Monday's three-hour Raw focused on the 2008 Slammy Awards. Let's see how I did on my predictions:
Superstar of the Year: I chose Batista, and I thought John Cena or Jeff Hardy would win. After Batista lost earlier in the show, I knew he wouldn't be winning the top award. I then thought WWE might do some kind of Triple H-Stephanie McMahon or Shane McMahon-Stephanie McMahon angle, but man was I surprised. Jericho did win the world title twice this year. Jericho's win also was done to push the Cena-Jericho match for Sunday's pay-per-view. I'm 0-1.
Match of the Year: Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels at WrestleMania 24 was indeed a no-brainer. I'm glad WWE went with that one. I'm 1-1.
Diva of the Year: Much like match of the year, this one was a no-brainer with Beth Phoenix taking the honor. I'm 2-1.
OMG Moment of the Year: I loved that Joey Styles got some microphone time. Shock value (Cena showing up at the Royal Rumble) in this day of Internet spoilers apparently doesn't mean anything, though, as WWE went with CM Punk cashing in the Money in the Bank and becoming World Heavyweight Champion on the June 30 Raw. Punk isn't a bad choice though. I'm 2-2.
"DAMN!" Moment of the Year: Yes, Ron Simmons topped off this bizarre segment. WWE obviously likes The Great Khali's current role. Even though I chose Punk disguised in a Mariachi Band, I can't complain too much with Khali's honor. I'm 2-3.
Tag Team of the Year: The Miz and John Morrison have a great future. I'm 3-3.
Best Finishing Maneuver: Evan Bourne will be born again when he returns from injury with his Shooting Star Press. I'm 4-3.
Extreme Moment of the Year: I still remember marking out for Jeff Hardy's Swanton Bomb on Randy Orton on the Jan. 14 Raw. I'm 5-3.
Couple of the Year: Edge and Vickie Guerrero did indeed carry Smackdown. I'm 6-3.
Best WWE.com Exclusive: The Miz and John Morrison's "The Dirt Sheet" needs television time a few times per month. It's that good. I'm 7-3.
Breakout Star of the Year: Vince McMahon loves to push big men in angles, so he must have single-handedly chosen Vladimir Kozlov here. I thought for sure WWE would go with Evan Bourne, or even Kofi Kingston. Oh well. I'm 7-4.
Best Musical Performance: Fans love R-Truth. I'm 8-4.
Announcer of the Year: The underdogs (Matt Striker and Todd Grisham) took this one. They needed it I guess. I'm 8-5.
Best Impersonation: Even though Charlie Haas won for "The Glamahaas" on the Oct. 27 Raw, Haas still won. OK, so he had to win because he was the only nominee. But, I finish 9-5.
The Rest of Raw
WWE pushed Mike Knox-Evan Bourne, Beth Phoenix-Melina and Shawn Michaels-JBL during the Slammy Awards. I have no clue where Michaels-JBL is going, but it does interest me. My Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk prediction came true, and I'm sticking with my pick of Mysterio to get a future Intercontinental Title shot against William Regal. We'll see how far this Randy Orton's "The Legacy is Born" slogan goes. I'm not sold on Cody Rhodes and Manu. Just WHAT did MVP do to lose to MVC (Charlie Haas)? Hornswoggle sure does have company respect, pinning Santino Marella. Dolph Ziggler is either going to be Rookie of the Year for 2009 or a total bust.
LATEST ON THE HOGANS
Celebrity Championship Wrestling finale: Dustin Diamond was definitely the worst of the final four. His chops were downright brutal. I thought Butterbean was the best wrestler and Todd Bridges the best athlete throughout the series. But Dennis Rodman had the best performance in the finale, and that's how the winner was crowned. So, case closed. I think there will be a Season 2. Stay tuned.
Jimmy Hart, managing The Nasty Boys vs. Reid and David Flair, got in referee Hulk Hogan's face while the Flair brothers had the Nasty Boys in Figure Four Leg Locks in Saturday's match. Hogan punched Hart three times and gave him the boot before allowing Ric Flair to put him in the figure four leg lock. Hogan then made the three count to give the Flairs the win. REACT: I watched this here:
and I must say, it was great seeing Flair and Hogan working together to help kick-star the career of Reid. This was truly one of the more refreshing wrestling moments of 2008.