My Wrestlemania 30 prediction - CM Punk returns

Daniel Bryan wins the WWE World Heavyweight championship, after defeating Triple H via interference from..... CM Punk!

Yes, I'm predicting that CM Punk returns at Wrestlemania 30. 

In fact, I think the entire CM Punk situation has been a work. Think about it. 

Bryan doesn't get into the Rumble and the fans crap all over the match. 

Bryan takes to Twitter to start the "Yes" movement. 

Punk suddenly vanishes after the Royal Rumble, apparently due to Bryan not being in the Rumble and winning it. 

Orton and Batista is booked as the main event, and everyone hates it. Batista isn't over. Orton isn't over. It seems like the dumbest main event in the history of Wrestlemania. It is. 

Finally, Bryan gets the opportunity to get in the main event by beating Triple H. 

This all seems like a last minute fix for terrible booking, but what if it was all a carefully planned to spawn hate, knowing that the eventual righting of the ship would draw tremendous interest. That's what's happening now. People,are interest to see how this mess is fixed. 

If Punk shows up on Sunday, then you can bet that all of this terrible booking was on purpose. To create genuine surprise at the biggest show of them all. 

WWE Network - Finally, someone gets it!

It's about damn time!

The WWE just announced their network, and it's about time that someone FINALLY understands what customers want!

The WWE network will be a live 24/7 streaming channel, distributed through the WWE website as well as apps for iOS, Android, PS3/4, XBox 360/One, Roku and various smart TV's.

WWE is going straight to the customer with this, charging only $9.99 a month. Why is $9.99 a month such a big deal? Because it includes all 12 of the monthly WWE pay-per-views, which if ordered with your traditional cable or satellite provider would cost over $600 per year. That's a pretty huge savings.

In addition to the live content, the network will also feature on demand programming from the extensive WWE video library. To start, fans will have access to every single WWE, WCW and ECW pay-per-view event. Again, HUGE!

They said multiple times that the content from the video library would be uncut and uncensored. Let's hope so, especially with the more extreme ECW pay-per-views. WWE has really toned it down in the past few years, which left me with the fear that they would censor quite a bit of the late 90's content, but this statement from their FAQ has given me hope:
"26. Will all content on WWE Network be PG?WWE Network will contain a range of programming suitable for various audiences.  Content rated TV-14 or TV-MA will be preceded by appropriate advisory messages recommending viewer discretion.  Parental controls will be available for on-demand content." FAQ

Even though the network isn't launching in Canada right away (we have to wait until the end of the year / early next year) I'm pretty excited about this announcement.

WWE Network - Announcement Tonight!

The WWE is FINALLY going to announce their plans for the WWE network tonight, live from CES in Las Vegas. With any luck, we won't get a cheesy RAW Roulette wheel to determine the networks stipulations.
My hope for the network is a Netflix style online network. It makes the most sense for the WWE for the following reasons.

1. They have complete control. No cable or satellite providers getting in the way trying to take a cut of the revenue. No negotiating a long term deal. Whatever they want to show, and whenever they want to show it, is on the network.
2. They have a massive library of content. WWE didn't buy the WCW, ECW, Stamped Wrestling and other wrestling libraries for nothing. They have over 100,000 hours of content, which is more than enough to fill up a Netflix style service.
3. They have experience with online content. Have you downloaded the WWE app yet? If not, Michael Cole is sure to give you a walk through on how to download at least twice a week. Thanks Cole! Seriously though, online makes sense for WWE. They've been getting better and better at it over the years, so let's hope they've perfected it enough for an online network.

My only hope is that they have a wide and varied enough distribution platform. In order to be successful, they will need to have this on AppleTV, Roku, XBox, Playstation, and downloadable for various smart TV's.

Let the countdown begin!

Playstation Vita fire sale!

If you've been on Kijiji lately, you may have noticed a sudden increase in Playstation Vita's for sale. You can thank TD Banks red hot deal of the day for this one.

Yep, the TD Rewards deal of the day recently was a Playstation Vita bundle including the system, the new Resistance game, and a starter bundle for $165 + tax ($186 total). That's half price.

The catch of the deal of the day is that they only have limited quantities (75 in this instance), so you have to enter into a draw to win the opportunity to buy it. I entered the draw thinking I could buy it and flip it on Kijiji. As luck would have it, I won!

I placed my order and received my Vita. I debated on whether I should keep it or put it up for sale. Finally, I decided to put it up on Kijiji.

I thought I was being reasonable putting it online for $240. I was set to make $50 profit, which isn't too bad, and people were getting a good deal at half price. Turns out, I wasn't the only one with this idea.

This guy was selling his for $298. That's way more profit than I was looking for.

This guy only wanted $290. What a deal!

$260. That's a bit more reasonable.

The bottom line is, I'm starting to wonder if anyone decided to actually keep their deal of the day Playstation Vita.

I found a lot more Vita bundles for sale, ranging from $200 to $300.

In the end, the Vita market seems saturated. Because of this, I've decided to keep my Vita. It's a pretty awesome piece of technology, it just needs some decent games.

If anyone's looking to pick up a Vita, check out Kijiji. They're every where.

The Undertaker Returns - BALD!

So the Undertaker is back, and he's definitley hiding something.... his bald head!
You see, the Undertaker shaved his head during his time off in the last year. Mist people thought he'd start to grow his hair back by this time, and maybe return with extensions. But he didn't.
Instead, he returned the night after the Royal Rumble wearing a pretty horrible wig to challenge Triple H to a match at Wrestlemania. Then he dissapeared for another two weeks, just showing vignettes of him reminiscing about last years match with Triple H. The final vignette had Undertaker so obsessed with revenge that he pulled out a switchblade and began chopping at his hair.
Which brings us to this week. Undertaker came out wearing a hood which was strategically placed to not show the sides of his head. It's pretty obvious that he's bald under there, but it looks like they are waiting for a big reveal moment.
Let's hope they do it sometime soon, because I think it will take people a bit if time to get use to a bald Undertaker.

WWE stole my camera!

Ok, so they did give it back, but I still wasn't happy about it. I had seats practically on the floor for the Tuesday Smackdown tapings (spoilers provided by yours truly can be found on http://www.prowrestling.net/). I pulled out my Canon Rebel xti with my zoom lens to see how close to the action I could get, and sure enough, I could zoom right into the turnbuckle. These were going to be some of my best wrestling pics yet.
Until the security came up to me and told me I had to take my "professional" camera to the check area.
I said, "what?" Again, he told me I had to check my camera. He said it's because it has a detachable lens and is considered "professional."
Grudgingly, I did as I was told as he escorted me to the service desk to check my camera.
I was pissed. I pulled the camera out right after the WWE announcement that photography was ok for personal use, just no video or audio recording.
Thanks to the WWE and their no "professional" camera policy, this was the best picture I could get.
Hey, don't get mr wrong, I love my iPhone, but the camera sucks compared to my Rebel. I just wanted to take some great pictures as I find they make the best souvenirs. I've sat front row at WWE house shows and TNA TV tapings with the exact same camera and never had a problem.
I was happy with the show overall, but very disappointed in this policy.
Fair warning to everyone, if you're going to a WWE show, don't bother bringing a good camera.

Smackdown

Smackdown will be coming to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto on Tuesday, September 13 and I'm going to be there!
It's Edge appreciation night, so we'll see if he makes it onto the show or not.
With any luck, I'll be giving live updates from the show.
Check back soon!

WWE Money in the Bank predictions

This Sunday, CM Punk will leave the WWE, but not before his championship match with John Cena. Punk has vowed to leave the company with the WWE championship. Vince McMahon has stated that if CM Punk walks out of Chicago with the WWE title, John Cena will be fired.

With a setup like that, most fans are expecting Cena to breeze through Punk, keeping his title, his job, and sending Punk out to pasture. That would be the standard, predictable WWE way. But Punk has changed the game.

Here is my prediction: Cena drops the belt to Punk. As Punk celebrates his victory and mocks the crowd, Alberto Del Rio makes his entrance to cash in the Money in the Bank contract that he wins previously in the night. This would be a nice way to set up Del Rio and Cena for Summerslam, with the angle that Del Rio saved Cena's job, but Cena needs to win the belt in order to have it for his Wrestlemania match with the Rock.

Or better yet, Del Rio challenges for the belt and then loses. He's always saying that it is his destiny to win the title, and he keeps coming up short. This would be another opportunity for him to come up short, and also make him be the first person to lose while cashing in Money in the Bank.

This would set up the winner of the Smackdown Money in the Bank match to come out and challenge Punk to yet a third match in the night, which he will finally lose. This will keep Cena's job, take the title of Punk, and send the crowd home happy. To make it even better, have the winner of the Smackdown match be Daniel Bryan. Have Bryan and Punk put on a wrestling clinic in Punk's last match and put the belt on Bryan.

Yes, I know that last one is a pipe dream that will never happen, but it's nice to use my imagination every now and then.

No Ryder on RAW, riot in Vancouver

I was one of the millions..... and millions of the Zack Ryder fans who were disappointed by the lack of Ryder on RAW. The story on some of the wrestling news sites says that WWE was afraid that Ryder would get a bigger reaction from his home town crowd than some of the wrestlers they're actually trying to push right now.
However, it appears that fans did not riot immediately after RAW on Monday as Zack had called for. No, they stewed for two days, flew to Vancouver, and rioted all over the place under the guise of the Canucks losing out on the Stanley Cup on Wednesday.
Ryder or riot indeed.

Zack Ryder fans go ballistic in Vancouver after WWE didn't put Ryder on RAW in Long Island.

And for the record, I was cheering for Boston during the Stanley Cup Finals.
Tim Thomas is a machine!

Ryder or Riot!

Tonight is Zack Ryder's big night on RAW! Maybe.......

Tonight, RAW is live from Long Island, home of Long Island Ice Z himself. Ryder, who has been a YouTube sensation with his weekly web series Z! True Long Island Story has been promoting this week as "Ryder or Riot," complete with his own Rocky style training montage in episode 17.

Here is my prediction for the future of Ryder's web series: I think he will be moving from YouTube to WWE.com. Why do I think this? A couple episodes ago, Ryder received an e-mail from the Anonymous Superstars General Manager (cause he's not on RAW, get it?) saying that Ryder's show will be moving to a different website.

If you look at the YouTube stats, Ryder's show is consistently getting huge numbers week after week. Even if this show started as a Zack Ryder pet project to entertain the fans because he never receives any TV time, I believe WWE has smartened up to his show and wants to capitalize on it. Bringing it to WWE.com would increase traffic to their site, which they are constantly trying to improve.

Having said that, I believe that move would also damage the show, as Ryder would be on a tighter WWE lease.

Time will tell what happens to Z! True Long Island Story, but my prediction is it will be a WWE.com exclusive by the end of August, if not sooner.

Randy Savage dies in car accident

Randy Savage died today in a car accident in Florida. He was 58.

Savage's brother, Leaping Lanny Poffo, stated that Savage had a heart attack while driving his 2009 Jeep Wrangler causing him to crash into a tree. Savage's wife Lynn was in the vehicle at the time, and made it out with only minor injuries according to TMZ.com

I was definitely shocked to hear about his death. The first I heard of it came from a Tweet posted by Hulk Hogan earlier today. Soon after it was confirmed, many wrestlers took to Twitter to express their sadness of the loss.

Just last weekend, at the CWI event in Brantford, Ontario, where I took the first Hulk Hogan immortal back tattoo picture, I saw Savage's brother Lanny Poffo.

Leaping Lanny Poffo, brother of Randy Macho Man Savage, on May 14 at the CWI show in Brantford Ontario

In honesty, I didn't recognize him at first. Lanny Poffo has changed drastically since his days as "The Genius." I actually saw him while I was standing in line to get a hot dog. He was walking up to the merchandise table, and I was in his way. I knew he had to be a wrestler, because he was wearing a t-shirt, trunks, and wrestling boots. The lack of knee pads stood out.

I moved out of his way to let him through, and he sort of smiled on his way by. I'm sure he knew that I had no idea who he was, which is why he was freely walking through the crowd of people.

I didn't know who he was until he came out on team Beefcake for the legends Survivor Series match and they announced him as Leaping Lanny Poffo. I was amazed. Despite his look, Lanny still pulled off a moonsault before injuring his knee and having to leave the match.

Looking back on the moment where I saw him while waiting for my hot dog, I wish I had of said hello. Asked him how he was doing and what's new with his brother the Macho Man. I know it wouldn't make any difference today, but I wish I could have spoke to him at a happier time.

Lanny, I am sorry for your loss. The world has lost one of the best wrestlers of the 80's and 90's.

Macho Man, you will be missed.

Hulk Hogan Immortal Back Tattoo

Apparently my picture of Hulk Hogan's new "Immortal" back tattoo have begun making the rounds around the internet. Well, here's a few more pictures for those who wanted to get a better look.

Hulks new tattoo

Some people have commented on Hogan's wrinkly back. Just a reminder, he's 57 and just had back surgery.

Click on this image to get a better look at Hogan's scars. And Beefcakes see-through pants :(

Hogan addressing the crowd in Brantford.

Hulkamania hits Brantford Ontario - May 14, 2011

On Saturday, May 14, 2011, Hulk Hogan came to the Brantford Civic Centre in Brantford Ontario for the CWI Brawl at the Bush.

The card was full of wrestlings past greats, including the Million Dollar Man Ted Dibiase, Virgil, Brutus the Barber Beefcake, the Nasty Boys, Leaping Lanny Pofo, X-Pac, Tatanka, Steve Corino and more. Also, Kevin Nash challenged Scott Steiner for the CWI championship.

Nash lost the match after Steiner blasted him in the face with the championship belt while the ref was knocked out of the ring.

The main event was a "Legends Survivor Series Tag Match," with the Million Dollar team consisting of Virgil, the Nasty Boys, and Big Daddy Hammer vs "Team Beefcake" consisting of Brutus the Barber Beefcake, Bushwacker Luke, Leaping Lanny Pofo and CK Sexx. Members of each team were eliminated one by one until it came down to Sags of the Nasty Boys and Beefcake. At this point, Knobs jumped back in the ring to double team Beefcake, and that's when Hulk Hogan came out to make the big save!
Dibiase tried to stop Hogan before he got to the ring, but Hogan decked him with a fist on his way to the ring. The Hulkster than got in the ring, tore his shirt off, and laid a beat down on the Nasty Boys.
Beefcake won the match with a sleeper hold, and the had a pose down session in the ring with Hogan.

Hogan about to lay the Smackdown on the Nasty Boys

Hogan and Beefcake have a pose down to send the fans home happy.

In his picture, you can seen Hulk's new "Immortal" tattoo, along with his back surgery scars.

Apple TV + EyeTV = Ultimate Home Entertainment Experience!

The new Apple TV is on the verge of being jailbroken. Just like the iPhone before it, this will lead to an explosion of new apps ready to be installed on the tiny device from Apple. What do I think the killer app could be? EyeTV.



Elgato has been making hardware and software for recording TV on the Mac for years now, but you've always had to watch it on your Mac unless you had your Mac hooked up to your TV. Lets face it, who wants a 23" iMac hooked up to their 50" TV? Not me. This is where the Apple TV comes in.

The new Apple TV is the real game changer here. Once it is jailbroken, someone could potentially write an app that would allow for streaming of your EyeTV recorded content to the device. Elgato already has an app that does this for the iPad. The app allows for the viewing of live TV, recorded TV, and managing the schedule of recordings.

This would be the ultimate set up. You could have your iMac or Mac Pro loaded with storage and hooked up to an EyeTV in one room, and the small, barely noticeable Apple TV hooked up to your big screen, streaming your live content and recordings. With the price of the Apple TV, you could have a second unit hooked up to your TV in the kitchen or bedroom, to allow you to pause live TV in one room and resume in another. The possibilities are endless.

Even better, Steve Jobs himself said that an Apple TV app store could launch when the time is right, leading the way for Elgato to port their existing app to the Apple TV.

Truly, this will be the ultimate home entertainment experience!

Blackberry Playbook: Why it will surpass the iPad in the boardroom

Today, RIM announced the Blackberry Playbook, their competitor to Apple's iPad. This not so well kept secret has been anticipated for months now, with most people focusing on RIMs ability to knock Apple out of the top spot in tablet computing. I think it can, and I'm an Apple fan and iPad owner.

The Blackberry Playbook has one major advantage going for it over the iPad: BES integration. Blackberry Enterprise Server is what keeps Blackberries as the email device of choice at most major corporations. The Playbook will integrate seamlessly into this environment, making it easier for IT departments to deploy as they already have e backbone in place.

Another major advantage: Blackberry tethering. You won't need a separate data connection for your Playbook, as it will link up with your Blackberry and share it's data connection. I'm sure certain carriers will be against this idea as they want to make as much as possible from extra data fees, but I don't think they'll have much choice in the matter.

And finally, software. The preview video looks amazing. Haven't seen it yet? Take a look below and see for yourself. This newly created OS is going to be very versatile.
Blackberry Playbook promo video

John Morrison parks in "No Parking" zone, and I'm fine with that

Yes, it's true. On Sunday, September 12, John Morrison parked his rented Chevy Impala right in front of the no parking sign at the Peterborough Memorial Centre in Peterborough, Ontario. One of the fans yelled at him, and he said something back to the guy. Once he had Melina and all of her stuff unloaded from the car, Morrison left the arena, and we didn't see him again until his match with the Miz, which was by all accounts, the match of the night. Morrison is so awesome, he can park where ever he damn well pleases, so stop complaining fans!

One of 2 million. I'm now an iPad owner!

Remember that post about converting my net book to Ubuntu Linux? Well, I think that net book might be up for sale soon, as I am now the proud owner of a brand new 64GB wifi + 3G iPad!

It wS a little bit of an impulse buy, since all of the other models were sold out. Looking back on it though, I'm glad. I got the 64GB version. After loading a bunch of my iPhoto albums on to it, and downloading some apps (like the 500MB Wired magazine app) I'm glad I have all of that space.

Speaking of apps, their are some truly cool iPad specific apps. Wired is one of them. It's like the actual magazine, but better. Some people out the are complaining that it isn't interactive enough, but as a former graphic designer for print publications, I can say I'm more than happy and I,pressed with the first issue, and I'm looking forward to see what their future issues will look like. I'm also hoping for a $20 a year subscription, which would keep me coming back for more and make me renew the subscription that I cancelled for their print magazine.

Other apps that have rally impressed me include the Marvel comics app. This is the future of comic books. The images are so vivid and vibrant on the screen that the artwork really pops out at you. I love it.

One disappointment for me was Apples iBooks store. Being from Canada, we can only download free books. Sounds great, right? Well it's not, because the selection is just not there. I found myself downloading Amazons Kindle app, which has really blown me away. The selection is great, and thanks to their "whisper net" if I start reading something on my iPad, I can continue reading from the same place on my iPhone, iPod or computer. Very cool. I'm definitely going to be buying some books from the Kindle book store.

I haven't installed the SIM card yet, as I'm primarily using this thing at home. The reason why I went with the 3G was so that I can get cheap data while I'm traveling to Florida on vacation, which has become a yearly tradition of mine now.

Anyways, I'll be back with some more thoughts on this later. I have to try out a few more things.

Oh by the way, this entire blogpost? Written on my new iPad!

I am now officially a geek: I just installed Ubuntu 10.04

That's right. I just installed Ubuntu 10.04 on my netbook. And so far, I'm liking it. A lot!
I tried Ubuntu on a live CD a couple of years ago, and it was alright, but I didn't feel it was ready for prime time. But now, it's better. A LOT better.
The interface is much cleaner, crisper, and high tech looking. It's a bit Mac like, but different. Different in a good way.
My favourite change is the Ubuntu Software Center. It's almost like the Apple App Store on the iPhone, but for software. The last time I tried Ubuntu, it was using the Synaptic Package Manager, which worked well, but it was still difficult and cumbersome to get the right software. Now, one click, and everything is downloaded and installed. It's that easy.
I'm a Mac user through and through. I'm going to give Ubuntu a chance for casual use on this netbook for the next few weeks to see how it goes. I'll keep you posted.

I bought an iPhone

Well, I took the plunge and bought myself an iPhone 3GS on March 25.

So far, I am loving it!

I knew what to expect since I've had an iPod Touch since they first came out, but it's even more handy than I had imagined. I came to the iPhone from a Blackberry Curve 8330, and I almost upgraded my Blackberry to the new Blackberry Bold 2. I'm glad I didn't. The screen on the iPhone is just amazing, and the interface is far superior to the dated Blackberry OS. I can type faster on the virtual keyboard than I could on the Blackberry's physical keyboard.

There are a few things that I do miss about my Blackberry that I wish the iPhone had though.

1. The message indicator light. This one tiny LED was the most useful thing on my Blackberry. The light blinks when you get an e-mail, so you know someone it's there without having to turn on the screen like with the iPhone. This is a big plus.
   
2. Integration with the holster. Ok, I know most iPhone users aren't big on holsters, but the Blackberry holster and the way it integrates with the device is awesome. In case you didn't know, the Blackberry holster has a magnet in it, and the Blackberry itself has a sensor which detects this magnet, thus, knowing if it is in the holster or not. Why is this useful you ask? You can set the profile based on whether it's in the holster or not. For example, if my Blackberry was holstered on my waist, I don't want it to chirp with every e-mail, it can just vibrate. If I have the Blackberry on my desk, I'm not going to feel it vibrate, so I want to hear it chirp. It's a little feature that leads to a lot of customization, as you can select any combination of alerts that you feel like based on your preferences.
3. Battery life. The battery life on my Blackberry was amazing. I could go for around 5 days without having to charge it.
   

Ok, that's all I can think of for the Blackberry right now. What do I like about the iPhone? Just about everything.

1. Interface. Awesome. Just awesome.
   
2. Media integration. Again, the Blackberry just sucks when it comes to media. The iPhone is easy to sync with iTunes. The media playback is amazing.
3. App store. I didn't think this one would be as important to me as it has become. The App Store is full of useful (and some useless) apps that greatly enhance your original purchase. Yes, the Blackberry has it's own app store now, but the apps tend to be clunky as they are shoehorned into the Blackberry interface. Not nice.

To sum it all up, I'm very happy with my decision to switch to the iPhone from the Blackberry. The only complaint that I have about the iPhone is that it's just too damn pretty. What does that mean? Well, it's glossy black on the back, which shows every single finger print. The back of the device is definitely a finger print magnet, but I think I've found a way around that.

But that is for another post.

iPhone: Buy now, or wait?

Right now, I am a Bell Mobility customer with a Blackberry Curve 8330. I have an upgrade credit coming up in March. Now it's decision time: Do I upgrade to an iPhone on Bell's new HSPA+ network, or do I wait until June / July to see what the new iPhone brings.

It's a tricky spot to be in. Sure, I could get the iPhone in March and be perfectly satisfied with it for the next four months. But come June, something better will be released by Apple. It might not be that much of a game changer, but at the same time, it might. Steve Jobs reportedly said the next iPhone will be an "A+ update... that Android / Google won't be able to keep up with"

That could be Jobs just trying to build hype, which we all know he does well. But at the same, what if it is something truly amazing?

I could sell the 3GS in June and purchase the new iPhone for full price, but I don't know if I want to do that or not.

On the flip side of this, if I upgrade now, I could skip the 2010 iPhone and be eligible for an upgrade come time for the 2011 iPhone which could be even more of a game changer, perhaps even supporting 4G LTE.

So, what would you do? Buy an iPhone in March, or wait until June?