1. Day 285 - Goodbye, Superstars (And Divas)

2. Day 286 - Put-Up Or Shut-Up Time

Those of you who visited Lords of Pain over the last few days have probably heard the sad news. In case you haven't, let me be the first to tell you - WWE Superstars is no more. Yup, WGN has decided to cancel the weekly program after a near two-year run. As tragic as the announcement is (which means roster cuts may be more than usual this spring), I found WGN's explanation quite amusing. And I paraphrase, "We have decided not to renew Superstars because it has not reached the same level as Monday Night RAW on the USA Network".

Laugh. My. Ass. Off! You're telling me it took WGN network executives TWO YEARS to realize that Superstars would never be on par with RAW, or even Smackdown!? Really? That's pretty sad. Not only are there next-to-no storylines developing on Superstars, but their rating has never gone over a 1.1, while RAW rarely dips under 3.0. Superstars is/was a renewed version of Sunday Night Heat, and a place for lower mid-carders to show their stuff. When you tune into Superstars, you don't "expect everything", like John Cena vs. The Undertaker, or The Miz vs. Edge. You expect match-ups like Primo vs. David Hart Smith or JTG vs. Tyler Reks. Therefore, now that Superstars is set to once again retire several weeks after Wrestlemania XXVII, you can guarantee WWE will be cutting off some of their "excess fat". But who will suffer the eventual wrath of Vince McMahon and be out of work? I'm glad you asked.

I have no idea how Curt Hawkins is still employed. The poor guy has been wrestling on Superstars for months. Hell, the last time he appeared on Smackdown! was when he was teaming with Vance Archer. It's a shame their tag team didn't work out, as Hawkins proved he is quite skilled in the ring. Sadly, he has been treading water for quite some time now, and it's time that WWE put him out of his misery.

Another guy who is surely in misery right now is Tyler Reks. He has had two gimmicks while in the WWE, and both have failed miserably. The "Surfer" was just stupid, and his current look wouldn't scare a baby. He can't get a crowd reaction whether he's a face or a heel, and because of that, it's time for him to go.

Speaking of killing a crowd, Jimmy & Jey Uso have mastered the ability of putting an audience to sleep. They started off strong following their debut, as they put on good matches against The Hart Dynasty. Sadly, the fans grew tired of the feud, and The Usos as well. Since they're young, I say they'd be better suited refining their skills in FCW or another wrestling company.

The Usos aren't the only second-generation wrestlers taking the heat this time around. Ever since Carlito was released a few years back, Primo has become one of  RAW's biggest jobbers. Probably the only notable thing he has done since his brother's departure is mentor A.J. on NXT and form "DZP" with Zack Ryder on Superstars. That being said, I think Primo has held on far longer than many of us expected him to. Hasta leugo, amigo.

But that's not all. David Hart Smith sucked as a singles star a few years ago, and teaming with Tyson Kidd the past year hasn't helped his current singles run. Smith is as plain as rye bread, and I cannot take him seriously as anything more than a jobber. A heel turn could help him, but he would probably still bore me to tears. Yet another second-generation fail.

This next one may surprise you. I honestly do not believe R-Truth will still be employed by the end of the year. Ever since the whole "Green Bay/Milwaukee" fuck-up, Truth has been royally de-pushed. He hasn't appeared on RAW in weeks, and "What's Up" will only remain popular for so long. WWE's current youth movement is in full-effect, with no signs of slowing down. Being in his early-forties, Truth doesn't quite fit into that category. The way I see it, when WWE PG goes, R-Truth goes. Maybe even before that.

Now for the divas. Despite her on-air relationship with Daniel Bryan, I don't think WWE has plans to ever push Gail Kim. It's a shame really, because she's one of the most older and more experienced divas currently on the roster, but can you see her winning the Divas Championship anytime in the future? I certainly can't. Don't be surprised if Kim is back in TNA by the end of the year.

This next one hurts me, because I think she's ridiculously hot, but Kaitlyn will likely be the second NXT winner to be released by the company. Since winning the competition, Kaitlyn has competed in what, two matches on Smackdown!? Add to the equation a limited in-ring ability and backstage heat, and suddenly things aren't looking good for the blonde bombshell. At least she's hot though.

Primo Colon won't be the only Hispanic released from the main roster in the near future, I'm afraid. Rosa Mendes and her thickness are in trouble post-Wrestlemania. Rosa has been an after-thought ever since the angle with Beth Phoenix fell through, and her wrestling skills have not improved much since then. She may know how to jump-rope, but Rosa is out of her element in the WWE.

Last and definitely not least is the biggest one of them all. I boldly predict that The Big Show will be gone by the end of the year. Before you call me crazy, look at the facts. Big Show has gone on hiatuses before, and has competed in other wrestling companies before. Not only that, but his huge weight loss from 2008 is a thing of the past, and that may be eating at him inside. Besides, there's only so much his body can take. Either by his own leave or WWE's decision, I don't see The Big Show competing on WWE television after SummerSlam.

Just to recap, here is the list of unfortunate victims whom I feel will no longer be with the company by the end of the year:

The Big Show
R-Truth
Tyler Reks
The Usos
Curt Hawkins
Primo
David Hart Smith
Rosa Mendes
Kaitlyn
Gail Kim

What do you guys think? Is my list believable, or am I on crack for thinking The Big Show and R-Truth will be gone in the not-so-distant future? Don't be scared to share your thoughts!

Has there ever been a moment in your life when you felt like you absolutely had to accomplish something? I'm pretty sure we can all answer yes to this question. Whether it was working up the nerve to ask that pretty girl in the club to dance with you, or finishing all of your homework on a Thursday night so you have nothing to worry about over the weekend, we've all had to overcome obstacles in our lives that we felt were mandatory, for one reason for another. It doesn't matter why we put such importance on these things; all that matters is that we got the job done, because if we didn't, chances are we would regret it.

That's why at Wrestlemania XXVII, The Miz positively, absolutely, must retain his WWE Championship against John Cena. Now, I'm not saying that Wrestlemania will be ruined if we crown a new WWE Champion on April 3rd. After all, The Miz would surely invoke his rematch at Extreme Rules, and maybe even win back the championship, similar to Edge in 2009. The thing is, the damage would have already been done. Regardless of how well The Awesome One would rebound from a huge Wrestlemania loss against Cena, everything The Miz has accomplished since splitting with John Morrison and joining the RAW roster in 2009 will have been for nothing if he loses the WWE Championship in two weeks.

Let me explain. Many people claim that Miz's first reign as WWE Champion has surpassed their expectations. Despite several dirty finishes, the record books will forever show that The Miz has successfully defended his title against the likes of Randy Orton, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and John Morrison. Not only that, but for four consecutive weeks, The Miz made John Cena - WWE's "top guy" - his bitch, by continually getting the upper hand on Cena, and since the Royal Rumble, Cena is yet to get his revenge on The Miz. Considering the fact that Miz will be entering Wrestlemania XXVII as the WWE Champion, it's hard to argue that he has enjoyed an above-average first title run.

There are thousands - if not millions - who feel it would be justified for Cena to go over The Miz at Wrestlemania, and take back the WWE Championship. In their minds, it all adds up. The Miz frequently got the best of Cena during The Road to Wrestlemania, he's held the title since November, and Cena is one of the company's top superstars. Therefore, it makes perfect sense for Cena to end the "Era of Awesome" on The Grandest Stage Of Them All", right?

Wrong! In case you forgot, WWE spent a good year grooming The Miz to become the WWE Champion. He won the United States Championship on two separate occasions, held onto the title for nearly a year, and even won the (formerly) Unified Tag Team Championship with The Big Show. All of these title reigns saw The Miz spend the majority of 2010 wearing at least one championship around his waist. Prior to winning the WWE Championship in November, The Miz captained his Survivor Series team to victory, won Money in the Bank in July, mentored two rookies on NXT, and was engaged in high-profile feuds against John Morrison, Daniel Bryan, and MVP (remember him?). The Miz was constantly exposed to the WWE Universe, as the company was slowly but steadily building him up for his big moment, when he would cash in Money in the Bank and become WWE Champion.

There is no secret WWE views Miz as a potential mega-star in the future. They wouldn't have wasted over a year pushing him down our throats if they didn't. However, the only way The Miz can actually take what may be the last step to reaching that level is if he defeats John Cena at Wrestlemania XXVII. There is no reason for Cena to defeat Miz in Atlanta. Cena is already the top guy, a former nine-time WWE Champion, and future Hall of Famer. His status is already secured, even if he never wins another match. The same cannot be said for The Miz. The Miz vs. John Cena at Wrestlemania is the accumulation of years of work from both men, and the outcome all depends whether WWE is willing to go all the way with The Miz and crown him as one of their "top guys".

Some things in life are destined. Others not so much. However, that doesn't mean we can't change our fate. The Miz appears to be doomed for failure when he defends his WWE Championship in eleven days. But don't count him out just yet. The Miz needs this victory a lot more than the fans need a "feel-good", Wrestlemania moment. On April 3rd, a new star will either be born...or buried. There is no in-between for The Miz, no going back; at Wrestlemania, he puts it all on the line. This is the moment he's been waiting for his whole life, as the entire world will be watching his every move. The Miz must be victorious at Wrestlemania, because if not, no matter what he does, he will no longer be "awesome".

And that may be his biggest regret of all.

Song Of The Day: Danny Fernandes - Take Me Away

(Canadian bro for the win, yo!)

It's hard to believe that we're merely eleven days away from Wrestlemania. The Road to Wrestlemania may not be filled with the most on-air wrestling (see Hustle's columns for more), but time sure seems to fly by. With eight bouts announced thus far, we don't have a horrible-looking card this year, do we? Even the likely Corre vs. Big Show & friends match shouldn't be too bad. Overall, I think this year's Wrestlemania will deliver. Let's hope so, anyway!

If you have any feedback or questions, show some love and/or hate at captain_charisma16@hotmail.com.

Farewell - for now.

Source: lordsofpain.net