27th February - 4th March: This Week in Wrestling History

Sunday February 27th 2000

WWF No Way Out 2000 - Cactus Jack vs. Triple H for the WWF Championship in HELL IN A CELL

Via therealwrestle

At the turn of the new millenium the WWFs road to Wrestlemania was ablaze with intensity as Cactus Jack and Triple H took the spotlight leading into the promotions first pay-per-view event of the year, the Royal Rumble. In a brutal, violent Street Fight the defending champion retained against a valiant Cactus Jack after an assault littered with chairs, barbed wire, baseball bats and thumb tacks wasn't enough for the challenger to climb to the top of the mountain.

HHH was very much the man at this time. After breaking out of Shawn Michaels' shadow in mid-1998, he cemented his place as the top dog, the WWF Champion and, wife Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley in tow, lead the company into the post-attitude era hangover. Mick Foley had been to the top of the pile, somewhere many thought he would never be, capturing the WWF Championship on three seperate occasions. After dropping the Mankind persona in favour of the character that brought him his initial success in the pro wrestling business, the hardcore legend Cactus Jack, the WWF audience was again treated to his trademark violence and brutality. The match at the Royal Rumble is one of my favourite matches and Mick has stated himself that it was one of the very best he ever had. After a pedigree into the thumb tacks, the battered and beaten champion limped from the sell-out Madison Square Garden and you could have been forgiven for thinking that another chapter to this story was not to be unfolded. You would, however, have been wrong.

On an episode of RAW Triple H confronted the tenacious challenger and, expressing his desire to rid himself of Mick Foley for good, proposed one more encounter - at Februarys No Way Out event. The champion even gave the challenger the choice of match but stated that it would not involve any of Foleys trademark "toys" and weaponary. Hunter looked visably shaken as Cactus Jack said the four words that really popped the crowd and got the fans excited for what could potentially be yet another epic - 'Hell in a Cell'! The Game wasn't quite done yet however. After accepting his challenge, he would shock the WWF audience once again by laying down the most important stipulation - that should he retain the title Mick Foley would be forced to be retire.

(Please use the links above to watch the promo, split into two parts, for yourself!)

The rematch took place February 27th in Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, Conneticut. Lower on the card that night Kurt Angle, the WWF European Champion, defeated Chris Jerichio, the WWF Intercontential Champion - and declared himself the Euro-Continental Champion in his prompt rise to the top in his rookie year. Mark Henry met Viscera in a collision of monumental proportions (size-wise that is, not quality), Edge & Christian went for another round with The Hardys - Matt & Jeff, in what promised to be another volume in their classic series of matches and The Big Show defeated The Rock to become the #1 contender for the winner of the main event.

Whether or not the main event rematch was able to reach the heights of their earlier match and the very high bar set that night or not I'm not sure but it certainly was not a let-down. Mick Foley always wanted to entertain fans by endangering himself and his health and as his match in the structure in 1998 with The Undertaker proved, he is a dangerous man when he has such a high, impressive structure to play with. The match was always going to be visually impressive and as they often did, HHH and Cactus Jack brought out the very best in one another.

Looking to get yourself in the mood for The Undertaker and The Game inside the cell at Wrestlemania? Or maybe just looking to relive a poignant moment in wrestling history? The engaging, violent and bloody second chapter in a gripping feud between two of the WWF/Es modern greats could be just what you need.

On This Day...

On This Day: February 19th 2006

WWE No Way Out - Undertaker vs Kurt Angle (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship

Exactly six years ago to the day the WWE held it's eighth annual 'No Way Out' pay-per-view event in Baltimore, Maryland. The Smackdown brand event boasted a strong card featuring a mammoth Cruiserweight Championship match between Gregory Helms (c), Kid Kash, Psicosis, Super Crazy, Paul London, Nunzio, Brian Kendrick, Scotty 2 Hotty and Funaki. A tag team match between Matt Hardy & Tatanka and MNM (Joey Mercury & Johnny Nitro with valet/manager Melina). Bobby Lashley vs JBL with Jillian Hall at ringside. Chris Benoit vs Booker T in a re-match for the United States Chmapionship following the final of their 'best of seven' series where an "injured" Booker T was able to substitute his participation for that of Randy Orton, who then won the title on his behalf. Also Rey Mysterio, the Royal Rumble winner a month earlier, put his main event opportunity on the line against arguably the WWEs biggest heel at that time, Randy Orton.

The main event however was even stronger. Kurt Angle, the World Heavyweight champion was challenged by the deadman, The Undertaker. Billed as two of the very best of all time, the match was also billed as the biggest main event in Smackdown history and the collision definitely lived up to the hype. 

What better way to pass the time while waiting for this evenings Elimination Chamber event than reliving arguably the best PPV match of the year. 

Enjoy.

A Look Towards WWE Elimination Chamber

In just under six hours from now WWE fans the world over will be tuning in to the promotions latest Pay-Per-View event, WWE Elimination Chamber from Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Four matches have been scheduled to take place this evening. Tamina Snuka vs Beth Phoenix for the Divas championship, Kane vs John Cena in an ambulance match and of course, the two Chamber matches themselves. Daniel Bryan will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Wade Barrett, Cody Rhodes, Big Show, The Great Khali and surprise entrant Santino Marella. In the WWE Championship match CM Punk will have to battle Chris Jericho, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, R-Truth and Kofi Kingston to retain his title. 

On Friday nights Smackdown event Randy Orton was officially ruled out of the Elimination Chamber match for Bryan's World Heavyweight Championship and a wildcard battle royal ensued where wrestlers from any brand of the WWE were invited to compete, with Ortons spot in the match up for grabs. In a surprise turn Santino Marella prevailed and was added to the match-up at the Pay-Per-View. I can't help but feel as though this arguably questionable decision from the WWE to include Santino in this main event match will result in yet another twist at this evenings show. Will Santino compete in the match or, as we have seen in the past, will another Superstar forcefully take his spot? Will Mark Henry, not scheduled to compete at the event, take the spot in the match that he desires? Could there even be a surprise return at the show? Christian has teased his attendance at this evenings show via his Twitter account. One thing is for sure, I think a Superstar attacking Santino to take his spot in the chamber is a highly probable twist. I dont think I'm alone in thinking that this match simply does not look strong enough and may just go to show how thin on the ground Smackdowns current roster really is. Unless the WWE inject some kind of shock or twist into this one then this match could very well be a 'Chamber of Horrors'. Unless this happens I can't see anyone in this match taking the title from Bryan apart from maybe Big Show. The feud between the two certainly doesn't look to be over yet.

The chamber match for the WWE Championship looks to be shaping up to be much the stronger match. On a recent edition of Raw, an Elimination Chamber debate was held in the ring which, as often happens with these kind of spots such as talk shows, contract signings, press conferences etc, quickly broke out in violence. Kofi Kingston coming out on top on the night. Kofi looked like a real contender for a major championship somewhere down the line. Fans would argue that he has done for years but I felt that this was the first time Kofi had really been showcased as a potential world champion. R-Truth has never been to the top of the mountain but has found himself over with the fans of late. The Miz and Dolph Ziggler are former world champions and both look set to have further runs with the belt in the future. However I feel that in the run-in to Wrestlemania, there is a much more interesting story brewing between Chris Jericho and CM Punk. Both claim to be the "best in the world" and whether Punk comes out on top tonight or Jericho takes Punk's title in the chamber, this outcome could be the lighting of the fuse for these two men to perform together on the grandest stage of them all. I think the majority of wrestling fans would agree that Punk vs Jericho at Wrestlemania would be a dream match.

The WWE Divas division has been nothing short of woeful for quite some time now, I'm sorry to say. Despite the WWE having a number of impressive women wrestlers, the division seems to lack greatly in comparison to the TNA Knockouts division. It seems that whatever WWE are seen to neglect or do poorly TNA will highlight, and the Knockouts division is simply eclipsing the Divas. However tonight there is a womens match I am genuinely looking forward to. Beth Phoenix has been the most physically dominant Diva in the WWE for some time now and is definitely the "safe" bet when it comes to putting the championship on someone while WWE regroups and attempts to find a direction for the division. Her opponent tonight, Tamina Snuka, has impressed over recent weeks and looks ready to hold the title. A physically dominant woman herself as well as a competent high-flyer, the daughter of the WWE Hall of Famer "Superfly" Jimmy Snuka could well be the new face and the new direction that the womens division needs. Beth has held the title well but is quickly running out of challengers she hasn't already beaten and with her partner Natalya currently being handed a ridiculously goofy gimmick that makes arguably the most technically sound womens wrestler in the company a joke and a comedy act, Tamina could be the way to go.

The WWE seemingly have had to face a problem head on as of late. How exactly do you turn John Cena heel? For years now Cena has been recieving split responses from the WWE Universe. Over time the boos have gotten louder from some sections of the audience but the cheers from others, including his younger fanbase, refuse to die. John Cena is still a huge draw for WWE, probably their biggest, but large sections of the audience turning against him could very well be explained by the lack of any real progression in his character. Cena is an old fashioned babyface, a superhero, a good guy and the good guy has certainly prevailed over the years. Now Kane has returned and vowed to make Cena "embrace the hate" and confront the WWE Universe who now boo him. The real challenge facing the WWE, I would imagine, would be to turn the women and children in the live audiences against him and lately his close friend Zack Ryder and Ryders girlfriend Eve Torres have featured heavily in the angle. Following an attack from Kane in which Cena was able to narrowly rescue Eve, the couple shared an intimate moment but were caught by Ryder. The already injured Ryder was then further injured by Kane when his wheelchair was pushed off of the stage to the floor. It seems the WWEs latest tactic to complete Cena's heel turn is to involve a woman and a love triangle. Some fans may grumble but if it works, it works. Cena seeks to avenge Ryders injury at the Elimination Chamber event where he meets Kane in an ambulance match. Could this match be a turning point in the evolution of John Cena? Will he embrace the hate? Will Cena then go into Wrestlemania as a heel? 

Regardless of what happens in these four matches tonight, regardless of what, if any, involvement the Royal Rumble winner Sheamus has in the show and regardless of what other matches may or may not be added, one thing is for sure. The road to Wrestlemania should start to look even clearer by the time Raw goes on air tomorrow night. 

Royal Rumble Predictions: The Impact Players and the Odds-On Favourites

 Just a few hours away from the 25th anniversary of The Royal Rumble and one of the most anticipated nights of the WWE calendar year. 30 men enter, one man will win and go on to Wrestlemania. This year the WWE state that "anyone" can enter!

Usually an event brimming with surprises and controversy. We can only hope that this years will be no different. As people ask the question 'who do you think will win?' I address that question, identify my "impact players" and explore the possibilities.

The Miz: Ever since dropping the WWE title, The Miz has been somewhat lost in the shuffle on RAW. Not the main-event wrestler he once was, he has found himself involved primarily in feuds with R-Truth and the now departed John Morrison. After losing a recent match to Truth, we now know that The Miz will enter the match at #1 but does that necessarily mean there are no plans to have him win it? Two men; Shawn Michaels in 1995 and Chris Benoit in 2004 have gone coast-to-coast in the Royal Rumble match and gone on to Wrestlemania. If the WWE wishes to push a particular individual, and push them hard, then history dictates that having them outlast all 29 other men to win the match could certainly help them to do so. Could The Miz be ready to climb the ladder to the main event again? I personally think that one day he will find himself back where I'm sure he desires to be but that currently there just doesn't appear to be any concrete plans in place.

Randy Orton: I would not be surprised to see Orton win it. I really wouldn't. He is one of the biggest draws the WWE have and, after returning to Smackdown! a lot sooner than initially reported, could benefit from the "redemption" style angle we have seen in the past where he enters the match and triumphs, despite still not being 100% in terms of fitness. However, unless Orton triumphs over Barrett at The Rumble then you would imagine that the WWE are too invested in their angle to side-track it now. Randy Orton does not need The Royal Rumble. He could be given the title on any given night. I would certainly struggle to see who would benefit from this outcome.

Cody Rhodes: Arguably Cody has improved more than any other WWE Superstar over the last 12 months. The gimmick with the mask helped to transition him into a heel and I feel he did very well with it. He showed what a good heel he can be, a quality that often seems to be necessary for a wrestler to take that next step up from the mid-card. Thankfully that gimmick has since been dropped but since dropping the protective mask Cody has had no real gimmick of which to speak of to aid him and yet he continues to provoke the desired reaction from the WWE Universe. Now holding the traditional Intercontinental championship belt he has the opportunity to use tradition and nostalgia, as well as continuing to have some very tight matches, to bring value back to the IC title. If Cody Rhodes climbs the WWE ladder to the top, it's looking very likely that he would do it the old fashioned way and I just can't see any current plans to cut short his reign as IC champion. Personally I feel that a feud with brother Goldust is more likely to be what takes him to Wrestlemania.

Dolph Ziggler: Another man whose career began to blossom in 2011. Dolph Ziggler, in my opinion, has been knocking on the door of the main event for months and now could be his time. Under slightly different circumstances I would say that Dolph would be the perfect pick to win this years Royal Rumble. He's ready to take that next step and seems as though he would be able to handle the spotlight between now and Wrestlemania. Nobody sells as well as him right now, nobody is taking oppoortunities like he is and nobody is as consistently impressive in the ring. Ziggler is ready to main event Wrestlemania but what with the time already invested in his angle with CM Punk I feel that The Royal Rumble has little to offer him.

Chris Jericho: The return of Y2J to the WWE has certainly been an unorthodox one. After weeks of video promo's and speculation surrounding the identity of the returning Superstar, after weeks of not uttering a single word since making his return, Jericho finally spoke this past week on RAW. Even then he was short and sweet. "At The Royal Rumble it will be the end of the world as you know it." said the former WWE champion. Now if history tells us anything it's that a Superstar making their return around this time of year generally means they are going to feature in or win The Royal Rumble. Just think back to HHH and Edge for a start. I wouldn't be surprised at all to see Y2J win it and I know a lot of people seem to be tipping him for it. If anything he seems to be the favourite. However I can't help but think back to the weeks of the teaser promo's before his return, including the one played the night of his return. I can't help but be as confident as I can be that Jericho is not returning to the WWE alone and I can't help but wonder if tonight will mark the return of Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, to align herself with Jericho, and build to Jericho and HHH at Wrestlemania. 

CM Punk: A theory originally expressed to me by a friend of mine and a theory I have since seen circulating various forms of social media, is the theory that CM Punk could very well be the winner of the 2012 Royal Rumble. The idea of a Heavyweight champion winning the Rumble may not be as crazy as it sounds. The Royal Rumble has generally been used to develop a mans career, to give him that push toward the main event, or to hand another run to an established main eventer. Traditionally the Heavyweight champion(s) are not a feature of the match itself. I'm sure everyone has read or heard rumours of a downsizing of sorts in WWE. A trimming of the number of Championship titles and potentially the dissolving of the draft. The combining of both brands into the RAW 'Supershow' as of late adds weight to these rumours. I'm also sure that everyone has heard Michael Cole say, more than once, recently that this year "anyone" can enter The Royal Rumble match. This could be for many reasons. This could be legends, non-wrestlers and managers, commentators and really I wouldn't put many things past WWE, especially for the events 25th anniversary. It could, however, also mean champions. If CM Punk enters and wins The Royal Rumble then presumably he would go on to Wrestlemania to challenge for the World Heavyweight Championship in a championship vs championship match and if Daniel Bryan is still champion then really who wouldn't want to see that? With the title belts unified, the draft would be dissolved and the complete roster available for both RAW and Smackdown shows. I have to say, it's a very convincing shout for what may happen.

Sheamus: The Celtic Warrior kicked the door of the WWE wide open when he won his first WWE championship just six months after making his debut. Since then, having held it one more time, he has been floundering somewhat. Much like The Miz, it alsmost seems as though the WWE have pushed a younger wrestler too far too quickly and once they have been to the top of the mountain they have struggled to find a place within the company. Sheamus has been making largely cameo appearances as of late and although the WWE seem keen to keep his face on TV, maybe do not have too many ideas where to take the Irish champion next. In my opinion, this is what The Royal Rumble can be great for. This is Sheamus' way back to the top. The fan reaction/support is there for him, there's no doubt about that, and Vince McMahon knows whats good for business when he see's it. Sheamus is a draw. Sheamus is popular. Sheamus is a former World champion and Sheamus could just be the perfect man to benefit from winning The Royal Rumble and finding himself back in the main event by Wrestlemania. This match could be the direction that his character so badly needs.