WWE Wrestlemania 30 Preview and Predictions

On April 6th, 2014, history will be made at the Superdome in New Orleans. It's Wrestlemania 30 where it has always been dubbed the "Showcase of the Immortals," and "The Grandest Stage of Them All." How ironic that arena that has hosted so many NFL Super Bowls in the past will get it's biggest event yet. There are eight match on this years Wrestlemania and all of them look very solid. All of them have major importance and all of them will begin to establish the future while honoring the work and dedication of those in the past.

30- Man Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

I am very happy that 99 percent of the talent on the roster is being used in Wrestlemania this year and what better way to use a chunk of them by honoring the greatest legend of them all. Anyone can this Battle Royal but I believe on principal that the winner will be Big Show. Many have compared him to Andre and obviously he is the modern day giant.

Vickie Guerrero Diva's Invitational for the WWE Divas Title

AJ Lee has been champion for a long time now. We have not seen dominance in the Divas division since the days of Trish Stratus, and Lita. I see three options for this match. I see Tamina winning and turning on AJ. I see the one Diva the truly deserves it win it and that would be Natalya. Lastly, I could see Brie Bella winning it and having a new power couple in WWE if you know what I mean. Either way you slice it I do not see AJ walking out of Wrestlemania 30 the WWE Divas Champion. 

Fatal Four Way WWE Tag Title Match: The Uso's(c) vs. The Real Americans vs. Ryback/Curtis Axel vs. Los Matadores 

The Uso's have not held the titles long and they worked long and hard to get a title reign under their belts. However it seems like the crowds are fully behind The Real Americans. They teased a split between the Real Americans for awhile but that has died down. A lot of people feel Cesaro and Swagger should have had the titles by now. The only way I see Jimmy and Jey drop the tag titles is if it's to The Real Americans

The Shield vs. Kane and The New Age Outlaws

We all know The Shield has to break up eventually but I believe this will be their last great moment together as a unit. Wrestlemania is a time to breakout and build a future. They debuted last year at Wrestlemania 29 but at Wrestlemania 30 they will make their mark as a group one final time as well as individuals. All three members at one time or another has been teased to be the breakout star but on this night all three of them will have breakout performances against three great veterans.

John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt

Nine years ago at Wrestlemania we heard the song My Time is Now which has been synonymous with John Cena since then. At Wrestlemania 30, Bray Wyatt's time is now. Even if Cena does win the match we are going to see the very best of Bray Wyatt and his future will be built. He has been one of the best things the WWE has done creatively in a very long time. John Cena is nearing the end of his prime and WWE needs to let him start giving the ball to other stars and letting them run with it. 

The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar

If anyone and I mean anyone thinks that Brock Lesnar is going to defeat The Undertaker at Wrestlemania they are complete nuts. Brock Lesnar is a big star that is already established and it would do nothing for his career and future. If The Undertaker ever does lose at a Wrestlemania it will be to a young guy who needs to be established and a huge part of the future. I have no doubt that this will be a great match and that it could be the match of the night. The Undertaker will be 22-0 at Wrestlemania

Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H- Winner Advances to the WWE World Heavyweight Title Match

The set up has a feel similar to Bret Harts journey at Wrestlemania 10. The only difference is that Daniel Bryan will not lose his first match. There is no doubt this will be a phenomenal match because it's two of the best in ring performers in WWE history. WWE is righting the wrongs of some of their creative and storyline mistakes with Daniel Bryan. Triple H as a performer and COO realizes that guys like Orton and Cena aren't going to be around much longer and that the future needs to start now. That future is now and that future starts with Daniel Bryan beating Triple H and moving on to the main event. 

WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Randy Orton(c) vs. Batista vs. Winner of Daniel Bryan/Triple H

There is no doubt in mind it will be Daniel Bryan in the triple threat match. The right way to end Wrestlemania 30 is for Daniel Bryan to win the title and for 80 thousand fans to chant YES! YES! YES! They should acknowledge that Daniel Bryan is the hottest thing they have had since Stone Cold Steve Austin. Any other ending is unacceptable. Orton has had his time and Batista is not the same performer that he was in his first run. It's Daniel Bryan's time and it's the time of the YES Movement. 

Wrestlemania 30 will honor the legends of the past and build the stars for the future. Let's not forget that Hulk Hogan is the host of Wrestlemania 30 so who knows what craziness will occur under his watch. Let's not forget the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame either. This is one of the best classes that we have ever seen. 

The Showcase of the Immortals is here and the grandest stage of them all will be a stage like no other this year. The impact of Wrestlemania 30 will be felt for a long time to come. It's time to celebrate the legacy of the past, present and future. It's time to celebrate 30 years of Wrestlemania. 

Scott Hall (Razor Ramon) to be Inducted Into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame

Hey Yo! Say hello to the newest and final member of the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame. For many years the name Scott Hall has been synonymous with many great wrestling moments. Early on his career he teamed with the Curt Hennig in the AWA as a formidable tag team that went on to become the tag team champions. He hung around the NWA after his AWA as Diamond Studd where he became friends with Diamond Dallas Page. However his career was just beginning.

In 1992, Scott Hall made his WWE debut as "The Bad Guy" Razor Ramon. My first memory of Razor Ramon that impacted me was the 1992 Survivor Series. He teamed with Ric Flair to take on Randy Savage and Mr. Perfect. I knew after watching that match that he was for real. He went to have great feuds with Shawn Michaels, Diesel(Kevin Nash), 1-2-3 Kid(Sean Waltman/X-Pac) and Jeff Jarrett. He is most known for his match at Wrestlemania 10 with Shawn Michaels that revolutionized the ladder match. The other thing that he's known for is the famous curtain call at Madison Square Garden. He and Kevin Nash were leaving for WCW and they hugged Triple H and Shawn Michaels in the middle of the ring. That was something that broke from tradition.

That tradition that was broken led to one of the biggest moments in pro wrestling. Scott Hall and Kevin Nash showed up on WCW television to begin their formation of n.W.o. with Hulk Hogan. Scott Hall was making a lot of money and had a lot of success. Unfortunately with that success the demons of Scott Hall were surfacing. Scott Hall had a lot of drug and alcohol problems that went for a very long time. There were times when I was reading pro wrestling news I was going to read that Scott Hall was dead. However in 2013 he received help from his long time friends Diamond Dallas Page and Jake the Snake Roberts. He has been clean and sober since and has had a great relationship with his son Cody Hall. Scott Hall and Jake Roberts two examples of someone who can come back from the deepest parts of hell and be rewarded for overcoming the odds. Now they have a story to tell and share that story with all they have been through.

In his legendary career Scott Hall is a four time WWE Intercontinental Champion, TNA Tag Team Champion, AWA Tag Team Champion, WCW Television Champion, two time WCW United States Champion and a seven time WCW Tag Team Champion. Whether it be as Razor Ramon, an Outsider with Kevin Nash or a member of the Kliq, Scott Hall is very deserving of the hall of fame.

Congratulations to Scott Hall aka Razor Ramon on his induction to the WWE Hall of Fame. This is definitely one more for the good guys.

Grabbing the Cage in UFC Shouldn't be Illegal

Before I begin with this I don't want to take anything away from Michel Prazeres who defeated Mairbek Taisumov by unanimous decision but there was some controversy in the fight. Taisumov was deducted 3 points in the fight. Two of those points were due to him grabbing the cage while he was pinned up against the cage. Now I respect the referring ability of Mario Yamasaki but I think he was a bit too harsh with Taisumov. I think one point was necessary but the final time he was deducted a point his hand hit the cage which sometimes you can't control.

In the UFC octagon a fighter is allowed to pin his opponent up against the cage for leverage to take them down. If the fighter on the offensive side of things is allowed to use the cage as a weapon then the fighter on the defensive side of things should be allowed to use the cage in any way they see fit. If it's going to be an issue in UFC then maybe they should switch to using ropes or plexiglass  so you can't grab at anything at all.

Now as far as Mairbek Taisumov goes, he should fire whoever trained him. Anyone who fights in the UFC knows that right now grabbing the cage is illegal and a deduction of points. Do I think it's a good rule? No I don't but you have to abide what the rules are. I think in the future if a fighter has trouble with this they need to practice in the cage until it's no longer a habit.

I was very disappointed with how the fight between Prazeres and Taisumov went because of one very stupid rule. Prazers would have won the fight anyways because he showed more aggression and offense. Taisumov did not too bad with the exception of the cage grabbing but it was the multiple stops in the fight that ruined it for me and obviously the crowd. The crowd wasn't too pleased with it either. Hopefully the cage grabbing rule will someday be resolved, modified and no longer an issue. It has nothing to do with protecting a fighter or fighter safety so I leave you this question. What's the big deal about grabbing the cage?

Should Pitchers be Required to Wear Helmets?

Today after watching what happen to Cincinnati Reds relief pitcher Aroldis Chapmann I think it's safe to say that Major League Baseball needs to start looking at pitcher safety. There have been too many times now in the game of baseball where a line drive to the head or face of a pitcher has caused a lot of damage. Baseball is protecting catchers by not allowing deliberate home plate collisions. They need to think about all the players, not just one position

In the NFL, NBA, and NHL if you have a concussion you have to sit out until you can pass a series of tests. How is a pitcher suppose to comeback from a line drive if they have no protection? When a batter gets hit in the head with a pitch they have a helmet. It still hurts, and it still rattles their cage but atleast they have some form of protection.

John Olerud is the only player I know of that's ever wore a helmet but that was because he suffered a brain aneurysm in College. However you have to ask the question, what if pitchers were require to wear a helmet or some sort of protective head gear. I think with a horrible incident like Chapmanns the discussion has to be started and the exploration of possible ways to increase safety need to be looked at.

Major League Baseball should not wait for something traumatic to happen. For example, it took Dale Earnhardt's death for NASCAR to require all drivers to wear the HANS device. What would happen if Justin Verlander or Clayton Kershaw took a line drive to the head and became permanently disable or worse? Would MLB then enforce safety measures or precautions to protect pitchers. My advice to Major League Baseball would be to not wait until someones career or life ends because they didn't take care of the problem

I would just like to end by saying that Aroldis Chapmman is in my thoughts and prayers and I hope he can recover from this and resume his career.

Mr. T to be Inducted into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame

In 1982, when Sylvester Stallone, Mr. T, and Hulk Hogan got together for Rocky 3 the friendship that Hogan and Mr. T made would forever change the history of pro wrestling forever. It was until three years later that the first Wrestlemania happened. The main event of the first Wrestlemania was Hulk Hogan and Mr. T taking on Rowdy Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. That night catapulted WWE into the main stream.

However that would not be Mr. T's last Wrestlemania. He competed in a boxing match against Roddy Piper at Wrestlemania 2. There was a lot of real life tension and hatred between Piper and Mr. T which made for great television. After his two Wrestlemania appearances he went on to accompany Kerry Von Erich in WCCW and he appeared several times in WCW during Hogan's initial run in 1994.

Whether it be as Clubber Lang or Sergeant Bosco "B. A." Baracus, Mr. T was a huge pop culture phenomenon in the 80's. He has appeared on Different Strokes, Alvin and the Chipmunks, Saturday Night Live, Spy Hard, The Simpsons, and many others. His trademarks were wearing the gold chains and saying "I pity the fool."  He did however give up his gold in 2005 after he helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina. It was a life changing experience for him.

There a few celebrities in the WWE Hall of Fame including Bob Uecker, Donald Trump, Drew Carey, Mike Tyson, Pete Rose, and William Perry. All of them had some involvement in WWE but none of them can say they were part of the first Wrestlemania and in the Main Event. Mr. T has built a legacy that goes above and beyond Wrestlemania 1 and 2. He has done a lot for charity and always tried to be a positive role model for kids.

Congratulations to Mr. T on his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2014.

Road to Wrestlemania 30: Week 7

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania 30 a new match was announced by Hulk Hogan. At Wrestlemania there will be a 30 Man Over the Top Battle Royal in memory of Andre the Giant. This means 30 superstars will have the opportunity put their name in the history books by honoring one of the all time greats. Another person who could be making history at Wrestlemania is Daniel Bryan. He finally got his match with Triple H and the best part of it is if he wins he will be in the WWE World Heavyweight Title match later on in the evening. Other then the tournament at Wrestlemania 4 the only competitors to wrestle more then once at a Wrestlemania are Bret Hart, Yokozuna, and Hulk Hogan. Daniel Bryan's night was not finished. He and the Big show defeated Batista and Randy Orton when Orton got pinned. Also on Raw Bray Wyatt accepted John Cena's challenge for a match at Wrestlemania after some epic promos were exchanged between the two of them. 

On Smackdown Kane took on the Big Show but  it was what happened afterwards that changed the landscape of what WWE could be. After Kane's loss he tried to attack Seth Rollins because The Shield did not help Kane take out the Big Show. It ended with Roman Reigns spearing the crap out of Kane. The tag team division could be heavily featured at Wrestlemania with the likes of The Uso's, Rybaxel, Rhodes Brothers, Los Matadores, and The Real Americans if they don't split. Tag team wrestling is coming back to the forefront and it will be very evident at Wrestlemania 30 like it has been the past few months. Two of the better feuds in WWE right are Christian and Sheamus with the other one being Alberto Del Rio and Dolph Ziggler. All four men are looking to play a major role in Wrestlemania 30 so we will have to see what happens with them.

There is three more weeks until Wrestlemania 30 and so far here are the follow matches:

-Randy Orton vs. Batista

-Triple H vs. Daniel Bryan (If Bryan wins he gets put into the WWE Title match)

-Brock Lesnar vs. The Undertaker 

-Bray Wyatt vs. John Cena 

-Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

I am sure there will be a few more matches added this coming week but who will they involve? Keep tuning in to find out where to Road to Wrestlemania will take us.

Carlos Colon Sr. to be Inducted into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame

Most people of this generation might not know who Carlos Colon Sr is but to many of us who have studied the rich history of pro wrestling he is the father of wrestling in  Puerto Rico. Carlos Colon's career spanned over 40 years as a wrestler and now has his legacy being continued through his family. His sons have performed in WWE as Carlito and Primo. His nephew also wrestles as Epico or if you want to be politically correct Primo and Epico now wrestle as the Los Matadores.

Aside from all of that Carlos Colon was the face of the World Wrestling Council. He had 64 title reigns in his time in WWC. He faced such men like Randy Savage, Ric Flair, Bruiser Brody, Stan Hansen, and Abdullah the Butcher. He has over 70 scars on his body and has said that most of his bloodshed came from Abdullah and all the brutal matches they have had.

Carlos Colon has had a great impact in Puerto Rico when it comes to professional wrestling. He and Carlito continue to run the WWC occasionally and still bring great pro wrestling show to the country. A lot of people have criticized WWE's choice for putting him into the hall of fame but if it weren't for Carlos Colon we would not have some of the great talent we do today. He always made guys better then what they were before they came to Puerto Rico.

Lastly, Carlos was so big in the industry he did win the NWA Heavyweight title at one point defeating Ric Flair for the title. It's never been officially recognized by the NWA but the fact that it happened in his own country proves how legendary and how much of an impact this man has had on pro wrestling in a different country. Congratulations to Carlos Colon Sr. on his upcoming induction into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame.

Steve Smith Is No Distraction

Today has to be one of the saddest days for me as a Carolina Panthers fan. I've been a Panthers fan since they were an expansion team back in 1995. I loved the Panthers in the early days because of Kevin Greene but along the way there were players who played for the Panthers that kept me a fan. In 2001, a young man from California exploded onto the NFL scene. He was a third round pick that the Carolina Panthers had selected. His name is Steve Smith. Steve Smith has been the heart and soul for the Panthers for a long time.

The front office has labeled Steve Smith as distraction and needs to make way for the younger players on the team. The Panthers want their young players to become leaders for the future but what better leader could you have then Steve Smith? I am pretty sure Smith knows he doesn't have much time left in the league but why not let him finish his career out as a Panther and mentor the young guys?

He has eight franchise records, and I am sure some of them will take a long time to be broken. I've come to the conclusion that there is no loyalty in sports anymore. Here is a guy who devoted his time to the team, and to the city of Charlotte and after thirteen years is told he is no longer a member of a team he help build. The Panthers lost will be someone else's gain. Steve Smith still has a lot to offer and can be a great leader for any team he goes to.

As a fan I am disgusted with these turn of events. I have proudly wore a Steve Smith jersey for a long time and no one deserves to wear the number 89 for the Panthers again. Steve Smith is a hall of fame player in my book and I will be a huge supporter of his no matter where he goes. Thank you Steve Smith for all the memories you gave us as a Carolina Panther.

Smarkasses Episode 28: The Yes Movement- 3/11/2014 (WWE, TNA, ROH News and Rumors)

Road to Wrestlemania 30: Week 6

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania we saw a lot of build up to what will happen on April 6th. Raw started off with Paul Heyman delivering his own pipe-bomb and teasing the fans with mentioning CM Punk's name. He then brought out Brock Lesnar which ended in Lesnar destroying Mark Henry again. The first match of the night saw the Uso's win the tag team titles against the New Age Outlaws in a terrific contest. Big E Langston wrestled two matches and won them both by DQ because of the ongoing dissension between Cesaro and Swagger.One of the bigger highlights of Raw was watching Seth Rollins walk out on his fellow Shield members during their re-match with The Wyatt Family. Daniel Bryan called out Triple H once again and it led to him being removed from the ring until his match with Batista. The match with Batista went better then I thought it would considering how horrible he has been in the ring since his return. The match ended in DQ when Randy Orton got involved. Bryan did his best to fight everyone off but was left laying after a Batista Bomb and a Pedigree.

Smackdown picked up right where Raw left off. Batista and Daniel Bryan started off Friday Night by attacking each other on the mic. This led to a physical altercation which brought out Kane and the returning Big Show. This led to the main event being made for later on in the night. It was Daniel Bryan and Big Show taking on Batista and Kane. It was a great main event in which Bryan and Show won and celebrating as Smackdown went off the air. The Shield had a hostile confrontation especially between Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose. Roman Reigns was definitely the middle man trying to keep the peace. In the end, after punches were thrown the three members stood together. There also seems to be little feuds going on between Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, Christian and Sheamus. The two faces have been having series of matches with the two heels. It makes me wonder if there will be a tag match to combine the feuds at Wrestlemania 30. I guess only time will tell to see if these four men make the big event.

As of this writing we do know The Undertaker will face Brock Lesnar and put his 21-0 streak on the line. Randy Orton will also defend the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Batista in the main event of Wrestlemania 30. Keep tuning in for more news, matches and rumors on the Road to Wrestlemania 30.

For more of Hollywood Joe's opinions on WWE, TNA, ROH and the world of pro wrestling check out Smarkasses, a wrestling podcast hosted by Hollywood Joe and his co-host Jordan Francisco.

Smarkasses Episode 27: Wrestling on the Rise Again?- 3/5/2014 (WWE, TNA, ROH News and Rumors)

Paul Bearer to be Inducted Into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame

Tonight it was announced that Paul Bearer would be inducted be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame the night before Wrestlemania 30. Long before he was Paul Bearer he managed under the name Percy Pringle III. He managed stars like Rick Rude, Steve Austin and Lex Luger. He even managed Mark Calaway before he became The Undertaker. The man who in real life was William Moody made a huge name for himself in WCCW. 

At Survivor Series 1990, The Undertaker made his debut but it was with Brother Love. I think people knew Brother Love was not a long term manager of The Undertaker. Shortly after the Royal Rumble in 1991, Brother Love introduced Paul Bearer as The Undertaker's new manager. For the next five years Paul Bearer would be in Undertakers corner for so many memorable moments. There were moments like Undertaker's first WWE Title win, feuds with monsters like Kamala, Yokozuna, King Kong Bundy and Giant Gonzales. 

Many people thought Paul Bearer would always be by Undertakers side but at Summerslam 1996 he did the unthinkable. He turned on The Undertaker and began managing Mankind. For the next two years Mankind and The Undertaker would be embroiled in one of the biggest feuds in WWE history and Paul Bearer was in the middle of it. At Bad Blood 1997, Paul Bearer revealed Undertakers brother Kane. This was a way to evolve Paul Bearer, add a new dimension to The Undertakers character and created a new star. Paul Bearer would be involved with Kane and The Undertaker until 2000. 

Over the next decade Paul Bearer would return periodically for short storylines involving the Brothers of Destruction. Sadly, William Moody passed away on March 5, 2013 but still had an impact for The Undertaker. His death became the focal point for Undertaker's match against CM Punk at Wrestlemania 29. Paul Bearer is very deserving of this honor and I truly believe in my heart that Kane and The Undertaker would have not succeeded if Paul Bearer wouldn't have been in their corner. 

Congrats to William Moody aka Percy Pringle III aka Paul Bearer on being inducted into the 2014 WWE Hall of Fame.

For more info on Hollywood Joe's opinions on WWE, TNA and ROH check out Smarkasses with Hollywood Joe and his co-host Jordan Francisco.

Road to Wrestlemania 30: Week 5

This week on the Road to Wrestlemania 30, we felt the aftermath of Elimination Chamber. Raw opened up with Hulk Hogan making his return to WWE and announced he is the host of Wrestlemania 30. A lot of things happened on Raw that started the build up for Wrestlemania 30. Daniel Bryan defeated Kane and called out Triple H for a match at Wrestlemania 30. Triple H's buddies also didn't fair to well on Raw. The New Age Outlaws lost in about 60 seconds to the Uso's which makes me think that there will be a tag title match at Wrestlemania 30. At the end of the night Brock Lesnar came out and was offered an open contract instead of a WWE World Title match at Wrestlemania. Brock and his advocate Paul Heyman denied the offer until The Undertaker came out and confronted Lesnar. Lesnar signed the contract which led to Undertaker choke-slamming him through a table. 

On Smackdown, Batista kicked off the show by turning on the fans in a promo. This brought out Dolph Ziggler who challenged Batista a match. The match happened later on in the show and Batista easily defeated Ziggler. The Shield interrupted The Wyatt Family during their promo and said they weren't done with them just yet. This brought out Triple H who made the rematch for Monday. In the main event, Daniel Bryan teamed with The Uso's who went on to defeat Kane and the New Age Outlaws. 

John Cena was injured on Monday but no word to what extent. He is refusing to get an MRI but was seen at NXT Arrival limping on the injured leg. Also this week the tension between the Real Americans was starting show. Jack Swagger cost Cesaro his match against Big E and on Smackdown they kept trying to steal each other's momentum in a their tag match against Big E and Mark Henry. 

It was definitely a strong week for the buildup to Wrestlemania 30. This weeks Raw is in Chicago and that means rioting crowds and a lot of CM Punk chants. CM Punk has not been on TV since the Royal Rumble so a lot of people are speculating on if he will be there or not. It's getting crazy on the Road to Wrestlemania 30 and as each week goes by it's going to get crazier.  Keep staying tuned for more on the Road to Wrestlemania 30.

For more of Hollywood Joe's opinions on WWE, TNA, and ROH tune into Smarkasses with Hollywood Joe and Jordan Francisco.