WRESTLEMANIA XXVI PREVIEW

BUY ALL THIS!

Sorry, but I've gotta make this quick, heading out to the bar for it in just a few minutes. One note, though: for the past two Wrestlemanias, this site has voccally noted that the build has been underwhelming. Not so this year. I cant remember looking forward to a Wrestlemania this much since AT LEAST 2004.

Maybe it's because of Taker-Shawn, maybe because we finally have Cena and Batista facing off for the title after five years of it being bandied about. Whatever the reason, this feels like a big, huge, era-defining Wrestlemania on the heels of last year's totally-forgettable-aside-from-one-match card. Perhaps disappointment is inevitable, since my expectations for this are somewhere close to "right behind WMX7 as the greatest show of all time". I'm still beyond pumped, though. I cannot wait another hour and a half for this to start. A review, I promise, will be forthcoming. On to the picks, with a very rough guess at the match order:

WWF Tag Team Championship
The Miz & The Big Show vs. John Morrison & R-Truth
Probably a short opener, and no way they take the belts off of ShowMiz so soon.

Winner: ShowMiz
My Pick: ShowMiz

Money In The Bank Ladder Match
I doubt having ten people is going to help the match quality or anything, but this could be the finale for MITB matches at Wrestlemania. Given that, my money's on the winner cashing it in tonight.

Winner: Drew McIntyre
My Pick: Christian, and a much-needed Christian heel turn maybe?

Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk
Everybody's sleeper match of the night. I just hope they get more than 5 minutes like Hardy-Rey at WM19 got.

Winner: Rey Mysterio
My Pick: CM Punk

No Holds Barred Match
Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon
Here's your sleeper pick to headline the show, although I think they'll have enough sense not to do that. I really hope the Hitman holds it together and gets his happy ending out of this.

Winner: Bret Hart
My Pick: Bret Hart

Triple Threat Match
Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase
As a commenter on DVDVR recently put it, Orton vs. "Team Milquetoast" is going to be the first bathroom break of the show. They really messed this one up.

Winner: Randy Orton
My Pick: Ted DiBiase

WCW Championship
Edge vs. Chris Jericho
Yeah, the forced "Spear" chants are sort of retarded, but the match quality here should make up for the shortcomings of the feud itself.

Winner: Edge
My Pick: Edge

Triple H vs. Sheamus
I'm guessing this ends up higher on the card than most people assume. Could easily be good, more likely its about ** just like HHH-Orton last year.

Winner: Triple H
My Pick: Sheamus

Career vs. Streak
Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker
This is the big one, for sure. Much like the Warrior-Savage career match at WM7, I'd like to see this go on before the title match at the end. A segment of the crowd may be let down either way, although for in-ring performance, ain't nobody topping this.

Since they're going PG now, I'd also like to note how well they've played up the Career Match over the past few years. Jaded smarks will surely never buy the stip, but if you're a kid who watches WWF, the two career matches you can most easily remember - Michaels vs. Flair and Jeff Hardy vs. CM Punk - actually meant "the end" in WWF for the loser. Even if Michaels ends up coming back just like Randy Savage did, this is still going to feel like the most epic match those kids have ever seen.

I can't wait for this any longer. This is the most perfectly built match in years.

Winner: The Undertaker
My Pick: For the first time in my adult life, I will be rooting for one Shawn Michaels.

10-Diva Tag Team Match
Total bathroom break, but I hope Santino is somehow involved.

WWF Championship
John Cena vs. Batista
Taker-Shawn is the real main event, sure, but when you have a WWF title match with the two biggest stars of the era, you've got to put it on last. At least I think you do. No real complaints if they don't, though.

Winner: John Cena
My Pick: John Cena

Overall: Jesus Christ, buy this show. Pay them extra, even. Do whatever you have to do to be in front of your television watching HBK-Taker II tonight.

Godspeed all, and may you enjoy what could easily end up being the best show of the decade.