Hello, and welcome to the Our Oasis Blog Wrestlemania Roundtable! For all of the announced matches, the Denizens of Our Oasis will give their picks.

Your participants are Dave "Boffo97" Hines, B, Matt Sutton, Libby, Ginger and Sean.

WORLD TITLE MATCH: Batista vs. Triple H
Poll Results: Batista: 7 votes, Triple H: 1 vote

Dave: First of all, I do have to vote for a fellow Dave.
But seriously here, Batista has huge potential to be the next big breakout star. In order for that to happen, he must win at Wrestlemania. Failure to do that would make Triple H's ego even worse than Jeff Jarrett's right now as far as strangulation of your own company.
Especially with Randy Orton reverting back to being a heel, which I really feel is a step back to second tier for him.

B: Without a shadow of a doubt, Batista is gonna win. There's no way that he won't. I would almost stake money on it.

Matt: Batista CAN'T lose, because HHH winning would make no sense. If there's any show where the face should go over no matter what, it's Wrestlemania. The last two times a heel has gone over in a world title match at Wrestlemania, the fanbase (both online and otherwise) shit all over it. And wouldn't you know it, it was HHH both times.
And I'm of the opinion that this is how the Randy Orton face turn SHOULD have been done.

Libby: I voted for Batista. I don't subscribe wholesale to the "faces have to go over at WM" theory, because I think the best person should go over. Like if there was a face champion and a very red hot heel challenger, I would pick the heel. If I did believe that the face should and would always go over in the WM main that would make it all too much of a foregone conclusion for me. Besides, I know through insidery stuff that DiBiase was originally supposed to win the tournament at WM4, which would have cracked the theory a lot earlier.
Case in point, I had no idea why I knew this, because it was way before I got into the net wrestling scene, but I knew beyond any shadow of a doubt that Austin was going to beat HBK at WM14 and knowing that made the match less exciting for me personally...even though I did want Austin to win.
But like I said, I think the correct person in the match should go over, and this time it is absolutely Batista.
ps. there were actually three times that a heel went over, counting Austin at X-7. So that makes Trip 2 out of 3.

Matt: (to Libby) I don't count Mania X-7. Austin was a face at the beginning of the match, and didn't REALLY (in my eyes, anyway) turn heel until the match actually ended. But to each his own, I guess.

Dave: (to Matt) Now remember, there is one other time a heel has won a main event at Wrestlemania. Stone Cold Steve Austin at Mania 17. But that time, he heel turned during the event itself. Triple H is indeed the only guy who has ever gone into a main as a heel and won it, and he's done so twice.

Libby: (to Matt) Well, you have a point. But it did also leave a bad taste in a lot of people's mouths, so I figured I'd count it.

Matt: (to Libby) You know, I just realized something. Heels technically won Wrestlemania main events before HHH in 2000. If you count world title matches as main events no matter where they're placed on the card, Yokozuna won two. He beat Bret Hart at Wrestlemania 9 (before losing to Hulk Hogan two minutes later), and Yokozuna beat Lex Luger by DQ at Wrestlemania 10 (before losing to Bret Hart at the end of the night).

Libby: (to Matt) You know what, you're right. And you're a pretty smart fellow.

Dave: (to Matt) Both of those, though, neither actually left with the title though... so it's harder to count.

WWE TITLE MATCH: John Cena vs. John "Bradshaw" Leyfield
Poll Results: John Cena: 8 votes, JBL: 0 votes

Dave: While this isn't as huge a slam dunk as Batista-Triple H, JBL's reign has gone on for quite a long time, and if Cena doesn't win, it raises a feeling of "Well, who is left?"
Plus, Cena is ready to go to that next level. This could potentially be his Wrestlemania 14.

Matt: JBL's had the title since June, and I think it's time to get the title off of him and give someone else a run. And who better to give the title to than Smackdown's number-one face? Cena goes over here.

Libby: I'm going with Cena. Even though I'm just starting to really get into the JBL thing, I think it's the right time to put Cena over for the belt, and it definitely feels like it's heading that way.

B: Looks like it's unanimous.

MONEY IN THE BANK LADDER MATCH: Chris Jericho vs. Chris Benoit vs. Shelton Bejamin vs. Edge vs. Christian vs. Kane
Winner receives a guaranteed World Title shot at any time of his choice up until and including Wrestlemania XXII
Poll Results: Shelton Benjamin: 4 votes, Chris Jericho: 1 vote, Chris Benoit: 1 vote

Dave: Who I would LIKE to see is Chris Jericho, but it seems like WWE has totally given up on him beyond the midcard. Kane also seems to have no confidence at that level.
That being said, I think they'll try to push Shelton as a new face on that level, so he'll win.

Matt: It's like drawing a name out of a hat, because I'd be happy with any of the six winning. But I'm gonna go with Shelton, just because he's the only one who hasn't won a ladder match, so I guess he'd be due.

B: I want Shelton to win, but is it very likely that he will win since he already has the Intercontinental Champion title?

Matt: (to B) The winner has a year to claim the title shot, so he could always lose the title before using it. And what's stopping them from doing a champion vs. champion match? They've done it before.

Dave: (to B) What Matt said.
And over on SmackDown, John Cena became #1 contender while he had the US Title, which is basically the equivalent.

Libby: I could see good, fun, interesting programs coming out of this for Edge or Christian, but I picked Shelton, who I think has some big things coming his way. Kane will never get the shot he deserves, and Benoit and Jericho are just in the shuffle now.

Dave: (to Libby) Well, Benoit is a lot better off than Jericho is right now.
Being as this was all Jericho's idea in the first place, he'll look terrible for not winning... and given WWE's puzzling refusal to ever push him again to any substantive level after his loss of the Undisputed Title, it seems unlikely he'll win.
Maybe they just figure he's one of those guys who doesn't need the belt to be over.

Libby: (to Dave) I've read that Jericho is happy with his career and doesn't mind doing whatever is necessary for the good of the product. Even so, I'd like him to get another shot, if for no other reason than I want an excuse for his dvd to get made.

B: (to Matt) Well yay then! I hope he wins.

Randy Orton vs. The Undertaker
Poll: The Undertaker: 5 votes, Randy Orton: 1 vote (I wonder who.)

Dave: I don't see Undertaker's undefeated streak ever ending, especially with Orton's heel turn. The only possible exception could be if Orton and Taker will end up on the same show after the draft for an extended feud.
But honestly, it looks like Orton is being depushed here.

Matt: Taker avenges Stacy and makes Orton lucky number 13.

B: I gotta vote for my boy. You're either for him or against him, and I don't want him RKO'ing me :P
(Honestly though, since the stupid heel turn I no longer think he's gonna win. grrr and stuff)

Dave: (to B) Hehehe... score one for B.

Libby: At first I thought Orton might be able to take down the Undertaker and end the streak, but after thinking about it I don't think there's any way that the Taker loses. A year ago Orton was such a hot character that I might have believed, but right now he's been in kind of a limbo and is just getting back up there, and I just can't see Orton winning.

B: (to Dave) Yay for me! :)

Kurt Angle vs. Shawn Michaels
Poll Results: Shawn Michaels: 5 votes, Kurt Angle: 1 vote

Dave: This will be a bit of a unique situation because it's one where even though Shawn is older, I think, he could conceivably have a lot more tread left on the tires than Angle becaus of his neck injuries and publically known retirement goals.
Because of that, and because this feud is based on Angle's obsession with beating Shawn, I say Shawn wins here to set up more matches down the road, kind of llike why Shawn went over Jericho at Mania 19.

Libby: I'm saying Shawn Michaels wins, just because he's who I want to win. I want Angle to go down. It isn't some dissection of who should win and why to blah blah blah heat or whatever. I just want HBK to win. Furthermore, I expect this will prolly be my favorite match on the show, therefore putting Michaels in my favorite Mania match for the 3rd year straight.

Dave: (to Libby) You know what? I agree with you. And I hope Taker kicks Orton's ass too... and man, I want Batista to kick Triple H's ass.
If you can't mark out and have fun sometimes, there's no point in watching any more.

B: (to Dave) *kicks your butt*

Dave: (to B) Sorry, but Orton's been a cocky little jerk.

B: (to Dave) But a hot one.. :)

Matt: (to B) Uh, I doubt Boffo cares if he's hot, him being a heterosexual male and all.

Ginger: (to Matt) As a heterosexual female, let me chime in with a "he's not all that hot anyway".

SUMO MATCH: The Big Show vs. Akebono
Poll Results: Akebono: 4 votes, The Big Show: 0 votes

Dave: Given that this is a guy coming in who is a champion of a legit sport to have a match in that sport, I say this will be legit, and that Akebono will win it, mostly because of the "home turf" factor in a sumo match.

Matt: Why should I care about this match? I had never heard of Akebono until they showed him at the Smackdown taping in Japan a few months ago, and I doubt a good 98% of WWE's audience had heard of him either. If you ask me, this will be to Wrestlemania 21 what the Brawl For All was to Wrestlemania 15: a wrestler vs. someone from another sport in a match that nobody really has any interest in, and it'll probably end just as quickly. I'm gonna go with Akebono, just because he's the actual sumo wrestler.

Sean: is there an option for "don't care"?

Libby: I went with Akebono. It's his kind of match. No other reason, really.

WWE WOMEN'S CHAMPIONSHIP: Christy Hemme vs. Trish Stratus
Poll Results: Christy Hemme: 5 votes, Trish Stratus: 1 vote

Dave: Christy wins for two reasons:
1. The title is in a little danger of getting stale on Trish, and Victoria and Molly have been reduced to jobbers, and there's no one else left.
2. The Playboy cover said Christy was the champion. The Women's Champ nude sells a few more issues. Money is good.

Sean: "and Victoria and Molly have been reduced to jobbers": and there's no good reason for that, specially in Victoria's case. She needs to ditch the smile, the dancing and the tiny pants and go back to being crazy and vicious.

Dave: (to Sean) exactly, and a face turn could really freshen up Molly as well, maybe even resuming the Mighty Molly role.
But really if you only have 3 or 4 people in a divison, it has to be set up so that anyone could feud with anyone at any time, even if it is a face-face or heel-heel feud.

Matt: Trish is great and all, but even if Christy probably can't wrestle her way out of a paper bag, at least putting the title on her would be something different. The women's roster is very, very shallow, and it could use something refreshing. Though I still stand by my opinion that if Trish was a man, she'd have the World Title by now.
And what's wrong with Victoria in tiny pants? I like Victoria in tiny pants.

B: Christy, no doubt. She's by far the coolest girl on there, too.

Libby: I find this almost unbelievable, but I voted for Christy to go over Trish, who is by far the better wrestler and character. Now don't get me wrong, I like Christy. She's just no Trish.
However, just to move this angle along I think Christy is going to win.

Eddie Guerrero vs. Rey Mysterio
Poll Results: Eddie Guerrero: 4 votes, Rey Mysterio: 2 votes

Dave: Eddie wins when Chavo interferes without Eddie's knowledge, in order to carry on the angle.

Matt: This is one of those coin flip decisions. You can't really pick who's going to win, but you know it's going to be a good match either way. But I'm gonna go with Guerrero here with a little unwanted lying, cheating, and stealing from Chavito.

Libby: I really don't know which way to go with this. On one hand, I see what you guys are saying about the Chavo interference. On the other hand, Chavo could help Rey win--without Eddie knowing--just to push Eddie over the edge, and into a possible turn.
That idea sounds right, but I voted for Eddie to win.

Dave's Miscellaneous Predictions:

Hall of Fame Induction: Hassan confronts Hogan, setting up a match at Wrestlemania. (This ended up untrue, but Hassan could still confront Hogan at Mania itself)

Heat: Orlando Jordan retains US Title over Charlie Haas (or Booker T more likely)

Piper's Pit: Piper verbally outmatches Austin, Austin calls for beer, stuns Piper.

Other: Hogan defeats Hassan in a typical, but short Hogan match. But Hassan is still not pinned on RAW.