Corner to Corner: There can be only One

In war, victory is defined as the group or person who has gained control or dominance of the others’ territory or people. Those that attempt to stand in the victor’s way, usually find themselves on the receiving end of punishment- most times fatal. When the dust settles and the smoke clears, the only thing left is the victor. Of course, in war, all is fair.

Corner to Corner: There can be only One

Hello again everyone and welcome to Corner to Corner! We’re back this week to take a look at one of my personal favorite events, THE ROYAL RUMBLE. This Sunday, WWE will be bringing us it’s annual 30 man, over the top rope, battle royal. The event signifies so much, but what stands out is it begins the ‘Road to Wrestlemania.’ There are so many memories I could choose as my favorite Rumble moments. The finish in 94 where Bret Hart and Lex Luger were declared co-winners stands out. Shawn Michaels winning back to back rumbles in 95 and 96 are my personal favorites. What about Chris Benoit’s performance in 2004 when he made his way to Wrestlemania 20 by outlasting all 29 other combatants? Just finished watching that one actually, very cool ending. Which moment was your favorite? Was it during the rumble itself or was it one of the undercard matches? Maybe you enjoyed Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit when they gave a standing ovation to Benoit following the match? Either way, I think we’d all agree that this weekend’s events will be pretty cool. So today, we’re going to look at this event from a purely fan perspective. We’ll look at what each winner has to offer and whether or not I think it’d be a viable option.

Now, looking at the list of competitors, we could see a multitude of winners Sunday night. We have Triple H who is probably looking to go back to being the top guy. John Cena would be a pretty obvious pick simply because of how he’s been used lately. We could see a dark horse winner like CM Punk or maybe a surprise entrant like Edge. It’s really an interesting list of potentials. Shawn Michaels is on a quest to end the Undertaker’s streak at Wrestlemania and he looks to do just that by winning the Rumble and getting his automatic shot. Can’t forget about Batista who could get a shot one more time before he hangs up the boots. It’s exciting and offers a chance to see some interesting mini-match ups. I always enjoyed seeing guys who wouldn’t normally mix it up, face off.

I remember seeing Demolition go at it and really enjoy seeing something different. I guess it was a different time back then, but I can’t help but enjoy the memories.

So, let’s look at some obvious options. Triple H is first. Now, the net is FILLED with rumors that state Trips is on his way back to the Mania main event. The problem with this logic is two fold. First, if he goes back to the main event, the build up of Sheamus will actually end up meaning less than it did when Sheamus became champion in the surprising manner he did months ago. I am no fan of Sheamus by any stretch of the imagination, but it’s hard to ignore some of the backstory. Sheamus and Trips are workout buddies. Trips has taken a liking to Sheamus’ work ethic and in ring work. It fits his logic to think he’d want to main event with his ‘prodigy.’ Secondly, if in fact Trips did face Sheamus, why would anyone want to see it? Do you remember when Vladimir and Trips faced off? HOW BORING was their confrontation? Vladimir was sluggish and clumsy, much like our current WWE Champion. Trips chose rest holds and simple brawling compared to his usually mix of basic suplexes and slams combined with brawling. His normal style tends to make the matches flow so much better. We have yet to see if Sheamus can really work a match without being the ‘overwhelming brute.’ I have trouble supporting the claim that Triple H will win.

The second option would be John Cena. This could actually be the way they go simply because they would want to put some degree of closure to the Sheamus/Cena feud. Sheamus took John’s belt and avoided a true rematch. If Cena were to go the distance and claim his second Rumble victory, Sheamus could not deny him any longer. WWE could market this as Cena’s last chance at revenge. Sheamus would get more time as champion which could actually help him improve. By the time Mania rolls around, Cena and Sheamus could be the ’semi main event’ and have a passible match where brawling goes a bit faster as both seemed to work a faster pace together.

Next we have the dark horse or surprise entrant. CM Punk would be a good choice for dark horse winner. His ‘Straight Edge Society’ has really taken hold lately. He’s already proven to be a more than adequate heel who can also be a credible champion. His in ring technique works with just about anyone. It’d be very easy to put him in the main event against Sheamus or Randy Orton for the WWE Title or whomever could defeat Taker for the World title. He’d be able to work the angle and carry out a good solid showing at Mania while becoming WWE’s champion yet again. By pushing him to the main event again, there would be a solid heel who could work a feud with anyone they chose. He’d also be able to elevate the mid card to the next level by making them true competition as he plays the roll of heel in peril very well. I’d say this one has some weight to it, but in the end they will most likely continue to put Punk in a position to take on that role at a later time.
With the surprise entrant expected to be Edge or RVD, the chances of that person winning certainly bears the need for conversation. Few superstars have captured the audience as easily as Rob Van Dam had before his departure. He was easily the most over superstar they had and ultimately lost his championship because of punishment rather than storyline. Granted, WWE took every measure possible to bury him when he was arrested for possession, but they also had planned to bury the ECW concept early in it’s rebirth. If you proof of this, look at what happened with the ‘ECW Originals.’ Yeah, they’re all gone. But with Rob, WWE knows they’d have a star. A huge star. Rob Van Dam delivers some of the biggest pops when he pulls off any of his manuevers. They elicit a huge response and grow his fanbase each time he hits the Five Star Frog Splash. It would be a huge surprise and a big hit. The biggest flaw in that is the lack of commitment on both sides for a long term deal. I highly doubt Rob or WWE will work together for much longer than they’d have to and that would make for a tough marketing plan for Mania. On the flip side, Edge would be an EASY sell for WWE. Here’s a guy who’s last seen interview got massive face responses and gave us a shot at seeing how he’d fare vs Chris Jericho in a feud. It’d be pretty easy to see Jericho defeat the Taker and go on to Mania. Edge would be an excellent choice as fans seem to enjoy almost all of his antics. It goes without saying, this would be an great call and an unpredictable one at that.

The one I feel is not only most likely, but my personal choice, would be Shawn Michaels. Let’s look at the facts. Shawn has not openly stated anything about a retirement, but I would suggest it’s not too far away. His work has led him back to the main event for some time now. With the build up for the Rumble coming so strong around both Undertaker and Michaels, I have a hard time believing it will end any other way. The Undertaker’s retirement is coming sooner than we think, according to internet reports. If you look at him in the ring, you can see he is battered. Each time he puts his body on the line he takes a little longer to recover and loses a little more longevity. If he’s going to end the streak, I imagine it will be against someone he truly respects. It’s obvious he enjoys working with HBK because it is different from his previous feuds. So much of the time Taker is paired with big brutes and brawlers. It would be typical to have him face Batista or some other heavy hitter. Michaels presents a challenge to keep pace and fend off the faster man. People ate this up last year and I’m certain this match could exceed last year’s performance if given the right stage. What better shot than the main event at Wrestlemania? Michaels has done everything that’s been asked of him and he’s shined while doing it. He’s proven to be the showstopper with just about everyone imaginable. He’s faced Jericho, Mysterio, Orton, Cena, Edge, Triple H, and even Batista. The next man for him to go past and finally take his last main event ride should be The Undertaker. They’re pushing too hard on this to make it happen any other way. I am a big Shawn Michaels fan anyway, but to me it makes perfect sense.

No matter which way they go this year, I can honestly say I am excited. The buzz from who could it be as the mystery entrants to the rumors of who TNA could try to sign to compete just makes it more interesting. Sunday night will be an exciting one and I hope that it lives up to even half the hype.

Take it easy and we’ll be back next week with more. If you’d like to see more of my thoughts on WWE and TNA, please check me out on Twitter. I’ve changed my nickname to TheStanBrand. You can find me with that or at my email- ImpactXtreme@msn.com

See you next week!!!

Filed Under: Corner to Corner