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WrestleMania Takes Hold

Posted: Apr 1st 2011 By: CMBurnham

WWE are looking for a gay old time at Wrestlemania this weekend.

Although stuck between a rock and a hard place thanks to the ignorance of Michael Cole, they are hoping that the Rock will deliver a commanding buy-rate for their big show. Now Rocky wasn?t the first light- bulb that sparked into life inside the McMahon grey matter this year. TNA Heavyweight Champion Sting was heavily rumoured to be coming back to wrestle Taker and take his rightful place among the greats in the Hall of Fame.

Former UFC (and indeed WWE) Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar also got cosy with Taker after his fight with Cain, and tongues wagged about a return at Mania. FT works like a government mule (thanks JR) to get you the inside track ? and this week we?ve nailed it.

We got BOTH champions to tell us what went on with Mania. Before we start FT would like to make it clear that Daniel Bryan and Sheamus are our runner up the rail for the best match on Sunday night. Sting tells FT he was approached and offered a match with Undertaker, and a place in the Hall of Fame but he turned it down.

?I wouldn?t say it was utter nonsense, that?s not true!? laughs TNA?s champ. ?It?s a dream match that fans would want to see. It was close. I?m glad things turned out the way they did.

?There are so many variables. Let?s just say that I turned it down for the same reasons I always have. Some- thing in me never trusted what would happen up there, based entirely on the track record with other WCW guys and everything that went on after Vince bought WCW.

?I wont be watching but I?ll be asking what happened between Under- taker and Triple H.?

Lesnar, for his part is far too busy to be dealing with WWE. He?s the coach on the next season of the Ultimate Fighter and has the none-too-insignificant matter of Junior Dos Santos to prepare for. He told FT this week that WWE had not approached him at all regarding a Mania appearance.

?They were smart enough to know that I am deeply involved in UFC, what I am doing now.

?Wrestling doesn?t affect my life so much. I?m a fighter. The WWE will go on, and it will always be there, but I am in the UFC for as far as I can see. If ever there was an opportunity in the future to be on Wrestlemania, then I guess I have to say: ?Never say never.??

Now here?s the thing. It is true that a Sting-Taker match would have put on buys for the company, certainly more than the existing match with HHH is going to. But the Hall of Fame would have been the more fitting and poignant occasion than to have such a ring great look at the lights for Taker.

A Brock-Taker match is an entirely different universe. It would have put on more buys than Rock returning without a shadow of a doubt. He is the biggest draw in UFC, doing numbers which dwarf WWE?s PPV returns, so it is shocking to hear from Lesnar that they didn?t even call.