Money in the Bank 2011: My Personal Recollection.

7-17-2011

As a lifelong wrestling fan, I haven't attended nearly as many events as I could of.  Especially, since I live close to Chicago, a frequent stop for the WWE.  Since Backlash 2001, I went nearly 10 years without going to a live show.  Night of Champions 2010 was my first show back, and I enjoyed the experience.  Last March, I attended my first Raw, it was the go home show to Wrestlemania.  NXT, Superstars, Raw, and Smackdown all taped at one event.  We seen Edge's last Raw match, although we didn't know it at the time.  HBK, Undertaker, and Triple H had a great promo in the ring.  And let's not forget The Rock and Cena had their first face to face confrontation.  I didn't think that could be topped... but then there was last night.

When the tickets were purchased, I figured it would be a fun event in the first place.  The MITB matches were always fun to watch on TV, figured it would be better live.  But then CM Punk shook the wrestling world and would be squaring off against John Cena for the top prize in his home town.  No doubt he would get a hero's welcome.

Pulling up to the Allstate Arena, you can feel the buzz.  When I got to my seats, I looked around and seen CM Punk shirts, signs, and Chicago flags all over the arena.  But let's be fair, kids, women, and even some men could be spotted in red shirts.  Cena was pretty well represented himself, it was going to be fun. As we waited patiently for even the dark match, CM Punk chants echoed through the arena.  It wasn't quite as rabid as the One Night Stand crowd, but I still felt I was a part of something special.

After a less than desirable dark match between the Nexus and Kozlov/Santino, we were ready for the televised event.  The mere shot of Punk on the intro made the crowd erupt.  We got straight to business with the Smackdown MITB match.  Man, was that exciting.  Sin Cara getting broke through a ladder got our first "Holy Shit" chant of the night.  My friends went in joking about wanting Slater to win, but we weren't the only ones.  A couple "One man rock band" chants were started throughout the match.  But in the end, Daniel Bryan got the victory and a well deserved standing O from us at Chicago.  And we are just getting started.

Next up we got the Divas match.  I give the ladies a good grade for effort, but the crowd was lost.  This is when the smarky chants broke out.  Including an attempt at a Colt Cabana and Zack Ryder chants.  I yelled out a "Woo Woo Woo" and several "You know it bros" broke out. That was very funny.

About every review I read, they liked Henry/Show match.  But once again the crowd didn't seem to care.  A small Pillman and Vader chant broke loose after the post match assault, but it just didn't have the same connection some people seen on TV.

The Raw MITB was next and just like the SD match, it was extremely entertaining.  Evan's SSP off the ladder got the second "holy shit" chant of the night.  There was kids around me, but screw it, I was having fun and paid to be there.  The Miz was extremely over with the crowd, biggest pop of that match and the place went unglued when he came back out.  A great moment is when one of my friends yelled for Del Rio to rip off Rey's mask only to see it happen about 10 seconds later.  I marked out big for Del Rio winning, but missed Ricardo Rodriguez and his announcing, but I did my best to replicate it, much to the chagrin of the children in my section.

As much as I did not want to I had to use the beginning of the Orton/Christian match to use the bathroom.  It was either then or the main event though.  I couldn't believe that Christian won the the title, even if it was in a cheap fashion.  Orton's RKO on the announce table got a huge pop.  The crowd was expecting Daniel Bryan to cash in. Chants of his name kept breaking out.  The crowd wanted one more RKO on Christian, and I read some grief over that, but you know what it was fun as hell and it got a great reaction, that's what wrestling is about right?

And it's the main event.  The anticipation of Punk was electric, it was truly like watching our home team play for a championship against our biggest rival.  Punk's came out like a hero, the noise was incredible.  Cena got booed as expected too, but the atmosphere was set.  Dueling chants rang throughout the match until eventually everyone had their concentration glued on the match.  The close falls, submission holds had us out of our seats, it was incredible.  I can't explain how it was, but I was screaming and dripping in sweat.  I had legitimate nervousness about Cena maybe winning this, I had emotions invested in the match.  We got wrestling how it should be.  I'm not a Cena fan, but I surely will give him credit for being the performer he can be and that night he did great.  Just like at ECW: ONS he didn't try to pander to a hostile crowd, he was a dick and I loved it.  When CM Punk finally got the we went absolutely bat shit.  I've been to several sporting events and that feeling tops nearly all of them.  CM Punk beat John Cena in Chicago for the WWE Title, I couldn't believe it.

Your Skalbamania IV Champion...

... Is Link!

Link edges out Kermit by 1 vote to claim the championship. It's hard to believe that Kermit was so close to pulling off the most unlikely tournament run, but it almost happened.  That was the fun of this years tournament of how certain factors effected the outcome, who knows what would happen is say 5 more people voted.  Link proves to be the king of the voting tournament and can add this to his GameFAQs titles.  He retires with Mr. Perfect, Costanza, and Chris Farley as champions.  It was fun though. I'd love to have feedback on it, are you happy with the results or who was the person you picked as the character to win it all?  I noticed a lot of views from international locations and I'd love to hear from you.  Thank you everyone for your participation and your enthusiasm.  I will try to make it better next time.  It was a fun time.

Skalbamania IV: THE CHAMPIONSHIP MATCH

THE FINALS

Match 63: Kermit the Frog vs. Link

Kermit the Frog: Defeated Peregrin Took, Garfield, The Undertaker, Svengoolie, and Chewbacca.

VERSUS

Link: Defeated Freddy Krueger, Master Shredder, Leonardo da Vinci,  Super Mario, and Professor Xavier.

The Bracket

This is it! We are finally at the end. Link vs. Kermit the Frog.  After weeks of eliminating the field of 64 to the final 2 we are left with an unexpected final.  Link was the silent assassin in his road, although I'm not surprised he made it this far. Kermit has been a true underdog, taking out some big time players.  Svengoolie played a role on his good fortunes, but that's some of the fun, the unpredictable factors.  Now is time to see who will be added to the list of champions.

Match 63 is Set!

Well people after about a month, we are finally here.  Kermit the Frog and Link will go at it for the right to be called Skalbamania IV Champion!  But sit tight, I'm gonna let the weekend pass as usual and then on Monday we will start the beginning of the end.  Let me get some feedback though, should I do a 24 or 48 hours for the Finals? Any other comments?

Skalbamania IV: FINAL FOUR

Match 61: Chewbacca vs. Kermit the Frog

Chewbacca: Defeated Wolfgang A. Mozart in the Elite Eight.

VERSUS

Kermit the Frog: Defeated Svengoolie in the Elite Eight.

Match 62: Professor Xavier vs. Link

Professor Xavier: Defeated Doc Holliday in the Elite Eight.

VERSUS

Link: Defeated Super Mario in the Elite Eight.

The Bracket

Here we are people, The Final Four.  Chewbacca, Kermit the Frog, Professor Xavier, and Link.  We will head into the weekend knowing what the final will be, and then have a couple days off.  Monday will be the Championship Match and we will crown the champion of Skalbamania IV.

Skalbamania IV: Elite Eight Day 2

Match 59: Professor Xavier vs. Doc Holliday

Professor Xavier: Defeated Rocky Balboa in the Sweet 16.

VERSUS

Doc Holliday: Defeated Butters Stotch in the Sweet 16.

Match 60: Super Mario vs. Link

Super Mario: Defeated Winston Zeddemore in the Sweet 16.

VERSUS

Link: Defeated Leonardo da Vinci in the Sweet 16.

The Bracket

Wow! That just happened.  A very big thanks to Svengoolie for his involvement, his trail of destruction has come to an end however.  Time to add the last to pieces to the Final Four and we have a mighty interesting match up in Match 60.  Two of Nintendo's biggest icons and well icons in all of video games clash in the Regional Final.  Both of these powerhouses just enjoyed a good 25th birthday too.  Tomorrow we will be the Final Four!

Skalbamania IV: Elite Eight Day 1

Match 57: Chewbacca vs. Wolfgang A. Mozart

Chewbacca: Defeated Chilly Willy in the Sweet 16.

VERSUS

Wolfgang A. Mozart: Defeated Luigi in the Sweet 16.

Match 58: Kermit the Frog vs. Svengoolie

Kermit the Frog: Defeated The Undertaker in the Sweet 16.

VERSUS

Svengoolie: Defeated Paul Newman in the Sweet 16.

The Bracket

The field is down to eight and in two days it will be down to four.  Here people is the Elite Eight.

Skalbamania IV: Sweet 16 Day 4

Match 55: Winston Zeddemore vs. Super Mario

Winston Zeddemore: Defeated Bald Bull in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Super Mario: Defeated Mega Man in the Second Round.

Match 56: Leonardo da Vinci vs. Link

Leonardo da Vinci: Defeated Skeletor in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Link: Defeated Master Shredder in the Second Round.

The Bracket.

My apologies for the long layoff again, my life is a little bit busier than it was before.  Anyways, this is the final match to decide the Elite Eight and the final stretch of Skalbamania.

Skalbamania IV: Sweet 16 Day 3

Match 53: Rocky Balboa vs. Professor Xavier

Rocky Balboa: Defeated Mike Tyson in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Professor Xavier: Defeated Bret Hart in the Second Round.

Match 54: Doc Holliday vs. Butters Stotch

Doc Holliday: Defeated Barney Rubble in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Butters Stotch: Defeated Indiana Jones in the Second Round.

The Bracket

The Svengoolie Effect was very powerful in the round. I'd say that it shifted the outcome of the other match too, but that's how it goes.  Once again, I urge you to lobby and promote your favorites to help them win or have it be more competitive, I don't need to tell you that the internet is enormous platform to be creative.

Skalbamania IV: Sweet 16 Day 2

Match 51: The Undertaker vs. Kermit the Frog

The Undertaker: Defeated Barret Wallace in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Kermit the Frog: Defeated Garfield in the Second Round.

Match 52: Paul Newman vs. Svengoolie

Paul Newman: Defeated Captain Crunch in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Svengoolie: Defeated Leia Organa in the Second Round.

The Bracket

The Undertaker goes against Kermit the Frog in an odd matchup.  And Svengoolie, who really brought out the votes last round, goes against Hollywood Icon Paul Newman.

Skalbamania IV: Sweet 16 Day 1

Match 49: Chewbacca vs. Chilly Willy

Chewbacca: Defeated Buzz Lightyear in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Chilly Willy: Defeated Marge Simpson in the Second Round.

Match 50: Wolfgang A. Mozart vs. Luigi

Wolfgang A. Mozart: Defeated Tony Soprano in the Second Round.

VERSUS

Luigi: Defeated Revolver Ocelot in the Second Round.

The Bracket

It's been whittled down to 16 and now it really gets serious.  These matches are for a chance to compete in the regional championships.  First up we have Chewbacca vs. one of the surprises of Skalbamania IV, Chilly Willy.  Next up there is Mozart vs. Luigi.  I'd say this is the home stretch, so let's make it good.

Wrestlemania 27 Thoughts

Wrestlemania 27 is behind us and it has people buzzing for the reasons that wasn't expect, so lets get into it.

The Rock kicks things off with a promo, maybe a promo that went on too long for let's say Wrestlemania.  I feel like it was more of a treat for the live crowd then the television audience, but whatever The Rock was one of the main attractions going into the event.  I just think it could've been trimmed down.

Alberto Del Rio vs. Edge:
So a Wrestlemania first, we kick off the event with the World Heavyweight Title match.  Very interesting choice, and might I add, what a great looking set.  Not a bad match, pretty good actually.  Both guys worked well together, Del Rio hit his armbar twice but Edge was able to get free.  Edge wins with a spear.  I was rather disappointed Del Rio lost, maybe it's the fan in me, but that left me with a salty taste right out the gate.  Still the match was worth watching, rather short though.  I kind of feel that putting the WHT match first makes it obvious what title is the less important title.  ADR will have a bright future, but it looks like his destiny won't be fulfilled at Wrestlemania.

Cody Rhodes vs. Rey Mysterio:
This was one of the matches I was looking forward too.  It was good, but didn't blow me away.  I felt like something was off about this match.  Cody seemed nervous and understandably so, he's in a much more featured role this year around.  He was working with one of the companies best pros though.  Mysterio was good as usual, but I seen more dynamite from him.  He finally gets to have a match that's over 5 minutes this year for a change.  The match did pick up towards the end and the grotesque one pulled out the W.  Big win for Cody, I hope this gives him the exposure he deserves.

The Corre vs. Big Show, Kane, Santino, and Kofi Kingston:
Well this match was short.  Team Show made short work with The Corre to get the victory.  Like I said this year's Wrestlemania was strapped for time, so this was a good thing. And for the most par, really no one cared about this match.  And I'm still salty Nash wasn't involved.

Randy Orton vs. CM Punk:
One of the big ticket feuds right here.  Punk and Orton one on one.  Not a bad match, pretty good actually.  I admittedly have to re-watch this match to get a more detailed opinion on it.  For what it's worth, this match did it's job and gave the people what the wanted, a solid match.  Orton grabs the win with the RKO... OUT OF NOWHERE!!!

Michael Cole vs. Jerry Lawler:
This was the comedy match of the night.  People wanted to see Cole get his ass kicked and the ultimately got it.  Steve Austin is here to officiate the match.  Cole tries to hide and beg for a truce with Lawler, but gets beat down for his troubles.  Jack Swagger gets involved and allows for Cole to get some offense in.  Jerry eventually gets the edge back and really lays it on Cole, it was funny to see Swagger throw in the towel and have SCSA disregard it.  Lawler gets the pin but then gets DQ'd because of Austin's involvement, funny match, but it was about 5 minutes longer than it needed to be.  It should be noted that Jack Swagger got a stunner during the match.  After the match Booker T got a stunner during the beer bash and then Josh Matthews for relaying the message from the GM that Lawler is disqualified.

Undertaker vs. Triple H:
This was by far the match of the night.  Both guys had epic entrances that set the tone for the match.  The comparisons are and will be made with the HBK matches, but this was a completely different style with a different story told.  HBK is more or less a worker of finesse and well as HHH put it, a guy who puts on a show.  These two beat the shit out of each other straight out the gate.  Some say this match was slow, but that's how it was meant to be.  It also left you on your seat wondering who was going to attack next and how.  After some near falls from their finishers, HHH really dominated the end.  Several Pedigrees, a chair assault, and even using Undertaker's own move the Tombstone, the Deadman kept kicking out.  The frustration of HHH relays back to Raw when HBK showed the the doubt that he doesn't believe that his best friend can get the job done.  The Game goes for old reliable, his sledgehammer, but before he can smash Undertaker's skull he gets caught in the Hell's Gate.  After all the damage he had done, one mistake got HHH in a bad position.  He fought to find the ropes and he fought to grab and attempt to use the hammer, but it was all futile for the Game.  After struggling, HHH very quietly taps out, perhaps realizing that there was nothing he can do at this point.  HHH destroyed the Undertaker more than any other has done at Wrestlemania, but in the end his streak remained intact.  Realizing that he was another statistic in the streak, HHH walks away with a look of disappointment and disbelief.  But at what cost was 19-0, The Undertaker didn't look like a winner.  He won out of a move of desperation after HHHHBK matches.  This is a must watch match of the night by far.

John Morrison, Trish Stratus, and Snooki vs. Dolph Ziggler and Laycool:
Well this is a cool down match.  Not many were happy over Snooki being involved, but luckily for them the match was rather short.  It's a shame the actual talent of the match didn't get a chance to shine, but time is time people.  Snooki gets the tag and shows an impressive feat of athletics and got the pin for the win.  Snooki wasn't the worst celebrity involvement at all, and actually the used her perfectly.  She did her job and it was short and sweet.  She didn't do anything to embarrass herself or the company for that matter.  It was painless.

John Cena vs. The Miz:
Our main event, and we get more elaborate entrances.  First The Miz has a really cool video of him at a switchboard of sorts.  There is interchanging clips between images of some of the all time greats and The Miz's rise from Real World star to WWE Champion.  John Cena however used a gospel choir, it was pretty lame, especially compared to some of his previous entrances.  The match itself didn't stick out to me, but once again, I need to re-watch it.  The crowd was drained, so their lack of involvement effected the match.  They came alive towards the end after some near falls.  Then they were both counted out for a draw... really? Yes, I know that wouldn't be it and this was the opportunity for The Rock to get involved, but it just seemed disjointed and derailed the match.  That's just my opinion.  And once again, it wasted some more time.  Anyways, The Rock demands the match restarts and without any hesitation, Rocky hits the Rock Bottom and John Cena giving the Miz his chance to win the main even of Wrestlemania!  But before Miz can bask in his career achievement Rocky comes back in and lays the smackdown on him for his trouble, ending the show with The Rock on top.

Not bad, but definitely not great.  There was good matches, but only one had that Wrestlemania feel to it.  Sometimes that's all it needs to leave a legacy, but it was unfortunate because this card could of exceeded expectations with relative ease.  The overall show was very Rock-centric, which is completely understandable, he was the main draw.  But I just felt there was poor time management, and too much hoopla that a potentially fun match between Sheamus and Daniel Bryan had to be a casualty and regulated to a DVD bonus.  By the way, that match turned into a battle royal, which made me sick.  I also felt sorry for those two, who both had slick new looks on Raw that they probably planned on debuting at Wrestlemania.  Why not have the 8-man tag match be the dark match with the lumberjacks, since it was a throwaway match in the first place?  It is what it is, the WWE will do whatever it wants and as a result they had an average Wrestlemania.

Also, I felt the lack of Money in the Bank left a void.  It's a nice crutch for the big event and it was taken off, and like a crutch being taken away, Wrestlemania stumbled and limped.  I hope they consider having it come back, because it also feels more special at Wrestlemania than it's own PPV.  That's just something to ponder, but there you have it my detailed thoughts on this years Showcase of the Immortals.

Skalbamania IV: Second Round Day 8

Match 47: Skeletor vs. Leonardo da Vinci

Skeletor: Defeated KK Slider in the first round.

VERSUS

Leonardo da Vinci: Defeated Dr. Dre in the first round.

Match 48: Link vs. Master Shredder

Link: Defeated Freddy Krueger in the first round.

VERSUS

Master Shredder: Defeated Charlie Brown in the first round.

The Bracket

The final day of the second round and then the Sweet 16 will be complete.  I see that the tournament is losing steam, but rest assured we will have a champion.

Skalbamania IV: Second Round Day 7

Match 45: Winston Zeddemore vs. Bald Bull

Winston Zeddemore: Defeated Bozo the Clown in the first round.

VERSUS

Bald Bull: Defeated Quint in the first round.

Match 46: Super Mario vs. Mega Man

Super Mario: Defeated Tina Fey in the first round.

VERSUS

Mega Man: Defeated Scrooge McDuck in the first round.

The Bracket

Well here are the new matches, I'm too tired to be clever and I'm late due to Wrestlemania.   Thanks for your patience.

SkalbaMania Tiebreaker?

I'll be honest with everyone... I haven't planned out how I would deal with a tie.  Well, now I have to think of something after Barney and Doc ended in a tie.  My solution for now is that I will flip a coin, heads it's Barney and tails it's Doc.  Unless I can think of a more effective way or one of you guys have a solution, I will roll with this.  I videotaped the coin to show you the result, you'll just have to trust me on this.  I even demonstrated that this is a real coin... so here we go!

AND IT'S TAILS!!!

So that means Doc Holiday is moving on to the Sweet 16.

Skalbamania IV: Second Round Day 6

Match 43: Barney Rubble vs. Doc Holliday

Barney Rubble: Defeated Samus Aran in the first round.

VERSUS

Doc Holliday: Defeated Count Dracula in the first round.

Match 44: Butters Stotch vs. Indiana Jones

Butters Stotch: Defeated The Gossamer in the first round.

VERSUS

Indiana Jones: Defeated George Washington in the first round.

The Bracket

First up we have Barney Rubble vs. Doc Holliday and in the second match there is Butters vs. Indiana Jones.  Happy Voting folks!

Skalbamania IV: Second Round Day 5

Match 41: Rocky Balboa vs. Mike Tyson

Rocky Balboa: Defeated Hulk Hogan in the first round.

VERSUS

Mike Tyson: Defeated Rogue in the first round.

Match 42: Bret Hart vs. Professor Xavier

Bret Hart: Defeated Larry Fine in the first round.

VERSUS

Professor Xavier: Defeated Superman in the first round.

The Bracket

It's apparent that Svengoolie's influence has become a force with record numbers.  Once again thanks to him for the exposure.  Moving on is a dream boxing match: Rocky vs. Tyson.  The second match is Bret Hart vs. Professor X, it should be an interesting matchup.

Skalbamania IV: Second Round Day 4

Match 39: Captain Crunch vs. Paul Newman

Captain Crunch: Defeated Jaws the Shark in the first round.

VERSUS

Paul Newman: Defeated Spongebob Squarepants in the first round.

Match 40: Leia Organa vs. Svengoolie

Leia Organa: Defeated Brian Peppers in the first round.

VERSUS

Svengoolie: Defeated Mickey Mouse in the first round.

The Bracket

The Deadman and Kermit join the Sweet 16.  Up next is Captain Crunch vs. Paul Newman.  Svengoolie finally gets the long awaited showdown with Princess Leia.  Let's see if the Horror Host can continue his drive for the championship.