Kane made his debut at Badd Blood 1997 as the deranged brother of the Undertaker who wore a mask to hide the scars caused due to a fire accident during his childhood. It was a shocking debut and one of the most surreal ones in the history of WWE.

“That’s got to be Kane! That’s got to be Kane!”

‘The Brothers of Destruction’ tag-team was formed in 2001 and dominated the scene for a brief period. They won the tag-team titles and had a memorable feud with the team of Steve Austin and Triple H. Both men were faces during this period and eventually it came to an end with the Undertaker turning heel at the end of the year. Since then, Undertaker and Kane have had run-ins with each other in their on-off relationship.

The red mask has always had a special connection with the big red machine. It gave a unique touch to his character and has been a feature in his career. In 2003, Kane was forced to unmask himself after losing to Triple H in a match. This brought another dimension to his character. He showcased the sick and demented side of himself by setting JR on fire during an interview and running rampage on other wrestlers. He was back to being that unstoppable force that he was when he broke into the scene. That did not last longer as he got lost in the shuffle after a while. He became  just another wrestler without the mask. He was a bit off the radar during such periods. So, what happened? WWE decided to resurrect him by bringing his mask back. In December 2011, Kane returned with a new mask. He feuded with Cena to force him to embrace the hate, and was involved in a storyline with Zack Ryder and later on with AJ & Daniel Bryan. The anger management storyline with Daniel Bryan which followed gave us some hilarious moments. It just shows how dynamic Kane has been over the years when it comes to portraying different roles.

The variety of storylines that Kane was involved and the ease with which he was able to pull off such character nuances is remarkable. Initially with the Undertaker, then the infamous Katie Vick angle with Triple H, the unmasked version of himself, the feud with the McMahon’s and to top it all Kane married Lita in an episode of Raw inside the ring. All these made people love to hate him. He had several altercations with Baseball celebrity Pete Rose at successive Wrestlemania‘s. Kane himself admitted during one of his anger management confessions that he had ‘an unhealthy obsession with torturing Pete Rose’. Pete Rose was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame by Kane.

Kane possess great in-ring ability. He has been injury prone but has not had any long lay-offs in his long and arduous journey with the WWE. As a demented, insane and violent individual who uses fire as a toy, Kane was an apt heel character.

“Kane is a walking, a living hell on earth” – Jim Ross

He has captivated the audience via his intimidating persona. He was brought in as a monster heel and he has been successful in portraying the devious monster over the years. In all these years, he has feuded with a whole lot of superstars but his amazing rivalry with the Undertaker is the most talked about. Heck, he even buried the Undertaker twice during the buried alive matches. It is a pity that he was unable to have the same impact while feuding with other wrestlers. A little more consistency with his character would’ve gone a long way in cementing his legacy in the WWE. Still, he has been a workhorse all these years and has carved out a legacy in his own unique way. His amazing entrance gives you goosebumps every single time. Now that he is in the twilight of his career, there is not a lot left to do for the big red monster. For what he has done till now, Kane deserves to be one among the top 10 greatest heels of the WWE in the modern era.

WWE Champion John Cena has sustained a injury during the European tour this week and is set to miss from the action for a while. WWE revealed details about John Cena’s injury on its official website citing that Cena injured his right Achilles tendon in a match against Ryback. The expected recovery time for Cena has not been revealed yet. WWE has stated that more details will be revealed on RAW.

This news has come as a bolt from the blue since Cena is currently involved in a major feud with Ryback and is scheduled for a match against him at Extreme Rules, which is just 3 weeks away. It seems like a long term injury which might force Cena out of action for months. We have to wait till RAW to get more details.

FIILE PHOTO: Mark Webber of Australia drives at Rajdamnoen Avenue in Bangkok, Thailand.

The Thai people have witnessed some F1 action in the past. Red Bull’s Mark Webber drove in a part of this circuit at Rajdamnoen avenue in 2010. The 2012 Race of Champions took place at Bangkok’s Rajamangala Stadium and attracted a sizeable audience.

The 5.995 km (3.75 miles) circuit which has been finalised would run along the banks of the Chao Phraya river. Several tourist attractions such as the Grand Palace, Victory Monument and Temple of Dawn, which are located alongside the route, would make great views for the spectators and the TV viewers around the world.

The proposed street circuit for the 2015 Thailand Grand Prix in Bangkok

The pit straight of the circuit would be at the Royal Thai Naval Dockyard (Rat Woradit Pier). Then it would go along Maha That Road, Na Phra Lan Road, Na Phra That Road, Chakrabongse Road, Phra Sumen Road, Rajdamnoen Avenue, Maha Chai Road and Thai Wang Road in a clockwise direction.

The government authorities have confirmed that makeshift stands would be built on the Chao Phraya river and in other areas in the circuit during the race weekend. It is estimated that about 150,000 people would be able to watch the action unfold on the track at this venue. The authorities also added that only a few residents would be affected by the proposed track route.

The proposed track is subject to final approval by the governing body of F1 – the FIA.

With Russia (Sochi) all set to host a race in a new circuit in 2014 and now Thailand gearing up for the Thailand Grand Prix in 2015, the FIA has a tedious task of fitting in all these races in the calendar which is already cramped. Some of the current venues are bound to miss out or might host races in alternate years to keep the total number of races limited to 20 per year.

Dean Ambrose mimicking the Undertaker during their match on SmackDown

SmackDown in London, England started with Jack Swagger making his way to the ring for his match against Alberto Del Rio.

Match 1: Jack Swagger defeated Alberto Del Rio in a No Disqualification match. Swagger got the victory via pin-fall after executing the gut-wrench power bomb on Del Rio.

Match 2: Layla defeated Aksana in a singles match.

The Shield cut a promo backstage. Dean Ambrose vowed that he would beat the Undertaker later on in the show,

Match 3: Fandango defeated Justin Gabriel in a singles match via pin-fall. His leg drop from the top rope spelled doom for Justin Gabriel.

Match 4: The Big Show defeated Sheamus via pin-fall in a singles match. Mark Henry distracted Sheamus which allowed Big Show to land the knock-out punch.

Match 5: Mark Henry won his match against Randy Orton via disqualification. Orton was disqualified after Sheamus interrupted the match and delivered the Brogue kick to Mark Henry. Randy Orton followed up with the RKO.

Match 6: The Undertaker forced Dean Ambrose of the Shield to submit after locking him in his hell’s gate submission move. After the match, The Shield launched a scathing attack on the Undertaker. Reigns delivered a spear to the Dead Man and then a triple power bomb on the announcer’s table.

Dean Ambrose of the Shield takes on the Undertaker in a singles match on SmackDown

The Undertaker vs Dean Ambrose

Dean Ambrose of The Shield makes his singles debut through this match. What a dream debut would it be if he is able to pin the phenom to get the victory! The Shield were able to snatch victory in the six-man tag team match on RAW against the team of the Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan. However, Ambrose has to do it all alone in this singles match against the Undertaker who is fresh off a victory against CM Punk at Wrestlemania. Will he able to create history by beating the Undertaker in his debut?

Wade Barrett vs William Regal 

With SmackDown taking place in the UK there is some extra spice in this contest. The Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett from Preston, England will take on William Regal from Blackpool, England. A good wrestling contest in the offing as the bare-knuckle fighter takes on the British brawler. The crowd reaction to Wade Barrett will be observed keenly. He is the favorite to win this contest against his mentor. But one should not count out William Regal  who could spring a surprise in this match against his compatriot.

Alberto Del Rio vs Jack Swagger (No DQ match)

Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio will lock horns in a match for the third time this month. Alberto Del Rio has emerged victorious on both occasions at Wrestlemania and on last weeks SmackDown. The upcoming contest on SmackDown will be a no disqualification match which would bring both Zeb Colter and Ricardo Rodriguez into the picture. Both these men are vying to get their hands on Dolph Ziggler’s World Heavyweight Championship at Extreme Rules. It would a priority for both men to emerge victorious in this match on SmackDown.

Sheamus vs Big Show

 ’The Celtic Warrior’ Sheamus takes on one of his arch rivals Big Show in a singles match on the show. Sheamus and Randy Orton have had some issues with the Big Show, following their loss to the Shield at Wrestlemania. Now that Sheamus has got a chance with his match, he will be looking forward to venting his anger on the giant during the course of this match.

Randy Orton vs Mark Henry

Fresh off a victory in a gauntlet match on Main Event a couple of days ago, Mark Henry will be eager to get his hands on the ‘Viper’ Randy Orton. Henry played a crucial role in beating Sheamus and Orton in a tag-team match with the Big Show as his partner, last week. Randy Orton needs to learn from last weeks mistakes and try to put up a fight against the worlds strongest man.

Other matches

Fandango vs Justin Gabriel

Layla vs Aksana

Déjà vu in the desert

SAKHIR, BAHRAIN – APRIL 21: Race winner Sebastian Vettel (2nd right) of Germany and Infiniti Red Bull Racing celebrates with Gill Jones (2nd left) the Infiniti Red Bull Racing Electronic Support Group Leader, second placed Kimi Raikkonen (left) of Finland and Lotus and third placed Romain Grosjean (right) of France and Lotus following the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 21, 2013 in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

So much happened during the course of the 57-lap long race that the final top 3 happened to be Vettel, Raikkonen and Grosjean, who started in second, ninth and eleventh on the grid respectively. It was the same podium in last year’s race too, at the Bahrain International Circuit. This is only the third time that we’ve had a repeat podium in F1. It had previously happened during the Spanish Grands Prix of 1998 & 1999 and the British Grands Prix in 1964 &1965.

Sebastian Vettel drove a flawless race, wresting the lead from Alonso and Rosberg at the start, and relishing the lead thereafter. He maintained his tyres perfectly and won the race comfortably. Kimi Raikkonen, who came second, thereby securing points for 21 races in a row, made his two stop strategy work like a charm. His teammate, Romain Grosjean, reassured that he still has got it in him to be at the top by finishing 3rd – his first podium finish this season.

Alonso’s misfortune

Fernando Alonso had a torrid race after a bright start from 3rd on the grid. Ferrari Team Principal Stefano Domenicali summed it up perfectly, “It’s hard to recall a race where so many things went wrong.” The Spaniard, who came into this race fresh off a win at China, discovered early on in the race that the DRS system on his car was malfunctioning and hence he had to drive without it from then onwards. He had to pit twice to shut down the flap on his rear wing, costing him dearly. Alonso was a sitting duck in his car without DRS as the others, like Webber and Perez, passed him easily during the final stages of the race. He still managed to garner 4 crucial world championship points by bringing his car home in 8th position. If only his DRS had worked properly, he might’ve challenged Vettel for the race win. With 15 more race left this season, Alonso and Ferrari shouldn’t rue about their misfortunes. Rather, they must ensure that the car reliability is improved and their mistakes are not repeated.

There’s something about the Pirelli tyres

The new fast-degrading Pirelli tyres of this season have created a major controversy with many team wanting Pirelli to change them. At Bahrain, Pirelli received a lot of flak after their medium and hard compounds had more tyre-wear than normal. Lewis Hamilton and Giedo Van der Garde had mysterious punctures during Free Practice 3, with the former having to endure a 5-place grid penalty for changing his gearbox because of the damage caused by his left-rear puncture. The investigations are on to ascertain the reason behind Hamilton’s tyre damage. During the race, Ferrari’s Felipe Massa had two strange punctures, causing him to finish 15th after starting from 4th on the grid. Though Pirelli say that the punctures were caused by debris on the track, it was strange that Massa was the only one affected by it, that too twice.

Pirelli’s intention behind introducing these fast degrading tyres was to make F1 more unpredictable by increasing the number of pit stops. But, the unpredictability has gone too far. Mercedes‘ Nico Rosberg, who started the race on pole, was not able to cope with high tyre-wear and ended up finishing 9th! That clearly drives home the point that qualifying performance doesn’t matter until the driver has a sound tyre strategy in place for the race.

Some fans are complaining that they’re not able to keep track of the race because of pit stops happening all the while due to varied strategies. The drivers are also feeling the heat as they have to limit the speeds to preserve the tyres rather than going all out racing – the way it was meant to be. Some of the teams have already voiced their concern about the tyre-wear being too unpredictable for their own good. The ball is currently in Pirelli’s court to act on this regard.

Fending off suggestions that Pirelli have gone too far, Pirelli Motorsport Director Paul Hembery said, ”We are at extremes, as we were last year, when there were similar comments like, ‘oh my god, you have gone too far.’”  

Perez back in his elements

SAKHIR, BAHRAIN – APRIL 21: Sergio Perez of Mexico and McLaren leads from team mate Jenson Button of Great Britain and McLaren during the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 21, 2013 in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

The battle between Sergio Perez and his McLaren teammate Jenson Button during the middle part of the race was edge-of-the-seat stuff. Perez, who had been struggling to cope up with his new team after making the jump from Sauber to McLaren, showed his brilliance by taking the fight to Button and later on, Fernando Alonso. He was aggressive in his overtaking and angered Button in the process. Perez succeeded in that mid-race battle with Button, who would’ve surely been rattled by the pace shown by his rookie teammate in that under-performing McLaren MP4-28. There is bound to be comparisons between Perez and ex-McLaren driver Lewis Hamilton, which will put pressure on the young Mexican. But, Perez has sent a message to all his doubters with a strong performance at Sakhir.

Mixed fortunes for Mercedes

SAKHIR, BAHRAIN – APRIL 21: Nico Rosberg of Germany and Mercedes GP leads the field through the first corner at the start of the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 21, 2013 in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

Nico Rosberg, the pole-sitter in the Mercedes W04, was a victim of the Pirelli tyre trouble as he stooped to 9th place at the end of the race. On the other hand, Lewis Hamilton, who started from ninth position, ended up in fifth behind the Force India of Paul Di Resta. It is clear indicator that Mercedes are lagging behind in terms of race-pace while they have been on the top during qualifying.

While it is the same for all when it comes to handling the unpredictable Pirelli tyres, Mercedes have been struggling to cope with the tyres during the race and hence have failed to make their two poles count. They must learn from these two races and come up with better strategy in the European leg.

With tyre-wear dictating the outcome of all the 4 races so far in the 2013 F1 season, the upcoming races in Europe will be all about tyre management and pit-strategy. F1 is all about wheel-to-wheel racing and hence we hope the future races feature drivers going full throttle for the victory without worrying about tyre preservation. That is the only wish of all die-hard F1 out there. Pirelli take notice! 

Triple H stands tall after delivering the pedigree to Paul Heyman

Match 1: R-Truth defeated Antonio Cesaro in a singles match. R-Truth got the victory via pin-fall after hitting ‘Little Jimmy’ on Cesaro.

The Shield made an impressive entrance, landing down in a helicopter outside the arena.

Match 2: Damien Sandow defeated Brodus Clay in a singles match via pin-fall.

Vickie and Maddox informed Ziggler that Jericho will get to be a part of a Fatal-4-Way match at Extreme Rules if Y2J emerges victorious in their match.

Match 3: Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho via-pinfall. Fandango’s music distracted Jericho and cost him the match.

Mick Foley, in a backstage interview with Josh Mathews, accused Ryback of blaming him for his shortcomings.

Match 4: Tensai defeated Cody Rhodes in a singles match via pin-fall.

Kane and Daniel Bryan were discussing strategies backstage for their match when their opponents – the Shield, sneak attacked them.

Ryback responded to Mick Foley stating that he doesn’t get it. He called out Foley to confront him inside the ring.

Match 5: Big E Langston squashed Zack Ryder in a singles match. Langston’s Big Ending spelled doom for the Long Island Iced Z.

Match 6: The Shield defeated the team of Undertaker, Kane and Daniel Bryan in a six-man tag team match. Dean Ambrose got the three count after Daniel Bryan missed the flying headbutt.

John Cena and Mick Foley had a backstage discussion about Ryback, Cena gave a steel chair to Foley.

Match 7: Fandango defeated William Regal in a singles match. After that, Jericho pushed Fandango from the top of the ramp. To add insult to injury, he then danced with his girl.

Match 8: AJ won the Divas Battle Royal to become the no.1 contender for the Divas Championship.

Mick Foley came out first and called out the Ryback. They had a heated discussion which resulted in a both of them locking horns. John Cena came out and restored calm before the Shield’s entrance. The hounds of justice went after Ryback this time while Cena was on the ramp. However, Cena sent them packing by assaulting them with the steel chair. Later, he delivered the attitude adjustment to Ryback to end the show.

You can watch the complete show here

Fandango and Santino during the opening segment of SmackDown

Match 1: Fandango defeated Santino Marella in a singles match via pin-fall.

Booker T and Teddy Long had a heated discussion backstage about the friction between them of late. Big Show joined them and thanked Teddy for letting Mark Henry to be his tag-team partner.

Match 2: United States Champion Kofi Kingston defeated the Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett in a champion vs champion match. Kofi got the victory by pin-fall via a quick roll-up.

Sheamus attacked Mark Henry who was giving a backstage interview.

Match 3: Alberto Del Rio defeated Jack Swagger in a singles match via pin-fall.

A video package of The Shield was shown in which they explained why Cena was attacked and why Ryback did not interfere during that. Because Ryback has begun to believe in the Shield. They also stated that the Undertaker‘s time is up and they’ll take him out on RAW.

Match 4: The team of Great Khali, Hornswoggle and Natalya defeated the team of Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes in a mixed-tag team match.

Match 5: Big Show and Mark Henry defeated Randy Orton and Sheamus in a tag-team match. Big Show’s chokeslam on Randy Orton enabled him to get the three count.

You can watch the complete show here

Dolph Ziggler’s Extreme Rules opponents Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio will face off in a singles match on SmackDown

Jack Swagger vs Alberto Del Rio 

It was announced on RAW that Dolph Ziggler will defend his World Heavyweight Championship against Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger in a Triple threat match at Extreme Rules. With Extreme Rules more than 4 weeks away, Ziggler’s opponents will take on each other in a singles match on this week’s SmackDown. The animosity between these two former World Champions escalated during RAW with both men attacking each other at different points of time. This match is most likely to be a slug fest as both men will go all out to vent their anger and frustration on each other, after what happened on RAW. Dolph Ziggler would have a keen eye on this match to see which of his Extreme Rules opponent emerges on top.

Sheamus and Randy Orton vs Big Show and Mark Henry

Even after two consecutive victories against the Big Show in handicap matches, Randy Orton and Sheamus can’t get enough of him. They will team up once again against the man whom they consider the reason behind their defeat to the Shield in the six-man tag-team match at WrestleMania. However, Mark Henry will even up the scales, if not tip the scale in favor of the Big Show as his tag-team partner on this week’s SmackDown. Having attacked Sheamus over the last couple of weeks for reasons unknown, Mark Henry must be prepared to handle the wrath of the Celtic Warrior. On the other hand, The Big Show will be keen to knock out his foes who have been his achilles heel since WrestleMmania.

The Shield’s agenda for SmackDown

Having taken out the WWE Champion John Cena on RAW, The Shield may have something planned for SmackDown too as they get ready for their match against Undertaker and Team Hell No! on next week’s RAW. Who will the ‘hounds of justice’ prey on this week’s SmackDown?

Booker T and Teddy Long not on the same page?

Over the last few weeks, SmackDown General Manager Booker T and his advisor Teddy Long have been at loggerheads many a time. Their ego clashes seem to be headed somewhere. Will this SmackDown be the show where their working relationship reaches a breaking point?

Other matches on the show:

United States champion Kofi Kingston vs WWE Intercontinental champion Wade Barrett

Fandango vs Santino Marella

Great Khali, Hornswoggle and Natalya vs Epico, Primo and Rosa Mendes

Match 1: Randy Orton and Sheamus defeated The Big Show in a handicap match. The Brogue kick followed by the RKO spelled doom for the Big Show.

Paul Heyman wants a steel cage match between Triple H and Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules

3MB called out the Shield after their assault last week on SmackDown. Instead, Brock Lesnar came out and attacked Jinder Mahal, Drew McIntyre and Heath Slater.

Paul Heyman announced that he wanted a rematch between Triple H and Brock Lesnar at Extreme Rules. And he also made a pitch for a steel cage match.

Match 2: Kofi Kingston defeated Antonio Cesaro to become the new United Champion. Kofi’s trouble in paradise enabled him to get the victory via pin-fall.

World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler came out and talked about his title win last week. Alberto Del Rio interrupted him and wanted a rematch. RAW’s Managing Supervisor Vickie Guerrero granted the rematch. Then, Jack Swagger came out and attacked Del Rio to render him unfit for the title match with an ankle injury.

Match 3: Team Hell No defeated the Prime Time Players in a tag-team match.

Ryback explained why he attacked Cena. He talked about his title match losses and getting eliminated by Cena at the Royal Rumble and how wants a shot at redemption.

Match 4: R-Truth defeated Wade Barrett in a non-title match via pin-fall after hitting the DDT.

Match 5: Team Rhodes Scholars defeated the team of The Great Khali and Santino Marella in a tag-team match.

Jerry Lawler introduced Fandango, who then did a tutorial for the audience on how to pronounce his name. He wasn’t satisfied with the crowd’s attempt and hence left the ring without ‘fandango-ing.’

Match 6: Jack Swagger defeated the World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler in a non-title match. Swagger got the pin-fall victory by a roll-up.

CM Punk (accompanied by Paul Heyman) cut a promo on why he wanted to face the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. He looked visibly distraught and left the ring midway without saying much.

Booker T announced that Dolph Ziggler will put his World Heavyweight Championship on the line in a triple threat match against Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio. He did not specify whether it will be at Extreme Rules or SmackDown.

Match 7: Nikki Bella defeated the Divas Champion Kaitlyn in a singles match. The twin magic enabled Brie to get into the ring and win the match for her sister.

John Cena called out Ryback and dissed his promo. Both men were about to get physical when the Shield interrupted and viciously attacked Cena as Ryback stood on the ramp and watched. He left soon after the Shield delivered the triple power bomb to Cena.

You can watch the complete show here

CM Punk returns to RAW to talk about his loss to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29

CM Punk returns! 

After a week’s sabbatical following his defeat to the Undertaker at Wrestlemania 29, ‘The Voice of the voiceless’ CM Punk returns to RAW to discuss his defeat in that historic match, as per Paul Heyman’s announcement during last week’s show. It is a fact that Punk tried every trick in the book to get into the head of the Undertaker and break the streak. Now that he has failed in his endeavour, will he give us excuses for his defeat or drop some pipebombs and carry on? Expect Punk to surprise us.

Ryback sets his sight on John Cena

Ryback left the WWE universe ‘shell-shocked’ after attacking John Cena at the fag end of the show. While he is expected to explain the reason behind this attack on RAW, rumours suggest that Ryback has indeed turned heel and will go against John Cena at Extreme Rules. Yet to win the WWE title after multiple attempts, Ryback might have set his eyes on it again. RAW will give us a clear picture of the road ahead in this feud.

Dolph Ziggler’s double trouble 

The new World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler has plenty on his plate with two challengers lurking behind him to get their hands on his title. Alberto Del Rio, the former champion, has a rematch for the title pending. And, Jack Swagger made an attempt on last week’s SmackDown to coax Ziggler into a title match. Hence, Ziggler may have to put his title on the line anytime soon. With Big E Langston by his side, Ziggler should be able to thwart any challenge that comes his way.

The Shield’s feud with Team Hell No

The Shield’s attempt to get noticed by attacking the Undertaker and Triple H were thwarted by Team Hell No on RAW and SmackDown. There is bound to be a reaction from the ‘hounds of justice’ in this regard. They might take out Kane and Daniel Bryan or even challenge their tag-team championships. The Shield’s plans will be revealed on RAW.

Fandango-ing to continue?

Fandango reached instant superstardom after last week’s show as the crowd had fun singing and dancing to his entrance theme. A new term ‘Fandango-ing’  has come into use following the antics of that awesome New Jersey crowd. It will be interesting to see whether the trend continues this week too. The South Carolina crowd has a huge task at hand to atleast try and match the bar set by the New Jersey crowd. Let us hope they add that extra spice to the show to make it exciting.

Awesome Alonso

Fernando Alonso put behind his disastrous outing at Malaysia last month to deliver a flawless victory at Shanghai. Doubts were being cast about his stature as the no.1 driver in Ferrari after his teammate Felipe Massa out-qualified him on four consecutive occasions. However, Alonso proved his naysayers wrong by qualifying third and winning the race.

Alonso had the perfect start, jumping ahead of Kimi Raikkonen and then overtaking Lewis Hamilton on lap 5 to lead the race. After ditching the soft tyres in his first pit stop and dropping behind several places, he stayed in the hunt by catching up with the drivers who were on a different strategy. It eventually turned out to be a very easy win – a testament to his ability and the might of the F138.

Webber woes

Mark Webber had yet another forgettable weekend. If it was due to his teammate last time around, it was due to his team this time. After incurring a penalty due to insufficient fuel in the car during qualifying, Mark had a reasonably good start to the race. He was expected to emulate his podium finish in last year’s race from the back of the grid. He was on course to repeat the feat as he was in the mix after the first round of pit stops. He was forced to pit and change the front wing after damaging it because of a clash with Toro Rosso’s Jean Eric Vergne. However, tragedy struck again after his second pit stop as his right rear was loose without the wheel nut. The irony was that he was forced to pull up at the same spot where he stopped for lack of fuel during qualifying. It must be hard being Mark Webber right now. Both those errors had nothing to do with him, rather his team was at fault which makes it even worse for the Aussie.

Reliable Raikkonen

Kimi Raikkonen made amends for his 14th place finish last year at Shanghai but ended up second on the podium this year. Qualifying second and starting a race from the first row for the first time since Monaco 2009, Kimi had a bad start, costing him a couple of places at the start. Then he made contact with the back of Sergio Perez’s McLaren, damaging the nose of his Lotus. Fortunately, the damage was minimal and he was able to continue his charge. He ended up pipping Hamilton to finish second, gathering 18 world championship points.

The Finn had been scoring points in every race since the 2012 Chinese Grand Prix and has proved to the world that he still has it in him to become the World Champion this year. After winning the first race of the season at Melbourne, the Iceman had an indifferent race in Malaysia after being bogged down by a grid penalty. However, his point scoring run has ensured that he is in contention for the drivers’ championship. He is in second place with 59 points after 3 races, just 3 points behind the defending World Champion Sebastian Vettel in the standings. Considering his reliability in finishing races and consistency in scoring points, he must be a firm favourite for many to become the champion at the end of this season.

Investigations and reprimands

There was plenty of drama on the track with drivers shoving into each other and using DRS under yellow flag conditions. The stewards were kept busy by such incidents, most of which were investigated after the race. Esteban Gutierrez was handed a deserved 5-place grid penalty for the next race for banging into the back of Adrian Sutil at turn 14 and causing him to retire form the race. Mark Webber’s clash with Jean Eric Vergne earned him a 3-place grid penalty at Bahrain.

A horde of drivers including Vettel, Webber, Raikkonen and Button were investigated by the stewards for using DRS under yellow flag conditions. They were let off without any punishment, citing telemetry system faults. It is an embarrassment for the FIA since it is their responsibility to ensure that drivers are unable to use DRS during the period in which it is disabled. The system in place by FIA is faulty and it is high time they put in place fool-proof technology to intimate drivers about race situations.

Tyre trouble 

At the start of the season, the pundits had predicted that the outcome of this season will be hugely impacted by the new Pirelli tyres. Teams had to cope with the fast degrading soft tyres by coming up with smart strategies. The soft tyres that were used in China made life difficult for the strategists as they had to use them atleast once due to a dry race. It mixed up things very well and paved the way for a dramatic race. A bunch of drivers, including a few in the top 10, started on the medium compound tyre. They used the soft tyres during their final stint and got the most out of it. Vettel and Button reaped the rewards of starting on medium compound tyres. On the other hand, Alonso, Raikkonen and Hamilton ditched the soft tyres within the first ten laps and persisted with the mediums till the end. However, Felipe Massa who drove an additional lap in the soft tyres than his teammate, found himself way behind in the pecking order. That was a prime example of being on the right tyre for the right amount of time. Just a lap or so in addition and they start to fall off the cliff.

The 2013 Chinese Grand Prix was an exciting race to watch. Let’s hope that next week’s Bahrain Grand Prix follows suit.

All three members of 3MB were in action on this week’s Saturday Morning Slam

On this week’s Saturday Morning Slam, Kofi Kingston was on commentary with Josh Mathews.

Match 1: Drew McIntyre and Jinder Mahal of 3MB defeated the team of Zack Ryder and Justin Gabriel in a tag-team match.

After the match, 3MB started to attack Ryder and Gabriel. Kofi Kingston came to their aid by landing some offensive on Heath Slater.

Mick  Foley, the General Manager of Saturday Morning Slam, came out and announced that Heath Slater will take on Kofi Kingston in a singles match. The new World Heavyweight Champion Dolph Ziggler joined Josh Mathews on commentary.

Match 2: Kofi Kingston defeated Heath Slater via pin-fall after executing his SOS finishing move.

Daniel Bryan had a discussion backstage with Mick Foley about his eligibility for the assistant general manager role on Saturday Morning Slam. Mark Henry joined them and wanted a match with Daniel Bryan. Mick Foley approved Henry’s idea.

Match 3: Mark Henry defeated Daniel Bryan in a singles match. Henry got the victory via pin-fall after hitting the world’s strongest slam

Dolph Ziggler took on Chris Jericho in his first match as the new World Heavyweight Champion on SmackDown

SmackDown began with Big E Langston introducing the new World Heavyweight Champion, Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler cut a promo about his worthiness as a champion. He was interrupted by Jack Swagger first and then Alberto Del Rio. Both men argued about who should face Dolph Ziggler in a match. Chris Jericho came out and announced that he will be the man to face Ziggler in his first match as the World Heavyweight Champion.

Match 1: Daniel Bryan and Kane defeated the Prime Time Players in a tag-team match.  After the match, the Shield appeared on the titantron and warned Kane and Bryan that they would not back down and are looking for the right moment to strike.

Match 2: Intercontinental Champion Wade Barrett defeated Santino Marella in a singles match. Barrett got the victory via pin-fall after knocking down Santino with his bull-hammer elbow.

Booker T announced that Big Show will take on Randy Orton and Sheamus in a 2-on -1 handicapped match.

Match 3: The team of Brie Bella, Nikki Bella, and Tamina Snuka defeated the team of Kaitlyn, Cameron and Naomi in a 6-woman divas tag-team match.

Triple H came out and talked about how he overcame the odds and beat Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania. 3MB interrupt Hunter and tried to do a Shield style attack on him. Then, the Shield came out and launched a scathing attack on the three man band. Then, they tried to intimidate Triple H. But Daniel Bryan and Kane came out, forcing the Shield to drop their plans and find cover.

Match 4: Sheamus and Randy Orton defeated Big Show in a handicap match by count-out. After the match, Mark Henry attacked Sheamus backstage while he was giving an interview about his latest victory.

Match 5: Kofi Kingston defeated the United States Champion Antonio Cesaro in a non-title match. Kofi succeeded in executing his finishing move – Trouble in Paradise, to get the victory via pin-fall.

Match 6: Dolph Ziggler defeated Chris Jericho in a non-title match. Jericho attacked Ziggler and Big E Langston after the match. However, Fandango, who was on commentary during the match, distracted Jericho to enable Ziggler and Big E get back at him. The show ended with Fandango dancing inside the ring and attacking Jericho with his leg-drop from the top rope.

You can watch the complete show here

Dolph Ziggler – The new World Heavyweight Champion

The Wrestlemania 29 fall-out continues on this week’s WWE Friday Night SmackDown as ‘The Game’ Triple H appears on the show for the first time since his victory against Brock Lesnar at the grandest stage of them all. And SmackDown will be graced by the presence of the new World Heavyweight Champion. Here’s what we can look forward to on this week’s SmackDown:

The new World Heavyweight Champion

Dolph Ziggler will be making his entry on this week’s SmackDown as the World Heavyweight Champion. The Showoff successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to beat Alberto Del Rio and become the new World Champion. So, the question on everyone’s mind is – Is Dolph Ziggler the next poster-boy of WWE? The answer to that question lies in how he is booked for the next few months, starting this week. He begins his second world title reign on SmackDown with AJ and Big E Langston at his side. Who will be his first challenger? Alberto Del Rio has a rematch clause. So, Dolph should gear up for his title defense very soon, probably at Extreme Rules.

Triple H on SmackDown!

The Game will be inside the squared circle for the first time after beating Brock Lesnar in what was his career-threatening match. Now that he is still a part of the WWE, it will be interesting to see what he has to say about his future. Is he Game for more?

Brothers of Destruction reunited?

Earlier this week on RAW, Daniel Bryan and Kane came to the aid of the Undertaker when he was to be attacked by the Shield which prompted to the Shield to run for cover. This has lead to the rumor of a probable match featuring the Brothers of Destruction along with Daniel Bryan to take on the Shield. If that is to happen, this week’s SmackDown might have pointers in store for us.

Randy Orton, Sheamus and Big Show feud

The match between Randy Orton and Sheamus to decide who get’s to face the Big Show on SmackDown ended in a no contest due to the Big Show interference. So, it will be interesting to see who gets to face the giant on SmackDown and what if the Big Show has to take on both Orton and Sheamus in a handicapped match?

Other matches:

Wade Barrett vs Santino Marella

Antonio Cesaro vs Kofi Kingston

The Bellas & Tamina vs WWE Divas champion Kaitlyn & Naomi & Cameron.

Last year it was Daniel Bryan‘s ‘YES! YES! YES!’ chants. This year,  it is Fandango’s theme music. The quirky music has caught up with the WWE Universe as it was evident on this week’s Raw. The post-Wrestlemania 29 Raw at New Jersey had one of the most vocal crowds in recent history. And, at one point of the show, they started to sing Fandango’s entrance theme song – ‘ChaChaLaLa’ .

This is his actual entrance theme song:

And, this is the New Jersey crowd singing it during his match with Kofi Kingston:

They did not stop with that. It continued till the end of the show. WWE programming team acknowledged it and sent the crowd home happy by playing Fandango’s theme after the show came to an end. It didn’t end there either. As the fans were leaving the IZOD center at New Jersey after Raw, they all began to render the song again:

The twitterverse was abuzz with plenty of tweets about this:

And apparently the fans were beeping their car horns in the tune of Fandango’s theme. LOL. The dude just got over. :)

— Lee Hayman (@HEELHayman) April 9, 2013

Two hours later, the Fandango theme song is still viciously stuck in my head. This is going to go on for days I can just tell.

— jen. (@dragonsleeper_) April 9, 2013

We have to wait and watch whether this trend continues in the coming weeks too. For now, it seems like the WWE Universe is having some fun.

John Cena kicked off RAW and celebrated his win against the Rock at Wrestlemania. He said that he wants to have a WWE title match on the show and Mark Henry came out. However, Booker T came out and announced that The Rock has a rematch pending with Cena. So, he promised Henry a WWE title match only if he beats Cena in a non-title match later on in the show.

Match 1: Big E Langston defeated Daniel Bryan in a singles match. Big E got the victory with his ‘Big Ending’ finishing move.

Match 2: Wade Barrett defeated the Miz to become the new Intercontinental Champion. Wade Barrett got his victory via pin-fall after hitting the bullhammer elbow on The Miz.

Match 3: World Heavyweight Champion Alberto Del Rio won his match against Jack Swagger via submission. During this match, Del Rio injured his knee.

Dolph Ziggler came out to cash in his Money in the Bank contract.

Match 4: Dolph Ziggler defeated Alberto Del Rio to become the new World Heavyweight Champion. Ziggler got the victory after hitting the zig-zag on Del Rio.

Dolph Ziggler is ecstatic after his World Heavyweight Championship win against Alberto Del Rio

The Undertaker came out and said he dedicated his Wrestlemania victory to the late great Paul Bearer. He was interrupted by the Shield. Before they could get their hands on the Phenom, Daniel Bryan and Kane made their way to the ring to even the numbers. The Shield exited without doing any damage.

Match 5: Santino Marella, R-Truth and Zack Ryder defeated 3MB in a six-man tag team match. Santino’s Cobra enabled him to pin Slater.

Sheamus and Randy Orton quarreled inside the ring about who should face Big Show. Vickie Guerrero and Booker T announced that they will face off against each other to determine who gets to face the Big Show.

Match 6: Randy Orton vs Sheamus ended in a no contest as the Big Show interrupted. Big Show assaulted Randy Orton at ringside.

Match 7: Fandango won his match against Kofi Kingston via disqualification after Chris Jericho attacked him.

Paul Heyman informed that CM Punk will be on RAW next week to talk about his WrestleMania loss.

Match 8: ‘Tons of Funk’ Brodus Clay & Tensai and the Funkadactyls defeated the team of Rhodes Scholars – Cody Rhodes & Damien Sandow and The Bella Twins in a 8-man mixed tag-team match which was originally scheduled to take place at WrestleMania 29.

Match 9: John Cena defeated Mark Henry in a singles match via count-out.

Ryback is about to shellshock John Cena

After the match, Mark Henry attacked Cena by hitting the World’s strongest slam. Ryback came out and attacked Mark Henry. Then he turned his attention towards Cena and attacked him too with his finishing move, Shellshocked. The show ended with Ryback standing tall inside the ring.

Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow

It is Wrestlemania weekend and this week’s Saturday Morning Slam was all about the Rhodes Scholars – Damien Sandow and Cody Rhodes. Both men were in action on the show. Josh Mathews and Brad Maddox were on commentary.

Match 1: Ryback made quick work of Damien Sandow, getting the pin-fall victory after hitting his finishing move – Shellshocked.

Mick Foley intimated Cody Rhodes that in all fairness, he would also have a match and Damien Sandow would be banned from ringside during the match.

Match 2: Kane defeated Cody Rhodes in a singles match. Kane got the victory via pin-fall after a flying leg drop from the top rope.