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PhillyPhanatics.com’s Major League Baseball previews continue with the American League Central.

(Link to prior previews: AL West)

If I asked you whether there was a mortal lock, guaranteed sure-fire division winner in Major League Baseball in 2012, how would you respond? Last year, I would have said the Phillies. This year, while I’d still pick the Phillies to win their division, the NL East – with the exception of the Mets – looks like it has 4 teams with a realistic shot at the postseason.

If I took you to the AL Central, however, would we agree that there is one team that stands so far above the rest?

Ron Opher examines this and other questions in PhillyPhanatics.com’s AL West preview

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Detroit Tigers

2011 record: 95-67, 1st place

Key departures: Magglio Ordonez, Brad Penny

Key additions: Prince Fielder, Octavio Dotel

Projected lineup:

CF Austin Jackson
RF Brennan Boesch
3B Miguel Cabrera
1B Prince Fielder
DH Delmon Young
C Alex Avila
SS Jhonny Peralta
LF Andy Dirks
2B Ryan Raburn

Projected rotation:

RH Justin Verlander
RH Max Scherzer
RH Doug Fister
RH Rick Porcello
LH Duane Below

CL Jose Valverde

Season outlook: The playoff cinch award for 2012 has to go to the Detroit Tigers. Not only did they win their division by 15 games in 2011 and boast the Cy Young and MVP (the same guy, Justin Verlander), they added one of the best RBI men in the game in Prince Fielder to a lineup that already has all-world player Miguel Cabrera. Miggy moves back across the diamond to third to accommodate Fielder at first – who fulfills a childhood dream to play the same position for the same team as his father Cecil did some 20+ years ago.

Some of the enthusiasm should be tempered with the loss of DH Victor Martinez for the season with a torn ACL, but this team has the best lineup, the best rotation and the best bullpen – by a lot – in the division. Nobody can touch Valverde-Benoit-Dotel-Coke in the Central and possibly not even in the AL throughout. The Tigers look like they are on a collision course for a date with the Angels in the ALCS.

Projected finish: 1st place

Cleveland Indians

2011 record: 80-82, 2nd place

Key departures: Jim Thome, Kosuke Fukudome, Chad Durbin

Key additions: Derek Lowe, Casey Kotchman, Dan Wheeler

Projected lineup:

CF Michael Brantley
SS Asdrubal Cabrera
RF Shin-Soo Choo
C Carlos Santana
DH Travis Hafner
1B Casey Kotchman
LF Shelley Duncan
2B Jason Kipnis
3B Jack Hannahan

Projected rotation:

RH Justin Masterson
RH Ubaldo Jimenez
RH Derek Lowe
RH Josh Tomlin
RH Jeanmar Gomez

CL Chris Perez

Season outlook: The Cleveland Indians made a great run last season, but ironically just as they added Ubaldo Jimenez at the trade deadline, costing them a pitcher who may outpitch Jimenez this season (Drew Pomeranz in Colorado), the wheels fell off. While the Indians finished second, they were 15 games behind the Tigers and had the 8th best record out of 14 AL teams.

The young lineup looks to have continued improvement from SS Asdrubal Cabrera, who had a breakout season in 2011 (25-92-.273, after hitting 18 total home runs in over 1600 plate appearances in the prior 4 seasons). Catcher Carlos Santana is coming off his first full season (27-79, ,351 OBP) and is likely to join Buster Posey (whom I compared Santana to in my 2011 AL Central preview) as the only catchers in the majors to bat cleanup in 2012. On the mound, it was Justin Masterson who had the breakout season (12-10, 3.21 ERA after going 6-13 with a 4.70 ERA in 2010).

You get the idea that if these guys are for real and continue to improve, they are going to get above .500 and be in contention for the expanded wildcard system if they can’t catch the Tigers.

If Shin-Soo Choo (who sank to 8-36-.259 in 2011) can stay healthy, he should get back to his .300 hitting ways. Choo hit .300 of better each season from 2008-2010. Michael Brantley and Shelley Duncan are also up-and-coming players in Cleveland’s outfield, while Travis Hafner and Derek Lowe will provide veteran leadership.

Then again, any team that has to play Casey Kotchman every day at 1B (and bat him any higher than 8th or 9th) can’t be all that good. Matt LaPorta may ultimately reclaim that position. Fausto Carmona – now known as Roberto Hernandez Heredia – is in visa limbo, and Grady Sizemore (back surgery) is once again injured.

Projected finish: 2nd place

Chicago White Sox

2011 record: 79-83, 3rd place

Key departures: Mark Buehrle, Carlos Quentin, Juan Pierre, Omar Vizquel

Key additions: none

Projected lineup:

CF Alejandro De Aza
C A.J. Pierzynski
CF Alexis Rios
1B Paul Konerko
DH Adam Dunn
SS Alexei Ramirez
LF Dayan Viciedo
3B Brent Morel
2B Gordon Beckham

Projected rotation:

LH John Danks
RH Gavin Floyd
RH Jake Peavy
RH Philip Humber
LH Chris Sale

CL Matt Thornton

Season outlook: The Chicago White Sox begin a new chapter in 2012, after a disappointing third-place finish in the AL Central in 2011. That chapter includes the departure of longtime manager Ozzie Guillen (who took over the Miami Marlins), who has been replaced by another popular White Sox alum, Robin Ventura.

The team – like their cross-town rivals the Cubs with Jeff Samardzija – is gambling on the successful conversation of Chris Sale from a reliever to a starter. They’re also gambling on the emergence Alejandro De Aza as a leadoff hitter after he failed multiple times with the Marlins, on Dayan Viciedo and Brent Morel (who, along with DeAza, each have less than 500 major league at bats) to hold down full-time major league jobs, and in turn gambling that they won’t miss veterans like Carlos Quentin and Juan Pierre.

Turning the page on a finishing a distant third in 2011, when more was expected, will be important collectively as well as individually.

For example, blaming last season entirely on Adam Dunn is unfair. But blaming a lot of it on Dunn, who is due $44 million over the next 3 seasons, is appropriate.

Dunn posted a hideous .159 batting average in 496 plate appearances. He hit a career low 11 home runs, after hitting 38 or more in each of the prior 8 seasons. Amazing, Dunn’s OBP was .292 – horrible by his standards, but actually slightly better than Raul Ibanez‘s .289 OBP in 2011. Dunn managed more walks (75) than hits (66) in 2011 – which is next to impossible to do. In short, he was a 6’6″, nearly 300 pound decoy.

Dunn managed to somehow protect Paul Konerko in the lineup enough to get Konerko his second consecutive 30-100-.300 or better season. Konerko continues to be the brightest spot on a team that will have to figure out how to get by without innings-eater Mark Buehrle (who followed Guillen to Miami as a free agent). Buehrle was not spectacular by any means, but it’s fair to consider him the “glue” of the White Sox staff in prior years.

Now the Pale Hose will try not to become unglued in 2012.

Projected finish: 5th place

Kansas City Royals

2011 record: 71-91, 4th place

Key departures: Melky Cabrera, Jeff Francis, Aaron Laffey

Key additions: Jonathan Sanchez, Humberto Quintero, Jason Bourgeois

Projected lineup:

LF Alex Gordon
CF Lorenzo Cain
1B Eric Hosmer
DH Billy Butler
3B Mike Moustakas
RF Jeff Francoeur
2B Chris Getz
C Humberto Quintero
SS Alcides Escobar

Projected rotation:

LH Bruce Chen
RH Luke Hochevar
LH Jonathan Sanchez
RH Luis Mendoza
LH Danny Duffy

CL Jonathan Broxton

Season outlook: The surprise team in the AL in 2012? I was a lot more sure of it until their closer went down in spring training and needs Tommy John surgery. No, I’m not talking about Ryan Madson and the Reds – who suffered the same fate. It’s Joakim Soria and the Royals I’m talking about.

The Royals have a great nucleus of young position players in Alex Gordon, Eric Hosmer, Billy Butler and Mike Moustakas. Lorenzo Cain, acquired in last season’s Zack Greinke deal, looks to join that group and provide a spark in center field. Gordon is the oldest of that crew, at age 28.

A big wildcard for Kansas City now that they’ve lost Soria is whether Jonathan Broxton will return to dominance, or whether his best days are behind him. Broxton is unbelievably only 27 (3 years younger than Jonathan Papelbon, for example), but the mileage on his arm proved too much last season. If Broxton falters, Aaron Crow (all all-star in his rookie season last year) is the only other high-quality arm in the Royals’ pen.

The rotation is also very iffy. One-time Phillie Bruce Chen is the “ace.” Chen has posted back-to-back 12-win seasons, with ERAs of 4.17 and 3.77, respectively. He’d probably be a #3 or 4 starter on a championship-caliber team, but he has found his form at age 35 on his 10th major league team.

Luke Hochevar (rhymes with “underachiever) had the best season of his career in 2011. It was 11-11, 4.68 ERA, but it was still by far his best season – and his 198 innings are a big deal (nearly 40% increase above his prior best).

If you think I am being harsh on Hochevar, consider that he was the #1 overall pick in the 2006 amateur draft. Then again, he’s no Brien Taylor.

The innings issue is important with the Royals’ bullpen being so thin. Jonathan Sanchez (acquired from the Giants) rounds out the top 3, and has a terrific strikeout arm, but is simply not economical with his pitches, averaging a whopping 4.8 walks per 9 innings, to go with his 9.4 strikeouts per 9 innings over his career. Sanchez helps, but is really not a fit for a team like Kansas City, which could use more innings-eaters in the middle and bottom of their rotation to stay out of their middle relief as much as possible.

Projected finish: 3rd place

Minnesota Twins

2011 record: 63-99, 5th place

Key departures: Joe Nathan, Michael Cuddyer, Jason Kubel

Key additions: Jason Marquis, Josh Willingham, Ryan Doumit, Jamey Carroll, Matt Maloney

Projected lineup:

CF Denard Span
SS Jamey Carroll
C Joe Mauer
DH Justin Morneau
LF Josh Willingham
1B Ryan Doumit
3B Danny Valencia
RF Chris Parmelee
2B Alexi Casilla

Projected rotation:

RH Carl Pavano
LH Francisco Liriano
RH Nick Blackburn
RH Jason Marquis
RH Scott Baker*may begin season on the DL

CL Matt Capps

Season outlook: The Minnesota Twins, perennial AL Central contenders, fell flat on their faces last season, finishing with the worst record in the American League.

First, there was the injury bug that bit the Twins. Joe Mauer was limited to 82 games. Former AL MVP Justin Morneau never really recovered from his 2010 concussion, appearing in only 69 games, with a 4-30-.227 line.

But that wasn’t the only reason for the Twins’ dismal 2011.

I had also pointed out in my AL Central preview for 2011 that the exodus of 4 talented bullpen pieces would be a huge cause for concern. I picked the Twins to slip to second place – obviously, I underestimated the bullpen impact, along with overestimating a return to form for Morneau.

Will they rebound? That remains to be seen. They’ll have to do it without Michael Cuddyer and Jason Kubel – each of whom landed in the NL West – and are being replaced in the lineup by Josh Willingham and Ryan Doumit. Realistically, the Twins are part of a tightly bunched 2-5 group in the AL Central, but a return to former glory at the top of the division is a longshot.

Projected finish: 4th place

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If you’re looking for the best WrestleMania preview on the Internet, today is your lucky day. Nobody – and The Rock means nobody! – writes a better WrestleMania preview than the Greek god of wrestling, Achilles Heel.

I dropped a reference to The Rock because he’s once again involved in the main event of WrestleMania. He made his return last year as a guest host and special guest referee for the main event. He steps it up this year for his bout with John Cena, a match literally a year in the making.

In some ways, the Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and Undertaker (above) is a year in the making as well. Undertaker is 19-0 at WrestleMania, a streak likely never to be equaled. By the way, there is also a pair of world title matches on Sunday’s card.

For the uninitiated, or those who have been hiding under a rock (not THE Rock) for the past 28 years, WrestleMania is WWE’s annual extravaganza. It is the granddaddy of pay-per views. WrestleMania represents WWE’s most important and most lucrative event each year. That’s why they use  Roman numerals.

WrestleMania XXVIII has the potential to be great. There are three matches with a decent chance of cracking Eric Fisher’s list of the Top 28 WrestleMania matches in history. (Surprisingly, Fisher did a decent job with this list.) There isn’t anything on the card that seems like it’s doomed to be a bad match. Those ingredients should add up to a good-to-exceptional WrestleMania.

You’ve waited a year for The Rock vs. Cena, so you can wait a little longer for the preview. Let’s start this preview from the bottom, rather than the top. Much like WrestleMania XXVIII, live on pay-per-view this Sunday (7 p.m.) from Miami’s Sun Life Stadium, we’ll build the suspense as the preview progresses.

KELLY KELLY/MARIA MENOUNOS vs. BETH PHOENIX/EVE

Storyline: The story allegedly has to do with Beth Phoenix, the Divas Champion, and Eve being upset that Maria Menounos chose to interview Kelly Kelly instead of them on “Extra.” There was a pull-apart confrontation on “Extra,” with Phoenix and Eve crashing the interview.

The storyline actually runs a little deeper. Menounos somehow pinned Phoenix during a tag team match at WWE’s annual Tribute to the Troops show, a holiday program put on for members of the military. That’s still a little flimsy for a WrestleMania storyline. (Speaking of flimsy, I can’t wait to see Kelly Kelly’s outfit at WrestleMania!)

Something else you should know: Menounos reportedly injured her ribs during training for “Dancing with the Stars.” Rib injuries and professional wrestling aren’t a good mix, especially for a non-professional such as Menounos. Expect Kelly Kelly – so nice they named her twice – to do most of the work.

Outcome: Celebrities generally don’t lose at WrestleMania. You don’t get your highlights shown on “Extra” if the match ends with Beth Phoenix obliterating Menounos. Then again, I can’t imagine Phoenix, the Divas champion, being pinned again by Menounos.  My guess is that Kelly Kelly hits a move on Eve, then Menounos pins her in a crowd-pleasing match with a crowd-pleasing finish.

RANDY ORTON vs. KANE

Storyline: From a star power perspective, this is a fairly high-profile match. From a storyline perspective, it seems as if they had to find something for these guys to do at WrestleMania. Kane just finished his returning feud against John Cena. Orton (above) was in the middle of the World Heavyweight Championship picture until a concussion knocked him out of the “Elimination Chamber” pay-per-view in February.

Orton is too big of a star to be left off WrestleMania, yet he’s too big of a star to be involved in the Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy nonsense. It appeared that Orton was headed toward a WrestleMania feud with rising heel Wade Barrett, but Barrett suffered an arm injury on RAW, knocking him out of action beyond WrestleMania. The answer is to pair him with Kane at WrestleMania.

Something else you should know: Orton beat Kane last summer in a “Street Fight.” Kane cited this loss, which ended with the monster Kane shaking Orton’s hand as a sign of respect, as the origin of his grudge against Orton. The idea is that this is a different Kane, and the “new” Kane is out to get revenge on Orton. With Cena-Rock, HHH-Undertaker and
two world title matches on the card, WWE didn’t exactly invest a lot of time in developing this storyline.

Outcome: The reactions to Orton’s and Kane’s ring entrances might surpass the reaction to this match. That’s because, first, both guys have awesome entrances. Second, the fans haven’t been given much reason to emotionally invest in this match.

The outcome depends on whether this is a one-match feud or whether WWE wants to stretch it out to two or three matches. Unless the outcome is something like a double countout, with both wrestlers fighting through the stadium crowd, Orton should win. If Barrett is close to being ready to return, I could see Barrett costing Orton this match, rekindling their feud.

TEAM JOHNNY vs. TEAM TEDDY

Storyline: Team Johnny is wrestling on behalf of John Laurinaitis, the heel general manager of RAW. Team Teddy is wrestling on behalf of Teddy Long, the popular general manager of Smackdown. The GM whose team wins this match gets to be GM of both shows.

This is one of those matches where you get the feeling they tried to cram as many wrestlers into one match as possible. On the other hand, WWE has done a good job building this match. The suspense over who would fill out each team has been a good way to build anticipation for this match.

The final members of each team were announced Monday during RAW. Team Johnny consists of team captain David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler (who deserves a better showcase for his talents), Jack Swagger, The Miz and Drew McIntyre. Miz was added to the match after he saved Laurinaitis from an attack by Team Teddy captain Santino Marella. McIntyre was added to the team after Christian was “injured” by WWE Champion C.M. Punk.

Team Teddy consists of Marella, Kofi Kingston, Zack Ryder, R-Truth, The Great Khali and Booker T. Long was about to be squashed by Henry on RAW until Booker T left his broadcast position and saved Long. (Much the same way that Miz saved Laurinaitis.)

An interesting note is that both Miz and McIntyre are on losing streaks. Miz may want to prove his worth to Laurinaitis. McIntyre’s job security is constantly being threatened by Long, who fired him once this spring, only to see Laurinaitis reinstate him.

Something else you should know: The Miz was in the main event of last year’s WrestleMania, successfully defending the WWE title against Cena (with some help from The Rock).

Outcome: Either side could win, but it doesn’t make sense for Long to run both shows. In the short term, it makes storyline sense for Laurinaitis to run both shows until Long is restored as Smackdown GM down the line. A betrayal by a member of Team Teddy is possible, although only the Great Khali, a loser in recent weeks to Mark Henry and Cody Rhodes, makes sense.

As a Drew McIntyre fan – see my weekly “Heel Turns” columns – I’ll predict that McIntyre gets his revenge on Long by scoring the pin for his team. Zack Ryder, who is looking more like a chump each week, appears to be the most likely candidate to get pinned. A Khali heel turn also makes the gullible Ryder look bad because he’s the one who brought Khali to Team Teddy.

CODY RHODES (Intercontinental Champion) vs. BIG SHOW

Storyline: How do you make a WrestleMania match between Cody Rhodes and Big Show, who is twice Rhodes’ size, interesting? With a tremendous storyline such as this one.

Rhodes (left) has been harping on Big Show’s abysmal record at WrestleMania. As Rhodes has pointed out, Big Show is a giant of a man, but he comes up small at WrestleMania. Among Big Show’s most embarrassing moments was a Sumo Match against Akebono (one of the only sub-par moments during WrestleMania XXI). Big Show also lost to Floyd “Money” Mayweather, although it took outside interference and the use of brass knuckles by the boxing champion to beat Big Show on that occasion.

Rhodes also cost Big Show at shot at the World Heavyweight Championship at WrestleMania when he pinned Show during the Elimination Chamber match.

Something else you should know: Cody Rhodes is the son of “The American Dream” Dusty Rhodes, who will be inducting The Four Horsemen (Ric Flair, Arn Anderson, Tully Blanchard, Barry Windham, manager J.J. Dillon) into the WWE Hall of Fame on Saturday night.

Outcome: Achilles Heel smells a rat. There’s no way that Big Show can lose cleanly to Rhodes. At the same time, Rhodes seems to be gaining steam as a long-time Intercontinental Champion (his reign will be 234 days on Sunday).

I expect Rhodes to take a beating at the hands of Big Show, but I sense outside interference from Lord Tensai, the former Prince Albert and A-Train, to help Rhodes retain his title. Tensai is a huge man, although not as big as Big Show. He and Big Show lost to the Undertaker at WrestleMania XIX, which could be his justification for attacking Big Show – he cost  A-Train his chance at career-changing history by ending Undertaker’s WrestleMania winning streak.

 

DANIEL BRYAN (World Champion) vs. SHEAMUS

Storyline: Sheamus won the Royal Rumble, which earned him the right to challenge either champion at WrestleMania. Sheamus chose to face Daniel Bryan, who has made a remarkable transformation from an underdog good guy to a self-righteous, obnoxious heel during his World Heavyweight Championship reign. The good guy vs. the bad guy. Wrestling storylines don’t get much simpler than that.

Something else you should know: This is the second straight WrestleMania match between Sheamus and Daniel Bryan, but last year’s U.S. Heavyweight Championship match was bumped off the show. Only the live crowd and those who bought the DVD saw the match.

Outcome: I thought this was a slam dunk for Sheamus, but now I’m not so sure. A.J., Bryan’s girlfriend, may figure into the end of this match. Whether that means she costs Bryan the match or distracts Sheamus is less certain. If Chris Jericho beats C.M. Punk, the chances of Sheamus winning increase (to keep one world title belt on a heel and one on a good guy), but we probably won’t know that outcome while this match is taking place. I’ll take Sheamus to win, with Bryan blaming A.J. for his defeat.

C.M. PUNK (WWE Champion) vs. CHRIS JERICHO

Storyline: Punk says he’s the best wrestler in the world. Jericho says he’s the best wrestler in the world. Both get the opportunity to prove it during this WWE Championship match at WrestleMania.

Jericho has also added a psychological component to his attack on Punk. In recent weeks, Jericho has made mention of the alleged addictions of Punk’s family members, saying that’s why Punk is “Straight Edge,” meaning he doesn’t use drugs or alcohol. Jericho’s comments have clearly gotten under Punk’s skin, as was evident by Punk’s brutal attack on Christian, knocking him out of the Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny match this Sunday.

Something else you should know: Both Punk and Jericho truly are among the best wrestlers in the world. If given sufficient time, this match should be a classic.

Outcome: Whichever way this match ends, this feud probably isn’t over. It could end either way, but I suspect Jericho is going to emerge victorious. Having an enraged Punk pursuing Jericho in an attempt to get revenge and regain his championship makes a better storyline than Jericho chasing Punk.

HELL IN A CELL: UNDERTAKER vs. TRIPLE H (Special guest referee: Shawn Michaels)

Storyline: This storyline dates back to WrestleMania XXVII. Undertaker extended his WrestleMania winning streak to 19-0, but he took a hellacious beating from Triple H in the process. Undertaker had to be helped out of the ring after the match.

Triple H (left) has insinuated that Undertaker wants Triple H to beat him. He wants someone to end his WrestleMania streak and, at the same time, end his career for him. In other words, Undertaker wants someone to cause him to be carried out on his shield. Triple H said he didn’t want to be the one to end Undertaker’s career, but Undertaker goaded him into taking the match.

Undertaker is playing mind games with Triple H. He has planted a seed of dissension between Triple H and good friend Shawn Michaels, who will be the special guest referee for this match. Michaels tried unsuccessfully to end Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak at WrestleManias XXV and XXVI. Michael retired after the latter match. Undertaker has told Triple H that Michaels is better than he is, implying that if Michaels couldn’t get the job done then Triple H won’t be able to get it done, either.

By the way, did I mention that this match will take place inside the enclosed steel cage structure known as Hell in a Cell? These are brutal matches that take a tremendous toll on your body. Can Undertaker summon the physical strength to put his body through another one of these epic matches? Don’t bet against Undertaker, especially at WrestleMania.

Something else you should know: Undertaker defeated Triple H at WrestleMania XVII. If Undertaker wins again, he will become the first wrestler to defeat the same opponent three times at WrestleMania. Another interesting fact is that Michaels’ mistake while a guest referee during a world title match between Undertaker and Bret “The Hitman” Hart at Summer Slam in 1997 – Hart spit on Michaels, who swung a chair at Hart but hit Undertaker instead, costing him the match – led to the first Hell in a Cell match (Michaels vs. Undertaker).

Outcome: As I said, you don’t bet against Undertaker, especially at WrestleMania. The interesting aspect will be the journey to achieving that 20-0 mark. The added dimension this year is, of course, Hell in a Cell. Another added feature is Michaels. His loyalties will unquestionably be torn during this match. Expect the expressive Michaels to convey his emotions during this match. His presence will attract attention, allowing Undertaker and Triple H time to recover during this physically brutal match.

If the crowd seems to believe Triple H could win, the match will be a success and could join the Undertaker’s last three WrestleMania matches in Eric Fisher’s top 10 WrestleMania matches in history. But it will end with Undertaker 20-0 at WrestleMania.

JOHN CENA vs. THE ROCK

Storyline: This match was literally made on RAW the day after WrestleMania XXVII. Never before has the main event been announced a year in advance. This has given WWE plenty of time to get the hype machine going.

The storyline started out as simply a battle of two icons. As the feud has heated up, Cena (left) has tried to paint himself as the dedicated wrestler there for his fans every night and, by contrast, The Rock as the movie star who shows up for self-promotional reasons then leaves again for months.

This angle has allowed Cena to show a more serious side. He’s mostly ditched the nothing-bothers-me, sophomoric-joke-telling Cena. Instead, we’ve seen a more serious Cena. His character seems more real.

The Rock has been The Rock. Nobody – and Achilles Heel means nobody! – can top The Rock on the microphone. He may be the most entertaining speaker in wrestling history. Yes, even better than yours truly. His insults of Cena have been right on target. The Rock is extremely attuned to what fans are saying, and he picked right up on Cena’s vulnerable spots.

Something else you should know: The Rock’s movies have made much more money than Cena’s movies – but you knew that already, didn’t you?

Outcome: This match could go either way. With Summer Slam in Los Angeles and The Rock committed to being a part of next year’s outdoor WrestleMania XXIX at Met Life Stadium in New Jersey, this “Once in a Lifetime” battle could have a sequel. If it were truly one-and-done, Cena, the full-time wrestler, would be the obvious winner. Now, there’s some doubt about the outcome. The crowd is supposed to go home happy at the end of WrestleMania. That means a victory for The Rock in his hometown of Miami. If it were up to Achilles Heel, however, he would have Cena win, which would generate a more controversial and more emotional ending.

(All photos by Eric Fisher – who should stick to taking pictures of wrestlers and not comment about them. He tells me to let you know that the photos may not be reprinted without permission of www.PhillyPhanatics.com)

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