There's a Reason Why Jerry is King.

This episode of Monday Night Raw opened up with the winner of the 2011 Royal Rumble, Alberto Del Rio. I'm sure I wasn't the only person left scratching their head after to Royal Rumble last night. I did think it was a pretty solid pay-per-view, for only having four matches. I was hoping for John Cena to win (as I always do) but was secretly hoping for a Smackdown superstar to win. That brand deserved it, deserved a chance to show that they can stand up to the Raw brand. I just don't know what to think about Alberto Del Rio. I don't think he is that spectacular of a wrestler, maybe I'm being too picky. He is fairly new as a superstar but maybe this is the push that he needs to elevate himself to star/main eventer status. As for title bouts, he chose to go after Edge and his World Heavyweight Title. I think that is a pretty good choice and it will be a fantastic match as it will be Del Rio's first ever Wrestlemania.

His celebration was something I rolled my eyes at but was expected. He did defeat 39 other men to win this prestigious honor. Good luck to him and hopefully his first ever Wrestlemania experience will be memorable for not only him but the fans as well.

Monday Night Raw was pretty solid as a broadcast. Santino and Kozlov fought Joe Henning (I do NOT like the name WWE has him using) and Husky Harris. I'm hoping that Kozlov and Marella will hang on to the titles for a while longer and that the WWE will start beefing up the tag team division, they have had some fantastic tag team matches and some even better tag team pairings. In the women's division, Natalya and Eve faced off against Laycool in a tag team match, and of course Laycool won. What I noticed most about this match was that Natalya had no bad blood against Eve, even though she lost the title to her the night before. She shook her hand before they started and checked on her after she got kicked in the face by Michelle McCool. True sportsmanship at its finest.

Edge faced The Miz in a champion vs. champion match which was hilariously interrupted by John Cena and a "Miz is Awful" chant. One of the funniest things I have ever seen, and of course it gave Cena a chance to get back at Miz for eliminating him from the Royal Rumble. I still think that is complete and total garbage by the way, a referee had to have seen that. That added another reason as to why I do not care for The Miz that much. In the end, Edge got the upper hand and won. Giving Michael Cole one less reason to jump up and down like a fool. This also brings me to a side note, what was with him jumping up and down like a little girl at a Justin Bieber concert? Dude has issues. I don't think it is helping his image at all. It makes him look foolish and won't help him in the popularity department.

Before we get to discussing the main event, there are a few things that were announced that are worth mentioning. Stone Cold Steve Austin will be hosting Tough Enough when it premieres on April 4th, 2011, the night after Wrestlemania XXVII. I have always enjoyed Steve Austin as a wrestler, promo cutter, and actor. He can be dead serious or have you in stitches, this gig fits him like a glove and I look forward to watching the show when it premieres. I'm not too sure what channel it will be on in Canada but hopefully it's one that I get so I can cover that as well, I'm always interested in new and developing talent. Vickie Guererro also announced that Edge will defend his title in a way that it has never been defended before, a three on two handicapped mixed gender tag team match. Dolph Ziggler and Laycool will face off against Edge and his partner Kelly Kelly. I think it is a pretty interesting premise but I'm not too sure who I would like to see win, as I like both competitors. I do hope that Kelly Kelly gives Laycool what they have coming to them!

Now onto the main event of the night, the seven man Raw Rumble match. This was an ingenious idea and whoever put this together should get a well deserved pat on the back. It plays off the high of the Royal Rumble the night before and I always enjoy the crowd counting down from ten until the next competitor comes out. The entrants and who they eliminated are listed below:

1. John Morrison (eliminated by Sheamus)
2. Sheamus (eliminated by Jerry Lawler, with assistance from John Cena)
3. John Cena (eliminated by Lawler, because Sheamus shoved Lawler into Cena)
4. CM Punk (eliminated by Randy Orton)
5. R-Truth (eliminated by John Cena)
6. Jerry Lawler (WINNER!)
7. Randy Orton (eliminated by R-Truth)

I was so excited when Jerry Lawler was announced as a participant for this match. I was disappointed however when Ted DiBiase Jr. tried to buy Jerry's spot in the match, but did enjoy the slap Maryse gave him. Seriously, does Ted even have anything to do? Jerry earned this spot and has been waiting to get his hands on The Miz and hopefully it will earn him a championship reign. When he won the match I screamed and did everything short of a touchdown dance. I am greatly looking forward to seeing Jerry beat the snot out of The Miz at Elimination Chamber. I will be cheering Jerry on and I know he will win the title and eventually get his Wrestlemania moment. Good luck to you Jerry! This is the reason why they call you 'The King'.

The Road to Wrestlemania Begins This Sunday.

I love January. It's the beginning of a new year and the beginning of the road to Wrestlemania.

The Royal Rumble has expanded this year to include and additional ten superstars, bringing the total to 40. Sometimes, when it comes to wrestling, I am all for tradition. However, I think the addition of the extra ten men will bring a little zing to the show overall and provide for some very interesting moments. Now comes the speculation of who is going to win the match and the chance to have a Wrestlemania moment. It is going to be tough to pick out a definite winner this year as there are so many great competitors. I'm going to put it out there and say that I think John Cena is going to win. There are so many factors to consider including the alliances that are involved, personal rivalries, the sheer number of opponents, and the push that some people have been getting as of late. It doesn't matter if my pick is right or wrong but it is shaping up to be one of the best Rumbles in a long time. Good luck to all involved, remember that your Wrestlemania moment is at stake.

I also have two picks for surprise entrants in this year's Rumble and they are Triple H and Chris Jericho. It probably won't happen but it would be quite the comeback for either of these men. Triple H has a movie coming out on DVD around the middle of February and Jericho has a new book, this opportunity would provide either with some great publicity. They don't even have to win the Royal Rumble. If they did, they would have sufficient time to build an angle with anybody before the biggest event of the year. Hopefully one of the two (or both!) makes an appearance this year...I'll keep holding my breath!

Another reason why I love January is that the Hall of Fame nominations start to trickle in. The first official inductee for the 2011 Hall of Fame is Shawn Michaels. He's done thing I've loved, things I've hated, but he deserves this spot. He truly defines what it is to be an entertainer. He has had a storied career in the wrestling industry and it is truly saddening to see that some people (Insert Shane Helms here) are trying to sully that. I can't wait to hear his speech at the ceremony this year. As for other inductees, there isn't much concrete evidence as to who will be in. I do have a few predictions of my own that I'd like to share:

1. Arn Anderson
2. Dean Malenko
3. Ron Simmons (more than likely to be inducted by JBL)
4. Macho Man Randy Savage
5. Lex Luger
6. Ultimate Warrior

Another thing to consider is that there could be a possible WCW tie-in this year. How that will affect the Hall of Fame this year is a little iffy, I'm sure there will be more news coming out about that in the coming weeks.

This Sunday is the first step on the road to the biggest sports entertainment event ever and I know we are in for one heck of a ride.

Raw Blurbs.

Tonight's episode of Monday Night Raw started out as expected, with CM Punk and Nexus coming out and opening the show. I, for one, really am enjoying having CM Punk as the leader of the Nexus faction. He seems to have the right persona for it, as well as incredible mic skills. Not to discredit Wade Barrett, but CM Punk is excelling in this role, especially with the slow demolition of his SES. He is a leader, not a follower. This creative decision certainly has rejuvenated the storyline as it had become somewhat stale. It will be interesting to see how John Cena is incorporated into his storyline with his current injury and the fact that he has been pulled from several shows. Hopefully he will be at 100% for the Royal Rumble and able to compete at Wrestlemania.

In other Raw news, the rivalry between John Morrison and Sheamus is going quite well. Morrison is a fantastic wrestler and he is finally becoming the superstar that he deserves to be. He is being brought front and centre to showcase his abilities, and Sheamus is being given some new competition. As much as I do not like him, he is going to go far in this business and is on his way to being one of the top guys (I wouldn't consider his a top guy yet, even though he has won the title).

As I am typing this, it was just announced that Shawn Michaels is the first inductee into the Hall of Fame for 2011. His acceptance speech will certainly be epic and more than a few tears will be shed. What a fantastic honor for an amazing competitor. I may not have always liked him but he sure has provided me, as well as the millions of members of the WWE Universe, with many memorable moments. From when he descended from the roof to face Bret Hart, when he faced Ric Flair in his retirement match, fighting the Undertake in the Hell In a Cell, all his antics with DX, and when he had his ultimate Wrestlemania moment when he fought the Undertaker at WM26. There are way too many moments for me to mention them all here, all I know is that there wont be an ass in a seat when he comes out on stage to accept this prestigious honor. Congratulations Shawn, you truly have earned it.

On a side note, am I the only one that is tired of The Miz being champion? Seriously, can he and Alex Riley be any more annoying? I cannot wait until this little punk loses the title. I understand the need to get newer faces out there instead of having the same guys win the title but The Miz just irritates the hell out of me. Although I am enjoying his interaction with Jerry Lawler very much, it is always a pleasure to see such a legend take to the ring and kick some ass.

A final thought as the last match is happening, Michael Cole should be stuck backstage. I always complain about him for the simple fact that I don't like him. Every time he speaks it just irks me to no end. His whole persona at the announcing table is just unbelievable, he brings zero personality to the table. Hopefully once Lawler and Orton are done with Alex Riley and The Miz, they can take care of Cole. Now that would be a magnificent end to the Raw broadcast!