“I think that a lot of the fans want to like me.”  --Randy Orton, WWE Magazine interview, July 2009 issue.

I guess the people in creative saw that too and decided to take a chance at turning him face.  It’s been doing great so far.

Randy Orton, touted as the “Apex Predator” in the WWE is now officially a babyface.  Some Ortonites who loved him as a heel have been in denial for a while, but it was really inevitable.  Randy has been getting cheered on by the audience even as a heel.

The turn has really started with the constant failed attempts of Legacy to help him in his matches, prompting him to tell them not to interfere but they didn’t listen. 

Months prior to that, it was speculated that Ted DiBiase Jr. was the one that’s going to be the face.  But I guess they thought he wouldn’t sell it, because let’s face it he barely gets reaction from the crowd.  Yes, the crowd popped when he had a match with Randy months ago.  But I think that was more because the fans wanted to see Randy get his a** handed to him. 

So they finally decided on turning Randy face.  They put him against the heel nobody liked—Sheamus. The heel everybody loves versus the heel nobody liked.  Of course, the whole WWE Universe would be on Orton’s corner.  I think he did his job, putting Sheamus over better than Cena did and at the same time working on the foundation of his face turn.

Then the dissention within Legacy got played up again and the turn got even more obvious, with the fans rooting for him to give his meddling students a lesson. That got him teetering on the line between heels and faces, which we fans call as being a tweener.

His team-up with Triple H the week before Wrestlemania signified him crossing over at being a face.  In the backstage interview with Josh Matthews before his match against Triple H, he talked about respect.  That he respects Triple H despite everything. And I thought when a heel starts talking about respecting his opponent that has to mean something.

His team-up with Cena on Raw after Wrestlemania sealed it.  Unlike his team-up with Triple H, he didn’t have any guest host put him in that tag team match with Cena.  It was only Cena who asked him to be his tag team partner.  He didn’t have to do it, but he did.  Now, I personally would have loved to see how John asked him, and how he decided to say yes, just to see how easy or how hard Cena had to convince him.

When he came out as Cena’s mystery tag team partner, I would bet he got the biggest pop of the night, probably next only to Shawn Michaels’.  The audience went crazy when he got the tag, and when he finished the match with consecutive RKO’s on Batista and Swagger. 

That was a great validation on the part of the creative team who decided to do this turn.  It’s validation for Randy, who in my opinion is the best in the business right now, and he proved it. That he can do anything and it will be gold.

We will be seeing a rare kind of babyface in Randy Orton.  And it’s going to be amazing.  PWI named him the Wrestler of the Year in 2009.  This year, I’m calling it now, he’ll get it again.  Maybe he’ll even finally get the Slammy’s Superstar of the Year, now that he’s face.  In fact, I’m calling that now too!

Originally posted at bleacherreport.com

I have been told that Randy Orton posted this on his fan-forum, which he has been known to visit time and again, and which he has had contacts with the adminstrators of.  I think most of us, if not all, have been waiting to hear from his side of the story.  So, here are some of the excerpts from his post.

"I remember that kid saying that to me, and nodding my head at him.  Heres what happened btw. I walked out of Kowloons Friday night around 1230-1am with Santino and the police officer escort, as I was being rudely hounded for pictures and autos ( i had a 640am flight thru minni to lincoln, then a drive to omaha, a match, a drive back to omaha, then a charter to minni, and a drive to rochester for the next show the next day btw)"

"I was confronted by an older women who said "Hey Randy, you spit on my handicapped son a few years ago at a show, what do you have to say about that?” My reply…”so sue me”. Then I proceeded to my car with santino and the cop, and drove back to our hotel by the Boston aiport.

"I know I have been a bit of a hot head in the past, but I DID NOT spit gum and call names to any child. the women is saying I called her son a “retard” 3 times, and spit gum in his face. Come on people, even at my worst temperment I wouldnt call a handicaped child something awful like that. I actually sign anything anytime for any child with any disability."

"I heard just today from wwe attorneys that this women filed assault charges against me. 4 days later? hmmm. oh, and what about the dozens of cops at the restaurant that were there for crowd control since there were over 100 wrestling fans there? Not to mention the cop that escorted me to my freaking car. ill be happy when this is over. I guess if I've learned anything from this, it is not to ever challenge anyone to sure me."

So there.  I mean, I can fault him for spelling errors and grammar, but that's about it.  As I said, in the first two articles about this: the time the alleged incident took place in the report is very questionable.

Another thing, I have pointed out about the time it took for this woman to file the case (four days), which Randy also found somewhat suspect.  I didn't want to say it before, but I feel I really want to now.  Did it take four days to write the story and memorize the script? Hmm.

Note: I partially edited this, cutting it to several paragraphs because he typed it in just one continuous paragraph

Originally posted at bleacherreport.com

You've probably read something about the alleged "assault" case filed against Randy Orton.  I wrote something about it, and have stated my opinions.  I did say that I wasn't going to believe it until I find evidence.

Well, I don't know if it's evidence enough but I found a report regarding the results of that houseshow written by someone who was actually there.  In the end of it, the writer mentioned he went to the Kowloon restaurant where the alleged "incident" took place.

You may read it here.  Reading that, it's clear that the earlier report about the incident taking place at 6:30 PM becomes questionable even more.  Why would he/they go there twice, like before and after the show?

As I mentioned in the previous article, I think they go in groups or at least a couple of guys when they go out to eat.  In that article linked above, the writer mentioned every wrestler that were there.

So, anyway, the writer stated that Randy Orton did not stop to sign or take photos with anyone.  But he definitely did not assault anyone either.  A kid yelled he was going to sue him for not signing.  He did say "sue me", but that was more in jest, as I understand, as he was laughing, and got in the car with Santino.

So, what can we make of the previous reports now?  Clearly, somebody's lying. And if it's a bet, my money's on the kid.

See, this is why I can't and didn't believe it.  If that case was even filed is questionable.  But if it was filed, then there are going to be a lot of witnesses that can testify against it.

Originally posted at bleacherreport.com

There's "something" circulating around the net right now (Note: I didn't call it news) about Randy Orton allegedly assaulting a "fan" down in Boston last Friday, January 8, at around 6:30 in the evening.

Click THIS to read it.

I personally don't believe this for so many reasons, and I will lay them all out here.

• The report says the incident happened at 6:30 p.m.  The thing with that is, it also says the house show starts at 7:30 p.m.  Wouldn't the wrestlers have to be inside the venue by that time?
• Besides, they have catering.  So why would he go out an hour before the show starts to eat?
• Randy has stated before in an interview that he doesn't eat before a show because he likes to stay light on his feet, which, then again, goes back to the question, what's he doing outside at a restaurant?
• The incident happened Jan. 8 and yet they filed it on Jan. 12.  What took so long? 

Another thing, don't they (the superstars) go in groups, or at least with a couple of guys when they go out? What, was he alone when he supposedly went out to get a bite?

I just don't buy this crap, and I'm going to continue calling this crap until I see some really hard evidence.

EDIT: I looked for the results/recap of the said houseshow in Boston and this is what I found. CLICK ME

Reading that, it's apparent that Randy was not even in a bad mood which he would have been if this thing happened prior, wouldn't you think?  I mean, he even did the arms stretched-out pose during his entrance to the delight of the crowd and that just doesn't seem like a guy who just "assaulted" someone.  I suggest you watch the video linked, to see what I'm talking about.

originally posted at bleacherreport.com

Did you watch last night's Raw? Yeah, of course you did.  It was the usual show: DX skits, Hornswoggle interference, etc.  But, there's something that didn't seem quite right.  And I wasn't alone to notice it.

At the end of the Triple Threat Match for the No. 1 contendership, Randy Orton seemed genuinely pissed.  And I mean like unscripted. Several people on also noticed it the following.

• He yelled "stupid" and or "f***ing stupid" (at Kofi).
• He continued to curse after they did the hand raise.
• Cody asked him if he was all right.
• He spat seemingly in disgust or something.

So, did somebody botched a move that made Randy really angry like when Mr. Kennedy (allegedly) botched a move?

Two reasons are surfacing above others:

1. Kofi Kingston kind of went out of script.  He stood up too quickly, after Ted's attack, and Randy pushed him down again, but he stood up again so instead of Randy doing the punt, he went for the RKO. He did look like he was going to kick, but he went to 'coiled' position instead and was pounding the mat saying something like "drop! drop! drop!" Mind you, Randy didn't seem to deliver that RKO too kindly.  It was, with lack of a better term, ridiculously sick.  Kofi's face really hit hard.
2. Ted DiBiase Jr. took his time to come to his rescue. But really, if it was that, I don't think Randy would've been that pissed. And if that was it, I think this is more likely kayfabe.

It's really hard to tell sometimes whether Orton's really mad or he's kayfabe mad. But this time he looked genuinely mad to me.

See for yourself HERE

What do you think?

I don’t usually let this side of me come out.   I try not to be as crazy.  I try to be the sensible fan all the time, but this Juan thinks it’s a good idea to see who’s the zaniest fan of their chosen Superstar is.   When I read his article about it…I just couldn’t resist.  So, here is my entry to his Maniac vs Maniac challenge.

I warn you though, the level of crazy I’m taking out for you to see might change the way you look at me forever.

Randy Orton is God. 

How many times have you seen that sign up in the crowd at the arenas RAW shows are done in?  A lot.  A LOT.  And no one believes in it more than I do.  Because you see, Ortonism for me is a religion.  And I am The High Priestess of the Order of Ortonites.  The Elite Order of Orton worshippers.

My evolution and journey to the highest rank of the Order has not been a smooth sailing one, even though I just made it up.  I have encountered many troubles.  Doubt has crossed my mind, disappointments challenged my faith, lost my temper and almost went IED on other people’s butts.  But, just like St. Thomas, the doubter, I have been transformed into an adamant believer/fanatic/lover/Ortonholic/worshipper. 

Greatness Has Entered the WWE. 

“Greatness has entered the building, you may bow at will.”  --Randy Orton, Legend Killer

My first encounter with the Greatness that is Randy Orton, began in 2002.   I’ve been watching wrestling as a casual fan.  I have been fond of watching the likes of Triple H, Shawn Michaels, etc.  But on that faithful day, April 25 2002, little did I know that I was going to experience an awakening.

It was Randy Orton’s debut on WWE Smackdown.  He came into the screen, all covered up in sweat shirt and sweat pants.  He was cute.  And he has big hands. He came into Vince McMahon’s office to give courtesy to the boss.  You all know what happened.  The moment he took off that sweat shirt and revealed that marvelously sculpted torso of his, I was awakened.  I was brought out from puberty, and into womanhood.

I was released from the grasp of the boy bands with their squeaky sounding voices and skinny bodies.  Jericho calls himself the “savior” but it was Randy Orton who saved me.  But I didn’t know it yet at the time.  Like I said, it was gradual, slow, and painful at the beginning.  But it was all worth it.

His Evolution Was My Evolution. 

He started out as the talented, excited young ingénue and I was the enthusiastic young fan who just wanted to see that gorgeous young brunette guy with the hot body.  Then he began to take on another character- the conceited, self-absorbed third generation wrestler. 

His talent and charisma was noticed by the King of Kings himself, Triple H, and he plucked him among many to be the Chosen One, to be his successor, so to speak.  During his run with Evolution, I will be honest, sometimes he annoyed me.  I even hated him sometimes, because of my naiveté.  I didn’t understand why he had to be so mean.  And look so good doing it.

But I keep coming back.  I keep wanting more. He’s got me hook, line and sinker as they say.   I tried to understand him.  Why he does the things he does.  And then it dawned on me.  It was my trial.  Like any true believer, it was a trial to test my faith in him.  I understood EVERYTHING.  Because of him, I have become a real fan.

Okay, fuck it…this is where I get really crazy.

Randy Orton is Perfection.

Contrary to what Dolph Ziggler’s entrance music suggests, he is not ‘perfection’.  Randy Orton is.   Even Andrea Claire who is an ardent follower/lover/fanatic of Edge thinks so.  She once said “He’s a genetic anomaly, nobody should be allowed to be that perfect!”.  That wasn’t verbatim of course, I only memorize Randy’s words by heart. 

He is how a man should look—Aside from his beautifully sculpted facial features which no one else could duplicate, have you seen his glorious body? Of course you have, it’s on display every week so you should be thankful to see it and model yourself to it if you are a man!  He has that perfect chest and tight abs I could probably eat off of, and I wouldn’t mind doing so actually.  That sexy little butt that even Shaq couldn’t help himself but tweet about it.  He’s got long, lean, mascular…ahm…arms.  And his legs, they just make me say “Oh. My. God.” 

He is the epitome of how a man should groom himself—hairless chest, hairless pits, hairless thighs...and um…wait, I’m still looking at the thighs…okay, where was I? Oh yes…and finally, he’s how a man should smell.  Yes, I can smell him from the tv! He smells really good. Like a baby, since he uses baby oil. 

Randy Orton Can Do No Wrong

That’s right, I said it. Even if he does really evil things, it’s not wrong!  He is always right!  Sure he attacked Kofi Kingston for seemingly no reason at all recently, but didn’t you hear what he said? It was JUSTICE.  Kofi interfered in his match!  That’s punishable by law!  Orton’s Law.  It’s the only law. 

EVERYTHING he does he has reasons for it, and all his reasons are reasonable!  Even if he is wrong, he’s still right.  And even when he’s really, really wrong…it’s not his fault.  The writers did it.

I don’t even have to put up an argument about that whole “Path of Destruction” he had going early this year, starting from when he punted Vince McMahon.  EVERYTHING he did was justified.  It is, don’t argue with me.  You wouldn't wanna see me go like this on you.

Everyone hates him because he’s an arrogant, egotistical S.O.B.  What’s wrong with that?  I happen to love his big ego.

I follow EVERYTHING he teaches.  And he teaches by example.  Ask Ted and Cody.  Hell, I even use baby oil.  People just give him a lot of crap about his oil use.  Oil actually makes you smooth, and it’s better than lotion because there are no other chemicals there.

I’m All About Randy Orton. 

EVERYTHING I touch turns to Randy Orton if it isn’t already is. 

I have his shirts, all of them.  I buy them as soon as they come out.  I even had a shirt made with “Team Orton” printed on it!  And I wear them everywhere too.  In the office, at the mall, at the gym, at the park, when I go for a run, when I sleep, EVERYWHERE! If there’s a shampoo and soap with his face and name on it, I’d probably buy that too.

I have the only two WWE Magazine covers he’s ever been on by himself framed and keep them beside my bed and say good morning and good night to them. 

My phone, iPod and laptop’s wallpaper is Randy Orton, my message alert tone is Voices, and my call alert tone is Burn in My Light.  Okay, so maybe you other maniacs do the same with your Superstars.  But me, I don’t have to stick to his entrance music.  Every song is about him!  Take for example Paparazzi by Lady Gaga (Because “Baby there’s no other Superstar”).  Or Good Girls Go Bad by Cobra Starship (Because he makes the good girls go bad).  Or Ego by Beyoncé.  And even Rehab (Because I’m an Ortonholic)  by Amy Winehouse! EVERYTHING!

Everyone who knows me knows what a huge fan I am of Randy Orton.  Why?  Because I tell them.  Because I show them.  All the computers’ screen I touch has Randy Orton wall paper on them.  I’m not just talking about the one I own, I’m talking computers at the office.  And they don’t dare change it.  They wouldn’t want to mess with me when it comes to Randy Orton.  And yeah, because they’re all technologically challenged and are too afraid to tinker with the computers.

All my networking account has Orton’s face on it you’d think it’s his page.  Sorry, no links.

Well, there you have it.  I know it’s labeled as ‘humor’ but there’s really nothing funny about it.  I am very serious when it comes to Randy Orton.  And if you’re not down with that….oh, wait, that’s not an Orton material…uhm…okay…I should come up with something…here…

I ain’t the High Priestess of the Order of Ortonites for Nothing.

               Breaking Point gave us both expected and unexpected results, but I thought it was still a good show altogether.   You gotta give credit to the audience though, because they were so much a part of the whole happening.

                So, anyway, here we go…

                The First match of the night was for the Unified Tag Team Championships.  We did expect Jericho and Show to win it, didn’t we?  They’re a very good team and they carry the titles with credibility.  So, I think it’s an excellent choice to let them keep it.

                The match was good too.  I liked it better when Jericho and MVP were in the ring instead of the two bigger men.  It was a fairly even matchup from the start though, so I enjoyed it.  There were instances that I thought Henry and MVP were going to win but they didn’t get the count.  Jericho got the pin with Show’s help in the end.

                Makes you wonder though, if they were faced with an equally matched opponents, and they managed to win, who else could face up to them to take the titles?  Frankly, right now, I don’t think anyone could.  I think if they lose, it’s going to be because of their own doing.  There will be some kind of internal problems with the two and that’ll start their undoing.  But it’s still too early to speculate about that, so I’m leaving it at that.

                The next match was Kofi Kingston against The Miz for the United States Championship.

                This wasn’t even booked until the last minute.  I guess it took over the spot for the IC Championship.  Nevertheless, it was a pretty amazing match.  The Miz looked good dominating Kofi for almost the whole match until he got Trouble in Paradise.  I was rooting for Miz to win, but I guess it wasn’t his time yet to hold gold as a singles competitor.

                I hope this isn’t the last time Miz will try to get his hands on the title.  I really like this whole new attitude Miz has, but it’s not really that far from the way he was before the trunks.  He is more aggressive, and that does make a difference and makes him more enjoyable to watch.

                On a lighter note, I didn’t understand what he said in French before the start of the match but that was a nice touch.  Maybe he’s been spending some quality time with Maryse? LOL

               Submissions Count Anywhere Match between DX and Legacy was next.  I was surprised that this got on much earlier than Kane vs Khali or even that little promo with Mr. Pat Patterson and Mr. Ziggles.

                Honestly, I wasn’t expecting Legacy to get away with the win.  I had hope they would, but I didn’t expect it.  I’m very happy they did.  I think it’s a good decision that they split wins with DX now.  I had said it before they need to this to make the feud more substantial.  They can’t have DX win all the time, dominating the boys.

                It was a good match, there were some dead moments but it was exciting over all.  I actually thought HBK was really hurt when he fell over on some of the equipment boxes.  Good thing he wasn’t.  Anyway, Ted and Cody did really good in my opinion.  They had good team work all the time, always had each other’s backs.

                I’m pretty sure this isn’t the end of their matchup.  DX will most likely not just sit down and take the loss so I expect to see more at least until Bragging Rights.

                Next up was Kane vs. Khali in a Singapore Cane Match.  I’m going to be honest, I wasn’t at all excited about this match.  I didn’t think it had much of a build-up.  Some might disagree though, but I don’t know.  It just really didn’t have anything for me.

                The match was like what you would see on Smackdown with those two, except they had multiple Singapore canes around to use legally.   At one point Kane tried to wrap Khali’s arm on the cane, but it really didn’t look much of a hold and didn’t really look like it’ll hurt because the cane was on the natural bend of Khali’s arm (inside the elbow), and Kane wasn’t exactly pulling his arm.

                I liked the choke slam though, and that was probably the only interesting part I saw on the whole match.

                Now, let me just take this space to say something about that little interview with CM Punk.  They did exactly what I had hoped they would not do.  And I think it is so wrong.  They had Punk address Jeff Hardy’s situation, while it is still up for investigation.  I know and understand that they did it to build Punk more as a heel, but how much does he need to capitalize on issues concerning Jeff?

                I don’t blame Punk though, he’s just reading the script.

                The next match was for the ECW Championship, with Christian vs. Regal.  Regal came with his two mammoth sidekicks, but they were immediately banned from ringside by Tiffany’s order.  Christian immediately went for the Killswitch but did get it to go.  I read Regal’s lips and he said, “Do you think I’m stupid?”.  If we could only hear the trash talk I think it would’ve been better.

                They had good exchanges of moves, a few near falls, successful attempts on signature moves.  Christian’s killswitch actually failed three times, but the last one sealed it.

                I’m happy they didn’t let Kozlov and Jackson interfere, it was a pretty solid match with just those two involved.

                Next up was a little segment with the HOFamer Pat Patterson, the first ever Intercontinental Champion.  I think he was going to introduce the present IC Champ John Morrison but before he could say his name, Mr. Ziggles came out.

                They did a promo, which was funny a first, but it became too much for my liking.  I liked when the crowd chanted “Shut the f*** up” though.  That was fun.  Dolph went on with his little speech and then took a cheap shot at Pat.  He was going to step down the ring, but thought twice about it and came back, but JoMo came to the rescue. They had a stare down, and that was it.

                Finally, we get to the two main events.

                First is an “I Quit” Match for the WWE Championship.  I think the result of this match was very much expected.  I expected this to happen since Vince booked it as an “I Quit”match.  Cena is never going to quit.  He can’t and they won’t let him.   I had hoped they were going to take a different road, since I’m sure they’ve heard and read comments that people expect this to happen, and they’d have the two just pass out without having to quit.  They didn’t.

                I thought it would’ve been better because if they made Orton say the words, how is he going to be the arrogant heel he’s portraying himself to be if he said it.  I guess we’ll have to see on Monday night Raw.

                Anyway, I did enjoy the match even though I knew what the outcome would be.  It was indeed very brutal as expected.  The crowd added to the match, I think.  That type of interaction always makes it fun to watch.  I think it’ll be one for the classics.  I just really wished it had a different ending.

                The last match of the night was for the World Heavyweight Championship with CM Punk vs. The Undertaker.  This one ended with controversy.  Somebody made an article about it being Montreal Screwjob part 2, and it certainly look like it is.

                It started out really good and Punk’s hanging it with Taker.  I missed most of what happened though, because I was tweeting.  Bad idea when you’re watching a PPV, I know.  Anyway, when I got back to it, Taker was applying the Hell’s Gate submission hold and Punk tapped.  I thought that was the perfect ending.

I’ve been writing sports and pro-wrestling articles lately and I have this fondness with the word “Legacy” as it relates to a faction lead by my favorite wrestler, Randy Orton.  (Damn, the mere mention of his name makes me sin. LOL)

                Okay, enough about that.  That’s not the ‘legacy’ I want to talk about here right now.  I’m talking about the legacy of two families whose past and destinies seems to be intertwined in the sole purpose of leading the nation to the height of its glory and uphold our freedom.

                These families are the Aquinos and Roxases.  It is amazing that now when our democracy is somewhat assaulted, two leaders from these families rises to the occasion.

                This last couple of week, I was so impressed by the actions of Senator Mar Roxas, that I could not help but shed a tear.   To sacrifice one’s own dream, for the hopes of the many may be a simple enough gesture on the outside.  But one could never fathom how hard it is to do, and yet he did it with a smile, and open heart and an open mind.

                This September 9, 2009, marked another would be highlight in Philippine history.  This marked the day when Benigno Aquino III, the only son of Benigno Aquino Jr. and Corazon Aquino, both beloved political personalities, has taken unto himself the ‘Gordian Task’ of leading the nation –if so blessed. 

He had been reluctant to delve into it—as the private person that he is --perhaps knowing the scrutiny that lies ahead from the eyes of the preying opponents.  But the people put their hopes on him, and he did not disappoint.

It is a difficult task, especially when they are opposing the reigning powers.  But, I have high hopes that if these two men, whose family’s legacy is deeply rooted in their desire to serve the nation and its people, works hand in hand to attain their purpose, there’s nothing that cannot be accomplished and we can say once again how glorious our country is.

I have no doubt their forbearers would be so proud of these two for what they have already done and what they can still do, if we let them.  And I’m sure so will we.

I was watching the news the other night, and I saw a report regarding an elected government official’s SALN, or Statement of Assets and Liabilities Net Worth.

Apparently, they are now going to bar access to this legal public document unless first submitting a letter of request, wherein one has to state his intended purpose for acquiring the document.

But that is not the end of it.  The request apparently has to pass through the office of Merceditas Gutierrez, and she will determine whether the said purpose is truthful.  She also has the power to deny the requestor access to the documents.

This act alone suppresses the right of the public to access information about their elected government officials, therefore suspending the policy of total transparency.  As one is elected or appointed into public office, he automatically gives up his right to privacy.  The public has the right to know everything about these officials that can help them evaluate their performance and especially their trustworthiness to hold their offices.

This new memorandum, I feel, is just another blatant act of ass covering by the government and it’s reeking in fishiness if you ask me. 

Why?  Well, it is highly publicized that Merceditas Gutierrez is a classmate and friend of the first gentleman, and this new ‘memo’ conveniently popped up just days after the media discovered some undeclared properties belonging to his sons, and the multiple ‘foundations’ bearing the name of the president and other family members, which may or may not be illegal –as it is yet to be determined – simply because it gains money from donations.

I’m sure you can read between the lines, because unlike the people in the palace, I know the Filipinos are smart enough to see what exactly is going on.

I should warn you, this is really, really long.  In fact, as I typed “Part I” in the title, I wasn’t even sure how many part this is going to be.

So, anyway…let’s get on with it…

A couple of months ago, I learned about WWE Smackdown coming to Manila.  To be honest, I wasn’t exactly spoiling to buy a ticket as soon as I learned.  At the time, two of my major favorite wrestlers, Triple H and Jeff Hardy were on the show.  But there was an impending draft in the WWE so, even though they were initially in the lineup of superstars who were coming, I decided to wait to decide if I was going to buy a ticket until after the draft.

True enough, the top guy on the show, Triple H was drafted to Raw.  Still, I was having second thoughts.  I mean, Jericho and John Morrison ended up in Smackdown after the draft.  And the top heel mainstay, Edge is also there.  But I guess I needed more pushing.  I got that when I read a recount in a form of an article in a sport website I frequent, written by one of the top writers in the Pro-Wrestling section of the said site.  It was about his “adventure” watching a Smackdown and ECW Live show, which was being taped for TV at the Madison Square Garden.  The writer was so ecstatic about it, that I could not help but feel…well, jealous.  I want to experience that, too.

So, then after a week of contemplating, I decided to buy a ticket.  The only choice left, that I gave myself was whether to buy a ringside ticket or a VIP ticket, which was half the price and five rows behind the closest seat to the ring.  Now, my number one favorite of all the wrestlers today is none other than “The Legend Killer”, “The Viper”, the Third Generation Superstar, Randy Orton.  And, since he’s on Raw, I didn’t see any reason why I would want to buy a ringside ticket and decided to buy a VIP seat ticket instead.

A couple of weeks after I purchased the ticket, I learned that not only was Smackdown coming but, ECW too.  Two shows in one night, baby!  I already felt like it was a steal buy for me.  Little did I know that it was going to be a whole lot more of a steal at the night of the show itself…but let’s not jump too quickly on that part.  There’s still a lot more areas to cover before that.

Then, I started looking for people I can hang around with at the night of the show through the Internet.  I posted an announcement on all four of my most active social networking accounts –Friendster, MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook—asking everyone who’d read to contact me if they were going.  I also posted on JackTV’s forum about it, and true enough, I found one in Mijiata.  There was actually two, but the second one came at a later date, or rather at the exact date of the event itself.

So, then, everything was ironed out.  I got my tickets to a Smackdown and ECW show and I’m in contact with possible company.  I told Mijiata of my plan of making a few signs for my favorite wrestlers, and she told me she was thinking of making one too, a tarpaulin at that.  I was only going to make some out of poster paper since they’re easier to carry and a lot less bulky too.  I decided to make one for her too, so she’ll be able to see me from my seat since we have different seat locations. 

I made signs for Edge, Jeff Hardy, and John Morrison each.  I also made one for Kane and the Hart Dynasty thinking they were coming. Unfortunately, they didn’t.  And I also made one especially for the Smackdown announce team –commentators Jim Ross and Todd Grisham, and the announcer Justin Roberts –which said: “I paid to see J.R., Todd and Justin Roberts.”  Well, of course it’s not entirely true.  I paid to see the wrestlers and the action, but, yeah, I still meant it.  I had to think about what I was going to write on the signs, so that took me two weeks to contemplate and actually make them, so when I was done, that’s when I got really excited.  After all, there was a week left.

But then, something unexpected happened.

Note: Will add picture as soon as possible.