It’s exhausting here and yes, it’s definitely time to be aware, determined and vigilant about our world falling apart, but jeeezus, damn, do I need some bread and a circus. And these days, there’s nothing more carb-y and carnival-y than wrestling, so let’s dive in.
I asked this question last week, but now I want to get the IGN reader’s perspective. Cody Rhodes vs. The Rock is on the horizon. The best bet is WrestleMania 41 (the actual 40th anniversary of ‘Mania). Will Cody hold the WWE Undisputed Championship until then? Is that a given? After years of Roman Reigns being guaranteed a sheltered ride with the title between ‘Manias, are we going back to that?
That’s not to say Cody couldn’t lose the belt and then regain it before ‘Mania. It happened all the time. But now that The Rock is in danger, would that diminish Cody in any way? Would it make him less of a champion if he lost it for a moment?
Is there a world where The Rock’s physical People’s Championship comes into play? Would it work if Cody wasn’t the champion come ‘Mania time and they were both fighting for that specific prize? The one The Rock values more? It would spread the wealth of the World Title while also providing a main event for Sunday Main Event.
What do you think? Please chime in. I have two surveys here, and neither of them contain the Miner’s Glove. Or the custody documents for Dominik Mysterio. Feel free to challenge both of them, even if your first answer is “a big, big no.”
Don’t worry, I’m not going to go into all the latest developments surrounding Liv Morgan and Uncle Howdy, my two recurring WWE obsessions this summer – despite Liv actually making mistakes for Daddy Dom this week and Bo Dallas giving his likely final(?) interview to Howdy (they seem to have hooked up at the end) – but I’ll take the Bo scoop and mention Jeff Jarrett now, since Dynamite was basically shut down this week.
Wow. Jeff just fucking lost in the first round of the Owen Hart Cup, right? That was unexpected considering the heartfelt promos he gave about Owen Hart and their bond. Jeff’s movie came out the same week as the first one with Howdy Bo-mos, which made for a truly heartbreaking week where people remembered and mourned those they and we have lost in the industry.
And Jarrett’s words seemed to prepare him for this, at leasttwo tournament wins and a match with Daniel Bryan in the finals. And the brackets seemed to set him up for a semi-final match with his friend Jay Lethal. But no! JA-Double RE-Double T was over and done with from the start when Adam Page returned (with fresh, low-key heel music) and brutally battered him.
Do we think Jarrett is really over it? And now Page is going to beat Lethal with the same relative ease? Like there’s no “wild card” Jeff could take to come back? I appreciate the coolness of it. That was very raw, Tai.
This week’s Dynamite also immediately got me interested in the MJF/Daniel Garcia match at All In. I’m glad they didn’t drag out Maxwell’s heel turn too long and just jumped into the good part, because he’s seemed pretty average since his return. It also gives me hope that they’ll finally pull the trigger and start playing Garcia, even though he’s not “that guy” in my head. He’s okay, but I think I’d just be cheerful if they let someone get away with the AE-Dub shuffle that too many people feel lost in. So regardless, I’m in.
All in one? Who knows?
Despite being initially slated for a mid-April release, the WrestleMania XL: Behind the Curtain documentary finally dropped this week, with an intro that features a voiceover saying: “few of the roads we take in life are straight, the journey lies in how we handle the bends and carve out the path before us.” I haven’t watched the whole thing yet, but it’s comical that it starts by sending a story about a guy who climbed Mount Everest without feet. It’s not a wrestling promotion changing from Rock vs. Roman Reigns because no one wanted that.
Now that the documentary is finally out, there are rumors floating around the web – which are hands down the worst rumors ever – about whether Cody was right to “start his own business.” I guess completely ignoring the fact that Rocky’s return was all about him, his fresh board seat, stock payouts, and so on. But that gets me ready for ANOTHER SURVEY.
When Cody and Rock face off again, should it be the same as it is now? With Cody as a babyface vs. Hollywood Rock? Or should Cody be a heel then? And then The Rock will come back as the clear favorite?
As Third Eye Blind once asked, “What’s it gonna be like?”
KNEE RAISE!
Watch wrestling!
