Ready For the Extreeeeeme!!!!

Extreme Rules
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by WWECUADOR

So, here we go again, with my predictions.  Anyone who's been following me knows that every pay per view event the WWE offers, recently, I offer my two-cents on, not just who'll probably win, but what the extracurriculars may be.  And that is where the fun is.

So far, I've done a number of event, Wrestlemania, Fastlane, and The Royal Rumble.  Check those links to see how badly I did in my predictions.  However, I am still convinced that I am very good at this.

So, without further ado, here are my predictions for April 26, 2015 edition of Extreme Rules.

First, and foremost, I want to get this out of the way.  The way things are lined up for this WWE Pay-Per-View event, it's beginning to look a good bit, like not one single belt will change hands this month.  That's kind of a shame, but whatever.

Tyson Kidd & Cesaro Vs The New Day, For the Tag-Team Champions Belts

This one seems like a no-brainer.  The New Day is barely a passable tag-team at best.  So, I can't imagine them getting the belts.  Their popularity is in the toilet, and I can't even figure out why it's them getting this shot, rather than the Lucha Dragons, other than the fact that they've recently gone bad.

Winner: Tyson Kidd & Cesaro, to retain the belts.

This one's sort of lame.  I don't even really like either of these two tag-teams.  The only thing interesting, will be the cheating that will probably come from Natalya and the third New Day guy who's name I can't even remember.  Anyway, wake me up when this match ends.

John Cena Vs Rusev, For the United States Champions Belt

This one, again, is kind of a snooze-fest.  I'm not interested in either of these two, especially since this is just a rematch of their Wrestlemania match, that saw Cena take the belt from Rusev.

Winner: John Cena

I just can't see the belt moving back to Rusev at this point.  In fact, I really wish that some up-and-comer, like NEVILLE, would actually be the one getting this shot.  Much like the above tag-team match, the best part of this match will be Lana--SHUT UP!!

Daniel Bryan Vs Bad News Barrett, For the Intercontinental Champions Belt

I'm not really sure why this match hasn't happened already.  Bad News Barrett just doesn't seem like he's really got it all together, anymore.  The thought of him beating the Yes-Man just isn't there.  He can't beat Dolph Ziggler or Dean Ambrose in a fair match, so this is kind of laughable.

Anyway, I have heard a rumor that Daniel Bryan is suffering more trouble with his real neck injury.  That is why...

Winner: NO ONE!!!

The reason is, I don't believe this match will happen.  I think it will be cancelled due to Daniel Bryan's health concerns.

But even if it did, there's no way Barrett beats Bryan for the IC title.  Can anyone remember Barrett's last win?  Me neither.

Dolph Ziggler Vs Sheamus, Kiss Me Arse Match

Dolph Ziggler, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Marc Benton

This is the match with the stipulation that the loser much kiss the winners buttocks.  I got to say, this one kind of throws me for a loop.  I can't even imagine it happening, because normally when these types of matches occur, someone is left dazed, and unconscious from a finishing move on the mat, so I'm not sure how this butt-kissing will occur.

Winner: Dolph Ziggler

The reason is, The Show Off just seems to win these crucial matches, and in the present state of things, Sheamus has yet to lose since coming back with this new attitude.  And a win by Dolph will convincingly complete this feud, so Sheamus can move on to challenge Daniel Bryan for the IC belt.

Along with this, I very much doubt that Sheamus will be kissing Dolph's butt.  I'm betting he gets out of it somehow.

Nikki Bella Vs Naomi, For the Divas Championship Belt

This one's kind of a no-brainer, because Naomi's not really over with the crowd, or much of a name on the roster, yet.  Nikki Bella is the number one name on the roster with Paige out.

Winner: Nikki Bella

This will be a short match, and I'll give Naomi a good showing, but in the end, the Bellas will win, possible with some interference from Brie.  Nobody else is getting the belt until Paige gets back in the fold.

Roman Reigns Vs Big Show, Last Man Standing Match

A last man standing match, is one in which the winner has to incapacitate the loser for a ten-count.  These battles between Reigns and Big Show are getting a little ridiculous.

Winner: Roman Reigns

Everyone knows, Big Show can't beat the Big Dog, anymore.  He'll get a big punch, and possibly a choke slam on Reigns, but Reigns will come out the winner, add Superman-Punch, followed by a Spear.  You know the drill.

Dean Ambrose Vs Luke Harper, Chicago Street Fight

A Chicago Street Fight is actually a No Disqualifications Match.  This one is going to be a doozy, as every match with Ambrose is.  I loved his all out battles with Bray Wyatt, and how we get to see the same thing against Harper.

Winner: Luke Harper

Now, in case you've never read any of my other articles, I'll explain.  I love Ambrose, and I always think he's the man, but in the big fights, he never actually gets the win.  He seems more concerned with nailing the big moves, at his own detriment, which is part of what makes him awesome.

In a Miracle on 34th Street Fight with Bray Wyatt, he jumped off a ladder and put Bray through a table,  but Wyatt still landed Sister Abigail, and got the win.  Later, in an Ambulance match between the two, Ambrose jumped off the ambulance, and floored the New Face of Fear, but Wyatt again, still got the win.

Do you see where I'm going here.  Ambrose is looking for damage, not the win.  So, there's that.  Go Dean Ambrose!!!

Seth Rollins Vs Randy Orton, WWE Championship match in a cage, with no RKOs

Seth Rollins, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Anton

First off, I knew they'd have a cage match, go ahead and ask my wife.  I told her as soon as I heard about the match.  Secondly, I love the RKO, so I'm not really looking forward to an RKOless match with the Apex Predator.

Also, part of this match, J&J Security will be outside the gate, and Kane will be the gatekeeper.

Winner: Seth Rollins

There's been a lot going back and forth about Rollins and Kane not getting along, but I'm seeing this actually working against Randy Orton instead of Rollins.  In another cage match, I saw Rollins scale the cage faster than I've ever seen anyone before.  Rollins will get up and out of the cage, and win that way.  He won't need Kane, the gatekeeper.

Also, with no RKO, The Apex Predator won't be near as vicious as he usually is.  Rollins will likely wind up looking like a weany, but he'll come out the winner, and retain his belt.

Notes:

Bray Wyatt has been dropping clues as to his next target.  Who could it be?  One of the vignettes sounded a lot like Triple H, and that would be a nasty feud, if the New Face of Fear went after the top man of the WWE himself.  But in another vignette he talked about weights, and that made me think of Ryback, for some reason.  I kind of don't feel like this one's as clear as his calling out the Undertaker.  It almost feels like WWE is just waiting to see how some other things unfold to reveal who it really is, so they can't change it up, just in case someone else is a better fit.  Anyway, the two guys on my list are, Triple H and Ryback, for now.

Sasha Banks and Paige, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Megan Elice Meadows

This pay-per-view seems kind of weak, because it almost feels like there's no real contenders for any of the belts.  I'm not really pulling for anyone.  I'd really like to see someone new in the fold, especially in the Divas Division.  Maybe it's time to call up Charlotte or Sasha Banks to challenge the Bellas.  With AJ Lee leaving, it can't just be the Bellas versus Paige forever.  If the WWE wants to give the Divas a chance, they need to add a whole lot more story, and character.

Along with this being a weak pay-per-view, it's called Extreme Rules, and none of the matches seem as extreme as I'd like them to be.  Each one is a one-on-one match--no triple-threats, no fatal-four-ways.  I'm hoping the Russian Chain Match for the United States Champions belt turns out to be something fun, but the Kiss Me Arse Match, sounds a little cheesy.  I'm hoping for some huge battles to make up for what seems like a fairly simple pay-per-view.

The Road To Wrestlemania Has Bumps In It

Wrestlemania
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Ed Webster

So, here we are, a few days from Wrestlemania, on Sunday, March 29, 2015.  It's a big day, and as some people are aware, I've been trying to make predictions for the last couple of WWE Pay Per View Events, with mild success.

I consider myself to be a bit of a wrestling aficionado, so my picks are often correct.  In my last two attempt, I tried to predict the results of this year's Royal Rumble Match, and later, WWE Fastlane.  I was very confident in myself, but the results were mediocre, at best.

Fatal 4-way tag team match, between, Tyson Kidd and Cesaro, Los Matadores, The New Day and the Usos

winner: The Usos

I was shocked when The Usos lost the belts as Fastlane, but I immediately saw it as a chance for them to get it back at Wrestlemania.  They have a big rivalry going with Kidd and Cesaro, along with Jimmy Uso's wife Naomi and Kidd's wife, Natalya.

More importantly, the other two tag teams in this battle are lower cards, so they won't win.

The big thing here is, the tag-team division is weak, and needs a little more power.  I'm not sure anyone, at the moment, is more polarizing than The Usos.  They need more powerful tag teams.  Bring on The Ascension, Lucha Dragons and The Realest Guys in the Room.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

This is the second year Wrestlemania has featured this event, and I believe there will be 30-men in the ring for this match.  I'm not sure of all of them, but here are a couple names I'd consider favorites--Kane, Erick Rowan, Ryback and Big Show.  Big Show was eliminated second to last last year, to the winner, Cesaro.

However, I'm going with a wildcard.

Winner: Damien Mizdow

My reasoning is, I just can't see The Miz/Mizdow thing continuing without Mizdow getting some kind of success that will further strain the relationship with The Miz.  I think it's time for Mizdow to rise up, and gain a little confidence.  For him to take a shot at The Miz--maybe even eliminate The Miz.  Now, there's an angle.

Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns, WWE Championship Match

Roman Reigns, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Miguel Discart

Winner: Roman Reigns

Sorry, but I just can't see all this build up not leading to Reigns getting the belt at Wrestlemania.  Reigns is the RIGHT NOW GUY, and there's no reason why the WWE can't manufacture another controversy to strip The Samoan of the belt, and give it back to Lesnar to continue to defend from afar.

They've been pushing Reigns so hard, I just can't see him losing, at this point.  The other angle is Seth Rollins cashing in his Money in the Bank, but with his match against Orton on the same day, I just can't see it happening at Wrestlemania.

Sting vs Triple H

This one's kind of got me baffled, but so far, I really can't see the Stinger losing.  It doesn't really behoove him, Triple H or the WWE.

Winner: Sting

If Sting loses this match, he goes away, and I just can't see that happening.  I believe he wins, but I'm really not sure how this one's going down.  I guess the bat and sledgehammer will come into play, but I'm not even sure, at this point, if an actual match will take place.

The bigger picture is, what does it mean for the WWE if Sting does win.  Does the battle continue?  What of The Viper and The Stinger?  I'm eager to find out.

7-Way Ladder Match For the Intercontinental Championship (Bad News Barrett, R-Truth, Stardust, Luke Harper, Dean Ambrose, Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan)

Daniel Bryan, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Krystal Bognar

I am really looking forward to this match more than any other.  If nothing else, this will be a crazy slugfest, full of all kind of insanity from Dean Ambrose, Stardust, Luke Harper, R-Truth, and the others.  It's really more about the show, here.

There's a lot of reasons to think this is a two-horse race.  It's really either Dolph Ziggler or Daniel Bryan, and I'm sure a lot of people see Dolph Ziggler as the front-runner, but I'm not one of them.

Winner: Daniel Bryan

Daniel Bryan is the leader of the Yes-Movement, and no one gets the crowd jumping like he does.  He just lost the battle to take a shot at Brock Lesnar, to Roman Reigns.  He's a former Heavyweight Champion, and one of the most exciting performers in the WWE, at the moment--not to mention, he's a wiz on the microphone.

Imagine The Beard as the IC Champion, for a moment!

I know, I just got goose bumps, too.  But, do you know what I'm thinking?  Eventually, Seth Rollins will cash in that briefcase, and I doubt he does it on the WWE Champion.  I just can't see him winning, right now.  But I can see him using his Authority goons in an assist to take the IC belt away from the worlds strongest Vegan.

Think about that for a moment.

Bella Twins vs AJ Lee and Paige, Tag Team Match

Paige, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Anton

This one's a toughy, because AJ Lee and Paige are clearly better than the Bellas, but they've been a little more unstable.  The thing is, this isn't a title match, so it's more of a message sending match than anything else.

Winner: AJ Lee and Paige

I'm thinking this turns into a fairly decent scrum between the ladies, and all hell breaks loose.  So, my money is on the ladies who already seem to have some screws loose.

I'm also thinking this is just another lead in for Paige to get another crack at the Divas Championship at another Pay Per View Event.  She's just too good, not to have the belt.

The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt

Bray Wyatt, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Anton

I would be surprised if this didn't turn out to be a coffin match.  It just seems fitting.

I'm also sort of struggling to decide who I think will win.  Wyatt has been all over Raw and Smackdown, talking about ending The Undertaker, and how The Undertaker is weak, after last years loss to Brock Lesnar.  That says to me, Wyatt is the clear favorite.

However, the fact that Wyatt is the favorite should give the picture that more will go down than that.  And this is clearly no ordinary match.  So, who will win, who will win, indeed???

Winner: Bray Wyatt

I can't help but go with my gut here, and Wyatt just seems like the likely choice now, since this is more of a torch passing battle.  However, I actually wouldn't be surprised if this were less of a match, and more of a ceremony, where The Undertaker literally passes a torch to "The New Face of Fear."

So, go ahead and mark that down.  If Wyatt wins, I get one-point, but if he wins, and The Undertaker passes him a flaming piece of wood, I totally get some kind of bonus points.

Rusev vs John Cena

What to say, what to say???  Well, each of these goliaths have had their way with each other, at one time or another.  Rusev as the United States Champion just makes sense in the way it works, because, let's face it, he's some kind of Russian Super Athlete, and that just rubs redneck America the wrong way.  So, WWE would be stupid to change it.

Winner: Rusev

However, I do have a few other ideas about this match.  Where has Lana been?  What's going on there?  There's no chance of her not being in attendance at the Show of Shows, right?  She'll show up, at some point--possibly as a distraction.

There's also been rumors of Sheamus, The Celtic Warrior's, return.  Do you know what happened to him?  He was a part of the Cenation team trying to take down The Authority, but The Authority targeted him, and injured him, so he couldn't compete.

You could say The Authority is to blame for his injuries, but the actual men who were sent to injure him were Mark Henry and Rusev--the Russian being the one to deliver the debilitating blow.

Are you seeing where I'm going?

It's likely The Great White will exact his revenge.  How and where I don't know, but a title match versus Cena would be a good spot.  He'd take out Rusev, annihilating the Russian, Cena would lose by disqualification after brutalizing him and then Sheamus and Rusev could begin a feud towards eventually seeing Sheamus crowned the next United States Champion.

There you go.  It almost writes itself.

Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins

Seth Rollins, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Anton

Seth Rollins matches are the hardest to predict.  One thing you have to know is, J&J Security will be at ring-side causing problems for Randy Orton.  That is for certain.  But Orton hasn't had any problems, yet, handling the smallish security detail, causing Rollins to run and hide for cover.

Winner: Randy Orton

The variable here is, will Rollins have any other help at ring-side?  Big Show and Kane will be in the Battle Royal, so they probably won't be there.  Triple H goes against Sting, so he probably won't be there.  J&J won't be able to handle The Viper.  The real question is, will Rollins take any type of beating, or will Orton just take out his aggressions on the security team, and allow Rollins to get away.

I believe Orton will chase Rollins, this time, and the two will have a brawl in a back area, or  parking lot, or something crazy like that.  I'm just saying, look for something crazy.  Is that specific enough for ya?  I mean it is Randy Orton, The Apex Predator.  Who knows what the voices in his head are telling him to do.

Notes:

Sheamus, WWE
Photo Credit: Flickr Creative Commons License by Simon Q

Sheamus is due to return at any time.  It's probably at Wrestlemania, and it will probably be in some capacity that leads us to believe he's turned bad-guy, and he is eyeing one of the belts.

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal will have one entrant from the winner of an NXT (the development territory for the WWE) tournament.  I'm thinking, high-flyer, Adrian Neville will be the guy.

Who else will be in the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.  It's a 30-man match, that so far, has only about 20-men listed.  There appear to be some openings.  At the Royal Rumble Match a couple of months ago, there were a few surprise entrants, including  Diamond Dallas Page, The Boogeyman and Bubba Ray Dudley, from TNA Impact Wrestling.  Who could surprise us this year?  Do you know who AJ Styles is?  Look him up.

After his incidents in Mexico, could Ray Mysterio be returning for the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal?  I'm thinking the answer is, YES!!!

Earlier, I suggested that Bray Wyatt would take The Undertaker's mantle.  Would this mark the end of The Undertaker?  I think not.  The idea of a match between The Phenom Undertaker and The Vigilante Sting is too good to pass up, for the WWE.

This World of Bones

Sugar Skull Portrait
by Jackson Thom

What happens to us in the end?  There are those who believe we can live forever.  There are those that believe we can be reincarnated.  There have been pharaohs, who believed they could take it all with them.  But they were all wrong.

This has all happened before, and it'll all happen again.  Rise and fall, rise and fall, like the phoenix from the ashes, we all rose from nothing, but dust.  The same is true for me.

This is a world of bones under feet, covered in dirt and rock, and decorated with the prettiest flowers and green grass, to forget what they cover.  But some of us are not fooled by the bright pleasant colors.

The human race is speeding towards its destiny, but where should it all come to an end.  No one knows--oblivion.

"Follow the buzzards."  -- Bray Wyatt

And if that didn't put you in a good mood, I've been busy with some new art.  I guess it's my own revolt against Google trying to enforce the no mature content policy, and police what is and is not art, kind of thing.  This just kind of brought the best, or the worst, out of me.

You decide.  Have a look.

Bound and Judged
by Jackson Thom

This is the cleaned up version.  There's an X-Rated version, fully nude, that is, not for the kiddies on my gallery on Deviant Art.  If you'd like, please take a look and tell me what you think.  I'd love to hear some opinions.