The concept behind this one is to take the outline of a typical high school yearbook and lay that over the world of wrestling. If you want to get cynical then it is a basic prediction column for the year ahead, but I have split it up into the sort of categories that I imagine that a 2008 WWE (and then I added TNA) Yearbook would have.Most likely to...
Win the WWE title - Triple H
There are many candidates for this one. John Cena is an almost dead cert when he returns from injury. He will go straight back into the main event and depending on whether they want him to play up the chaser for a while, he may well have the gold back before the Summer. However, I think that it is almost a dead cert that the ever triumphant Triple H will take the belt this year, and that he will probably the next superstar to do so. Triple H has not had a decent title reign (I do not count No Mercy’s title win as a decent reign) for a couple of years now, so he is well over-due, and he is clearly being pushed as the real threat to Orton, even if Jeff Hardy is the current number one contender.
Win the World title – Edge Undertaker
This award was going straight to Edge, for obvious reasons, until he jumped the gun and took the title just before the turn of the year. That made things a lot more interesting. The main event on Smackdown is rather thin and the stars seem to often wonder over to Raw. I could have put my money on someone such as MVP or Rey Mysterio, but I just can’t see that as a definite. As the ex-champion and a popular babyface, Batista would be a good bet – but I am still half expecting him to cross over to the red brand. So, we are only really left with The Undertaker as a true challenger to Edge and that is likely, storyline wise, to be able to take the belt from the champion. He is being pushed to face Edge at WrestleMania, where you can almost guarantee him a victory, and we know that he is due a healthy reign as champion after his 2007 title victory was damped by his subsequent injury. All this tells me that Taker will be the champion in 2008 and it will happen either at WrestleMania, or very soon afterwards.
Win the ECW title - Shelton Benjamin
Much like the World title, the choices for this one are slightly slim as far as credible main eventers go, but the ECW brand also has that aura about it (meaning that management doesn’t really care) that anyone on the roster could plausibly challenge CM Punk for the title, and given two weeks of build up could actually win it. Outside of the obvious winner, I am looking at Elijah Burke to step up some time during the year, if he can survive a draft, and possibly become champion, but the much more likely candidate is Shelton Benjamin. He is extremely talented and is learning to work the mic better every week. At first I was fearful that he would be pushed straight at Punk but that fact that they are slowly building him up to a title shot and having them feud indirectly tells me that this one is being saved for WrestleMania, and after such a long title reign from Punk, I feel that that means that Benjamin is taking the belt.
Retire Ric Flair – Mr. Kennedy Lashley
This is a tough one. Ric Flair has had a long career and it would be difficult to pick the “correct” choice if you could have anyone he has ever met in the last 30 years. The question can probably be re-phrased to “Who will Flair face at WM”. Some people will look at Triple H or Batista (more likely) to take that role, but if that is the case then I really don’t think that Flair will be losing, nor should he. This one has to go to someone who will really benefit from the accolade (ruling out Vince McMahon) and, given that I believe Flair will win at WM24 and lose the following night, they should be a member of the Raw roster. I am split 49/51 by two people; Mr. Kennedy and Lashley. I want to say Kennedy and I think that he is the more likely to use the gift better, but I am looking at Lashley because I think he will be better backed by Vince. I think he should be coming back into the company as a heel and would get some serious heat towards a main event push by participating in this program. Ideally, if they had to give to Lashley, I would at least involve Kennedy and have him play a hand in the retirement, and allow him to speak on behalf of Big Bobby.
Get seriously injured - Jeff Hardy
Whether due to his wrestling style or to bloody dramatic irony, this one is bound to go to Jeff Hardy. His wrestling style frequently leads to heart-in-mouth situations that lead us to believe he could be seriously hurt and it is bound to happen eventually – especially if he continues to participate in so many dangerous match types. His brother has had several injuries, including some very serious ones and Jeff is having such an amazing few months as a performer that you know it will take something serious to end that run. I pray that it doesn’t happen but there is always the risk that it will, and it is at least doubled for a performer such as himself.
Make an impact - Cody Rhodes
This isn’t some sort of pun on TNA but is more of a predictive “Rookie of the year” award for the coming 12 months. Who do I think, across the whole of the WWE, could take that award? If I am honest, I’m not really sure who has the talent for it. I’d like to say the team of Jesse and Festus collectively, because I believe that they play the gimmick superbly and are very talented inside the ring as well, but I know that Vince can pull the plug on his tag team divisions at any given moment. The safe bet is Cody Rhodes. He is clearly a favourite and is in line for big things as he has already been pushed to tag team champion (again – the title doesn’t really matter to Vince but at least it shows that they like him). He has some talent in the ring and doesn’t seem to be scared about the acting part. He also has the name behind him that should ensure that he is well looked after.
Turn face – Finley Elijah Burke
I originally gave this one to Finlay but, again, it looks like the turn of the year beat me to it and he has already switched allegiances. That left me slightly stumped for quite a long time, but now I am going to put my money behind…Elijah Burke. I surprised myself a little with what I came up with but I think this guy is either going to be moved over to another roster, or he is going to end up as a babyface on ECW. I think Punk is going to be pushed around by a lot of heels on a Tuesday night and, seeing as people still don’t want to see the two of them feud again yet, I think Burke will be turned into a partner of sorts for the champion and will give them someone else for Punk’s opponents to play with whilst they build up to title matches. If I am also correct in assuming that Benjamin is going to be taking the ECW title eventually, then it also gives him an exciting opponent, other than Punk himself, to work with solely on the ECW show.
Turn heel - Matt Hardy
That’s right. I fancy Matt Hardy to turn heel. When he comes back from injury I think they are going to change him. I think he will come back quite vicious and take the title belt away from MVP. I am not too sure if they will go down the route of turning MVP as well (in fact, I wouldn’t be shocked to see him moved brands instead) but I think Matt can use his storyline injury and his real life injury to allow him to come back as a much darker and bitter character that we have never really had chance to see before. Even if this doesn’t happen, I believe that the time will come anyway. Matt will have to move on from MVP eventually and that will either mean moving on to the main event to participate in a feud with Edge that really writes itself (and this could happen before a heel turn) or, given that the majority of the upper and main event level of the Smackdown card is now babyface, he will have to turn heel to stay involved.
Be fired – Funaki
This is your typical “Company asshole award”. Not long ago this would have gone straight to Orton, but now he is a main face in the company and has apparently matured and settled down recently. That still remains to be seen but I can’t see him getting up to too much trouble now he has a family to support. So where do we turn to now? Well, I don’t really think it is fair to look for someone to be fired due to backstage problems and instead will look for someone that has no real place in the company in general. I think that answer to this one is Funaki. He has been with the company a long time and is often wheeled out to work as a jobber. Vince likes to have these guys around and most people don’t ever expect them to be fired, but with the release of Scotty Too Hotty this year, I think they are starting to be viewed less favourable, and now that Funaki doesn’t have his “#1 announcer gimmick” I can see the curtain falling on his career.
Be suspended – Young Talent
Ah, the “Drug lord award”. Where do we turn to now that Chris Masters has gone? I don’t think many people will be able to fall into the drug trap now, and those that have done in the past know how serious a relapse would be and are likely to prevent it from happening. My money is on a re-occurrence of DH Smith. I don’t think it will be him that gets caught next, or a couple of times, but I think it will be one of the younger guys that gets called up. Some of them find it difficult to adjust or feel that they need that extra edge to get noticed, and one of them will almost certainly get caught at some point.
Win an Oscar – Chris Jericho
No, I don’t expect Jericho to win an Oscar. This one is much more about who will perform well on the mic and in their various backstage skits and storylines. I also take into account the likely improvement in this area. Jericho has always been electric on the mic and even though he has been away for so long, he seems to have retained much of this. He isn’t at his best yet but I definitely expect him to improve and be as good as he once was (therefore ticking the box for improvement). I also believe that at any time he is one of, if not the best that the company can offer in this department and that he can make or break any segment or feud by just talking. That is Oscar-worthy stuff.
Abandon Ship (Go to TNA) – Kevin Thorn
A difficult one this, as it is impossible to predict if some erroneous circumstances will influence it. It could come down to someone who has been fed up for a long time, it could be someone that is released due to a Wellness Policy violation or it could be someone that either gets fired or quits due to messing up badly in the ring. Taking into account what I can, I think that certain superstars such as Kevin Thorn are starting to get annoyed at how little they are respected in the WWE and may well see TNA as a viable alternative if they are given the chance. I am not too sure how interested TNA would be in Thorn but the alternatives are the likes of Shannon Moore, who have already failed to impress those at the competition whereas Thorn may at least be given at chance by them if he were to be let go.
And at the Junior School (TNA Version)
Most likely to...
Win the World title - Samoa Joe
Don’t laugh. Samoa Joe may have been largely ignored since the beginning of 2007 and he may have recently turned into the moaning character, but I see this as the beginning of his big push. The bookers finally seem to see that Joe is connecting with both the fans and the other wrestlers and that they can push him successfully. Joe is being tested now for fan reaction and by being put into a feud with Kevin Nash, they could well be testing how well he can perform against the stiffer, harder to move opponents that he will come across in the main event; its one thing performing well in the ring with Kurt Angle, but its another to get a good match out of Nash.
Retire Sting – Christian
Over on the WWE side, we are almost guaranteed that Ric Flair is being retired this year, but the same seems to be happening over the pond in TNA. He has recently signed a brand new contract but it is only supposed to be for one year and he will be working limited dates. I doubt very much that he will be signing another contract through to 2009 or that there is enough for him to do to warrant another extension. Besides the name value Sting brings, there are only a couple of feuds that bring real interest, other than just using Sting for the sake of putting someone over (which is obviously useful to the company in its own right). I see another match against Angle, to really put the champion over, and then matches against Samoa Joe to close that chapter. Beyond that, I am only really interested to see him against Chris Daniels and Christian. The Daniels feud probably wont happen because, not only did they hot-shot it the first time and blow it off way too early, they have also since scrapped Daniels’ character completely and taken him off television. However, I think Christian and Sting had a feud that could pick right back up again and provide both great entertainment and some classic matches. Christian being the one to put the Stinger away for good would also be an accolade that he deserves and could consolidate him alongside Angle at the top of the card. The only problem I see with this is his recent face turn; but we have yet to see how that pans out completely.
Ger seriously injured – Kevin Nash
This one was tougher than for the WWE. I was looking all around the X-division trying to figure out who was most likely to get injured. I looked at most of those guys and at the likes of Kaz but noted that many of them have toned down their styles a lot and that they don’t participate in quite so many big matches anymore. Then it hit me that Big Sexy was going to have to be the winner. I wouldn’t wish an injury on the guy and I do find him entertaining as hell, but we all know what sort of shape he is in (I’m sure he is healthy but he can’t suddenly be in great physical shape) and he certainly has a history of serious injuries. Now that he is looking to wrestle regularly, he is much more likely to get injured; and I think that is the safe bet.
Make am impact – Kaz
I guess the pun could be intentional here. So, who do I think will go places in TNA this year and build on a solid introduction from last year? Kaz might have had several stints in TNA and he may have won many titles, but his return last year was phenomenal (sorry AJ Styles). He came back with a vengeance and really impressed on all fields. He was also given a chance to prove that he could hang with the big boys and he proved himself then too. Since then, he has been hanging around the upper-midcard and he is now proving himself to be a solid star by feuding with the likes of Black Reign. I think he will sit solidly here for a while but, if he keeps his momentum, he has a fair chance of being put back in any multi-man main event programs and even getting himself a serious feud over the title.
Turn face – Christian No One
Damn, just too late again! I originally wrote this and was certain that Christian was gong to turn in the new year, and whilst he may not have completely gone past the tweener level yet, I wouldn’t think it fair to name Christian here when he has almost gone all the way already. Besides Christian, I struggled to think of any decent heels that could be eligible for a turn this year – at least anyone that would make it worthwhile anyway. I thought about the tag teams and the likely break ups for the coming year. I think that both Rave/Hoyte (despite them not being together too long) and VKM will be breaking up, but seeing as I cant decide who would turn out of Rave and Hoyte, and I cant really place either of VKM as solid heels at the minute, I had to rule them out as well. Robert Roode could be considered but I don’t think it would benefit him yet and they certainly aren’t going in that direction yet anyway. So, in the end I couldn’t find a suitable candidate so I have just scrapped it altogether.
Turn heel – Samoa Joe
There were 3 big names here that had to be considered. Scott Steiner is a great heel and needs a bit of refreshening if he is to be considered a main eventer again, but I don’t think it should be done soon. It may well happen towards to the end of the year, but that it is leaving it a little fine for my liking. Booker T is quite similar; he should be considered but due to his new arrival and his momentum as a face (it should continue to build nicely through the year) I don’t think he will turn heel until much later on in the year, if at all. Samoa Joe was the third that I considered and I think the most solid choice. Personally, I would place him behind the other two as I think he can still be very effective as a face, and the fans are solidly behind him. However, if he is placed back in the main event then, other than going up against Kurt Angle again, he would need a change in disposition. It would also be a natural progression to his current character, which is why I see it as much more likely than the others.
Be fired – Elix Skipper
If I took the same approach here as I did with the WWE, then I would probably have to give this award to Shark Boy, but I honestly don’t see him being fired, even though he is probably of much less use than some of the other wrestlers, and certainly much less (in my opinion) than the person I have backed here. Elix Skipper is the one I suspect will be let go first. He has been around since the early days of the company and he has survived a couple of times when I thought he would go, but since Triple X has fallen apart one more time, this time with one member leaving the company and the other going on some sort of sabbatical for a few months, I just don’t see any role in the company for Skipper at all, and that could mean that his time is finally up. I also considered Rhino and Raven here, just because they have been around so little of late and, despite their ability, there is just no reason to keep them if they aren’t going to be used.
Win an Oscar – Booker T
AJ Styles! Only joking, I think that this one is going to go to Booker. He isn’t the best talker in the company but I also didn’t feel comfortable giving the award to the likes of Angle or Christian who are both proven and have been in the company for a while. Booker may be proven at other levels and we all know that he is more than capable on the mic, but his style is new to TNA and the accolade is supposed to be given to someone either new to wrestling or new to the company. Booker’s promos in his first few weeks at TNA were amazing and his energy really showed how happy he was to be there. If he can carry this through into more interviews and segments throughout 2008, then I don’t doubt that he can prove my pick right.
Abandon ship (Go to the WWE) – Chris Harris
You may think I am taking an easy option here (though I have strived to not do that all the way through) or you may think that I am crazy to consider that Harris would want to jump ship. However, I think that Harris is both the obvious and likely choice. Rumours have been rife that WWE has interest in Harris (please send him to Smackdown if you sign him!) and he has recently disappeared from Impact and been replaced by Samoa Joe in his own storyline. I think that that is a sure sign that he is not happy and that management is not happy with him. I have also heard that he has rejected a new contract with the company. I don’t know when his current one expires, and obviously there is still a chance that he will sign a new one, but I think all of this points to him leaving the company, and where else would it be worth going to than the WWE?
Thanks for taking the time to read, and sorry for being a little later than I had planned to be. Hopefully I’ll be writing again soon.
Any comments or queries, feel free to contact me at batista666@hotmail.com (I use this e-mail just for my writing and check it regularly).