Over the Limit / Raw Recap.

It has been quite some time since my last post. This week's edition of RAW, as well as the recent 'Over the Limit' ppv, has put a stop to my bout of writer's block.

'Over the Limit' was phenomenal, there really is no other way to describe it. Every single match had me at the edge of my seat, except for the match between Maryse and Eve. I honestly could have cared less about that match, female wrestling has become nothing but filler on television broadcasts. It really is a shame because I remember when the women would put on a show that would rival the male wrestling. What this division needs is a shake-up. Natalya Neidhart needs to be able to wrestle, instead of just managing the Hart Dynasty. They don;t need to be split up but she needs time to shine. You don't train at the Hart Dungeon to just stand outside the ring and pound on the mat.

I am the HUGEST John Cena fan but CM Punk and Rey Mysterio stole the show. Their match had everything going for it, suspense, drama, blood, high flying, and I could go on for hours! Those two really know what it means to put on a show. As much as I did enjoy their match, I'm glad that the storyline has been put to rest for a while. The whole SES thing really creeps me out. I liked CM Punk way more before, hopefully he will return to his former self.

There was an abundance of injuries at the ppv this past Sunday. It showed the most with Randy Orton vs. Edge, the match had an odd ending. I didn't quite know what was going on, then I saw how Orton was favoring his right shoulder. Speculation is that he will be out a few weeks to a few months, with his recent turn as a face, hopefully he will be back sooner than later. He was always a star but I have a feeling that his following will grow even larger with the somewhat recent disbanding of Legacy. Randy has always done better on his own, he has exceptional ability in the ring and doesn't need to be a part of any faction.

The rest of the matches were exceptional as well and brought about some great moments. R-Truth beating Ted DiBiase (who is bringing out the original Virgil), Kofi winning the Intercontinental Title,  Hart Dynasty keeping their well deserved Unified Tag Team Titles, and Jack Swagger losing to the Big Show by a self imposed disqualification. As anticipated, John Cena made Batista utter the words 'I quit.'. It is basically the two of them beating the crap out of each other for a good fifteen minutes. They both suffer their fair share of bumps, bruises, and cuts. That poor Spanish announce table, I wonder why they even bother to have one as it is almost a 100% guarantee that it will be destroyed. Then, in the climax of the match, Batista attempts to run over Cena, a moment reminiscent of when the Big Show choke slammed Cena into one of the stage lights. Cena hits the Attitude Adjustment on the hood of the car, and setting up for the Attitude Adjustment on the roof, he says 'I quit.'. Cena doesn't care and does it anyways, sending him flying right through the entrance ramp.

In typical fashion, Sheamus comes out and lays John out with a kick. I, for one, am getting sick of this gimmick. Sheamus is becoming a one note pony.

Now a few notes on, whit I thought, were the two biggest moments on Monday Night Raw...

Bret Hart is the new Raw General Manager. I lept out of my seat and almost fell on the floor, this was a total surprise, I had assumed that he was actually finished with the company. I had a hope that it would be Jim Ross but he has made it very clear that he wants to maintain his behind the scenes role for now. Bret Hart is a shock but a good one. He will provide the leadership and direction that the Raw brand needs. I hope that his tenure as GM will be a long and prosperous one.

R-Truth won the United States Title which will hopefully shut The Miz up. I seriously cannot stand his voice and have no idea why they even give him a microphone. He can cut one hell of a promo but his voice is like nails on a chalkboard. R-Truth is a very gifted athlete, he can move, shake , and he can get the crowd going like nobodies business. He has had a relatively short tenure in the WWE but he will make an outstanding champion.

Wrestlemania Ramblings.

With Wrestlemania XXVI fast approaching, I thought I should give my thoughts on what is going to be one of the most memorable pay per views in wrestling history. At least I think so...

First of all, the Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels situation needs to be discussed. I believe with all of my wrestling loving heart that the Undertaker will whoop the living hell out of Shawn Michaels. I have many theories to support this, so I will throw a few out there. I am in no way degrading Shawn Michaels as a wrestler and I am a fan of his, he has competed in some of the most amazing matches I have ever seen in my 21 years of watching wrestling. I just feel as though the WWE is giving him no real direction, he used to be Mr. Wrestlemania, the Showstopper, Mr. Main Event. To me, he isn't any of those things anymore. He needs more spark, he seems tired and wore out. The Undertaker is one of the longest serving active wrestler on the current WWE roster. He has stuck with Vince McMahon through the good and the bad days of the company. I think that alone will have a tremendous impact on the decision of this match. If Michaels wins, I will be both very surprised and dissapointed.

Now on to the Hall of Fame and Stu Hart...

I have been waiting FOREVER for this announcement. If there was anyone so deserving of being recognized for the stamp that he has left on this business, and the hart (pun intended) of a nation, it is Stu Hart. I have not been so excited about a nominee since Bret Hart. I for one will have a tear in my eye and a Hart shirt on my back as I watch this historic and emotional moment on television.

Speaking of Bret, I KNOW he will beat Vince McMahon. The mere thought of Vince being in a sharpshooter in the middle of the ring has fans salivating all over the globe. I have had the pleasure of meeting Vince McMahon and he is a man that knows what the fans want and will give them what they want. Wrestling fans are the most loyal people I have ever seen, more so than football or hockey or baseball or any other sport for that matter. Bret, as well as his fans, have been waiting over a decade for this moment. They will not be dissapointed, this match is going to be a true clash of the titans. The final image we will have at Wrestlemania XXVI will be of Vince submitting to the sharpshooter, adminstered by the Excellence of Execution.

The Royal Rumble.

Last night's Royal Rumble PPV was certainly one to remember. The return of Edge as an entrant to the Rumble was something that no one saw coming. I had heard rumors that he would be returning at Wrestlemania or shortly after. It certainly gave that much a much needed spicing up. I didn't want him to win by any means, and I found it a little shocking but that's the way the WWE cookie crumbles I guess. I wanted to see John Cena finally beat Sheamus and reclaim the title that is rightfully his.

I HATED listening to CM Punk talk between entrants, I used to love watching him wrestle but lately he just annoys me (Much like Sheamus, but we'll get to that later!). There were a lot of good entrants in the Rumble this year, Kofi Kingston being my personal favorite (next to Cena of course!). There were so many people that I wanted to win, here is my top five:

1. John Cena
2. Kofi Kingston
3. MVP
4. Shawn Michaels
5. Batista

I was really pulling for Shawn Michaels. I was looking forward to seeing him take on the Undertaker for the title. The thing with Michaels is that he needs to get back to his roots. He needs to get back to greatness, just like when he rode that zip line down to the ring during his Iron Man Match with Bret Hart. That is the HBK that I know and love. The WWE needs to break him away from Triple H and let him shine. Bring him back to 'Mr.Main Event'.

Another match that I really enjoyed was Randy Orton vs. Sheamus. I'm starting to like Randy Orton even more and I still can't stand Sheamus. Everything about him just annoys the heck out of me. I do not think he can wrestle that well at all, he's strong but all he does is the Celtic Cross and that kick to the face. That gets really old really fast. I was pulling for Randy Orton to win, if not win than beat the holy hell out of Sheamus. I still think he got the title too early in his career, if they wanted to give it to a younger superstar, Jack swagger should have gotten it. I would like to see MVP eventually get his hands on the biggest prize in the game after he captures the title from The Miz.

The Miz really needs to lose. I don't care how but he needs to get rid of the title. I am sick of lsitening to him every week. Although the rivalry between MVP and The Miz is entertaining, the title needs to change hands. On a side note, I am glad that Mickie James finally beat Michelle McCool. The bullying angle that they had was just bad. You would think with all the bullying that goes on between kids and the poor body images that many young women have, this never would have been written as a storyline. Either way, I am glad that she showed that you can stand up for yourself and overcome your bully, even if she did use a DDT.

It doesn't need mentioning because, as always, the ECW match was exciting and filled with a lot of enthusiasm and athleticism. I'd like to see these guys get more of a push. There are a lot of really talented athletes competing on that brand that deserve a shot at the big time.

We have just hit the Road to Wrestlemania and hopefully it is one filled with many twists and turns.

The Excellence of Execution.

Tonight wrestling fans were told that Bret Hart would indeed be returning to Raw next week, I for one was beyond excited to hear that news. Bret Hart returning to the WWE on January 4th, 2010 was the single most exciting bit of news I have ever heard as a wrestling fan and a fellow Canadian. Bret Hart is so much more than a wrestler, he is a symbol and icon of Canada. Not only himself, but his father Stu, his mother Helen, all of his siblings, and extended family. He is symbolic of the sport itself, exemplifying what it is to be a true champion (An example would be when he shook the hand of the 1-2-3 Kid during an episode of Monday Night Raw). He came back to gain closure on the 'Montreal Screwjob', something that has stuck in his mind (and the mind of all Canadian fans) for the last twelve years. His return isn't a comeback, to die hard Hitman fans he never really left.

As a Canadian and a wrestling fan, when the Hitman came out with his signature leather jacket shades, and denim shorts from his Hart Foundation days, I have never been happier or prouder.

As Vince mentioned on the January 4th edition of Raw, Stu Hart will indeed be inducted into the WWE 2010 Hall of Fame. This seems like a long overdue honor but I am glad it is finally happening. This was probably one of the biggest factors for Bret returning, in addition to the Hart family DVD coming out on April 6th of this year. He came back not only for himself but for the millions of fans that love him and everything that he has done for wrestling throughout his career. His return is indeed epic and will hopefully lead to good things down the road.

One of the rumors circulating is that Bret will face Vince at Wrestlemania 26, my guess is that this has wrestling fans salivating. Will Bret beat Vinnie Mac? Will Vince deliver another devastating blow to the Hitman? Only time will tell, whatever it is I'm sure it will be a slobberknocker (As good ol' Jim Ross would say!). Althought he might not be able to wrestle like he used to due to the stroke that he suffered, he could still probably dish out one hell of a beating if its needed. I think that Vince and Bret have fantastic chemistry together in the ring, you can literally cut the tension with a knife. That being said, even though all of this 'Montreal Screwjob' busniess transpired, I feel as though these two has a mutual respect for one another.

Who knows what role he will play on Raw in the coming weeks on the road to Wrestlemania? One thing for sure, it will not be a smooth one, the Hitman is always one for giving his fans a show and keeping them entertained, no matter what capacity he is in.

To pre-order the Hart family DVD (Hart & Soul: The Hart Family Anthology), you can go to the Amazon.com website.