars stay in. Vince McMahon, owner of the WWE, wants to keep his wrestlers away from the TNA talent, and in public would most likely deny that TNA is even a threat their company. The WWE stars feel a little different about the issue, and some of them ended up attending the LIVE iMPACT last night. In fact, WWE’s Robbie of the Highlanders tag team was pictured on the broadcast listed as his real name, Derek Graham-Couch, and that we was a WWE wrestler. Shortly after his camera apperance, he left the show, apparently because someone from WWE saw him there and called his cell phone telling him to leave. Two other WWE stars were also reported to be backstage.

This shows the cutthroat state that the business has evolved to. Before major TV deals, wrestlers were able to wrestle in different federations and do cross promotions. But not anymore. Vince has a goal of being the only federation in America and to also own all of the "little guys" to use as developmental territories.  Many fans, such as myself, watch both and would love to see a TNA wreslter face off against a WWE wrestler, but this just won’t happen. The WWE will not take the chance of having one of its stars losing to a TNA wrestler.  So it is a great irony that a sport/industry that is based on competition and conflict will actually choose to ignore the situation than to ever confront it.

The Wrestling Report
by Ryan Healey

If you know me, you know that I am an avid wrestling fan. I am not ashamed to share that with the world. In wrestling, the single biggest event of the year is WrestleMania — and for the first time in 10 years, I am not watching it. Now, this is not because I dont want to, but because my job is preventing me from being able to (long story). Anyhow, lets look at the card and decide if it is worth the 50 bucks or however much they are charging this year. Here are the matches and my predictions:

The Main Event

HHH vs Orton vs Cena WWE Title

Look for HHH to win this one. He hasn’t won the title in a while, and being married to the bosses daughter doesn’t hurt his chances of being a 12 time champion. The feud has been ok but i dont see Orton or Cena coming up the winner on this one. Orton’s title regin is getting old and wrestling fans, besides maybe a few women and children, hate John Cena. so expect HHH to win. This will probably be the match of the night after my pick for match of the night which is coming up in a few.

Edge vs Undertaker World Heavyweight Championship

Look for Undertaker’s streak to continue. I don’t see this being too great of a match. Maybe they will surprise me but i don’t think so. Undertaker only looks good when someone makes him look good and that will be a challenge for Edge. He really needs to step up his game to make this a good match.

The gimmick match of the night. Big Show vs Mayweather.

The world wants this little creaton to get the snot kicked out of him. The money he’s being paid will ensure he looks good and wins. Even if it wasnt fixed, this little money happy pissant wouldnt stand a chance. I hope if anything we at least get to see this dude get hurt, maybe just a little bit. If Mayweather gets the snot kicked out of him then the ppv is worth the 50 bucks. If not i’ll be disappointed.

Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair: If Flair looses his career is done.

This match needs no introduction. This will be the best match of the night. No questions asked. Ric Flair and Shawn Michaels are going to pull out all the stops to make sure this is one of the best matches of Flair’s career and send him off into retirement on top of the wrestling world where he belongs. Can I  get a WOOOOO?

The money in the bank ladder match.

Every year since its WrestleMania 21 introduction, one of the best matches of the night at WrestleMania has been this match. This year though, it’s missing a very important ingredient and that is the ladder master himself, Jeff Hardy. Poor guy. He gets suspended for drugs during the biggest push of the year. His house burns down and his dog dies in the fire. He must have pissed god off in some way, shape or form. If Hardy were in it, my pick would be Hardy. Therefore I dont know who will win. I’m guessing either Kennedy or Jericho.

All of the other matches:

Who gives a crap really? Batista vs Umaga?Finley vs JBL? They couldnt do anything better then that? Al least Snoop Dogg will be present for the women’s tag match. That should make things funny.

So to sum it up, a few good matches, and a few yawners that im not even mentioning. If i have to miss a WrestleMania, this one looks like im not missing much. So if you want to watch it go to your local Buffalo Wild Wings or get a bunch of friends together and pitch in. But in my opinion? Don’t waste 50 bucks on it. This is Ryan and this has been the wrestling report.