As I noted here before, it's already known that Maria Kanellis is posing for Playboy, with the issue out next month. On the 2/25 Raw, they'll run footage of her photo shoot, which supposedly is being taped today in Los Angeles, when it actually took place earlier this month or last month. However, the Raw writers, specifically head scribbler Brian Gewirtz, have strung along the storyline of whether or not Maria would actually pose for more than a month, rather than just make a simple announcement, unlike in past years. The payoff came last night, but not in the way it was supposed to.

To recap, Santino Marella gave Maria an ultimatum. It would be him or Playboy. However, Gewirtz and/or Vince McMahon, apparently unwilling to break up the WWE's answer to Burns & Allen so soon, decided to change things at the last minute. Not trusting Maria with such an important promo, they put her in a non-title match vs. women's champion Beth Phoenix, and had Marella come out carrying a clipboard and wearing sunglasses, as if he was now Maria's agent or manager, and claiming that Maria had to beat Beth to earn the right to pose for Playboy. Thanks to a timely distraction from Candice Michelle, Maria did just that. Using Phoenix in this spot devalues the women's title, just as much as the WWE has been devaluating most of their secondary titles by not having those titles defended on television.

And, then, there's the matter of Vince's steel cage match vs. Hornswoggle. There really wasn't a match, as all pretense of a bout ended when John Bradshaw Layfield butted in and ambushed first Finlay, then Hornswoggle. That sets up Finlay as JBL's next opponent, likely leading to a match at Wrestlemania. Vince would be nuts to turn 'Swoggle heel on Finlay by brainwashing the little guy while he recovers, but then again, Vince already is nuts.

Bottom line is, the cage match should never have happened. We all know that Vince can't wrestle unless he has a no-DQ stip put into his matches. He has no credibility in the ring anymore, and has been creatively bankrupt for several years. As I've documented in the past, the easiest way to get "Mr. McMahon" off TV is to declare him certifiably insane and let Shane & Stephanie (w/HHH) take over. But, no, that would make the chairman look weak in front of the audience and he doesn't want to do that. So he continues to pick fights with wrestlers he knows he can't beat. Speaking of the kids, Shane & Steph have never interacted with Hornswoggle on TV. Why? Vince doesn't want to have a divisive union in the family on the air. He knows the sibs have their share of fans, and doesn't want the kids turning on him. That's why the whole Vince-Hornswoggle storyline has sagged.

We're told in the press from time to time that Vince changes his mind pretty regularly, about as often as you or I change clothes. At 62, that's to be expected, really. If that doesn't suggest that Vince needs to step down, I don't know what would.

Let me address the sitch between Big Show & Floyd Mayweather, Jr., for a moment. As I noted elsewhere, posting on a newsboard, Mayweather didn't feel comfortable on the mic last night, and if that's any indication, then it's going to be hard getting him over as a babyface vs. Big Show. It's more likely that Show, making a return after 14 months away from WWE, will end up the babyface by default. Recall that almost a year ago, Paul Wight made the decision to transition to boxing after losing to Hulk Hogan on a Memphis Championship card at Sam's Town casino in Mississippi. No promoter that I know of even approached him about a contract. That gets me thinking that instead of having Mayweather try to wrestle, let Show finally have the boxing match he wanted last year. He'd be the tallest boxer since Ed "Too Tall" Jones traded in his Dallas Cowboys uniform for boxing gloves in the late 70's. The tallest boxer ever, in fact. It wouldn't be a major debacle like Evander Holyfield vs. Matt Hardy on Saturday Night's Main Event last year, but it would be something different at Wrestlemania.