John Cena getting back in the WWE Raw ring tonight, rumored WrestleMania 25 matches, WWE offering lengthy contracts to top stars, Mick Foley's eventual in-ring return

Monday, December 1 – 11:17 A.M. (CT)

-I hope everyone had a great holiday weekend. I watched plenty of football, visited with family, ate too much turkey, and caught up with some long lost friends. In other words, it was a great holiday weekend on this end. Oh, and my beloved Vikings are in first place, which is bittersweet since that means arrogant Brad Childress will likely be back for another season as head coach. Oh well, I can't complain about a route win over the Bears on Sunday Night Football.

-Is anyone really really looking forward to seeing John Cena face Kane in his first Raw match since his neck surgery? I give WWE credit for not giving away a pay-per-view quality match, but it is hard for me to get excited about anything Kane does these days. His character has really fallen apart since he moved to Raw. At least we don't have to suffer through another Kane vs. Rey Mysterio match.

-Speaking of Mysterio, it wouldn't surprise me to see him face Chris Jericho at WrestleMania 25. Mysterio and Jericho are still tight and I know they talked about working a program with each other when Mysterio was drafted to Raw. Jericho has been locked up in feuds with Shawn Michaels and now John Cena, but it's possible he and Rey will start a program in time for WrestleMania 25. Am I the only person who would rather see Jericho vs. Mysterio in a singles match than see the two of them thrown into the Money in the Bank ladder match.

-The other WrestleMania 25 matches appear to be shaping up as follows: Undertaker vs. Michaels, Triple H vs. Edge, and Cena vs. Batista. None of those matches are locks to happen, but they've already hinted at Taker vs. HBK, and the Hunter vs. Edge, and Cena vs. Batista matches have been rumored for months.

-What's up with WWE offering lengthy deals to top wrestlers like Mysterio and Randy Orton? In case you missed the news, WWE is trying to sign Rey to a five-year deal, and Orton is telling friends that the company offered him a 10-year contract. Where do they think these guys are going? I suppose TNA is a possibility, but it does seem odd that the company wants to bank on a guy with as many injuries as Rey has suffered over the years. For that matter, Orton has had some behavioral issues over the years. In Rey's case, I suppose the AAA promotion in Mexico is a possibility since he has told friends that he would like to finish his career there.

-Will Mick Foley entering the TNA ring for the first time mean anything? The listing on the On Demand website teased his first TNA match for the January pay-per-view. Whether the match takes place then or in the future, it seems inevitable that Foley will make occasional in-ring appearances for his new employer. However, it's going to take a special storyline to get people buzzing over Foley's return to the ring. The Impact rating hasn't moved much since Foley arrived in TNA, and I don't get the sense that fans are clamoring to see him wrestle again. Here's hoping they come up with a solid storyline and that Foley can work his magic by talking viewers into ordering the show to see him latest comeback match.