Obscure Trivia...

Back in 1998, the then-named WWF put on a pay-per-view event entitled No Way Out. Under the threat of legal action by WCW, the event was renamed No Way Out Of Texas.

Anyways, here's a quick and dirty breakdown of the matches set for this Sunday.

Nine-Man Cruiserweight Championship Match

Almost all of the Cruiserweight Division will be gunning after current champ Gregory Helms in a match sure to feature any number of suicidal moves and death-defying leaps. While I'd like to see one of the Mexicools or even Brian Kendrick win the title, I see the former Hurricane retaining the title after some nefarious doings.

WWE Tag Team Champions MNM vs. Matt Hardy & Mystery Partner

Sadly, MNM seem to have cornered Smackdown's tag team market. Whoever Matt recruits to be his partner will not be enough to take their titles. A quick look at the Smackdown roster leads me to think that Matt's partner might be a WWE blast from the past. Of course, my wish [one of the junior division, maybe Super Porky] will probably not happen.

JBL vs. Bobby Lashley

JBL has remained a strong heel, even without the WWE Title. Recently his ire has been directed towards Bobby Lashley, who has yet been defeated in singles competition. This is a bit of a retro style match. Two guys have a problem with each other, and after circumstances that have prevented them from meeting face-to-face, they finally have a chance to settle things. I see the Lashley experiment continuing, so I'll say he takes this one.

Booker T vs. Chris Benoit for the United States Championship

Booker has done something unique in defending the US title twice without actually stepping into the ring. Tomorrow, Chris Benoit[The World's Best Technical Wrestler] gets another shot. As I have done every single time a PPV preview features Benoit, I predict he will win back his title, leading him back on the road to the WWE Championship.

Rey Mysterio vs. Randy Orton

In a somewhat shocking move, Rey won the 2006 Royal Rumble. This usually means you have a first-class ticket to Wrestlemania. Unfortunately, Rey has to defend his opportunity against Randy Orton. In an uncomfortable blend of real life and wrestling storylines, Randy has been calling out Rey by running down his late friend Eddie Guerrero. I'm not sure how this will pan out, but I'm hoping to see Rey in that Wrestlemania main event. I won't be shocked if it doesn't happen, though.

World Heavyweight Champion Kurt Angle vs. Undertaker

This match owes a lot to random chance. And Mark Henry.

When he got hurt in a match with Mark, World Heavyweight Champion Batista had to vacate the title, which was won by Kurt Angle. After defeating Mark at the Rumble, The Undertaker entered the arena in a horse-drawn chariot. He then called down lightning to destroy the ring, all the while giving the international "I want the belt" hand signal.

While putting the Belt on Angle may have been unplanned, it's been a good move. As much as I like The Undertaker, I don't see this as the right time for a title run. Besides, he still has to keep his Wrestlemania undefeated streak alive. Angle retains due to some unplanned interference, which sets up a match with Undertaker at Mania.

Courage,
Mike G.

p.s. The US Women's Curling team had one of their best games today, defeating Italy 11-3. Sadly, they're almost mathematically eliminated from advancing to the semi-finals.