Quick Hits: Wrestling

If someone were to reveal that Vince McMahon actually goes out of his way to do the opposite of what is being speculated upon in the Internet Wrestling Community, I, for one, wouldn't be surprised. After weeks of build up with cryptic ads featuring a trench coat clad figure and the ominous date of 2/21/11, it was revealed on Monday Night Raw, that the figure was nothing more than the returning Undertaker. That fact was pretty much a given, but the rumor mill started firing up that the figure in black was in fact Sting, who has never wrestled for the WWE. In what would amount to a major coup, Sting would make his debut at Wrestlemania and challenge the Undertaker, or at least that's what a lot of people, myself included, were hoping for. However, everyone was treated with nothing more than the return of the Undertaker and the return of HHH, who, in all likelihood, will be challenging the Undertaker's unbeaten streak at Wrestlemania. All in all, quite a letdown.

Speaking of HHH, he has been off of WWE programming since last Wrestlemania when he was defeated by Sheamus. Although, it was speculated, albeit wrongly every time, that he would return at various points of the year, no one ever seemed to get the impression that HHH was done with wrestling. Now, that he's back and a more complete picture appears, including promos for a new film he's starring in, it's almost as if everyone feels like they've known all along that HHH wasn't coming back. What's more likely is that HHH will put up his career versus the Undertaker's undefeated streak and lose and ride off in the sunset to make horrible, direct to dvd films ala Steve Austin.

Lastly, Sting did return this week, although it was to TNA and not the WWE. The reaction has been less than enthusiastic, most likely due to TNA's decision to hype the event as being the most important of the year, which it clearly isn't. However, when you take it at facevalue, you have to wonder what would have lived up to such hype and what was even possible. The detractors seem to forget that there aren't a lot of unemployed wrestlers out there with the star power that can send shockwaves by showing up on the competitor's programming. The likelihood of anyone like Chris Jericho, Dave Batista, or Steve Austin showing up on TNA are incredibly remote. Outside of those three and a few others, there aren't many names out there. That's why the idea that Sting was coming to the WWE was not only enticing but more possible than the usual inane rumors. Two longtime TNA veterans, Booker T and Kevin Nash, showed up at the Royal Rumble, so Sting could defect, couldn't he? He could, but he didn't, and in an effort to save face, those very same columnists decided to downplay Sting's return as another blown opportunity by TNA and further proof of how inferior they are to the WWE, even though the WWE has been nothing but predictable for the better part of two or three years. Pay-per-views come and go, and nothing, and I mean nothing, but the most logical outcomes occur. And in yet another effort to save face, these same columnists heap praise upon the wrestling itself as a means to justify the spending of close to fifty dollars on a pay-per-view that hardly lives up to the expense. If the chances of anything special or out of the ordinary happening at these shows is nil, then there's no reason any of these matches couldn't be shown on free cable. Of course, that's not the point of pay-per-view. It's all about money, and the mere fact that anyone can whip up rumors about impending returns or storyline shifts that have absolutely zero chance of occurring, must make people like Vince McMahon happy that there are so many suckers out there.