Unforgiven Preview

Running late on the preview, so sorry. This is gonna be a good one, though.....

Normally, Unforgiven isn't much of anything special. This year, however, not only do we have the Scramble matches - three championship matches GUARANTEED to hit the 20-minute mark - but the culmination of the unquestioned Feud of the Year in Michaels-Jericho. The WWF is really getting this whole episodic monthly booking thing down to a science, and seems to be taking cues from UFC in having different feuds at different points in the card peak at just the right time to main event the show.

Truncated preview below, and then I'm settling in with a bottle of the vino.

ECW Championship
Twenty Minute Scramble Match
Mark Henry vs. Chavo Guerrero vs. Matt Hardy vs. Finlay vs. The Miz


Well, I think they'll have to space these things out so as not to ruin the concept, so one of them's probably going to kick off the show. This may be the only one where we end up regretting that it gets the full 20, although hopefully Finlay can control the pace enough to make it watchable.

Winner: Matt Hardy, since they'll want at least one title change
My Pick: Finlay, but I'd be cool with anyone but Chavito going over here

WWF Tag Team Championship
Cody Rhodes & Ted DiBiase Jr. vs. Cryme Time


Hey, a PPV tag title match! Let's hope they keep moving towards Evolution 2.0 with Randy and Rhodes/DiBiase (I refuse to call them Simply Priceless until the WWF does and, in the process, admits that they botched the chance for a better name). I like these guys and Cryme Tyme, but I don't think the belts are going anywhere so soon after they were stupidly hotshotted to Cena and Batista.

Winner: Rhodes & DiBiase
My Pick: Rhodes & DiBiase


WWF Championship
Twenty Minute Scramble Match
Triple H vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Jeff Hardy vs. MVP vs. The Brian Kendrick


They're not giving it to Benjamin, since he has the US belt already, and most people barely know who Kendrick is. That leaves Hardy and MVP - MVP who's allegedly in the doghouse for not being as good as Shelton Benjamin in the ring, and Jeff Hardy, who's one suspension away from an automatic firing. Plus, in two weeks the show moves to MyNetworkTV, which may or may not be an actual television channel. This is where the Hs are valuable - he's a very capable champion if you're looking for stability and a popular act that hasn't changed one iota since 2001.

The match should be good, though.

Winner: Triple H
My Pick: A new fucking belt. Now.

Unsanctioned Match
Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho

I cannot wait for this match. This will be the highlight of my evening, surely, and hopefully won't be effected to that great an extent because of Michaels' injury. I'd heard ahead of time that this was set to be the blowoff to the feud, and the main event of the show - with Michaels apparently set to be ont he shelf for a while, I assume those plans are off. Still, I bet they tear the house down. We're six months into this feud and it still feels fresh - and my god, is Michaels making a star out of New Jericho or what?

Still, they haven't yet topped their WMXIX match, and I think they have to do that at some point for this to feel complete.

Winner: Jericho, and anyone who wants to see this go until WM25. It could happen.
My Pick: Jericho, and a MOTC rival for Undertaker-Edge

WWF Divas Championship
Michelle McCool vs. Maryse


Goodness, that Maryse is pretty. Wow.

Winner: McCool, since the Taker carries weight
My Pick: The lovely Maryse, and more pictures like this one


WCW Championship
Twenty Minute Scramble Match
CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio vs. Batista vs. Kane vs. JBL


I can see anyone in this match winning, and this match will probably make better use of the Scramble gimmick than any other - I expect the last 5 minutes to be utterly fantastic.

Winner: CM Punk, and an Orton appearance in some capacity.
My Pick: Punk, to keep the train rolling until a Survivor Series showdown with Mr. Orton

Recommendation: Buy this if you've got the spare change; three of the primary matches have a set end time, which means that the watching-via-illicit-means crowd may find quite a few crapouts when everyone tries to log in at once. I have no spare change whatsoever, so I'll be riding this out all night. Looking forward to it.