Managing to mow through competitors including Orlando Jordan, Paul London, and Johnny Nitro, Benjamin took top honors for the fourth consecutive time, winning a portable DVD player, a Treo, and an iPod from THQ. GameSpy got to check out the Superstar Challenge, got some face time with a variety of superstars, and when the audio wasn't drowned out by the loud chanting of rabid wrestling fanboys, we managed to pick up some sound bites from some of the participants. Many talked gaming with an earnestness that felt very real, while others stayed completely in character throughout the interviews.
The WWE Champ waves to the fans.
Walking in affably with a smile on his face and forearms the circumference of my calves, John Cena exudes a cool ease as he sits in our group's opera box. When asked what his favorite game of all time was, he replies, "Without a doubt, Tecmo Bowl. The things you could do with that game at the time were absolutely incredible. The thing was, there were certain teams that were off-limits, because it was too easy to take a win with them. Mainly, the 49ers. Between Montana, Jerry Rice, Steve Young, Tom Rathman, and Dwight Clark, that team was completely untouchable, so it was unfair to pick them. But yeah, overall, I'd have to say that Tecmo Bowl is my favorite of all time."
The next question involves next-gen. "I'm all about Xbox 360, although I barely have time to play these days with everything going on and constantly being on the road." I mention Fight Night Round 3, based on its heavily hip-hop based soundtrack, and Cena says smiling, "You know what? I got Round 3, and I've been so busy that I haven't even taken it out of the shrink wrap!" Another reporter asks how he feels about seeing himself in a game. Cena replies, "It's a great feeling; it's weird to see all my moves mapped out on the screen. I really have to say that THQ does an amazing job recreating us and really goes the extra mile with it."
As his WWE handler pulls him out to go speak with another press troupe, he shakes hands with all of us. I grab his hand and blurt out, "Greatest MC of all time? Go." With a slightly perplexed look on his face, he pauses. "I mean, there's Rakim, of course.. I still think to this day that if B.I.G. had the chance to shine before he was killed, he'd have been even better than he was. But if I gotta go with someone, I'd say that Jay-Z is up there for me right now. People can say what they want to, but he has completely changed the face of hip-hop."
