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Character: The Undertaker
Brand: Mattel
Year: 2010
Series: Pay-Per-View #2: Survivor Series

The Undertaker has seen several Mattel figures in the past 4 months. Coming later this year will be an Elite based on Wrestlemania 26 and a Ministry of Darkness Comic-Con exclusive. There are many different Takers to choose from, so what makes PPV#2 special?

This figure is in the Pay-Per-View line. The PPV series isn’t much different than the regular Basic-style figures. The price is the same, the figures have the same articulation, but there’s a few things of note that makes this particular series special.

For one, this is the only line to date that has different display stands. The Elites and the Basics share the exact same style.  The PPV series has the PPV name insert opposed to the generic standard version. The packaging is also labeled in this fashion. It’s a subtle difference, with the PPV logo on the bottom and blue trim on the sides (the upcoming Royal Rumble set has gray), but it’s enough to stand out.

The best feature about the PPV line is that it’s prioritized ahead of the others. As of this writing, Mattel are up to early Summer of 2009 with attires/characters in the Basic/Elite series. When The Undertaker came back after a long haitus post-WM25, he sported new designs on his gear. He had a different design for a short while and eventually started wearing the red winged logos seen above. This figure is the only Undertaker thus far that is up-to-date with what he currently wears. Survivor Series was 4 months before this figure saw official release, to give you an idea of how recent it is.

The head mold is painted much better than most of the other Undertaker figures. One of the main problems Mattel has here in the infancy of the WWE line is that they haven’t gotten the hang of painting heads yet. Shawn Michaels and Triple H are both sporting bright orange hair on their figures (and that’s why there hasn’t been a Figure 4 review of them yet!). It’s nice to see such a strong resemblence to The Deadman.

Here is a comparison of the Mattel Undertaker vs the Jakks Undertaker. This Jakks figure is from the original Hell in the Cell playset from 2007. It has a RA11 head, as the HITC set had a bizarre scan with Taker’s tongue hanging out. For its time, it was pretty good. Jakks made better modern Takers later on, but this is the only one I own. Notice the MMA-style gloves; nice touch. Usually Jakks’ RA figures are taller than Mattel’s Basic/Elite. This figure is very tall, and is scaled appropriately (more on that later).

The glaring difference between the two are the tattoos. Simply put, Jakks doodled on his arms with the slightest resemblence to the man’s ink as possible. Mattel actually recreated a large percentage of them. Even the scribe w/ feather is detailed and in color!

The castle on his left bicep is quite visible. You can even lift up his one elbow pad (+1 for accuracy on that too) to expose more tats!

Mattel went as far as to wrap the tattoos around his arms like in real life. Jakks’ kid-doodles didn’t even do that!

They actually go “under” his singlet straps! He is also sporting the neck tattoos.

Undertaker hits his trademark Tombstone Piledriver on his brother, Kane.

Here’s an idea as to how it is scaled with other Mattel figures. Seeing a Shelton Benjamin figure be shorter than The Undertaker is long overdue. He and Kane are massively sized and are quite heavy compared to the “Chris Jerichos” of the Mattel universe. Proper scaling makes everything look so much more authentic.

As said, there have been many Undertaker figures thus far. The Elite has a very impressive removable trench coat. Basic Series #3 has nice looking, albeit dated logos. Any way you go with The Dead Man is a good one with Mattel. I believe, though, that PPV#2 might be the best 2004-Deadman Undertaker ever produced by any manufacturer. PPV #2 is available now for $9.99.

Perfection.

(read up on the S3 rating method used on this site right here).

Popularity: 3% [?]

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Character: Shelton Benjamin
Brand: Mattel
Year: 2010
Series: Basic Series #3

Shelton Benjamin will go down as one of the biggest missed opportunities in modern WWE history. Get this, the day I finally found Basic Series #3 was the day Shelton got released from his near 10-year career with World Wrestling Entertainment. It was bittersweet.

This is the only Mattel figure of Shelton released thus far. There is one more planned for a future Wrestlemania 26 set, but the status of that particular figure is unknown at press time.

Shelton Benjamin began calling himself The Gold Standard in 2007, during his first run in WWE’s now defunct ECW brand. While there have been a few Jakks Pacific figures released since then, this is the very first (and possibly one and only) true dipiction of Shelton as The Gold Standard.

He is seen wearing the all gold attire he frequently wore in 2008-2009 for his US title run. His look hasn’t changed a whole lot since then, so this is considered to be pretty much up-to-date.

The attention to kickpad detail is spot-on. The ribbon is done with a metallic gold paint, contrasting nicely with the standard gold (or is that gold standard?) paint on his attire. Another detail that could’ve  easily gotten looked over was his boot style. Shelton wears kickpads with laces designed on, not actual traditional wrestling boots.  They nailed it.

“The Gold Standard” is sporting his platinum blonde hairstyle. He also has an expanded tattoo for (I believe) the first time in figure form.

Here are two older Shelton Benjamin figures produced by Jakks Pacific. On the left is Adrenaline Series #25. On the right is the rarer Wrestlemania Winners Shelton as a member of  World’s Greatest Tag Team. Both of these Jakks figures are extremely well-detailed. The Adrenaline Shelton has his yellow ribbon and complete details on his kickpads, along with his tattoo. The WM Winners Shelton has a mustache, back details on his singlet and Team Angle logos on the sides.

There is one flaw this figure has, and that is the kneepads. They’re the longer style and go far too up his thighs. Shelton wears smaller pads in real life. It’s certainly not a deal breaker, but considering how difficult (read: impossible) it is to remove Mattel pads, it’s annoying.

It’s very fortunate that Shelton was planned early on, or else we may have not have seen this figure. His last notable appearances were against Christian in a ladder match last December for the ECW title, a feud against newcomer Vance Archer, and beating CM Punk to enter what is now his last Money in the Bank ladder match. In an era where guys are shot up to the top to amuse writers in the back, it’s a shame Shelton never got that kind of support.

This figure is a great way to commemorate the career of Shelton Benjamin. Basic Series #3 retails for $9.99 and is in stores now.

Well done!

(read up on the S3 rating method used on this site right here).

Popularity: 2% [?]

Character: Randy Orton
Brand: Mattel
Year: 2010
Series: Elite Series #2

This is the first in what I plan to make a regular series of in-depth figure reviews of mainly WWE Mattel action figures. I’ve been collecting wrestling figures since my 10th birthday, when I received WWF Superstars Series #3 as a present. For the  rest of my childhood into my early teens, I ran my own little federation complete with story arcs, stables, tournaments, and other fun stuff. While I sadly don’t have that imagination anymore as an adult, I’ve kept my 13-year collection alive to this very day in the form of display pieces.

For now, this is just a one-off review. I currently have merely two Mattel figures (variant series Jericho and now Elite #2 Orton). As my collection grows in 2010 I’ll start doing these more often. Without further ado here is my first figure review!

We didn’t have much choice throughout 2009 when it came to an updated Randy Orton. Orton had arguably one of the best years of his career and yet he seemed to be an afterthought to the folks at Jakks Pacific. There were a whopping two choices: a Deluxe Aggression highly-articulated figure, or a Ruthless Aggression style figure with the worst part choices known to man (eww).  While Jakks did a tremendous job on his new sleeve tattoos, the figure itself was inaccurate: tall boots, an alien-like torso and a full head of hair.  They re-released this abomination no less than SIX DIFFERENT TIMES over the course of the latter half of 2009. So long story short, my latest Randy Orton up this point was from the Hell in the Cell set from 2006.

Mattel came along to save the day with Elite Series #2 Randy Orton. The Elite series is the premium line with higher level details, extra accessories, increased articulation (most notably the torso and hip joints), and cloth goods. The back of the boxes have a see-thru plastic opening giving you a full 360 look at the figure you are purchasing. Even included on the back is a unique bio on the superstars.

As you can see this Randy Orton is fully detailed. He has dark blue tribal logos on the side, “Orton” on his backside and all his sleeve & back tattoos.

To the left is the HitC playset Randy Orton from Jakks Pacific.  This is widely considered to be one of the better Ortons. While a fine figure by itself, when juxtaposed it simply can’t compare to Elite Series #2 Randy Orton.

Demonstrating the articulation of the Elite line. Orton can hit his RKO finishing maneuver with relative ease.

Another angle. Note the details in how his original tribal tattoos are colored differently from his skull sleeve work.

Randy Orton has nice big logos on the side of his attire.

This is a close-up of his bible verse quote. It reads: “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” There are a lot of misquotes online about the verse just above his right elbow, but this is exactly as it is in 1 Peter 5:8 word for word. The shot is extremely close-up – reading it in person is straining on the eyes. Great attention to detail!

Here is the rose tattoo in dedication to his daughter, Alanna.

Elite #2 Randy Orton also comes with a removable t-shirt. The shirt itself is very easy put on and off thanks to the split velcro on the back. Also, this picture does great justice to the accuracy of the headscan. It’s the spitting image of 2009 heel Randy Orton.

The shirt itself is high quality – you can’t even feel where the logo is printed. Orton was seen wearing this t-shirt right around Wrestlemania 25.

Here is one last comparison shot with the man himself. Also included with the Elites is a base you can display your figure on.

I have to say that my 2nd Mattel figure and my first Mattel Elite is an absolute hit. The only flaws I can think of is that his tattoos don’t have any shading and his hair is a tad too dark. But really, look at this thing. It’s fantastic! You can pick this figure up for $14.99 at most retail stores.

(read up on the S3 rating method used on this site right here).

Popularity: 1% [?]

The picture above seems almost wrong. We’re not supposed to see this, are we?

Bret Hart has not been seen in a wrestling ring -at least a televised one – since the year 2000, with his last string of major matches occurring in late 1999 and in early 2000. He’s been away from the WWE/F even longer: November of 1997 was Hart’s last appearance. Since then Bret agreed to collaborate with WWE on a special DVD, appeared in a taped vignette on McMahon, and made a physical appearance when he was inducted into the 2006 Hall of Fame ceremony…but never in the ring or even in the arena. Bret never made post-career appearances like Austin or The Rock.

The infamous “Montreal Screwjob” created a bitter real-life rivalry between Bret, Vince, Shawn Michaels, and the WWE as a whole. Tempers cooled over time but nobody forgot what happened in Montreal. It’s been the source of never-ending criticisms and crowd chants all throughout the past 12 years.

Bret said it best: Hell has frozen over.

Bret returned to the first WWE Raw of the new decade. But he didn’t come to fight, no, Bret came to form a truce;  to bury the hatchet. As Bret made his way down the entrance ramp in his trademark leather jacket and shorts, every wrestling fan’s wildest dreams came true. Time stood completely still as Bret climbed into the WWE ring as if he never left, did his pose for the crowd, and began talking with his now raspy, but quite familiar voice. Bret had clearly aged. However, he seemed to be much healthier than some may have suspected.

The crowd chanted “welcome back” to one of wrestling’s absolute finest. “Thank you so much for never letting me be forgotten.”  “I thank you from the bottom of my heart to carry me in your hearts for all these years,” Bret said. Bret then called Shawn Michaels out to the ring. The crowd erupted in this truly emotional, pivotal moment in the history of this business. Words cannot describe what it meant to see Bret and Shawn, two definitive rivals, in the same ring again for the first time since that November of  ’97.  Bret shockingly asked Shawn to put this all behind them and form a truce. Shawn said that Bret deserved everything he got in Montreal but said that a lot has changed since then. Shawn talked about their Iron Man match, and his respect for Bret despite all their problems, agreeing that it was time to move on. Bret then offered his hand as a symbol of friendship, and the two shake hands and put the past behind them. The segment ends with Shawn  giving Bret a hug. If there’s any three words I’d sooner die than thought I’d string together, it’s Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels and hug. To describe the feeling as surreal would be an understatement.

Later in the night Jericho, one of the men who trained in the Hart Family training dungeon, greeted Bret. He asked Bret to help screw DX out of their tag team titles like they and McMahon did to Bret in Montreal. Bret said times have changed and he doesn’t want to go down looking like a hypocrite like Jericho, smirking as Jericho stormed off.

Closing the show was McMahon announcing Mike Tyson as next week’s guest host. The crowd seemed less than enthused until Bret Hart came out. Vince avoided him all day until Bret invited himself down to the ring for the mecca, the grand finale: the confrontation between Vince McMahon and Bret Hart.

It must be a cold day in Hell.

Removing his jacket, Bret appeared to be on a mission to get his comeuppance on the diabolical Vince McMahon. Vince said that he hoped Bret had two words to say to him: I’m sorry. Bret replied with, “I could think of a lot words to say to you but the two words that you’re thinking of are a lot different than the two words that I’m thinking of.”  He then said that he was here to form a truce not to fight. An enlightened Vince then went over Bret’s accomplishments and offered to induct Stu Hart, Bret’s legendary father, into the 2010 Hall of Fame. The crowd chanted, “we want Owen!”  after this announcement. Then, the unthinkable: Vince and Bret shake hands, and Vince lifts Bret’s hand in victory. All is well and all is forgiven.

The kick heard ’round the world.

Vince planted the seeds with a kick to the groin, discrediting any good sentiment he gave Bret. It’s no surprise that Bret will be involved with an extended program – the new remixed entrance music and t-shirt kind of gave it away, but to see it all unfold in the way it did was a thing of excellence. Wrestling fans both current and former had no idea what exactly to expect out of Bret Hart this night. Would he come in bitter, seeking revenge on D-Generation X and Vince McMahon? Could he and Shawn co-exist in real life backstage? Did Bret have an ulterior motive for breaking the 12-year absence?

It looks like Bret and Vince have an ultimate score to settle. It looks like Bret’s last match won’t be on a forgettable episode of WCW Nitro or Thunder, but perhaps one more round at Wrestlemania. Raw’s ending was exciting and is going to do nothing but draw in viewers shocked by what took place on Monday.

On a personal note, I was only a 10-year-old kid when I got into wrestling. It all started between March-May of 1997. My first love of the business? My first favorite? It was Bret Hart and the Hart Foundation. Owen, Pillman, Bret, Bulldog, and Jim Neidhart: 5 guys who made me obsessed with this stuff at a young age. I will never forget watching the Canadian Stampede pay-per-view and witnessing the insane reaction Canada gave to the Hart Foundation. They were involved in a dynamic storyline where they’d trash America for losing its values. It was all scripted of course but there was a lot of truth to their statements. How could a group go from being despised by a changing fanbase in the late 90s to loved by the same fanbase across the border the following week? It was remarkable. I figured out a large portion of how wrestling “works” by the time the Screwjob took place in late ’97 but didn’t fully understand it until much later on.

Seeing all the tragedies that happened to Bret and his family after he left was heart breaking. Owen’s tragic fall, Bulldog’s passing, Pillman’s death a month prior to the Screwjob, his parents dying, his career ending so suddenly, the multiple concussions and strokes…Bret’s been through a lot since his last days in the WWF. Growing up, he wasn’t just “a wrestler” to me, he was someone I looked up to. I loved his message, heel or face, and appreciated his amazing ability. I used to rent tapes of he and Owen battling it out in the mid-90s. To see him on Raw again was sentimental. The last time that happened, I was in my living room at the house I grew up in, probably playing with my Jakks BCA figures in Power Ranger pajamas.

It’s great to have him back to give closure to his career, and to be involved with one more potential angle/match. Thank you, Bret!

Here is a YouTube video of this monumental moment:

{pictures courtesy of WWE.com, all rights to images in this article belong to
 World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc}

Popularity: 1% [?]

Wrestlemania only comes around once a year, annually being held sometime between March and April. In 2010, the 26th edition of pro-wrestling’s SuperBowl takes place on March 28th at the University of Phoenix Stadium, Arizona.

• ECW CHAMPIONSHIP SCRAMBLE MATCH
  Christian vs Ezekiel Jackson vs Shelton Benjamin (c) vs William Regal vs Goldust

Kicking off Wrestlemania 26 would be a Scramble Match. The conditions of a Scramble go as follows: two men initially begin the contest. Every five minutes a new man enters until a total of 5 men are in the ring at the same time. Any time someone scores a pinfall/submission they are herald as the interim champion – meaning, if they last the full 20 minutes of length they will become the champion. The winner is the wrestler who last got the pinfall or submission. He will then be crowned the official champion!

Going into this match as champion would be Shelton (although it really doesn’t matter). Christian has been the top dog of ECW ever since he returned in February 2009. As of this writing he is still champion. Let’s just say he takes a loss to Shelton and drops the belt to him prior to Wrestlemania. His story going into the match will be wanting to reclaim the crown that he carried for so long. Then you have Goldust who has been consistently having good matches, plus he’s a vetern. Ditto for William Regal. Jackson just split from Regal/Vlad (as of this writing it happened a few hours ago). He’s got a great build and can most certainly be a big name someday. A Scramble Match between all 5 of these guys would be a good way to represent ECW in a positive manner. Not a squash or an afterthought, an exciting show opener.

PROPOSED WINNER: Shelton, retaining the ECW championship!

• INTERCONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
  Matt Hardy (c) vs Dolph Ziggler

The coveted intercontinental championship title has been breathed new life once it got drafted to Smackdown post-WM25. Before that it was stuck on Raw and used more as a prop than anything else, an example being the hilarious and infamous “Honk-a-Meter”. Dolph Ziggler has been chasing the IC title throughout the better half of 2009, always coming up short. He’s had so many fantastic bouts against Rey Mysterio and John Morrison, all of which left him empty handed. They can weave him in and out of the intercontinental title scene in early 2010 to keep his struggle always on the forefront.

John Morrison as of this writing is the IC champion. Let’s say he drops it to Matt Hardy either at the Royal Rumble or on Smackdown. Matt can take the title, have the mandatory bout with Kane and walk away victorious, and then begin a program with a super ticked off Dolph Ziggler. They can have a title match on Smackdown with Ziggler losing to emphasize his everlong tragic lust for the title, which will spark the Wrestlemania 26 battle between Hardy and Ziggler.

PROPOSED WINNER: Ziggler! Ziggler finally gains what he has longed after for so long in his Wrestlemania debut. Perhaps Ziggler can even gain face sympathy for reaching this milestone in his young career.

• MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH
  Yoshi Tatsu vs Evan Bourne vs The Miz vs Kofi Kingston vs Sheamus vs R-Truth vs Jack Swagger vs Kane

Lot’s of Wrestlemania firsts in this match. We have ECW’s lone representative, Yoshi Tatsu, high-flying Evan Bourne, Raw’s resident douchebag, The Miz, the white hot Kofi Kingston, the…just plain white Sheamus, the truthfully talented R-Truth, a future champion in Jack Swagger, and then there’s Kane. You have some big guys (Kane, Swaggmeister, Sheamus), sound regular guys (Miz, R-Truth), and agile risk takers (Kofi, Yoshi, Bourne). It’s a blend like this that keeps a match as hectic as Money in the Bank from being just a spotfest. MITB is always a fun attraction and with all the young/fresh guys on the cusp of a much bigger future, this MITB in particular is pretty important.

PROPOSED WINNER: Kofi Kingston. WWE has a really special guy here, and they’ve made all the right moves in showing his potential. Money in the Bank means a guarenteed title shot that expires in one year. Within one year’s time after Wrestlemania 26, Kofi Kingston will be ready to help carry the company into it’s next era and potentially the next boom (boom boom!) period.

• SINGLES MATCH
  Chris Jericho vs Edge
  

With Edge and Chris Jericho’s brief run as Unified Tag Team Champions, an opportunity is here to capitalize on Edge’s absence. Edge has been out since July with a torn Achilles tendon. He left while being one-half of the tag team champs with Jericho. After he got injured, Jericho assigned Big Show as his replacement and proceeded to cut a promo about Edge being the weak link in the team. This was, presumably, a setup for a possible Wrestlemania return for Edge to get back at Jericho. The timeframe is almost perfect with the expected amount of time Edge has to spend on the shelf in recovery. It would be a cool moment to see Edge return as a face to take out a heel Jericho.

PROPOSED WINNER: Edge. The outcome of this match isn’t as important as seeing how much Edge can “go” in the ring post-surgery. He’s gone on record to state that he isn’t sure how much longer he has in the business, and that he has saved his money very smartly. Should Edge be on his way out in 2010 or 2011, which would be unfortunate, he should go out on the best note possible. A career ending feud with Christian at Wrestlemania 27, passing on the belt for the first time for Christian, would be ideal and epic in every sense of the word given their history together. That’s getting too far ahead though.

• WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
  Beth Phoenix (c) vs Natalya Neidhart

This one is one of the few female feuds that could be a special encounter. You have the two all around best female wrestlers, not divas, in the business. They are experienced and skilled in just about every area. Natalya is the daughter of wrestling legend Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart, Beth is very strong and dominating.  Natalya  represents the legendary Hart family and as such The Hart Dynasty will accompany her at ringside. The match as of this text has not occurred yet. Knowing WWE they’ll blow it on Smackdown before then, but if not this could change people’s mind about female wrestling – it’s good when the performers are good, not just eyecandy.

PROPOSED WINNER: Beth Phoenix. Why Beth? Because I think she may one day be more than just a female wrestler. I think down the road when WWE is more about regular sized guys, which is the road it’s thankfully heading, that perhaps we could have another Chyna on our hands (minus the unwarrented self-importance). What does that mean? Another female intercontinental champ? Maybe so, maybe more…

• TRIPLE THREAT MATCH
  Randy Orton vs Ted DiBiase vs Cody Rhodes

The inevitable imploding of Legacy is due at Wrestlemania 26. All 3 members of what became The Legacy have always had a volatile relationship. Here you have 3 men who are the sons of legends, all three of which have been involved in the pro-wrestling biz at an early age. These guys are young and still progressing in their career. While Cody and Ted still have a bit more to improve on, they’re ready for the next step in their careers. Orton has corralled these two young stars for nothing but his own gain. They’ve dealt with Orton’s demeanor for well over a year now only to remain successful. Perhaps after this triple threat they’ll realize that they do not need Orton any longer. They stood their own with DX, afterall.

PROPOSED WINNER: Cody Rhodes. Why Cody? Because he needs the win more than Ted and Randy. The real money match is Ted DiBiase vs Randy Orton. That program can take off after Wrestlemania 26. At the event itself, Cody getting the upset would give him a boost and only cause more turmoil in the saga between the trio.

• RETIREMENT MATCH
  Dave Batista vs Rey Mysterio

Batista and Rey have had a storied history together in the WWE. At Survivor Series in November, Rey was taken out by a freshly turned heel Batista. Rey is said to be undergoing surgery again, which would put him in Kennedy-league at this point. It’s not believed either of these guys have much time left. If Rey recovers quickly enough (4 months) they can try to put together one last bout between the two former friends. It’s not gonna be a pretty match but it would be one heck of a way to go out for either man.

PROPOSED WINNER: ??? I nor anyone really knows what’s going on with Rey and Batista. Batista said in interviews that he felt he had one more good year left. The interview took place last March. Wrestlemania 26 is in March.  Rey has had so many nagging injuries that he’d be foolish to keep going and going when his body won’t let him. Considering his style is fast paced and high risk – high reward, he’s not going to be one of those guys wrestling into their 40s. The outcome would be unpredictable, and that’s good for marketing a PPV.

• WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
  John Morrison vs CM Punk (c)

There’s the Cubs vs White Sox, good vs evil, peanut butter vs jelly, and John Morrison vs CM Punk. Punk and Morrison used one another to elevate their careers in ECW in 2007. One of the few positives to come out of the Benoit tragedy was a then Johnny Nitro getting his first world championship title. Morrison/Nitro replaced Benoit and defeated CM Punk to win the belt. Since then they’ve had a number of matches with very few making it to pay-per-view.

Morrison has been the breakout star of Smackdown this year (2009), having top notch matches with the entire Smackdown roster. While on the rise, Punk established himself as a main eventer in his classic feud with Jeff Hardy, who in kayfabe and in real life wound up leaving the company at its conclusion. Morrison went face and Punk went heel. There’s a brand new dynamic to work with and with neither man having a singles match at Wrestlemania, it only seems right to pull the trigger on another big time bout between the two.

PROPOSED WINNER: CM Punk retains his title. Morrison is at his absolute best right now, as is CM Punk. There’s no reason why they can’t have the absolute most amazing match at Wrestlemania with both men looking like a million bucks regardless of the outcome. Punk going over has to do with what I want to happen post-WM26. Keep reading.

• SUBMISSION MATCH:
  The Undertaker vs John Cena

Considered to be a must-happen match, Cena and Taker would blow the roof off of the Phoenix Stadium. They’ve wrestled a few times in the past but haven’t been involved in a real feud since around 2003. Even then their big match was at Vengeance and not one of the “big 4″ PPVs. And to top THAT off, this was so long ago that Undertaker was still under the biker persona and Cena was some new kid rapper – Taker was face, Cena was…was…Cena was a HEEL. Now that’s a liberal amount of time! Undertaker has since further established himself as WWE’s premiere legend. Cena went on to become the face of the company. There’s one thing Cena and Taker pride themselves in, and that’s not backing down from a challenge; not giving up. Having a submission match between two of the biggest stars WWE has to offer in a highly anticipated feud where both guys are known for never submitting? That is the definitive Wrestlemania match.

PROPOSED WINNER: Undertaker’s streak is far too important to waste on an already made man like John Cena. Taker can make Cena tap and they can show respect by shaking hands afterwards…or Cena can turn heel and take Taker’s extended hand and turn it into an Attitude Adjustment. The latter would be nothing short of spectacular. Too bad Cena is a human shill machine for merchandise or else it would be more likely. They’re going to wait until Cena becomes stale(r) and then turn him when nobody cares anymore. Sad, but true. As far as Taker’s streak? If anyone should end it, it should be Ted DiBiase at Wrestlemania 27. Ted’s father brought him into the WWE at Survivor Series 1990, it would be ideal for his son Ted DiBiase Jr. to take him out of it. But that could also appropriately happen at Survivor Series 2010 to mark the 20th anniversary of The Undertaker.

• WWE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH
  Triple H (c) vs Shawn Michaels

Here we are: the absolute main event of the evening. In any other circumstance I wouldn’t book Triple H in yet another world title match main event. However, it’s the battle of the degenerates. When Shawn came back in 2002 after missing the bulk of the attitude era, his first opponent was none other than Triple H. It was an epic encounter to say the least. They spent the remainder of 2002, part of 2003 and part of 2004 as bitter rivals. In 2006 they reformed D-Generation X and everything has been gravy since. Nearly 4 years later comes Wrestlemania 26.

I’m not sure how to split or who to turn (and we already have face vs face in Cena/Taker), but somehow DX need to find themselves in opposite corners. A very easy and true to life idea would be to have Shawn fed up with Triple H’s juvenile demeanor. Shawn’s a born-again and it would be realistic if he didn’t want to associate with DX, albeit a neutered DX, any longer. The turn would make Shawn a heel for being prudish, so I’m not sure if that would be something he’d be comfortable with doing. It was Triple H who always turned on Shawn in the past so this would make for an interesting scenerio. It’s one of those matches that have happened a dozen times in the past but considering they’re two icons with so much history, it only seems right to have a one-on-one encounter at Wrestlemania.

PROPOSED WINNER: Shawn Michaels, Shawn Michaels, Shawn Michaels. Triple H going over Shawn for the title in the main event would be sacreligious. Shawn HAS to win this one, and he HAS to take home the title for the first time since 2002′s brief victory. My ideal situation would be for Shawn to beat The Game, win the belt, and carry it all the way to SummerSlam. That would give him several months and a handful of PPVs to have some big matches on. At SummerSlam he would take on a determined John Morrison (who lost at WM against Punk) in a one-off ladder match as the first encounter between the two gifted athletes. A passing the torch takes place and Morrison wins his first world title. Shawn can disappear until WM27 or whenever he sees fit to help put over Morrison as well as to maintain his aging body.

And there you have it: my take on Wrestlemania 26. That was way longer than I expected so I apologize about the length! I just think there are so many cool possibilities for this year’s event, and with many of the old top dogs on borrowed time things are going to change drastically in the next 2 years.

Popularity: 13% [?]