After all the hoopla and excitement, the time has finally come, and WrestleMania is upon us.  I have to admit that this, to me, is the most exciting time of the year.  With everything leading up to this one great event, it gives the fans finality after the many months of chaos.  Friendships have been tested, allegiances have been made, and now the time has come — so let's get to the picks. (By the way, this is going to be one hard PPV to figure out. My picks may not be up to par, but we'll see how things go.)

Battle of the Billionaires
ECW World Champion Lashley vs. Intercontinental Champion Umaga
With the stipulation of Hair vs. Hair, it makes the match almost secondary. I know that the winner of this match has serious repercussions for either Vince or Trump, and to be honest with you, I would love to see Vince shaved bald.  Then again, it would be nice to see Trump with a shiny noggin also. Enough about the hair, Lashley and Umaga are both big, strong wrestlers, and use their extraordinary strength and size to overpower their opponents. Now that they're facing each other, it seems only natural that this clash will weed out the weaker of the two, and give us the true warrior.  I'm just glad it's time for these two to go one-on-one, head-to-head without any interference… hopefully. Well since I have to pick one, I'll go with Bobby Lashley, and of course that means Vince will be losing his hair. We can only wait and see.  The one thing I didn't touch on was Austin and his refereeing duties.  We all know how he feels about Vince and although he said he would call it down the middle, I don't know if that is possible.  He will have a major impact on this match, and I'm hoping that it's leaning towards Lashley's way.

World Heavyweight Champion Batista vs. Undertaker
Right away we have to look at ‘Takers undefeated streak at WrestleMania, and wonder if it will survive, or will he go down at the hand of The Animal.  I've never been the one to count Undertaker out, but with The Animal coming in at full strength; it could be the end of this unbelievable winning streak. It's hard for me not to go with Batista, but ‘Takers record and his many years of experience have taught me to go with my gut. I see Undertaker raising the belt up on Sunday night.

WWE Champion John Cena vs. HBK
I have to say that I've been a big fan of John Cena for quite some time now.  For me, he has a certain something that I just enjoy watching. However, on the same note, HBK has been a mainstay in the business for quite some time, and his appeal as a superior wrestler is second to none.  This makes this pick extremely difficult, seeing how both men appeal to me (no not in a sexual way). I have to go with Cena on this one. I think we'll see another stellar performance from Michaels, but Cena will find a way to retain his title and leave WrestleMania as WWE Champion.

The Great Khali vs. Kane
When these two giants meet in the center of the ring, I can tell you one thing: We are not going to have your average technical wrestling match. This is going to be a knockdown, drag out "slobber-knocker" as good ol' JR would say. I'm looking forward to seeing how Khali handles himself in a match against Kane. I know they've both attacked each other over the past few weeks, but now it's Man vs. Man, and I can honestly say I don't see either man coming out on top. This match will probably end up in a double disqualification with both men ignoring the rules.

Women's Champion Melina vs. Ashley - Lumberjill Match
This could be the match of the night for the male fans, with all the beautiful, young women not only inside the ring, but outside as well.  Melina's reign as the Women's Champion will come to an end, and Ashley, who looked great in Playboy, will become the new Women's Champion.

United States Champion Chris Benoit vs. MVP
MVP has had a stellar career so far on SmackDown, with all his glitz and glamour. Then we have Benoit, who through his blue-collar wrestling has been around for quite a long period of time. These two styles are totally different, and I would like to see Benoit retain his U.S. Championship. However, I have a feeling that MVP is going to figure out a way to pull a off a huge upset.  I hate to say it, but we will have a new U.S. Champion.

ECW Originals vs. New Breed
Let me start this off by saying that I am behind the Originals 100 percent.  Sabu, Sandman, Dreamer and RVD are truly the Originals, and originators of hardcore. It would be a shame to see them go down at WrestleMania. The problem is the New Breed has a lot of young blood that is just raring to go, and this could pose a problem for the Originals. I'd love to see the Originals come out on top, but I really don't see this happening. I think the New Breed is actually going to become the top group in ECW after WrestleMania is over.

Money in the Bank Ladder Match
This is the match that I am looking forward to the most at WrestleMania.  These eight individuals are probably going to have the match of the night, and when it's all said and done, there will be bodies laid out left and right.  The contrast in styles as well as the addition of the ladders is going to make it one hell of a night.  I've been kind of up in the air on who I see pulling this one out. However, I have finally come to a decision that Mr. Kennedy is going to find a way to scale that ladder and grab the briefcase.  With this in mind, I see him becoming the champion sometime within the next year.  I know that's a big prediction, but I feel he can pull it off. Only time will tell.

Well my picks are in, and WrestleMania is almost upon us, so I hope all of you enjoy the show and make sure to give me some feedback by sending your e-mails.  Once again, if you can please keep our troops and their families in your thoughts and prayers, I'm sure it will be greatly appreciated.

Until next time…
Peace

Droz