Predictions from the Faculty
WWE Extreme Rules Edition
April 25, 2010
Introduction and Closure by: Anthony J. Valvo of Wrestleview.com
Predictions by: Wrestleview Columnists and Recappers
Introduction
Greetings students! Welcome once again to “Predictions from the Faculty”. The only PPV where the professors of professional wrestling sit down and spend a few minutes filling out their predicted winners for the dozens of pay-per-views which occur in either the WWE or TNA.
This week, we tackle WWE’s Extreme Rules which will occur this Sunday night. There are seven matches on the card (as of Saturday night) and each will be contested under different rules. We have wrestlers fighting in a cage, in the streets, with a strap, and some of them all weapons are legal. To those that like “no rules”, this may be a perfect show for you.
The theme song is called “Time to Shine” by Saliva. What a coincidence that the song kind of sums up the top half of our predictions standings. For the first time since the start of our second season, Daniel Browne does not have a share of the title “Dean”. Currently, it is held by TNA Recapper, Viva La Raza, and all around Alabama Crimson Tide Fan Josh Boutwell. As a matter of fact, when I entered the Faculty Room this evening I heard “rap” music for the first time. Dean Boutwell cannot relax too much right now, as there are some hungry professors willing to take that “#1 Spot” away from him. Columnists like the previous Dean from last week Daniel Browne (For Queen and Country), RAW recapper David Stephens, Minnesota’s favorite son Matt O’Brien, and Mr. V’s wrestling encyclopedia Jose Marrero are all within two wins behind Dean Boutwell. Also, we have our Students of the Week who would love to put all the professors in their place.
So, who will win this round and capture (or retain) the top spot in this weekend’s results? Will “Mr. TNA” maintain that top spot? Will Matt O’Brien become “Dean” for the first time in the history of Predictions from the Faculty? Will the likes of Browne, Stephens, or Marrero recapture the top spot in which they held either this or last year (Stephens and Marrero did hold the top spot last season, while Browne held it this season)? Will the Students of the Week be able to point and laugh at us? Only time will tell. Please enjoy our thoughts and winner for this upcoming pay-per-view!
Before we present our predictions, here are the current standings.
2010-2011 Season (As of TNA Lockdown)
1) Josh Boutwell (Viva La Raza and TNA Recapper)……………….23-14 (5-2)
2) Daniel Browne (For Queen and Country)……………………………..22-15 (3-4)
3) David Stephens (That’s a Wrap and RAW Recapper)………….21-16 (3-4)
4) Students of the Week (The Best from Prev. PPV)………………21-16 (4-3)*
5) Matt O’Brien (Notes From The Nosebleeds)…………………………21-16 (4-3)
6) Jose Marrero (Wrestling Rumblings)……………………………………21-16 (5-2)
7) WrestleView Students (The Loyal Readers)………………………..20-17 (4-3)
8) Joe Baiamonte (Baiamonte’s Casa/2009 WV Champ)………19-18 (3-4)
9) Sean Hurley (The Sharpshooter)………………………………………..19-18 (4-3)
10) Doug Lackey (Reality From Ringside)………………………………….17-20 (4-3)
11) Anthony Valvo (From the Desk of Mr. V/ROH Recaps)……….16-21 (2-5)
12) Jeff Springer (WWE Superstars Recapper)……………………………14-11 (2-5)
13) Mike Tedesco (Smackdown and NXT Recapper)…………………14-16 (INC)
On a side note, we did not count the X-Division Championship match and the Xscape match from the previous PPV.
This week’s Students of the Week are Josh Logan, Jeremy Samples, and Eric Marin. The reason for the tie was because all three of them predicted all but one of the TNA Lockdown matches correctly.
Past Students of the Week: Evan O’Brien, TJ Patton, Ricky Langston, Craig Alan Cope, and Paul Lyons, and SUPERSTARZZ.
Absent as of press time are: Daniel Browne and Joe Baiamonte. If they e-mail me their picks I will do my best to update them later on.
And now, the moment the WrestleView students have been waiting for! Here are the columnists, recappers, and a select few readers picked as their winners for Extreme Rules.
Predictions
NON-CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
Strap Match
JTG vs. Shad Gaspard
Josh B. – SHAD. This is the start of JTG’s burial and eventual release in my opinion. Hope I’m wrong but don’t think I will be.
Daniel B. –
David S. – JTG.
Jeremy S. – SHAD GASPARD. The break-up of Cryme Tyme was way overdue. I think it is clear that JTG has much more talent than a Shad Gaspard does. However, we all know how much Vince loves his big man wrestlers, even if they can’t wrestle. With that in mind, and with the fact that the match stipulation is Strap Match, I think it will be the big man taking the win here.
Josh L. – Shad gets the rub, I don’t think the JTG character is that good and think Shad is about to blow up into the singles, so BIG SHAD gets my pick
Eric M. – JTG.
Matt O. – JTG.
Jose M. – There is a part of me that feels like one of these guys is getting drafted so the feud should come to an end now..even though they probably still could wrestle again on TV this week I am going to go with SHAD.
Joe B. –
Sean H. – SHAD.
Doug L. – JTG via obnoxiously tremendous belt buckle to the other guy’s noggin. Over/Under for Shad’s future with WWE is 3 months following tomorrow’s Draft. Make your decision wisely…
Anthony V. – Whoever wins this one will obviously be the one in control since the Cryme Tyme break-up. I was very impressed with Shad’s new appearance in the ring and was shocked with how well he controlled his match with Goldust last Thursday. JTG is the lighter guy and I think the WWE wants that real big, strong brute right now. I am picking SHAD GASPARD to win this one.
Jeff S. – SHAD GASPARD.
Mike T. – JTG.
Consensus: SHAD GASPARD 7-5. Thought JTG is a good pick, the majority went with the Former Cryme Tyme big man to win this battle.
Steel Cage Match
Chris Jericho vs. Edge
Josh B. – EDGE. Supposedly this is the end to the feud and the babyface has to get his revenge, right?
Daniel B. –
David S. – EDGE.
Jeremy S. – EDGE. I think tonight’s PPV will be the final result of many feuds. Unfortunately, this is one feud I see wrapping up tonight. I think Edge hasn’t received as much momentum as he has needed since his return. And if both are going to be starting anew with feuds and angles, he is the one that needs the win here.
Josh L. – EDGE to get the win over Jericho. This is a tough one, with Jericho losing on NXT, but I feel like Edge is due a big win and this match will probably bring the house down.
Eric M. – EDGE.
Matt O. – EDGE.
Jose M. – Another feud that needs to come to an end now with the draft coming up. I am going to say EDGE gets his win back from WrestleMania over Jericho.
Joe B. –
Sean H. – Gut tells me Edge, but I like when heels win in cage matches. JERICHO.
Doug L. – JERICHO via going against the gut that has been letting me down for far too long. Sure, picking Edge seems the easy choice… but I just have the sneaking suspicion that not only will we hear the word ‘Achilles’ more than 30 times… and that Jericho will win this in a very sneaky fashion to prolong the feud.
Anthony V. – This is a simple prediction here. If it was for Jericho’s title, I would pick Jericho. But there is no title on the line and this is just your simple grudge match between the two former tag team partners. Since Jericho won last month, I say EDGE wins this month.
Jeff S. – EDGE.
Mike T. – EDGE.
Consensus: EDGE 10-2. Though Chris Jericho got the win over Edge at WrestleMania, almost everyone in the Faculty predicts a victory for The Rated R Superstar.
Street Fight
Triple H vs. Sheamus
Josh B. – SHAEMUS. You got to throw the melanin-less one a bone here.
Daniel B. –
David S. – SHEAMUS.
Jeremy S. – TRIPLE H. Triple H has always done very well and been very dominating in street fights. I don’t really like the fact that since it is Extreme Rules that every match has to have a stipulation, but so be it. If this was a regular match, I would think Sheamus would be the victor here. However, I see Triple H taking a lot of punishment from Sheamus, but in the end overpowering Sheamus due to the power that “inducting Ric Flair into the Hall of Fame two years ago, even though he doesn’t have the ring” gave him.
Josh L. – I could see Sheamus or H winning, but I’ll go with SHEAMUS. Not looking forward to this match, might just be overall terrible.
Eric M. – TRIPLE H.
Matt O. – SHEAMUS.
Jose M. – SHEAMUS who will then more than likely go onto challenge John Cena at the next PPV.
Joe B. –
Sean H. – I want to say that Sheamus will get the pin but like with Triple H and Orton from last year, Trips will just keep winning and winning, leaving us no reason to invest in this feud. TRIPS.
Doug L. – SHEAMUS via tit-for-tat mentality. Depending on the wealth of garbage used in the brawl and how many miles will be traversed throughout the arena… I still see Sheamus going over… but will he be just as lauded by us as he was back in his loss at WM26?
Anthony V. – Triple H is taking a break, right? So, he must need to be taken off of television. What better way to do it than for SHEAMUS to beat the crap out of him! Triple H would not lose at Mania, but with a lower-tier PPV I think The Celtic Warrior finally gets the advantage.
Jeff S. – SHEAMUS.
Mike T. – SHEAMUS needs the win here.
Consensus: SHEAMUS 9-3. They have to push “The Celtic Warrior” over “The King of Kings” sometime soon, right? Well, if the Faculty was booking this one, the majority would go with the Irishman as the victor.
If CM Punk loses, his head will be shaved
CM Punk (hair on line) vs. Rey Mysterio (nothing on line)
Josh B. – PUNK. I just don’t see Punker losing his hair.
Daniel B. –
David S. – CM PUNK.
Jeremy S. – REY MYSTERIO. I think this is another feud that will be ending tonight. They’re also going to take this angle to “biblical” proportions, as Vince enjoys doing every now and then. Going with the Samson angle of CM Punk losing his strength due to losing his hair, is too much for WWE to pass up, I fear. The cops may have to visit my apartment after this match, since I don’t feel Rey deserves the win here. Also, if they’re going to continue the Straight Edge Society, Punk should have the power. But, yeah, they’re going to give it all to Mysterio because…he wears a mask…and they like getting the money from the little kids who love Rey Mysterio and buy the masks.
Josh L. – Punk should win, I don’t see it happening, but my heart makes this pick, so as I raise my hand to my television screen I welcome Rey Rey to the SES as C…M…PUNK gets the win.
Eric M. – REY.
Matt O. – CM PUNK.
Jose M. – CM PUNK sorry I don’t see his head being shaved.
Joe B. –
Sean H. – REY. He got a piece on Raw and I’m sure the kiddies want to see Rey shave it all.
Doug L. – REY via step-sibling rivalry on the outside. What better way to raise the tension between Young and Gallows than one of the two accidentally costing Punk his do?
Anthony V. – Monday, Rey teased us all by hacking off a piece of Punk’s purity. Look, this feud has to keep on continuing because it’s one of the best things going for the WWE. CM PUNK wins this match and expect a huge payoff here within the next couple months.
Jeff S. – REY MYSTERIO.
Mike T. – REY MYSTERIO!
Consensus: Push 6-6. A match in which the Faculty cannot decide the winner. However, the only thing we can say that there will be a 50% chance that CM Punk will be bald by the end of Sunday.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES
FOR THE WWE WOMEN’S CHAMPIONSHIP
Extreme Makeover Match (aka Hardcore Match)
Michelle McCool (c) vs. Beth Phoenix
Josh B. – McTAKER (McCool). I have no idea what an Extreme Makeover Match is but I’m going to take Mrs. Taker and her fake Styles Clash.
Daniel B. –
David S. – MICHELLE MCCOOL.
Jeremy S. – BETH PHOENIX. I think Beth Phoenix is going to dominate this match. First of all, this will be one of the best women’s matches of the year. I see the result of this stipulation also being too good for WWE to pass up with Michelle getting the Extreme Makeover. Also, she has been too dominating recently. They need to get the momentum back onto Beth Phoenix.
Josh L. – McCool’s had the belt for too long, so BETH definitely walks away with the title. If she doesn’t who else is a face to face McCool, there’s no more Piggy James for goodness sake!
Eric M. – MICHELLE.
Matt O. – BETH PHOENIX.
Jose M. – MICHELLE MCCOOL because I see the women’s championships possibly switching shows again and I see her going to Raw with the title.
Joe B. –
Sean H. – What the? Did I miss something? McCOOL.
Doug L. – MCCOOL via … um…. huh? ‘Extreme Makeover’… what does that mean? Whatever it means, it’s just a ridiculous formality. Continue the McCool-Layla-Vickie faction… love the equation. Beautiful People + Fat Friend with Pull = Relapsing into high school popularity battles…
Anthony V. – Like I said on The Teacher’s Lounge, Phoenix has been chasing that title for a very long time. LayCool (and the WWE resident Cougar Vickie Guerrero) did their humiliation angle on Phoenix for quite some time and I am sure the fans want to see revenge on a Pay-Per-View. I am going with BETH PHOENIX, your NEW WWE Women’s Champion.
Jeff S. – MICHELLE MCCOOL.
Mike T. – BETH PHOENIX needs this title. Then let Natalya challenge her for it.
Consensus: MICHELLE MCCOOL 7-5. Though we almost went with “The Glamazon”, we predict that the Women’s Championship will not change hands in this near-even vote. Look for Team LayCool to retain.
FOR THE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP
Extreme Rules Match
Jack Swagger (c) vs. Randy Orton
Josh B. – SWAGGER. This one is hard but I figure Orton is going to Smackdown! in the Draft, so the feud can continue.
Daniel B. –
David S. – JACK SWAGGER.
Jeremy S. – JACK SWAGGER. I think in the draft tomorrow night we will see Randy Orton going to Smackdown to continue this feud. While he may eventually get the upper hand in the finality of the feud, whenever that may come, I really do not see them making Swagger that fast of a transitional champion. I think the angle they are using with Swagger now is that while he may have losses on TV recently, he is still that aggressive type of character, that Angle used to play, that will come out on top and take advantage of key circumstances when they present themselves in very crucial situations. So, Jack Swagger will be even more opportunistic in spots in this match than Orton, and that will be the deciding factor.
Josh L. – Orton has a great opportunity to walk away with the belt, but it kills Swagger, and with Swagger dropping two matches this week I see him (JACK SWAGGER) taking a hard fought win over the jobber of the year.
Eric M. – JACK.
Matt O. – RANDY ORTON.
Jose M. – We get a much needed SWAGGER win here.
Joe B. –
Sean H. – SWAGGER!!
Doug L. – SWAGGER via staving off the inevitable. We all know Orton’s crossing the streams… the bigger question is does he grab the title now or at next month’s PPV? What exactly is ‘Over the Limit’s gimmick anyway? Keep it on Thwags until we figure WTF is going on in May…
Anthony V. – I am really unsure on how to go with route. Jack Swagger just won the title and has been jobbing despite holding one of the two world titles in the WWE. In order to be this “credible” champion, he has to win. Since you can win any way possible in this contest, I have a feeling someone will cost Orton the match here. I expect JACK SWAGGER to retain his championship.
Jeff S. – JACK SWAGGER.
Mike T. – JACK SWAGGER.
Consensus: JACK SWAGGER 11-1. Though Orton may be the bigger star in this match, the current World Heavyweight Champion needs this more than Orton. It was almost a near unaminous vote, but we are going to go with “The All-American American World Heavyweight Champion” to retain.
FOR THE WWE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP
Last Man Standing Match
John Cena (c) vs. Batista
Josh B. – CENA. Please end this feud! Cena ends it with the win.
Daniel B. –
David S. – JOHN CENA.
Jeremy S. – JOHN CENA. I think this will be another feud that will be ending tonight. Obviously, with recent WWE decisions, they are not very high on Batista at the moment. John Cena has also typically been prevalent in matches of the “Last Man Standing” nature. I think they will give him great momentum coming off this match, with John even having around 75 percent of the offense in the match. There is no doubt that Cena will still appear very strong after this match. Leading to the new, inventive, more money idea that I mentioned above in the Mysterio-Punk match. Except Cena doesn’t wear a mask…yet.
Josh L. – I don’t see John Cena losing, but he is pretty beat up, and Batista is pretty upset over losing a movie to H, so, I’ll pick like ever 5-13 year old boy, and almost every 13-97 year old woman who watches wrestling. Come on folks its SUPERCENA for the victory.
Eric M. – JOHN CENA.
Matt O. – JOHN CENA.
Jose M. – CENA retains and goes onto more than likely take on Sheamus next month.
Joe B. –
Sean H. – CENA.
Doug L. – BATISTA via foreshadowing to Monday Night’s Draft. Picture this if you will: Monday Night’s Draft show… Batista with strap over shoulder gloating about his victory. Of course at some point during the show he will be drafted to Raw (Bats is on SD according to WWE site)… with title in hand still gloating, Undertaker is selected and the epic staredown begins. Pretty predictable huh?
Anthony V. – Remember the rule “Never tug on Superman’s Cape”? Well they should add “Never bet against John Cena”. Ok, maybe not but John Cena has Batista’s number. Though one can’t win by submission, I am still picking JOHN CENA to find a way to defeat The Animal.
Jeff S. – JOHN CENA.
Mike T. – JOHN CENA.
Consensus: JOHN CENA 11-1. This was a near-unanimous decision here as well, but many people “can’t see” a Cena loss in a pay-per-view. Expect “The Champ” to retain.
Dismissal
Well, that does it for another round of Predictions from the Faculty for the 2010-2011 season.
And remember students, this is YOUR column too! Please present to me your choices for the winners of any PPV by e-mail at mistervwv@hotmail.com or by sending me an inbox message on Facebook. Winner of each PPV receives a coveted (and NEVER duplicated) Gold Star in my latest column and is named the “Student of the Week” for the next Predictions article.
Well, that does it for us, class. On behalf of my peers on WrestleView I bid you farewell. We will be taking a 21-day break and will be back with our predictions for TNA’s Sacrifice. As always, thank you for reading our predictions. Now go and enjoy the rest of your weekend! You are all………DISMISSED!
Thank you for reading and to those that do, participate. We appreciate your feedback.