Avengers: Pre-Endgame Power Rankings and Predictions

Power Rankings:

Heading into "Avengers: Endgame," I asked co-workers, family, friends and the Internet at large to power rank Earth's Mightiest Heroes. I created two "Power Ranking" polls - one to rank the characters by overall strength and importance, and the other to place the characters in order, from favorite to least favorite. Thirty-five people, myself included, were kind enough to participate.

To help explain how the power rankings were determined, please consider the following points:

1) Votes were weighted by a points system tied to the overall rank. Twelve points were awarded for a 1st Place vote, one point was given for a 12th Place vote, etc. The "Cumulative Rank" listed below was decided by taking the total points received by each character and dividing by the number of respondents (35). It is worth pointing out that this was how a character like Captain America, who received the most 4th Place votes in the Power poll, wound up getting bumped up to 3rd Place in the final standings: the number of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Place votes he received improved his ultimate placement.

2) It is also of note that the Pre-"Infinity War" rankings were based on 20 major heroes that were alive at that point in the MCU timeline. With 11 of those characters getting "snapped" by Thanos at the end of "Infinity War" and three new characters being added to the second poll, the movement shown between the pre-"Infinity War" and pre-"Endgame" surveys may seem somewhat skewed. For instance, War Machine, a perennially disliked character, jumped up eight spots in popularity, in comparison to the last survey, yet remained in last place overall.

Here are the results:

Predictions:

Editor's note: One week after "Endgame" hit theaters, I went through and updated our predictions to show which ones we got right. Obviously, spoilers.

A second survey was created to ask a series of questions regarding predictions, theories and other miscellaneous thoughts before seeing "Avengers: Endgame." Twenty-one people responded. The results and corresponding analysis are as follows:

Who will rescue Tony Stark from Space?

• 42.9% Captain Marvel
• 23.8% Himself
• 14.3% Pepper Potts
• 9.5% Nebula
• 9.5% Other
• 0% Thor

In the first official trailer for "Endgame," Tony Stark is shown, stranded in outer space, sending what could be his final message to Pepper Potts. The majority of respondents believe that he will end up being saved by the newest comic wonder in the MCU, Captain Marvel. 

The second most popular response was that he'll do the most "Tony Stark" thing possible - save himself.

ANSWER: Captain Marvel saved Tony and Nebula from space.

How will Scott Lang escape the Quantum Realm?

• 61.9% Any other method
• 38.1% Time travel

In the mid-credits scene for "Ant-Man & the Wasp," Scott Lang is preparing to enter the Quantum Realm. Before he leaves, Janet Van Dyne ominously warns him not to "get sucked into a time vortex." Moments later, Janet, Hank Pym and his daughter Hope get "snapped," leaving Scott without viable means of rescue. However, it appears that those who took my survey believe that Ant-Man is going to somehow find a way back to reality that does not involve the aforementioned time vortexes.

ANSWER: A rat pressed a button in Scott Lang's van to help him escape the Quantum Realm.

Who will be the first character to be resurrected, if any?

• 52.4% Doctor Strange
• 19% Gamora
• 9.5% Nick Fury or Maria Hill
• 9.5% Vision
• 1.5% Scarlet Witch
• 1.5% Other
• 0% Everybody else that got "snapped"

There are a few good options here. It wouldn't be unreasonable to expect Nick Fury, who organized the Avengers Initiative in the first place and has a close bond with the apparently all-powerful Captain Marvel, to return to the land of the living before all others. It also wouldn't come as a huge surprise for Vision, who literally had an Infinity Stone embedded in his forehead, to discover a way to come back to life. Gamora, Thanos' adopted daughter, has perhaps a more personal reason to be the first character to be revived. But more than half of respondents believe that Doctor Strange, who foresaw all conceivable outcomes of the war against the Mad Titan, will be the recipient of the first on-screen resurrection. Not a bad pick!

ANSWER: Falcon's voice was heard moments before the "snapped" characters were resurrected.

Is Loki permanently dead?

• 52.4% No
• 47.6% Yes

I mean, Thanos said he was... right? But one of my biggest problems with Marvel is that they seem to have a hard time committing to actual, permanent deaths. Groot has supposedly died twice. Nick Fury was fake-killed in "The Winter Soldier." Agent Coulson was brought back from the dead on "Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D." Loki has already faked his own death on numerous occasions - and Marvel recently announced that the Asgardian Trickster is going to have his own TV show on Disney+. Is it going to be set before "Infinity War," or is Loki going to get resurrected with everybody else, even though he wasn't killed in the snap? Ponderous.

ANSWER: It appears that the Loki we knew in the MCU is permanently dead, although a Loki from another alternate timeline escaped with the Tesseract.

Who is most likely to die in "Endgame"?

• 57.1% Captain America
• 33.3% They will all survive
• 9.5% Iron Man
• 0% Thor

Captain America's death (or a potential self-sacrifice) seems inevitable... but I don't want to talk about it. Also, apparently nobody fears for Thor's life whatsoever.

ANSWER: Iron Man was the only one of these three characters to die in "Avengers: Endgame."

How many major characters will (presumably) be dead at the end of the movie?

• 47.6% 3-5
• 33.3% 1-2
• 9.5% None
• 9.5% More than 5

Pain! Lots of pain! Nearly half of voters believe that between three and five major characters will bite the big one.

ANSWER: Major characters (presumably or unquestionably) dead at the end of "Avengers: Endgame" include Vision, Gamora, Iron Man and Black Widow.

Who will kill Thanos?

• 57.1% Group effort / Multiple heroes simultaneously
• 23.8% N/A - Thanos will not die
• 14.3% Captain America
• 4.8% Captain Marvel
• 0% Iron Man
• 0% Thor
• 0% Any other individual

Although several heroes have individual motivation to stop the Mad Titan, most of the group believes that killing Thanos will be a group effort, not unlike how the Avengers teamed up at the end of "Age of Ultron." Interestingly, nearly a quarter of respondents believe that, one way or another, Thanos will survive.

ANSWER: Iron Man killed Thanos and his army by snapping his fingers while possessing the Infinity Stones. Earlier in the movie, Thor killed the original Thanos at his garden hut.

Where will the killing blow to Thanos be dealt?

• 38.1% Anywhere else
• 33.3% The head
• 28.6% N/A - Thanos will not die

All right, this math isn't adding up. More voters said that Thanos would survive in this question than in the last one. Who's flip-flopping? Nevertheless, two-thirds of respondents believe that the Avengers will either disregard or fail to follow through on Thanos' cynical advice from "Infinity War," when he told Thor, "You should've gone for the head."

ANSWER:  Thanos' first death in the movie comes via decapitation. Thor went for the head. At the end of the movie, Thanos is killed via the Infinity Stones.

Assuming that these characters are still alive at the end of the movie, who should be the leader of the Avengers?

• 33.3% Captain Marvel
• 19% Captain America
• 19% Doctor Strange
• 14.3% Thor
• 4.8% Black Panther
• 4.8% Black Widow
• 4.8% Iron Man
• 0% Bucky Barnes
• 0% The Guardians of the Galaxy
• 0% Other

If Cap survives, there is a contingent of fans that want him to remain the leader of Earth's Mightiest Heroes. But a shake-up could also be in the works, and there are many who would like to see Captain Marvel or Doctor Strange take the reigns. For the sake of marketing and diversity, Carol Danvers is the obvious choice, but time will tell.

ANSWER: Although he is not specifically named the leader of the Avengers, it can be assumed that Sam Wilson (Falcon) will take on a prominent role in future movies as the new Captain America.

(Select all that apply) Will the movie's post-credits scenes:

Three hours later, we may not be able to handle any more drama, so it could be highly likely that Marvel treats us to another Shawarma scene or oddball cameo like Howard the Duck. It would also be the perfect opportunity to tease the post-Infinity Saga future or introduce a "bigger fish" or tease that someone we thought was dead, in fact, is not (please no).

ANSWER: There were no post-credits scenes. 

(Optional) Make a bold prediction or "hot take" in 1-2 sentences.

• Aaron Christensen: "The Avengers make their own Infinity Gauntlet with the extra one shown briefly at the forge in 'Infinity War.'"
• Riley Gisseman: "Killing Thanos is a group effort, but Gamora puts in the final blow, saying, 'I'm sorry,' while she does it."
• Thomas Batts: "Bold prediction! Thanos snaps himself."
• Marcus Craig: "Ant-Man will be most essential in disarming Thanos."
• Jonathan Blackham: "The surviving Avengers will have to sacrifice/trade themselves for the other Avengers who died. We can't have them all back. (Bucky or Captain America, Star or Spiderman, Rocket or Groot, War Machine or Falcon, Thor for Loki, etc.)"
• Suzzanne Bailey: "The original Avengers that survive will probably continue to appear in future movies, but largely in an advisory capacity. Doctor Strange will take all of the credit for beating Thanos, even though he wasn't there to help, because he saw all of the possible outcomes and made it happen."
• Mickael Stevens: "Galactus will be revealed during the movie."
• Cole Morgan: "Gamora is coming back."
• Robin Green: "The cat [Goose, from 'Captain Marvel'] will be the big hero."
• Garn Christensen: "They will leave everyone hanging."
• Braden Pirami: "Cap will use Thor's hammer to stop Thanos."
• Kevin Savage: "All heroes will come back at one point or another."
• Scott Aylett: "Thor does not die, but leaves to find a new home with Asgardians who are resurrected."
• Cody Christensen: "Everyone who 'died' is stuck in the Soul Stone or the Reality Stone. Once the Gauntlet is destroyed, they will all come back to life."

---

There you have it! What do you think? Agree? Disagree? Have any other theories we should know about? Leave us a comment below or whatever, and we'll meet up to discuss all things "Endgame" in a week or two.

SotT: Underground will return... with more Avengers blogs.

WrestleMania 35 recap and review

It's that time of year again! I watched WrestleMania 35 so you wouldn't have to! As my yearly public service to you all, I have recapped and graded all of the matches on the main card. I didn't worry about the Pre-show because 1) none of those matches really matter and 2) I have a life and didn't have the opportunity to sit in front of the TV watching grown men and women in spandex risk their lives for seven and a half hours today. I could only afford five and a half. Sorry.

If you need a reminder about what my predictions were, check out my blog from a couple days ago by clicking on this little hyperlink right here!

On we go!

Pre-show:

Tony Nese def. Buddy Murphy to become the Cruiserweight Champion

• SotT Prediction: Buddy Murphy

Carmella wins the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal

• SotT Prediction: Lacey Evans (did not compete)

Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder def. The Revival for the RAW Tag Team Championship

• SotT Prediction: Hawkins & Ryder

Braun Strowman wins the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

• SotT Prediction: Braun Strowman

Main Card:

Seth Rollins def. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Universal Championship

• SotT Prediction: Brock Lesnar
• Recap: The Beast Incarnate wasted little time to begin his beatdown of the self-proclaimed Beast Slayer, jumping Rollins before the match could officially get underway. Once the bell was finally run, Lesnar took Rollins straight to Suplex City, with a trio of German suplexes. Welts and cuts covered Rollins' back. When a bump sent the referee flying out of the ring, Rollins hit Lesnar with a low blow, leading to three Curb Stomps and a pinfall. That's right, ladies and gentlemen: Seth Rollins is your new WWE Universal Champion.
• Analysis: It was a quick match (2:30, officially) that spent more time outside the ring than inside, but it was great to kick off the show with a big win for a fan favorite.
• Grade: B

AJ Styles def. Randy Orton

• SotT Prediction: Randy Orton
• Recap: This match started out at what they like to call a "methodical pace," which means that it was pretty slow and boring for quite a while. Eventually, things picked up with Styles nailing a Springboard 450 and Orton responding with a Superplex off the top rope. The crowd randomly started cheering for something that apparently was not happening in the ring (apparently the lighting in the stadium was making it difficult for fans to see the ring), so Orton mocked the crowd and hit an RKO for a two-count. Styles vaulted himself outside of the ring for a Phenomenal Forearm in the midst of a possible count-out. When the action rolled back into the ring, Styles finished off Orton with a second forearm before securing the pinfall victory.
• Analysis: This wasn't a horrible match, but it started off too slow and the crowd just wasn't into it.
• Grade: C-

The Usos def. Ricochet & Aleister Black, The Bar and Shinsuke Nakamura & Rusev to retain the Smackdown! Tag Team Championship

• SotT Prediction: Ricochet & Aleister Black
• Recap: This bout began with quick tags to make sure that all competitors had a chance to be in the ring, but things really heated up when The Bar were spotlighted with Cesaro performing the King of Swing on Ricochet while Sheamus thumped the chest of literally every other competitor on the outside of the ropes. Another high spot involved a pyramid suplex off the top rope involving all eight men. Ricochet survived largely unscathed and soared through the air for a 630 flip off the top rope, but his pin on Sheamus was broken up. Chaos ensued with a flurry of finishing moves, culminating an a double Flying Use from the Usos, who pinned Sheamus for the win.
• Analysis: Great stuff. Fast-paced action and certainly a step up from Styles/Orton. Ricochet looked great and all of the teams had some good spots.
• Grade: B+

Shane McMahon def. The Miz

• SotT Prediction: Shane McMahon
• Recap: Mr. Miz made an appearance early on, even entering the ring at one point before being pummeled by Shane. The fight spilled into the crowd and up to the row of international announcers, where The Miz put Shane through a table and knocked him over a barrier, off the roof of a golf cart and down another six feet to the concrete floor below. It was a brutal bump. The two battled their way up to some TV scaffolding, where McMahon kicked out of a Skull Crushing Finale. They climbed up one level higher, where Shane pleaded for mercy - but to no avail. The Miz grabbed his former Co-Bestie and suplexed him off the 15-foot tower to a platform below. McMahon landed on top of The Miz and earned himself the three-count.
• Analysis: That suplex off the tower was... AWESOME! Shane took some nasty hits up in the bleachers and the ending was terrifically choreographed.
• Grade: A

A crazy ending to the Shane McMahon & The Miz match!! #WrestleMania

pic.twitter.com/3Mh7y4Tsnl

— Get The Tables (@GetDaTables) April 8, 2019

The IIconics def. The Boss 'n' Hug Connection (Bayley and Sasha Banks), The Divas of Doom (Beth Phoenix and Natalya) and Nia Jax & Tamina to win the Women's Tag Team Championship

• SotT Prediction: The IIconics
• Recap: It's always hard to follow up a show-stopper like The Miz and Shane put on, so it felt like a natural decline in excitement. Natalya slapping a double Sharpshooter on Sasha and Bayley was nice, though. Beth Phoenix hit a Glam Slam on Bayley from the top rope, but the IIconics made a tag from the outside and snuck in for the pin.
• Analysis: Not a great match (and Sasha needs to work on that Frog Splash), but there is inevitably one shocking upset every WrestleMania - and WE CALLED IT!!!
• Grade: C

Kofi Kingston def. Daniel Bryan to become the WWE World Heavyweight Champion

• SotT Prediction: Kofi Kingston
• Recap: A back-and-forth affair took a turn in the champion's favor when Kingston missed a dive toward the announce table, taking a toll on Kofi's upper body and face. Bryan gained control and was able to keep the New Day member grounded for several minutes. A reversal-heavy stretch of the match led to several missed Trouble in Paradise attempts and a couple gutty crawls to the ropes while Bryan had Kingston in the Labell Lock. Woods and Big E took out Rowan on the outside of the ring, which gave Kofi an opening to hit his finisher, but Bryan connected with a running knee. Kofi kicked out, however, much to the delight of the WWE Universe. After the two traded face stomps, Kofi finally landed Trouble in Paradise to pick up the win and become the first African-American WWE Champion. The New Day immediately ditched the eco-friendly belt in favor of the standard black, leather title, and the crowd went wild.
• Analysis: All in all, a very good match. Most importantly, it awarded a guy who has worked his butt off for more than a decade and gave the fans what they've been begging for for months.
• Grade: A

Samoa Joe def. Rey Mysterio to retain the United States Championship

• SotT Prediction: Samoa Joe
• Recap: Well... that was quick. Rey hit a 619, but Joe caught Mysterio's next move and countered into the Coquina Clutch to end the match almost as soon as it started.
• Analysis: Squash match.
• Grade: F

Roman Reigns def. Drew McIntyre

• SotT Prediction: Roman Reigns
• Recap: Nothing out of the ordinary here. Reigns hit the Superman Punch and Spear for the win.
• Analysis: This would have been a pretty good main event on RAW. But it was good to see Roman back in the ring - and to see the fans get behind him for once.
• Grade: C

John Cena interrupts Elias

• Recap: John Cena returned as his old "Doctor of Thuganomics" character to slam Elias in a rap battle. I had a feeling Cena might make an appearance tonight, but it's been a while since we got to see the Doc. Nice throwback and some pretty good burns on the mic.
• Grade: B+

Triple H def. Batista

• SotT Prediction: Triple H
• Recap: Great entrances for both guys. Triple H got in some early offense with a toolbox, a steel chain, a folding chair and a couple pairs of pliers - including apparently ripping Batista's nose ring out?! It was a little hard to watch, honestly. Batista's attempt for a Batista Bomb off the steel steps and through an announce table was reversed by The Game, but the announce table didn't break when The Animal landed on it, which always looks painful. One crotch chop later, Triple H ran across the first two announce tables to spear Batista through the third one. Hunter grabbed his trusty sledgehammer from beneath the ring but was met with a spear from Batista when he climbed back into the ring. The Guardian of the Galaxy landed a vintage spinebuster and a Batista Bomb, but Triple H managed to kick out of the subsequent two-count. Batista introduced a set of steps into the ring, but Triple H powerbombed the Animal on top of them, then hit a Pedigree - but Batista kicked out! Ric Flair, who was attacked by Batista weeks ago, emerged from the crowd to give Triple H his sledgehammer, leading to a Superman-Punch-like attack with the foreign object. Pedigree. One, two, three. The Game wins.
• Analysis: In retrospect, this match was a bit too long - it clocked in as the longest match of the night, at just over 24 minutes. Although the two men looked rusty in some stretches, the bout was much better match than anticipated, and just as brutal as I expected. The interference by Flair was unexpected and a good bit of storytelling. The Game lives to fight another day.
• Grade: B

Baron Corbin def. Kurt Angle

• SotT Prediction: Kurt Angle
• Recap: Angle got in all his classic moves: a German suplex, the Angle Slam, the triple German suplex, the Ankle Lock... But when he missed a moonsault from the top rope, Corbin hit the End of Days and pinned the American hero.
• Analysis: It was a good showing for Kurt, and he got a nice ovation from the crowd just before missing the moonsault, but this didn't end the way anybody really wanted it to - except for maybe Angle, himself. The sign of the night goes to the guy holding up "You never sucked."
• Grade: C

"The Demon" Finn Bálor def. Bobby Lashley to become the Intercontinental Champion

• SotT Prediction: Finn Bálor
• Recap: This was the point in the night when I realized that I had been watching wrestling non-stop for four and a half hours. WrestleMania is just an incredibly long show. This probably wouldn't be classified as a "squash," but it lasted less than five minutes and Lio Rush didn't even try to break up the pinfall when The Demon hit his finisher off the top rope. Bálor becomes a two-time Intercontinental Champion and we're headed to the main event.
• Analysis: This was simply a formality - the transfer of a championship from one guy to the other. Whatever. The Demon deserved better.
• Grade: F

Becky Lynch def. Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair to become the RAW and Smackdown! Women's Champion

• SotT Prediction: Becky Lynch
• Recap: The offense was fairly evenly distributed throughout the beginning of the match, and also included a decent amount of double-teaming from Charlotte and Becky against Ronda. Becky applied a few submissions, including a turnbuckle-aided armbar on Ronda, which was unique. Ronda took a beating; her leg and elbow were both visibly cut and bleeding. But that didn't stop Charlotte from locking her in a Figure Four leg lock around the turnbuckle. Flair's elbow was also busted open mid-way through the match. With Triple Threat rules in play, it was perfectly legal for Becky to set up a table in the middle of the ring. Lynch and Rousey attempted to counter a spear to Flair through the table, but the table didn't break, so that was interesting. And then I looked down for a second and missed Becky rolling Ronda up for a three-count. Literally, I looked away for like five seconds and missed it. Perhaps part of the reason why I missed the pin was because, upon instant replay review, Rousey's shoulders were not even close to being down on the mat. Wow.
• Analysis: Certainly, this was the most underwhelming finish of the night. Thinking back on it, the match was sloppy. The botched table spot. The botched pinfall. It just... wasn't very good. This match had so much potential, but ultimately fell very short of what could have and should have been. The right person won, but it was a confusing, strange and abrupt ending to an otherwise good pay-per-view. "RAW After Mania," you're gonna have some 'splainin' to do!
• Grade: D

Overall Awards:

• MVP: Kofi Kingston

• SotT prediction: Kofi Kingston

• Rising Star Award: Baron Corbin, apparently?

• SotT prediction: Ricochet

• Match of the Night: Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston

• SotT prediction: Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston

• Honorable mention: Shane McMahon vs The Miz

• Surprise of the Night: The IIconics win the Women's Tag Team Championship

• SotT prediction: The IIconics win the Women's Tag Team Championship

• Honorable mention: John Cena appears as the Doctor of Thuganomics

• Most Disappointing Match of the Night: Finn Balor vs Bobby Lashley

• SotT prediction: AJ Styles vs Randy Orton

• Honorable mention: Becky Lynch vs Ronda Rousey vs Charlotte Flair

• Worst Moment of the Night: Baron Corbin def. Kurt Angle

• SotT prediction: Brock Lesnar def. Seth Rollins

• Honorable mention: Ref botches the pin count in the main event

The Bottom Line:

• In the end, WrestleMania 35 was a good show. The right people won, with the exception of Baron Corbin. My picks went 7-5 on the main card (not TERRIBLE) and 9-7 overall. The show didn't seem as long as it has been in past years until there were only two fights left, which, again, isn't bad.

Overall Grade: B+

What did you think? Did you watch? Did you even read this blog? If you've got any thoughts, we'd love to hear them. Either way, in the immortal words of Mick Foley, "Have a nice day!"

Everything you need to know about WrestleMania 35

It's that time of year again. Yes, the time has come for me to break down each and every match for the upcoming WrestleMania to let you know EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW!

WrestleMania is the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. I won't judge you if you watch it. There's nothing wrong with that at all! I've written in defense of wrestling numerous times, both here and (believe it or not) in college. If you take it for what it is - ENTERTAINMENT - it's an easy way to have a little fun.

Keep in mind that what I *think* will happen at WrestleMania is almost always the exact opposite of what actually happens and that, if there is any way for the WWE writers to upset their fanbase, they will almost always do it. I've walked away from the last couple 'Manias a little disappointed because I went in with rather lofty expectations. Just remember that, when Brock Lesnar, Daniel Bryan and Ronda Rousey all win this Sunday night, I warned you about it first.

Another thing to mention here: WRESTLEMANIA IS LONG. Very long. Twice as long as a normal pay-per-view event. And if you're starting it behind schedule due to General Conference, family dinner or (in my case) very possibly BOTH, it's gonna be a long, long night for you, my friend.
With no further ado, let's hop right in and take a look at a bunch of predictions that may end up being completely off-base and incorrect:

Miscellaneous Tidbits:

• The WrestleMania Pre-show will start at 5:30 PM Eastern (3:30 Mountain) and will feature a panel of analysts and several matches. The main card (e.g., the stuff that actually matters) will begin at 7:00 ET (5:00 MT).
• WrestleMania is going to be held outside at MetLife Stadium this year, and there's a chance of rain in the forecast.
• Former RAW and SmackDown! Women's Champion Alexa Bliss will be the host of this year's event.
• Special musical guests for this year include Joan Jett, who will perform her hit "Bad Reputation" during Ronda Rousey's entrance, and WWE superstar Elias, who I love but has sucked lately and will very likely get interrupted and/or attacked at least once during the show.
• The Undertaker and John Cena typically perform at WrestleMania but, as of April 4, neither are scheduled to appear this weekend.
• The Triple Threat match between Ronda Rousey, Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch will be the first time that women have headlined WrestleMania's main event.
• I will post a blog after WrestleMania to own up to all of my incorrect predictions.

WrestleMania 35 Pre-show:

Buddy Murphy (c) vs Tony Nese (Cruiserweight Championship match)

• Background: The Cruiserweight division held a tournament on 205 Live to determine the number one contender to Murphy's championship, which was ultimately won by Nese.
• What to Watch For: The cruiserweights typically put on a high-flying showcase at WrestleMania, but their match usually gets buried on the Pre-show. That will be the case again this weekend.
• The Smart Bet: Murphy
• The Popular Pick: *shrug*
• SotT Prediction: Murphy
• The Bottom Line: I don't watch 205 Live and therefore have no opinion on the outcome of this match.

WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal

• Background: The Women's and Men's Battle Royals have become a WrestleMania staple over the past several years. I see them mainly as ways to monitor employee morale. "Sorry, you didn't make one of the main matches, but we'd love to have you compete with 20 other people on the pre-show!" It's kind of like how college teams will sub in their bench-warmers with a minute to play in a March Madness blowout. At least they'll be able to tell their grandchildren that they made it to the Big Dance. As of the Wednesday before WrestleMania, 13 women had been announced for this year's battle royal.
• What to Watch For: This would be an ideal time for Mandy Rose and Sonya Deville to split their partnership. They've teased it for months. Just make it happen. Also look for Asuka to be out for blood after recently (and unpopularly) losing her Smackdown! Women's Championship to Charlotte Flair two weeks ago.
• The Smart Bet: Asuka
• The Popular Pick: Asuka
• SotT Prediction: Lacey Evans
• The Bottom Line: Evans, who has sporadically (and increasingly annoyingly) appeared on RAW and Smackdown! for weeks, has (at the time of writing) not officially been announced as a participant in this match. If WWE wants to double down on the rumors that she's going to get a big push once moved to the main roster, this would be the way to do it.

André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

• Background: Much ado was made of the rivalry between Braun Strowman and this year's celebrity correspondents, Saturday Night Live's Colin Jost and Michael Che. That storyline will undoubtedly dominate attention throughout the match. As of the Wednesday before WrestleMania, 29 men had been announced for the men's battle royal.
• What to Watch For: Strowman, who won the 50-man Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, will clean house, eliminating a multitude of opponents - most notably Jost and Che.
• The Smart Bet: Braun Strowman
• The Popular Pick: Braun Strowman
• SotT Prediction: Braun Strowman
• The Bottom Line: It would be quite surprising to see anyone other than Strowman win here. But it doesn't really matter. This match means nothing and the André the Giant trophy will either get destroyed within two weeks or never be seen again, anyway.

The Revival (c) vs Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder (RAW Tag Team Championship match)

• Background: Curt Hawkins' losing streak is historic. Allegedly, he has lost more than 200 consecutive matches. And yet, somehow, with practically all build-up being done off-screen, he and longtime friend Zack Ryder have been granted a tag team championship match at WrestleMania.
• What to Watch For: Hawkins is actually going to pin somebody. Buckle up.
• The Smart Bet: The Revival
• The Popular Pick: Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
• SotT Prediction: Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
• The Bottom Line: Hawkins winning is a shoo-in. It's a silly angle, and it would be dumb if it happened at 'Mania with no build-up beforehand, but it is what it is. Enjoy it while it lasts; if Hawkins and Ryder win, I predict that they'll lose the titles on RAW the next night.

Main Card:

Shane McMahon vs The Miz (Falls Count Anywhere)

• Background: At the 2018 event WWE Crown Jewel, a tournament was held to determine the "Best in the World." When The Miz was (kayfabe) injured during his semifinal match, then-Smackdown! Commissioner Shane McMahon took things into his own hands, inserting himself into the finals and defeating Dolph Ziggler. Subsequently, The Miz claimed half of the "Best in the World" title for himself, declaring himself and McMahon "Co-Besties." This story led to the formation of a Miz/McMahon tag team, which was shortly thereafter disbanded at WWE Fastlane, when McMahon turned on his Co-Bestie and also physically assaulted The Miz's father.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: Best buddies turned bitter enemies.
• What to Watch For: Shane's going to jump off of something. It's what he does. A lot of this match will take place backstage or in the parking lot. After all, what good is a "Falls Count Anywhere" stipulation if it ends in the ring?
• The Smart Bet: Shane McMahon
• The Popular Pick: The Miz
• SotT Prediction: Shane McMahon
• The Bottom Line: I'll never be shocked watching a McMahon cheat their way to a WrestleMania victory, so it's likely that some outside interference will come into play here (it's legal!). I'm not positive what purpose a win by Shane would serve here.

Triple H vs Batista (No Holds Barred - If Triple H loses, he must retire)

• Background: Dave Bautista is back! When Evolution reunited on Smackdown! 1000 in October 2018, Batista took a dig at his old pal Triple H by pointing out that The Game had has never beaten him, 1-on-1. Batista re-emerged on RAW in February, during what was scheduled to be Ric Flair's 70th birthday party. After beating the Nature Boy senseless backstage, the three-time World Heavyweight Champion would go on to demand a match against Triple H at WrestleMania - but only if the Cerebral Assassin agreed to put his career on the line. It's true; if Batista can defeat Triple H on the Grandest Stage of Them All, the COO of WWE will be forced to retire from in-ring competition.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: Living legends face off in a career-threatening grudge match.
• What to Watch For: This match isn't going to last very long, but it will probably be a slugfest and should be fun to watch. It won't surprise me if Triple H's sledgehammer makes an appearance.
• The Smart Bet: Triple H
• The Popular Pick: Batista
• SotT Prediction: Triple H
• The Bottom Line: This is the perfect time for Batista, who plays Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe to make his (temporary) return to the ring. It will be great publicity for the upcoming movie "Avengers: Endgame," and vice versa. However, the odds of Triple H losing and having to hang up his boots are slim to none. That guy will wrestle until he's 90 - and he's in charge, so he can make that happen.

Kurt Angle vs Baron Corbin (Kurt Angle's Farewell Match)

• Background: WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle is officially bringing his in-ring career to an end at WrestleMania. He hand-picked Baron Corbin to be his final competition, as the two wrestled (pun intended) for control of Monday Night RAW over the course of many months in the past year. The announcement of Corbin as Angle's final opponent was universally loathed by wrestling fans, who believe that the American Hero deserves better than that. Nevertheless, it seems that this is what we'll be subjected to, come Sunday.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: The WWE Universe bids adieu to an icon.
• What to Watch For: There are some rumors that Corbin could get squashed quickly and another (better) opponent could come out to face Kurt. The online community would love to see Angle's longtime rival John Cena show up. If not, it won't be five minutes before Corbin is tapping out to an Ankle Lock.
• The Smart Bet: Kurt Angle
• The Popular Pick: Kurt Angle
• SotT Prediction: Kurt Angle
• The Bottom Line: There is now way Kurt loses, no matter who he ends up facing. Hopefully the quality of the match will be a fitting end to a great career. I would love for fans not to chant "You Suck" as he makes his way back up the ramp for the last time. Watch this tribute video that aired on RAW. If you're not convinced Kurt Angle is the greatest wrestler of all time right now, you might be in three-and-a-half minutes:

AJ Styles vs Randy Orton

• Background: Styles/Orton didn't get much of a storyline during the build-up to WrestleMania. Essentially, it's the culmination of a bunch of short promos and brief interactions over the past two months. Orton is a classic "company guy," who was been with WWE for nearly 20 years. He's irked because Styles came up through the independent circuit and several other non-WWE wrestling promotions.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: Two megastars face off in a match that looks great on paper.
• What to Watch For: Ideally, this should be - SHOULD BE - one of the better matches of the night, with two great in-ring performers going at it, but Styles has been a tad hit-or-miss in past 'Manias, putting on a great match against Shane McMahon at WM33 but having a snoozer against Shinsuke Nakamura last year. Look out for one of Orton's ever-creative RKOs out of nowhere.
• The Smart Bet: Randy Orton
• The Popular Pick: AJ Styles
• SotT Prediction: Randy Orton
• The Bottom Line: Orton has made a career of killing legends (and, arguably, burying talent). It will be interesting to see if the Legend Killer maintains that reputation or if Styles can solidify himself as one of the biggest names in the industry.

Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre

• Background: In October 2018, Roman Reigns announced to the WWE Universe that he was suffering from a return bout of leukemia. (Watch the devastating announcement here.) In February, Reigns appeared on RAW to announce that he was in remission and ready to return to the ring, much to the approval of just about everybody... except for the Scottish Psychopath, Drew McIntyre. McIntyre challenged Reigns to a match at WrestleMania to prove that he, not the Big Dog, is running RAW now.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: Roman Reigns returns to the ring for his first big match, post-leukemia.
• What to Watch For: Fans will be squarely in Roman's corner now, as opposed to their constant, vehement disdain for Reigns that prevailed over the past five years of his tenure with WWE. Reigns' former tag team partner, Dean Ambrose (whose real-life contract will expire after 'Mania), may play a part in the finish, likely coming to Reigns' aid after weeks of barbaric attacks at the hands of McIntyre.
• The Smart Bet: Roman Reigns
• The Popular Pick: Roman Reigns
• SotT Prediction: Roman Reigns
• The Bottom Line: This one should be rather straight-forward and will not likely be a match that people are talking about the next day. More than anything, this is a showcase for Roman.

Samoa Joe (c) vs Rey Mysterio (United States Championship match)

• Background: The ageless wonder that is Rey Mysterio slid into United States Championship contention after a stellar program with Andrade (FKA "Andrade 'Cien' Almas). The past two weeks have featured Mysterio cutting promos with his son, Dominic, pitching an anti-bullying angle against Samoa Joe. Joe's short title reign has been impressive but imperfect, featuring fluke losses to several competitors. (Editor's note: I am just now learning that Mysterio appears to be legitimately injured, and his status is uncertain heading into this weekend.)
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: The big bully takes on the world-class high flyer.
• What to Watch For: It would not be unlikely for Dominic to have a role in this match, perhaps by way of a ringside confrontation with Joe. Despite his age, Mysterio still harnesses a killer move set, and is one of a handful of jaw-dropping performers.
• The Smart Bet: Samoa Joe
• The Popular Pick: Rey Mysterio
• SotT Prediction: Samoa Joe
• The Bottom Line: With many "face" (good guy) wrestlers poised to win the top-tier championships later in the night, look for bad-guy Joe to retain with the Coquina Clutch. With this being Joe's first major title reign on the main roster, he will hopefully hang on to that belt for a couple more months.

Bobby Lashley (c) vs Finn Bálor

• Background: Bobby Lashley and Finn Bálor have swapped the Intercontinental Championship back and forth for the past couple months, in the midst of a rivalry that has included many a handicap match. Lashley's hype man, Lio Rush, has been a permanent fixture in this story arc and will certainly influence the outcome of this match, as well.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: The Demon emerges for a chance to reclaim championship gold.
• What to Watch For: Bálor will appear as his body-painted alter ego, The Demon, at WrestleMania 35, so his entrance will be the most theatrical moment of the weekend. But will his supernatural persona will be enough to overcome the inevitable 2-on-1 odds?
• The Smart Bet: Bobby Lashley (with Lio Rush)
• The Popular Pick: Finn Bálor
• SotT Prediction: Finn Bálor
• The Bottom Line: WWE would do well to give Bálor his "WrestleMania moment" here, springboarding him to a long and prosperous run as Intercontinental champion.

The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) (c) vs Ricochet and Aleister Black vs The Bar (Cesaro and Sheamus) vs Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev (Smackdown! Tag Team Championship match)

• Background: WrestleMania host Alexa Bliss announced this Fatal Four-way match during the most recent Smackdown! episode, so there is little-to-no story behind this match-up. The Usos have been a dominant force in the tag division for years and enter as heavy favorites, but NXT upstarts Ricochet and Aleister Black have been on a roll in recent weeks on RAW, Smackdown! and NXT.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: Fast-paced tag team action, accented by great chemistry and a pair of flashy newcomers.
• What to Watch For: Don't blink when watching Ricochet. His suicide dives - especially the one he does over the turnbuckle and out of the ring - are things of beauty.
• The Smart Bet: The Usos
• The Popular Pick: Ricochet and Aleister Black
• SotT Prediction: Ricochet and Aleister Black
• The Bottom Line: Handing the straps to Ricochet and Black would be a great way to introduce them as permanent members of the main roster on the Smackdown! After 'Mania. If WWE really wants to piss fans off, they'll have Nakamura and Rusev win; a victory for the odd couple would definitely feel like a let-down.

The Boss 'n' Hug Connection (Bayley and Sasha Banks) (c) vs The Divas of Doom (Beth Phoenix and Natalya) vs The IIconics (Billie Kay and Peyton Royce) vs Nia Jax and Tamina (WWE Women's Tag Team Championship match)

• Background: The first-ever Women's Tag Team Champions, Bayley and Sasha Banks, promised to defend their titles on any brand against anyone. Well, they are making good on that pledge and will defend the championships against a current team from RAW (Nia Jax and Tamina), a current team from Smackdown! (The IIconics) and the legendary pairing of Natalya and WWE Hall of Famer Beth Phoenix.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: The first major test for the inaugural Women's Tag champs.
• What to Watch For: Beth Phoenix returned to the ring for the first time since 2012 last Monday and looks like she hasn't lost a step. (Cue the "You Still Got It" chants.) Fans will love seeing her fight on Sunday night, and a showdown between Phoenix and Jax would be (dare I say it?) iconic.
• The Smart Bet: The Boss 'n' Hug Connection
• The Popular Pick: The Boss 'n' Hug Connection
• SotT Prediction: The IIconics
• The Bottom Line: Anyone other than Sasha and Bayley winning this thing would be considered a sizable upset. But if The IIconics can pull off a stunner in this Fatal Four-way, it will break Twitter.

Brock Lesnar (c) vs Seth Rollins (WWE Universal Championship match)

• Background: Brock Lesnar held the WWE Universal Championship for a record-breaking 534 days before losing it to Roman Reigns at Summerslam 2018. When Reigns relinquished his title in October, Lesnar quickly regained the vacated championship. He will be faced by Seth Rollins, who won the right to headline WrestleMania by winning the 2019 Royal Rumble in January.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: Fans hate Lesnar and love Rollins.
• What to Watch For: Could this be the moment the entire world has been waiting for? Will Lesnar finally, at long last, lose the belt and hopefully just go away? Rollins has been selling a whole lot of "Beastslayer" merchandise lately. WWE Shop is really pushing that stuff out. Take us to the promised land, Seth. Finish the job.
• The Smart Bet: Brock Lesnar
• The Popular Pick: Seth Rollins
• SotT Prediction: Brock Lesnar
• The Bottom Line: I would love more than anything to see Brock lose, but you just can't bet against him. He is always there to ruin a perfectly good Pay-Per-View, and, of the three major championships matches, I think this is the one most likely to have the bad guy win. However, if Seth can slay The Beast, it will be a truly glorious, well-deserved moment.

Daniel Bryan (c) vs Kofi Kingston (WWE Heavyweight Championship match)

• Background: Kofi Kingston has gone 11 years without a singles match for the WWE Championship. That's a really long time. In an "underdog" storyline that is practically the identical twin of Daniel Bryan's unthinkable road to WrestleMania XXX, Vince McMahon has absolutely screwed Kofi over at every turn. From removing Kingston from the main event of last month's Fastlane event to making him earn his way back into 'Mania several times in the past month, Kofi has had to scratch and claw his way back to number one contendership. With the support of the whole Smackdown! locker room and an entire #KofiMania-crazed arena, can Kingston knock off the angry vegan titleholder?
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: The first shot for Kofi to hold a heavyweight championship - and the fans are dying to see it.
• What to Watch For: Kingston is known for his tremendous athleticism and spectacular creativity. Kofi/Bryan should be a top contender for Match of the Night.
• The Smart Bet: Kofi Kingston
• The Popular Pick: Kofi Kingston
• SotT Prediction: Kofi Kingston
• The Bottom Line: The only hesitation I have in picking Kofi is that they just recently gave Daniel Bryan a brand new, eco-friendly championship belt. It would be a little odd to create that brand new strap, then have Kofi take it away so quickly. Kingston would become the first African-American to hold the WWE Championship, which would be a major win for those concerned about diversity and equality, and if he does end up winning, he will get the loudest ovation of the night.

Ronda Rousey (c) vs Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair (c) (Winner-Takes-All match for the RAW and Smackdown! Women's Championships)

• Background: For the past year, WWE has been Ronda and Becky's world and we've just been living in it. Rousey made her in-ring debut at WrestleMania 34 and very quickly won the RAW Women's Championship. She has never lost a match. Becky Lynch has had quite the year, having held the Smackdown! Women's Championship, won the 2019 Royal Rumble, gotten her face broken by Nia Jax and dominated airtime on both brands. Becky's invasion of RAW was one of the best things WWE has done in years. Vince McMahon revoked Becky's spot in the main event at WrestleMania and inserted Charlotte Flair (to the disdain of fans everywhere). At the insistence of an angry Rousey Becky was eventually added back into the match, which became a Triple Threat Match. But wait! Charlotte beat Asuka for the Smackdown! Women's Championship two weeks ago and Stephanie McMahon announced a "Winner Takes All" stipulation for the WrestleMania match, meaning that the winner will walk away with both women's titles. In a wild episode on Monday night, all three women were (kayfabe) arrested and sent to jail. It's been crazy and I realize that my explanation of it all seems incredibly convoluted. Geez.
• Too Long; Didn't Read edition: These are three extremely pissed off ladies.
• What to Watch For: Becky and Ronda's Twitter war has verged on feeling a little too real, and, at times, it has legitimately seemed like the two can't stand each other. Ronda's gimmick as of late may have been that she believes wrestling is fake (so strange), but some of the punches and kicks on Sunday might not be.
• The Smart Bet: Becky Lynch
• The Popular Pick: Becky Lynch
• SotT Prediction: Becky Lynch
• The Bottom Line: Rousey appears to be at the end of her time with WWE. The only appropriate way to end this rivalry is to have Becky submit Ronda to an armbar. Honestly, Charlotte has no place in this match, and her involvement seems totally unnecessary. This night needs to end with "The Man" raising both titles above her head.

Award Predictions:

• MVP - Kofi Kingston

• Rising Star Award - Ricochet

• Match of the Night - Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston

• Surprise of the Night - The IIconics win the Women's Tag Championship

• Most Disappointing Match of the Night - Randy Orton vs AJ Styles

• Worst Moment of the Night - Brock Lesnar def. Seth Rollins

Enjoy your WrestleMania experience this weekend! Before you go, check out this fun "Tonight Show" segment of WWE superstars reading trash talk written by children:

LET'S GET READY TO RUMBLE!!!

The Masked Singer: Television's Gift to America

The year was 2018. I had seen commercials for this upcoming show, "The Masked Singer," for months. These TV spots made the premise seem simple: costumed celebrities sing songs for a panel of judges. It looked pretty stupid, to be honest. But I needed more information - chiefly, what caliber of celebrities are they dealing with?

After what seemed like an eternity, January 2, 2019 finally rolled around. "The Masked Singer" premiered that night. I made myself a deal: I'd watch for five minutes to see what the show was like, and then I'd turn it off and move along with my life.

Then this happened:

I wasn't quite sure what on earth I had stumbled across... but I kind of liked it, so I kept watching.
And then this happened:

I was hooked.
Six of the 12 elaborately costumed characters performed in that first episode. The remaining six went the following Wednesday night. At the end of each episode, the studio audience voted for their favorite singers. The singer with the least amount of votes got eliminated from competition and was forced to unmask.
In the first episode, the Hippo received the fewest votes. He was revealed to be professional football player Antonio Brown. Later episodes exposed celebrities such as comedians Tommy Chong and Margaret Cho, TV icons like Tori Spelling and Ricki Lake, and legit singers LaToya Jackson and *NSYNC's Joey Fatone.
It was silly, it was ridiculous, and I'll be darned if I wasn't on the edge of my seat every time those crazy masks came off.

Why did this show work?

A handful of people filled out a survey I published about their experience watching "The Masked Singer." I'll reference those results periodically throughout the rest of this blog. When asked about their initial expectations for this show, no one gave a score higher than 3, on a scale from 1 to 5. It was a unique concept - something not unheard of overseas (it's patterned after a competition in South Korea) - but foreign (literally) to America audiences.
Somehow, some way, "The Masked Singer" was a smash hit with viewers and many critics. (It even sits at a 52% score on Rotten Tomatoes, which is... about 47% higher than I anticipated.) As a competition show, it lives somewhere in some freaky dimension between "American Idol" and "Survivor." It's a pre-recorded singing competition which eliminates its participants months before airing on TV, yet somehow still lets the viewers at home feel included in the process.
I didn't have a say in which singers got unmasked, nor which character won the finale, but I did get to play along from my couch, thanks to weekly video packages that gradually revealed clues about the secret identities of the celebrities. Some of these clues were intentionally misleading, like clues constantly indicating that Vegas mainstay Donny Osmond was a magician, while others were blatantly obvious, such as a line in one of the Rabbit's early performances that said, "It's gonna be me" - a virtual guarantee that the celebrity was a member of *NSYNC. As viewers, we had the opportunity to try to guess the identities from the get-go, then, as the show went on, additional clues would either validate our assumptions or make us completely re-think our strategy.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Executive Producer Craig Plestis said, "Our show is not a serious show at all. It's a fun party that you can come to each week and invite into your house, and that's what we need in America — just to disengage a little bit. There's so much crazy stuff going on, and this is a show you don't have to worry about it. You can just worry about who's underneath the Peacock mask, and who's underneath the Monster mask."
For me, and for others, "The Masked Singer" was must-see television each Wednesday night. I'm glad to hear that I'm not alone. Everyone who took my survey rated their likelihood of watching Season 2 as 5 out of 5.
As a bit of a side note, I hear that celebrities loved being on the show. for people like Rumer Willis (daughter of Bruce and Demi Moore), it was a chance to showcase a new or previously little-known talent; I also read that they loved not having any press obligations and being able to ignore or otherwise disregard questions about their involvement with the show. It's been a great source of publicity for the contestants; Gladys Knight (third place) told Entertainment Weekly that her phone has been "ringin' off the hook," and a career resurrection may be in the cards for T-Pain, who was moved to tears while accepting the Golden Mask trophy. For an interesting interview with Donny Osmond, who reflected on his time on the show, click here to read the Deseret News article.

Why shouldn't it have worked?

The hardest thing about watching "The Masked Singer" is knowing that it's all pre-recorded. An article on Vox.com explained that the show was taped over the summer of 2018, far before the show was on anybody's radar, which was a huge benefit, in terms of secrecy. Nobody was expecting it, so the first season took television by storm. (The show isn't a secret anymore, but we'll touch on that more later.)
In today's spoiler-happy society, a show like this absolutely shouldn't have worked. Because the show was recorded in front of a (Non-Disclosure-Agreement-signing) crowd, it's a wonder that there was even a sliver of surprise remaining once the show hit airwaves months later. A little Googling taught me something interesting:
Vox discussed the jittery editing of those exciting unmasking sequences (with "Who Are You" by The Who gloriously blaring in the background) by explaining that most of the audience was evacuated from the auditorium before the actual revealing of the singers.
"Each reveal took place in front of a skeleton audience [of the crew and people who were attached to that week's mystery celebrity]," Vox reported. "Many of the audience members [shown on screen] looking on in shock and surprise weren’t even present when the singers finally emerged from beneath their elaborate costume heads."
(Aside: I've considered how this show would work if it were filmed live, like "America's Got Talent" or the playoff rounds of "The Voice." This would provide viewers at home more of an opportunity to participate in the voting aspect of the show, but ultimately would not work at all, because the judges would go home, get on social media or Google and immediately know who the contestants were, and that wouldn't be any fun at all. Gotta keep the show pre-recorded, sadly.)
Despite the insane degree of privacy required during production, the whole Internet pretty much knew who was behind each mask after the first episode. Every single person that responded to my survey said that they unintentionally encountered "Masked Singer" spoilers. They were all over the place, to the extent that I am considering not looking at any articles about the show during Season 2. But even that - or muting phrases like #MaskedSinger on Twitter - won't prevent the accidental spoiling of secrets. For example, I saw "Donny Osmond" trending on the night of the first episode. Unaware that his name was a "Masked Singer" spoiler, I clicked to see whether he had died prematurely or something. Nope. Twitter just came to the consensus that he was behind the Peacock mask. This turned out to be true, as did every other spoiler or rumor that I encountered over the course of the season.
So does knowing the identity of a singer ruin the fun of it all? It's hard to say. Those who responded to my survey were perfectly divided between "Yes," "No" and "Somewhat." I suppose that it depends on how you discover the identity. If a viewer guessed correctly, like I did with Joey Fatone, knowing the identity of the celebrity may make them proud and thereby enhance their viewing pleasure. But if one were to accidentally stumble across the theory that the ultimate winner, the Monster, is T-Pain, as the Internet correctly assumed, it might take some of the excitement out of it. For me, his particular voice had been a lively source of debate amongst my family for the better part of two months, so finding out that Twitter knew it all along was a bit of a disappointment for me. I can't imagine that sitting through an entire season of this show after having looked up the answers at the very beginning would have been much fun.

What can be changed for Season 2?

Now that the world knows about "The Masked Singer," the producers are going to have to crack down on security even more for Season 2 in order to prevent spoilers from being leaked. Thankfully, Plestis is well aware of this, and it sounds like his team is up to the task.
"We're going to be hiring more security people," he told THR. "Now that we're on everyone's radar it's making sure that, when we're filming it, everyone has given up their iPhones and cameras. It's making sure that no pictures are taken during the performances and being really on top of it to make sure that no one has a picture of our celebrities underneath the masks. That's going to be our key for the next season. ... This is something that no other show has to deal with ... It's not simply just making a great show and having a great panel and costumes and shooting it all, there's this whole other operation and side with crew of just keeping the secrets, the paperwork, the NDAs, the security guards. The logistics are monumental to do this."
On top of cracking down on privacy and trying to deter Internet spoilers, I think that they might want to try giving harder (or fewer) clues about the celebrities. More than 80 percent of my survey voters said that the contestant clues were "somewhere in between" being "too easy" and "too difficult," although none felt that the clues were generally too hard to be helpful, and everyone that took the survey said that they were able to identify at least one celebrity without the use of spoilers.
Of course, part of the fun of "The Masked Singer" is letting viewers play Sherlock Holmes and piece together the clues. It wouldn't be enjoyable if every single clue was so difficult that nobody could guess. But how about these options to shake things up next season?:

• Start with more difficult clues. Finding out that the Rabbit was in a boy band wouldn't be bad, but knowing which boy band he was in narrowed things down really quickly - in this case, to either Joey Fatone or Lance Bass; Justin Timberlake is way too big of a star, and nobody knows anything about the other two guys. As the season progressed, they could give some easier clues to help viewers feel more confident in their guesses.
• Consider giving no clues at all! I'm not positive that this would be successful, but it would be interesting to see what the judges (and the rest of us at home) could determine, based solely on the voice of the performer and their body language.
• Battle Rounds. Similar to "The Voice," they could have two contestants face off against each other, with the loser being forced to reveal a clue about their identity. The winner would not have to reveal anything. This would keep the best performers' identities a complete secret for a longer period of time.

Now that the world has seen the success of Season 1, hopefully we can expect bigger names to show up next time around. Plestis mentioned in several interviews that I read that their ultimate goal is to nab an "A-Lister." But I'll be honest - Gladys Knight is about as legendary a performer as I ever could have expected when I asked myself what caliber of celebrity would possibly put on one of those preposterous costumes. It will be fun to see who shows up in the future.

Other survey results

"The Masked Singer" had an interesting panel of judges, including at least two members who arguably know nothing about singing. That panel consisted of Robin Thicke, Jenny McCarthy, Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger, who were periodically joined by guest judges Joel McHale, JB Smoove and Kenan Thompson. My survey asked which judges respondents liked. Here are the results, in order of popularity:

1. Kenan Thompson - Guest Judge (100% approval)
2. Robin Thicke (83%)
3. Ken Jeong and Nicole Scherzinger (66%)
4. Jenny McCarthy (33%)
5. Joel McHale and JB Smoove (16%)

I asked how difficult respondents found it to guess the celebrities behind the masks. On a scale from 1 to 5, two-thirds rated the difficulty as "4," with all others giving it a "3."

One-third of respondents admitted that they intentionally looked up spoilers at any point in the season to discover an identity or confirm a theory.

I asked who the worst singer of the competition was. Half of voters picked the Pineapple (Tommy Chong). Other singers receiving votes included the Unicorn (Tori Spelling) and the Deer (Terry Bradshaw).

Results for the best singer of the competition varied considerably, with a tie for the top spot. Those who took the survey had the Monster (T-Pain) and the Peacock (Donny Osmond) tied for number one, with the Bee (Gladys Knight) and the Rabbit (Joey Fatone) also receiving votes.

When asked about the best character of the season, in terms of personality and on-stage presence, 50 percent preferred the Joey Fatone's twitchy Rabbit. Others receiving votes were the Peacock, the Monster and the Raven. (Full disclosure: The person who voted for the Raven was some random chick on Twitter that somehow found the link to my survey. I don't know them personally and they therefore cannot be trusted nor taken seriously.)

Five of the 12 entertainers received votes for "Best Costume," with the Rabbit receiving the most votes, followed by the Lion, Peacock, Monster and Pineapple.

The Final Word

I loved this show more than I could ever have imagined. My two favorite TV shows of all time are "Survivor" and "LOST," but basically everyone hates both of those shows and I've learned not to bring them up in conversation as much as possible. "The Masked Singer," however, was a show that I constantly brought up to co-workers and would recommend to anyone who needs something fun to watch. So thank you, television. Thank you for giving us this wonderfully strange and incredible gift known as "The Masked Singer." I look forward to seeing what happens with Season 2 and hope that many more of you will watch along with me so we can discuss our theories together.

But if you look up spoilers and ruin it for me, there will be no forgiveness in this world for you.

So tell me... did you watch Season 1 of "The Masked Singer"? What did you think? What did you like? What did you hate? Who did you love? Were you satisfied with the results of the finale? Let me know in the comments below. I'd love to hear what you have to say.