Wrestlemania

Before sitting down to watch CM Punk: Best in the World , I had already heard a lot about it. Most people unanimously praised it, going so far as to say it was the greatest WWE DVD documentaryever created. The words “honest,” “open” and “real” were often used. I can confirm these sentiments. The DVD is honest, open and real. But what I found most intriguing about the DVD is how much I found myself relating to CM Punk, and how likely it is that many working-class people watching the DVD will also relate to CM Punk's trials and tribulations, even if you don't have much in common with him. The DVD follows a logical life timeline, with sprinkles of Punk's interests and happenings in between chapters.

Brock Lesnar and Triple H officially sealed the deal on Raw and will meet at Wrestlemania. The two stipulations are that it will be No Holds Barred (similar to their match at Summerslam 2012) and that Triple H's career will be on the line. This, of course, is met with the same questions and concerns from longtime WWE fans whenever a career is on the line. Is it really on the line? From a performer standpoint, Triple H is in terrific shape. You could absolutely see him being able to handle several big matches a year.

NCAA wrestling 7 p.m. [ESPN2] While some guys playing in the basketball tournament are wrestling with a decision on whether to enter the NBA draft, other athletes are wrestling, period. ESPN2 is carrying coverage of the Division I championships (left), perfect for those of you who have a wrestling mania, as opposed to WrestleMania.

The fact that Shane McMahon was booked stronger than a 13-time world champion notwithstanding, Randy Orton's beat-down of Triple H on SmackDown Friday built anticipation for their match at WrestleMania. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/ringposts)

Three-way match? One possibility for the WrestleMania 25 world title match is a triple threat among Edge, Big Show and John Cena rather than a one-on-one match between Edge and Big Show. ( For more, go to baltimoresun.com/ringposts)

Star No. 18 Batista's match with Undertaker at WrestleMania 23 was perhaps the best match on a show that also included a John Cena-Shawn Michaels main event. (For more, go to baltimoresun.com/ringpost baltimoresun.com/ ringposts)

WE'RE JUST FIVE days away from the annual extravaganza that lives up to the hype more often than the Super Bowl, World Series or any other major sporting event. Of course, I'm talking about WrestleMania, the premier spectacle in professional wrestling. Before a sold-out crowd at the Staples Center in Los Angeles and an international pay-per-view audience of millions on Sunday, bitter rivals will settle scores and champions will defend their titles in the 21st installment of the World Wrestling Entertainment production.

One of the funniest moments I remember of Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka was while attending the 2012 Pro Wrestling Hall of Fame banquet dinner in Amsterdam, New York. Snuka was being inducted that night and right at the end of his acceptance speech, he said this : I'm honored to be inducted on the same weekend as my birthday. I'm 69 years old. ... my favorite number, bruddas. I'm paraphrasing, but that was the punchline. The room laughed and "Superfly" flashed one of his trademark smiles, and the "I love you" hand gesture that wrestling fans have associated with him for decades.

This one wasn't even close. CM Punk delivered another "pipe bomb" in the final segment on Monday Night Raw -- another blend of honesty and little lines that put smiles on hardcore fans' faces. This one had a more heel-ish twist, as expected given CM Punk's character on TV for the past several months. Then, after CM Punk got the crowd in a frenzy for several minutes, out came The Rock ... and again we saw that familiar Rock "Big Mac Formula" -- Catchphrase (bun), plot point (meat)

After the Royal Rumble concluded I received a direct message on Twitter from a good friend who used to work in the wrestling industry. To me, he summed up the 2013 Royal Rumble best with this quote: "A fun show that is 100% predictable is still a fun show. " As soon as John Cena eliminated Ryback to win the Royal Rumble match, it seemed as though the main event of WrestleMania ("Twice in a Lifetime") was already set, even though the WWE title had yet to be defended. Hardcore fans and "armchair bookers" everywhere were collectively clanking on their keyboards, lamenting this “predictable” outcome and complaining about the lack of surprise.