Hailey's Newsies - Issue 72 - February 26th 2010

Youtube's Favorite FCW Diva Finals

One more Diva gets eliminated.
The final 3 are finally here!
You get one vote!
Next Friday, the winner will be revealed!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z9H_mFy_Xz8

9 - Liviana
8 - Askana
7 - Serena Mancini
6 - Penny Cash
5 - AJ Lee
4. ???

Streak vs Career at Wrestlemania

The Undertaker's winning streak at Wrestlemania is going to be severely challenged by Shawn Michaels, who is putting his career on the line.

Streak vs Career at Wrestlemania
One of the hardest things for the writers to book each year is the Wrestlemania matchup for the Undertaker. The company puts such a high value on the winning streak that it does put extra pressure on the creative department each year.

With the Undertaker's career coming to a close, the writers know that they can't simply put out a stinker of a matchup and hope that fans just accept it like they have in the past (Giant Gonzales, anyone?).

The creative department knows that they have to put him up against someone that the audience actually cares about. It also has to be someone with enough credibility to where fans actually can believe that the streak is in danger.

On the flip side, there are a lot of fans that are obsessed about the Wrestlemania winning streak. A riot might ensue if Undertaker actually loses. The writers have to keep that in mind as well.

Enter Shawn Michaels.

The Heartbreak Kid is beloved enough by the fans to where some might be able to accept him ending the streak. The man did "retire" Ric Flair after all and received no resentment from the audience.

Shawn Michaels also has enough credibility (and a storyline that puts his career on the line) to where fans can somewhat believe that he has a chance to finally end the streak.

Best Available
While there are some groans about WWE resorting to a rematch at Wrestlemania, logic states that this is the best available thing for the Undertaker.

The company hasn't built up any of the younger midcard wrestlers to the point where fans will accept them in a match against the Undertaker. Miz has come a long way, but he's still not at that level just yet.

A rematch with Shawn Michaels ensures that the match will be a high quality one that fans will remember. The added stipulations in the match makes it one that will still be anticipated.

Undertaker Will Win
This is more of a prediction than a spoiler, so don't get your panties all up in a bunch.
Undertaker will more than likely win this match. WWE knows that the audience would disapprove of the Wrestlemania winning streak going down the drain. Personally, I don't think it matters, but the majority of fans do, so we'll run with it.

Also, both Undertaker and Shawn Michaels are expected to take time off after the match to heal their wounds. That means that Shawn Michaels can lose the match, "retire", and then come back in a few months.

Retirement matches in pro wrestling are an inside joke. The wrestlers know that it's a marketing strategy. Promoters have always found ways to bring guys back into the fold after a few weeks of absence for the losing wrestler.

Look at Terry Funk. There's been more retirement matches for him than there are cities in Texas.

Jack Swagger to Smackdown

In order to help Jack Swagger get another chance, WWE is set to move him over to the Smackdown brand very soon.

Jack Swagger to Smackdown
When Jack Swagger was making his way through ECW, there was a lot of talk about his potential. Many had viewed him as a future main event player on one of the big brands.

The former ECW Heavyweight Champion proved that was solid on the mic with room to grow. He was also the same way when it came to in-ring skills; with the right opponent, Jack Swagger even looked almost great.

Combine all that with the word that Vince McMahon was very high on him, and you have the hype machines rolling at full blast. People wanted to see Jack Swagger elevated.

WWE agreed, so they decided to trade Jack Swagger from ECW to Raw.
After months of seeing Jack Swagger just staggering around the lower midcard, wrestling fans had lost interest. WWE management became aware of this as the live audience simply did not connect with him any more.

Since he's only 27 years of age, the company was not quite ready to discard of him yet, so they decided to try to give him a fresh start.

Unless things change, Jack Swagger is being sent to Smackdown soon.

Turning Face
When you browse over the Smackdown roster, you'll find that there's a lot of heels on the brand. Seems to be a lot more heels on the brand than there are babyfaces.

With that in mind, it might be time to turn Jack Swagger into a babyface. Since we're going with the theme of giving him a fresh start, this might be the added kick that he needs as well.

As a heel, Jack Swagger can only match up against the likes of John Morrison, Matt Hardy, Rey Mysterio, and R Truth. Aside from Rey Mysterio, none of those feuds are going to be ones that can elevate Jack Swagger to the next level (he stands no chance against Undertaker or Edge right now).

If WWE turns Jack Swagger into a babyface, then he can be paired up with CM Punk and Chris Jericho, both of whom are veterans who know how to make opponents look good and know how to draw heel heat from the audience.

A feud against Batista could be in the works if Jack Swagger can show that he can hang with Chris Jericho and CM Punk. Going toe to toe with the Animal could help escalate the former All American wrestler into the main event for the first time in his career.

Rub From Ross
If Jim Ross returns to the Smackdown announce table, then Jack Swagger could have one of the biggest allies that he could possibly ask for.

It's not a secret that Jim Ross is a fan of Jack Swagger. After all, he did wrestle and play football at the University of Oklahoma, the same school that the legendary commentator has been loyal to for years.

While his skills have declined over the years, Jim Ross can still be capable of providing a wrestler with a nice rub if he's motivated. Just ask Steve Austin how much his career was helped by the enthusiasm that Jim Ross showed towards his character.

Source: WrestlingRevealed

Of course if there is more news, it will be added throughout the week-end.