It's been about three months since I last wrote. Just when I wrote that the Australian Cricket Team is an inspiration, The Sydney test had to happen and my post did not seem to make much sense. So now I am back with one more post. About a year back, after my board exams, I came up with a post on my predictions for WrestleMania. This can be considered the second installment of that post. Maybe if this blog lasts another year, the topic may become an annual feature.
Of course, a lot has changed, I do not follow WWE so much now-a-days and I have lost touch. But my respect for some wrestlers has grown and while for some others, its reached an all time low(Case in point, John Cena). This is the first time in 24 years that WrestleMania is being staged in an open arena, but sadly I doubt this one will be memorable one.
The Matches this year are:
Triple Threat match for the WWE Championship: Randy Orton vs. Triple H vs. John Cena
World Heavyweight Championship: Edge vs. The Undertaker
Money in the Bank ladder match: Mr. Kennedy vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. Chris Jericho vs. Carlito vs. Montel Vontavious Porter vs. CM Punk vs. John Morrison
Floyd "Money" Mayweather vs. The Big Show
Umaga vs. Batista
Ric Flair vs. Shawn Michaels
Belfast Brawl: Finlay vs. John "Bradshaw" Layfield
Most of these matches have had boring build-ups. Money in the Bank too is not that good this year due to lack of hype. There are only 2 matches I am looking forward to:
Shawn Michaels vs Ric Flair
Many people have been looking forward to this match. Shawn is my all time favourite but I won't be too sad if he loses only because of the legendary status of the Nature Boy Ric Flair. This one is really hard to call. I would say Ric Flair because no one would want Ric's career to end at WrestleMania. But yes, I am expecting one hell of a match.
Edge vs Undertaker
This match is interesting not because it has any title on the line but just because it pits my 2nd and 3rd favourite wrestlers against each other. I have always liked Edge even when I used to watch wrestling as a kid. Today, Edge is in the prime of his career. Undertaker has a legacy of his own at WrestleMania, 15-0 Unbeaten, But so does Edge. 4-0 might look small but one must remember the age gap between the Phenom and the Rated R superstar.
Here's Ric Flair's take on the match:
"Edge is a phenomenal performer in his own right, but Undertaker has a lot of momentum come WrestleMania time. Edge has to be on top of his game, and I’m sure he will be. He’s come back from a couple of major injuries, and right now I feel like Edge is one of the better wrestlers I’ve seen in a long time. It’s hard to say who's going to win, because their styles complement each other. It should be a phenomenal match."
For me, this is the match to watch. Undertaker has evolved over the years coming up with counter after counter, move after move, fight after fight to earn the respect of one and all. Edge too has come a long way from his Brood ways and is one of the most exciting competitors. So this is the best match.
This video shows the intensity of this match between two titans who have given their lives to wrestling.
Well this is really hard to predict, So I leave it that way.
Boxing Day Test is coming closer and the Indians are going to face the biggest challenge they have faced in recent times. I doubt if there is going to be an encore of 2003-04 but I do expect a decent performance. And no, I am not writing about whether Dravid should open or not.
One thing that strikes everyone about the Australian team is their winning ways. Their straight victories just makes us look in awe and wonder how they do it. Lets take the example of the recent Chappell Hadlee series. New Zealand came in to Australia the defending champions. They left with nothing but loads of embarrassment. The Kiwis were whitewashed and the Mighty Oz were victorious again. So what is it that makes them so special? What is it that makes sure they triumph over the world's best teams and make them look like minnows.
One main reason is the way these guys have been brought up. We all know that Australia was a dumping land for Britain's hardcore thieves. These were the guys who had a very rough lifestyle. Exactly the guys you do not want to mess with. All this shows in their aggression and toughness.
I think its pretty common for a little child to complain to his parents that a classmate has been bullying him. Usually in our country, we talk to the people at school and set things right. It is very rare for someone to ask his child to "Give the guy a good one so that he stays away from you". And of course after the recent Gurgaon school shootout, no parent will ever tell this. Aggression is really important. It is aggression that takes you a long way.
But in no way will I support what guys like Sreesanth are doing. Thats not aggro, thats animal like behavior. True aggression was showed by Andrew Symonds who literally won the series for the Aussies. Aggression is whats inside, not what is shown. Dhoni And Yuvraj gave a brilliant display of what aggression truly is in the T-20 World cup. Not just cricket, without aggression it would be impossible to achieve anything.
Its a rare sight to see Ricky Ponting tensed in a match. He maintains his composure even if the opponent needs a run an over to win the match. That makes the difference. Everyone works really hard but one's ability to take pressure leads to success. We shout out that there is too much pressure on students every other day forgetting that this is what makes them ready for the tough world when they grow up.
Kumble recently said that Bradd Hogg was the weak link in the Aussie bowling. It was heartening to see the entire team jumping up in his defence. Probably that is what is missing in all of us. Poor coordination skills and lack of respect for each other has led to our downfall many-a-times.
Our outlook must change. We must realize that the killer instinct as well patience must complement hard work. Thats the Aussie way for you.
Its finally here. The clash of the two of the greatest players the tennis world has ever seen. Two legends who dominated their respective eras. Pete Sampras vs Roger Federer has been the most awaited set of matches the whole year for several tennis fans. WIth one match already over, the excitement has multiplied.
Federer won the first match with ease as expected but even that could not take away that million dollar smile of Pete. The number of Grand Slams these two share between themselves itself is just amazing.
Pete Sampras will always be remembered as the greatest striker the game has ever seen while Federer will never be forgotten for his dominance in the sport. Keeping all this in mind, it is sad that these matches will not be telecasted on television.
It is well known that Federer fans can't stand Sampras fans and the reverse is true too. So please let me know where your loyalty lies in your comments. As for me, I am a Pete Sampras fan. That man's aggression on field coupled up with his perpetually composed mind was what made me watch tennis in the first place. I remember those days before I watched tennis where every single day, Sampras would hog space in newspapers with some championship or the other. That was what made me watch tennis in the first place. So I support Sampras in this David vs Goliath clash. I know that as of now, Federer is the better man. But he will not be proving anything beating a man ten years older than him, someone who hasn't played competitive tennis for five years now. But there is no doubt that, Federer is the best this generation of Tennis starts have to offer.
And yes, please let me know where your loyalties lie.
Mukesh Ambani today became the richest man in the world. Thanks to the bulls running amok in the stock market, he is now the richest man surpassing the wealth of the likes of Carlos Slim, Warren Buffet and Bill Gates.
I spent most of my childhood with my uncle and grandfather both deeply involved in business. I have overheard them talking about how hard it is to topple Bill Gates from the top several years back. I was shocked when Carlos Slim toppled Gates. It was almost like "an atheist meeting god"(Quote courtesy Digital Fortress.) Today, the impossible has been reachieved once again. I never even thought in my dreams that this man would be so rich. He has come out of his father's shadow and made a name for himself. Tomorrow, the markets might crash and the place lost but it will forever be written that an Indian was once the richest in the world. This is a fitting example to show that nothing is impossible. I was also surprised to see him so calm and also modest about his achievements. He said that he found it funny that other people calculated his wealth for him. Rich or poor, Reliance or no Reliance, this man is somebody who will be remembered for a long time.
The five richest people in the world with their net worth
Long time since my last post. Actually I started out on a couple of topics but never got the spark to finish them. I have called the post We Indians Part 2 not because it is a continuation of my previous racism post. This is just a title which I will be using when I find something that I just don't like in my fellow countrymen. So here it goes.
There's this new DishTV advertisement in which our very own King Khan does a Hrithik Roshan campaigning for a DTH connection. The ad is pretty cliched but one thing in the ad really caught me. Hum Log Keval Se Santhusht Hai. It is very true. All of us feel satisfied too soon. I personally feel that satisfaction is the end of the journey. Of course, I have also fallen prey to my satisfaction and wished I had not been so happy with the way things are going. I have noticed that complacency sets in when one is satisfied with what is done. People tend to take things lying down when such a thing happens. Without pushing ourselves to the limit, we will probably never know how good we are. We must settle for nothing less than the best. new superpower-in-the-making has produced many people who have just proven this fact. Appreciation for the person in the next post.
Sorry, Amit and Prashanth, I basically think reality TV is crap. So this post is not about you guys. Its about one more guy who recently became my role model. Some guy who was born on the same month as me(or is it the other way round?). At 76, He is one of the most active business-man in the world. Ladies and Gentleman, Boys and Girls, Let me introduce to you the man, the icon, the legend(no I am not talking about myself,:) Sorry Cyrus no royalty for you), Keith Rupert Murdoch.
He might be an unknown name to many of us but then he owns the STAR group(TV Channels). He is considered the greatest deal-maker the world has ever seen. Ever since I found out that Keith Townsend's character in the book The Fourth Estate is based on his life, I have read a lot about him. His style has got me and made me an instant fan. His indomitable spirit even though he is a cancer patient must be an inspiration for youngsters who keep complaining that the pressure of being a teenager is too much. I really love this quote: "Can we change the world? No, but hell, we can all try."
I basically love people who live life on the fast lane. To quote the man himself, "The world is changing very fast. Big will not beat small anymore. It will be the fast beating the slow." His company News Corp. owns a whopping 42 newspapers, 35 magazines, 6 radio stations(hell, he owns Radio City), 3 Sports teams, 30 Cable Channels and another 30 websites(This is just a part of the list. For Full list:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/News_Corporation#Holdings). Just Look at his face and you will see confidence oozing out.
It is believed that the man never sleeps(Although his family categorically denies that). He is said to have told his driver not to stop at the chapel where his wedding was scheduled to happen. He thought that an early wedding would hinder his growth in business. Reading books and articles about him have made me double check this is no fantasy novel I am reading. He is also considered the ultimate gambler and one who does not fear failure. Never scared to try new things, he once got News Corp. out of a 6 billion debt in the 1980's.
This man is has been an inspiration for me during the past two weeks. He is also the latest entrant to the list of people whom I idolize. Truly a self made man. It is one of my desires that I meet this man personally once at least. I want to just admire this man, face-to-face.
This is one cracker of a song I am glad I heard. This song is used by Adam Copeland(Edge) of WWE as his entrance theme. I could not get the Edge Video. So Please adjust with this. Superb lyrics, nice arrangement, and a very believable voice.
