WWE Great American Bash 2005 Preview
With WWE’s Great American Bash 2005 set to begin in a few hours, I figure it’s time to throw up my predictions for the card. Like Vengeance I’m doing this at least a day late so chances are you’ll read this after the show is already over. If that’s the case, compare my predictions with the results and we’ll see how well it fared. And away we go!
Batista(c) vs. JBL – World Heavyweight Championship
I’ll be honest and admit I can’t get too worked up about this one. The feud hasn’t done much for me and it completely ignored their history from the Royal Rumble until WrestleMania. JBL is doing the Mr. McMahon “Guarantee” angle but it already flopped against John Cena at WrestleMania so it doesn’t have the same oomph behind it that the writers want. So we’re stuck with: JBL wants to be champ & Batista toys with him. Prediction: Batista goes over. If anything happens beyond that I’ll be shocked.
Orlando Jordan(c) vs. Chris Benoit - U.S. Championship
There isn’t much to this one either. Orlando has held the title for a while an his run has been as impressive as Shelton Benjamin’s IC reign was. In other words, booked poorly and nobody cares. Benoit is seen as being above a second tier belt so what does it really do for him to hold the title unless it’s to put somebody over later on? The match is only here to give both wrestlers something for the show and to maybe get Orlando over more. Prediction: Don’t be surprised if this opens the show. Orlando wins by cheating or screwjob.
Booker T vs. Christian
Remember when I said last month that Christian would be the new RVD of Smackdown? Depending on how this match is followed up I could be proven right. Booker is on a rebound due to his popularity returning now that he has his wife Sharmell with him. Booker does best when he has a second. More focused, more energy, more crowd popping. Now that Christian is without a second he’s character is getting a bit nastier and more serious. He’s potentially being groomed to be a main event heel but it could also only serve to make him more boring. Prediction: Very interesting match here. We know they can have a good, solid traditional style match. But the booking after the match is what is important. Christian needs the win more. He should get it.
MNM(c) vs. Heidenreich & Animal – WWE Tag Team Championship
This is a potential disaster on paper but could be very, very good for the company. Here you have three rising superstars in Nitro, Mercury and Heidenreich and a veteran in Animal. So do you push the more traditional tag team in MNM or do you go with the odd pairing of a rookie hoss and a veteran? Prediction: MNM shouldn’t lose the titles yet. But a loss to Heidenreich and Animal would set them up as chasers for the title which could be a lot of fun. I’d give it to the new LOD.
Torrie Wilson vs. Melina - bra and panties match; special guest referee Candice Michelle
What purpose does this serve? We see them parade in what might as well be bra and panties all the time. Melina is getting pushed as the wannabe alpha-female. Torrie has been pushed as that since she got on the show. Candice is new to the brand and got attacked by Melina, saved by Torrie. Do we get the swerve with Candice helping Melina? Prediction: Lots of happy 14 year old boys and the grown men who never grew up. If I had to choose I’d say Torrie wins but gets humiliated somehow.
Undertaker vs. Muhammad Hassan - #1 contenders match
A book can be written about this one. WWE writers fucked up. They absolutely did. UPN is fucking up the WWE even more by saying they don’t want the Muhammed Hassan character on tv anymore. Meltzer had detailed plans on his site as to what the company wanted to do. It’s fairly obvious and unimaginative. So obvious and unimaginative that I can’t imagine those were the plans from a creative company. Prediction: If the WWE doesn’t do what I have suggested
http://pillartopost.blogspot.com/2005/07/wrestling-news-july-21-2005.html
then they are missing a golden opportunity and are doing a great disservice to Mark Copani (Hassan). So look for him to return to OVW as reported elsewhere for only doing what he was told. Undertaker wins but shouldn’t.
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
This feud is flawed. What is “the secret”? Whatever it is it most likely won’t be a good fit for a wrestling program. And if it does fit in within the boundaries of a wrestling program then it will be a disappointment. It’s a no-win situation. The story revolves around Eddie’s losing streak against Rey. It should probably have never been about anything else. Obsession makes for a better villain in stories than threatening to expose a secret. There are exceptions of course but this isn’t one of them. A secret in a story needs to be something that the audience is privy to otherwise the result will be disappointment because nothing can match the imagination in any individual in the audience. Still, this should be a good match and another potential show stealer from them. Prediction: Rey wins again. The secret gets told.
Mexicools vs. BWO
This should bea fun one. I am enjoying the hell out of both stables. They all have roles to play and can all get the crowd into their matches in their own ways. I do find it odd that the WWE is pushing Nova/Simon Dean as two characters on the same show. Frankly, I find Hollywood Nova to be a horrible gimmick and far too dumb to get over on a national level. Meanie still isn’t under contract either. If this match doesn’t get the crowd behind the bWo this might be the last we see of the Meanie and the Hollywood Nova character on tv. Prediction: Mexicools win.
This show has definite sleeper potential. If it’s over-written then I expect it to flop. If they allow in-ring action with a few storyline twists to dictate the show then it can possibly be on par with Vengeance. GAB leads directly into SummerSlam so I wouldn’t expect all of the feuds to end tonight. Eddie and Rey will no doubt be continuing for one. And with the Hassan situation we very well could end up with a twist in the storyline that leads to a Batista/JBL rematch. We’ll see. One thing is for certain: don’t expect this year’s Bash to be anywhere near as bad as last year’s.
Batista(c) vs. JBL – World Heavyweight Championship
I’ll be honest and admit I can’t get too worked up about this one. The feud hasn’t done much for me and it completely ignored their history from the Royal Rumble until WrestleMania. JBL is doing the Mr. McMahon “Guarantee” angle but it already flopped against John Cena at WrestleMania so it doesn’t have the same oomph behind it that the writers want. So we’re stuck with: JBL wants to be champ & Batista toys with him. Prediction: Batista goes over. If anything happens beyond that I’ll be shocked.
Orlando Jordan(c) vs. Chris Benoit - U.S. Championship
There isn’t much to this one either. Orlando has held the title for a while an his run has been as impressive as Shelton Benjamin’s IC reign was. In other words, booked poorly and nobody cares. Benoit is seen as being above a second tier belt so what does it really do for him to hold the title unless it’s to put somebody over later on? The match is only here to give both wrestlers something for the show and to maybe get Orlando over more. Prediction: Don’t be surprised if this opens the show. Orlando wins by cheating or screwjob.
Booker T vs. Christian
Remember when I said last month that Christian would be the new RVD of Smackdown? Depending on how this match is followed up I could be proven right. Booker is on a rebound due to his popularity returning now that he has his wife Sharmell with him. Booker does best when he has a second. More focused, more energy, more crowd popping. Now that Christian is without a second he’s character is getting a bit nastier and more serious. He’s potentially being groomed to be a main event heel but it could also only serve to make him more boring. Prediction: Very interesting match here. We know they can have a good, solid traditional style match. But the booking after the match is what is important. Christian needs the win more. He should get it.
MNM(c) vs. Heidenreich & Animal – WWE Tag Team Championship
This is a potential disaster on paper but could be very, very good for the company. Here you have three rising superstars in Nitro, Mercury and Heidenreich and a veteran in Animal. So do you push the more traditional tag team in MNM or do you go with the odd pairing of a rookie hoss and a veteran? Prediction: MNM shouldn’t lose the titles yet. But a loss to Heidenreich and Animal would set them up as chasers for the title which could be a lot of fun. I’d give it to the new LOD.
Torrie Wilson vs. Melina - bra and panties match; special guest referee Candice Michelle
What purpose does this serve? We see them parade in what might as well be bra and panties all the time. Melina is getting pushed as the wannabe alpha-female. Torrie has been pushed as that since she got on the show. Candice is new to the brand and got attacked by Melina, saved by Torrie. Do we get the swerve with Candice helping Melina? Prediction: Lots of happy 14 year old boys and the grown men who never grew up. If I had to choose I’d say Torrie wins but gets humiliated somehow.
Undertaker vs. Muhammad Hassan - #1 contenders match
A book can be written about this one. WWE writers fucked up. They absolutely did. UPN is fucking up the WWE even more by saying they don’t want the Muhammed Hassan character on tv anymore. Meltzer had detailed plans on his site as to what the company wanted to do. It’s fairly obvious and unimaginative. So obvious and unimaginative that I can’t imagine those were the plans from a creative company. Prediction: If the WWE doesn’t do what I have suggested
http://pillartopost.blogspot.com/2005/07/wrestling-news-july-21-2005.html
then they are missing a golden opportunity and are doing a great disservice to Mark Copani (Hassan). So look for him to return to OVW as reported elsewhere for only doing what he was told. Undertaker wins but shouldn’t.
Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
This feud is flawed. What is “the secret”? Whatever it is it most likely won’t be a good fit for a wrestling program. And if it does fit in within the boundaries of a wrestling program then it will be a disappointment. It’s a no-win situation. The story revolves around Eddie’s losing streak against Rey. It should probably have never been about anything else. Obsession makes for a better villain in stories than threatening to expose a secret. There are exceptions of course but this isn’t one of them. A secret in a story needs to be something that the audience is privy to otherwise the result will be disappointment because nothing can match the imagination in any individual in the audience. Still, this should be a good match and another potential show stealer from them. Prediction: Rey wins again. The secret gets told.
Mexicools vs. BWO
This should bea fun one. I am enjoying the hell out of both stables. They all have roles to play and can all get the crowd into their matches in their own ways. I do find it odd that the WWE is pushing Nova/Simon Dean as two characters on the same show. Frankly, I find Hollywood Nova to be a horrible gimmick and far too dumb to get over on a national level. Meanie still isn’t under contract either. If this match doesn’t get the crowd behind the bWo this might be the last we see of the Meanie and the Hollywood Nova character on tv. Prediction: Mexicools win.
This show has definite sleeper potential. If it’s over-written then I expect it to flop. If they allow in-ring action with a few storyline twists to dictate the show then it can possibly be on par with Vengeance. GAB leads directly into SummerSlam so I wouldn’t expect all of the feuds to end tonight. Eddie and Rey will no doubt be continuing for one. And with the Hassan situation we very well could end up with a twist in the storyline that leads to a Batista/JBL rematch. We’ll see. One thing is for certain: don’t expect this year’s Bash to be anywhere near as bad as last year’s.
posted by Stefan at 2:27 PM
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