Biggest potential first round upset

[Tastycles]

Which match scheduled so far will present the biggest upset in the first round of the tournament do you think. I think that thanks to the fact that TNA is seen as being a bit shit, and IC25 is so far behind El Canek, we might see Jeff Jarrett, WCW's 11 seed go out to it's 54 seed.

Similarly, I think Scott Steiner has his detractors, and Ahmed Johnson has a chance of going over him. These two are seeds 11 and 54 respectively in TNA.

However, due entirely to his immense popularity on these forums, I do think Santino, TNA's 60 seed could beat it's number 5 seed Roddy Piper. We'll see though.

What matches do you think have a chance to spring an upset?

 

[NSL]

I have 2 upsets pencilled in on my bracket so far for each region.

In the WWE Region, I think 61 DiBiase Jr. can, and will, upset 4 Foley. Based on pure wrestling talent, Ted should win this. Foley wasn't bad, but he wasn't a wrestler. I also have 55 Big Daddy V beating 10 The Great Muta. I've said it time and again, that Muta doesn't have anything that impresses me. Even if he did, I struggle to see anything that can take down a monster like Big Daddy V.

In the WCW Region, my first upset listed is 44 Mike Awesome over 21 Steve Corino. Sorry Shadow. I'll be voting for Corino, but it's a close match, and it would only be an upset by seedings. They're a lot closer than the numbers would say. The second one, and I'm sure this will catch me flak, is 59 Kid Kash over 6 Eddie Guerrero. I liked Guerrero. He was good in the ring. But, I've seen a ton of stuff from Kid Kash, and I just think he was better. This is all based on personal opinion, obviously. I'm pretty sure Guerrero will win, and win big, but my vote will be reserved for Kash. I have 40 Big John Studd going over 25 Sabu, but that isn't really an upset, considering this isn't a hardcore environment.

In ECW, my forst upset on my bracket is 45 Too Cold Scorpio over 20 Fit Finlay. Finlay is solid in the ring, and can get hardcore, but Scorpio is at home in this element. His offense is phenomenal, and Finlay won't be able to do anything to slow him down. I also have 50 Brian "Crush" Adams beating 15 Batista. Batista will probably get my vote, but it'll be a close match. I only have it as an upset, because of the number of anti-Batista posters around here.

In TNA, I really hope Santino doesn't pull off the win. It's just wrong, and shouldn't happen. I do have 43 Chavo Guerrero beating 22 JBL though. JBL is nowhere near as athletic as Chavo was in his prime, and won't be able to slow him down. His game is too centered on the Clothesline, and it won't be enough here. I also have 54 Ahmed Johnson very lightly pencilled in to go over 11 Scott Steiner. In a match-up of strength, it'd be close. Steiner will, and should win, but a lot of people forget about Scott's days as a flier in the ring. He's much more multi-faceted than Ahmed, and should win. It'l be interesting to see how people vote.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

The 11 vs 54 match-up is our version of the NCAA's 5 vs 12 "trap game." It's kinda uncanny.

#54 El Canek should, and will, defeat the interesting but over rated #11 Jeff Jarrett. For all the flak that Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels get for being WWF Champions at the decline of the WWF, Jeff Jarrett was that for WCW. The only difference is that Hart and Michaels kept the company alive long enough for Austin and Rock to save it, whereas Jarrett was around as WCW was put into the ground. Jarrett only reigned when booking power was mis-aligned in his favor, either as Russo's legitimate "chosen one" or as the part-owner of TNA. To me, Jarrett will moreover be remembered as a) the guy who lost to Chyna, b) the guy who layed down for Hogan, and c) the guy who bought TNA and gave himself the NWA Title.

In the WWE Region, Great Muta won't lose to Big Daddy V. Muta is too fast, and too experienced. If the match goes 10 minutes, Big Daddy Bitch Tits will be so gassed it'll be laughable. A few drop kicks will floor him, and a moonsault will end it. No, an upset I see in the WWE Region is #58 Blue Demon over #7 Dusty Rhodes. That is if people research, of course. My campaigning for El Canek has brought quite a few legends of Lucha to the surface in this tournament, and thanks to Tastycles, Blue Demon is at the front of them. I could absolutely see Rhodes, in the absence of his booking power, being upset by the Mexican legend.

I also agree with Jake, than #33 Haku should destroy #32 Abyss.

In the stacked ECW Region, there's an upset waiting to happen in the San Antonio region, but in an odd way. According to the seeding, this is not an upset, but if and when #18 Jushin "Thunder" Liger defeats a man more than twice his size in #47 "El Gigante" Gonzalez, I think it'll be considered an upset. Liger's got his work cut out for him, though, just on Gonzalez's size.

Finally, in the TNA Region, I wholeheartedly agree that #54 Ahmed Johnson has a shot against #11 Scott Steiner. It just depends on which Steiner people think of when they vote. If it's the over-roided mutant we've gotten to know the past few years, then give me Ahmed Johnson. Johnson could match power with Steiner at any point in Steiner's career. If peope think of the long-haired, athletic younger brother of Rick, then I'd go with Scotty. His best chance is that people remember the strong but agile and athletic Michigan All-American. Otherwise it becomes a power-match, and Scotty was at a point in his career where his mass hindered him in the ring at times.

The tournament is deeper than it's ever been before, and a lot of that is due to the fact that more and more educated fans are coming onto the boards, and people are taking the time to learn about stars from Japan, Mexico, and the Old School AWA, NWA, etc. I can't wait.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

I've never understood what all the hype about Jarrett is, so I don't think him losing to El Canek will be all that big of an upset.

For me, #51 Tatsuni Fujinami may upset #14 Arn Anderson in the WWE Miami Sub-region. I have a lot of respect for Arn Anderson, but I don't think he's anywhere near as good as Fujinami. Fujinami's most well-known matches in the English-speaking world are those he had with Ric Flair at the WCW/New Japan Supershow I and SuperBrawl I in 1991, where he respectively beat Flair for the NWA title and then lost it back to him. I plan to have something up for Fujinami sometime this weekend a la IrishCanadian25's thread for El Canek.

 

[Uncle Sam]

I've never understood what all the hype about Jarrett is, so I don't think him losing to El Canek will be all that big of an upset.

What's "all the hype about Jarrett"? I think the most hype I've ever heard for Jarrett is "Well, he's better than nothing, ain't he?". That's usually followed by "Not really". Fact of the matter is, Jarrett is criminally underrated. Why? Because people call him bad when he's been a big success - he's faced the best, he's put on great matches with the best and he has beaten the best.

What can you say about El Canek? He won some random titles and slammed some big blokes. Jarrett's not a big bloke, so the latter part means nothing. And, according to Tastycles, those belts aren't nearly as valuable as the Canadian has made them out to be. Better the devil you know than the world's slowest cruiserweight.

 

[Cena's Little Helper]

What's "all the hype about Jarrett"? I think the most hype I've ever heard for Jarrett is "Well, he's better than nothing, ain't he?". That's usually followed by "Not really". Fact of the matter is, Jarrett is criminally underrated. Why? Because people call him bad when he's been a big success - he's faced the best, he's put on great matches with the best and he has beaten the best.

What can you say about El Canek? He won some random titles and slammed some big blokes. Jarrett's not a big bloke, so the latter part means nothing. And, according to Tastycles, those belts aren't nearly as valuable as the Canadian has made them out to be. Better the devil you know than the world's slowest cruiserweight.

The only positive thing that I can say about Jarrett is that he's a great entrepreneur. But, besides this, there's not much else. The only great matches I have ever seen him in are gimmicked ones. Furthermore, when taken into context, I wouldn't consider him facing and beating the best reasons to consider him underrated; Jarrett has only been significant in companies that are either in dire straits (read: WCW) or in which he or a family member has a stake (read: USWA and TNA).

 

[Y 2 Jake]

The problem with Jarrett is he's one world title reign material. He's like Booker T, Rey Mysterio, Chris Benoit, C.M. Punk. He's more than worthy of having at least one title reign, but he's nowhere near intresting enough to be a figurehead for a company.

If it wasn't for all the title reigns he'd be one of those wrestlers who people love more because he never held the WWE Championship.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Come now, Jake. How can you suggest that Rey Mysterio was one title reign material? Benoit, Jarrett and Booker's title reigns might not be the stuff of legend, but nor are they so underwhelming that they nearly created a black hole. Punk's wasn't a real title reign anyway, so it doesn't count.

The things people criticise Jarrett for are the things that are ignored with wrestlers like The Undertaker, Triple H or even Hogan. And Jarrett might not have been (well, be) the most exciting of wrestlers but he got the job done as often as anyone else in this tournament. Edge loses his titles as often as he gains them, but he's not criticised for it. Christian's career high point is being a second rate Jeff Jarrett, but is loved much more than him.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

Come now, Jake. How can you suggest that Rey Mysterio was one title reign material?

Because there's just no need for him to have another one. He's like The Undertaker. If he needs a title then they're doing something wrong with his character.

Benoit, Jarrett and Booker's title reigns might not be the stuff of legend, but nor are they so underwhelming that they nearly created a black hole. Punk's wasn't a real title reign anyway, so it doesn't count.

Benoit & Booker were given long-ish reigns, by todays standards. They weren't bad, but they weren't great ever. Why try it again when they were met with apathy, when they could try it with somebody else?

The things people criticise Jarrett for are the things that are ignored with wrestlers like The Undertaker, Triple H or even Hogan. And Jarrett might not have been (well, be) the most exciting of wrestlers but he got the job done as often as anyone else in this tournament. Edge loses his titles as often as he gains them, but he's not criticised for it. Christian's career high point is being a second rate Jeff Jarrett, but is loved much more than him.

Like I said, he's a one reign wrestler. He probably deserved a WWE title run because how good he is. But he's just not intresting enough to carry a company. In the 9.5 year's since he left WWE he's proven that.

Having no WWE world title reigns probably would have been the best thing for him in one way. He'd be held in high regard with the likes of Mr. Perfect & Owen Hart.

But all the WCW & TNA title reigns, none of which have set the world alight, have turned people against what is a very good wrestler.

 

[Uncle Sam]

Because there's just no need for him to have another one. He's like The Undertaker. If he needs a title then they're doing something wrong with his character.

I was actually trying to suggest that there was no need for him to have one in the first place, even if you didn't know how shit the results would be.

Benoit & Booker were given long-ish reigns, by todays standards. They weren't bad, but they weren't great ever. Why try it again when they were met with apathy, when they could try it with somebody else?

Yeah, but they were better than Mysterio's. I liked Punk's - he was underqualified, but that was the point. Still think he should have just cleared house and beaten every Raw star clean in one match.

 

[Y 2 Jake]

vs.

It'll be an upset when Mayweather wins it. I'm calling it now. How do you defeat the undefeated?

Floyd can do reasearch on Tito, but the only thing Tito can look at is one wrestling match and a couple of boxing matches. Yeah it's safe to sat Floyd has this one in the bag.