Good. Fuck you Bryan! You shouldn't even be there.:P
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Good. Fuck you Bryan! You shouldn't even be there.:P
Jake's hoping this outside DDT gets sold longer than 7 seconds.
:lol: What's Wrestlemania without bad Vince jokes?
Come on Roman. It's no DQ. Get a chair and obliterate this fucker!
That was a pretty dam good sequence.
Once again, this is Wrestlemania and this is the main event and SNICKERS.
12 punches. 21 camera angle switches.
Non
Stop
Zooming
I know I've missed 99.9 percent of it but goddamn Roman is a good heel.
He finally gets to acknowledge the Roman sucks chants.
Let go!!! Good shit from Edge.
Roman's keeping this title. Edge is gonna shit stomp Bryan for costing him the win more than once.
Ok, now murder Bryan. For reals though.
Dam double pin. Didn't see that coming.
Feels like a flat ending but I have no idea how this story has gone. Good match though. Not as great as I'd hoped.
That was a excellent match.
Awesome
Okay, I'm happy. Edge at least laid that fucker out into a leg quivering mess. And Roman shouldn't be losing yet.
Oh my GOD look at Roman heel it up.
And they were so sure he was a babyface for so long :lol:
The Austin/Jericho interview is next! Forgot all about it.
Night Two
Based on what I've read, this seemed very heel heavy in regards to wins. Bianca was the only big babyface win of the weekend. Strange.
Great mania, glad to havebxrowdsbsck
I'm not surprised about the Bellas. People already had not liked them for years before, and only tolerate them somewhat now. They talk about "haters gonna hate". Nah, y'all just suck. A bit harsh, but can be backed up in multiple ways over the years. And they never go away long enough for people to even get somewhat nostalgic for them.
Women's tag was better than it should have been on paper. The ending could have been serviced better if it was Riott Squad, but what can you do?
Sheamus stomping Riddle was good enough. I see rematches in the future for this feud, though.
Sami vs KO was good, but more or less a nothingburger for me.
Big E vs Apollo was good enough, but seemed way too short.
I've already talked about Rhea and Asuka.
Fiend was a waste of time because it was too short for what it should have been.
Main event was banger and deserving of it.
Call me crazy, but night one felt more like Mania while night two felt more like a lesser tier PPV. I still applaud all the performers and the production. Yes, even the Bellas, since going on a big stage would be terrifying for me, so I can't talk complete shit about them :P
Night Two was a step down from Night One a bit more of a mixed bag but I still came out pretty jazzed with it overall.
I literally posted last week that i didn't think crispy Fiend was going to last long and lo and behold, he reverted to his normal look (plus a new jacket). the effect for it was pretty lame, should have just come out of the box without that bit beforehand. Orton's white gear was sexy. As for the match, boo to the red lighting, and then it was fairly meh, and then juicey Alexa was kind of neat, and then ONE RKO IS ALL IT TAKES? Fiend took about 300 stomps and superkicks from Rollins but one RKO and it's done. Wierd. And then I guess there's trouble in paradise between Wyatt and Alexa? Whatever. Juicey Alexa was the best part of all this.
Women's tag title match was crap. Why the hell was this crowd so into Tamina? So glad Nat/Tamina didn't win except I don't get my points.
Owens/Zayn delivered just fine. Them boys can work and they did a good job. Shame KO didn't get to jump off the ship. Was surprised Logan Paul didn't actually get involved in the match and was only there to eat a stunner. Fuck that guy, btw, and I was glad the crowd were chanting against him and chomping at the bit to see him get stunned.
I ddin't care about Sheamus/Riddle but i watched ti and it was quite good. Shame they bungled that top rope White Noise but they recovered/improvised decently. Finishing spot was dope as hell and Riddle bleeding post match really put an exclamation point on it. Happy for big Sheamy.
E/Crews had a decent enough street fight but nothing super special. Some decent spots, though. Was not expecting to see Dabba Kato appear but I like the dude and am happy to see him back on TV. No points for me again but happy for Crews getting the belt.
Asuka/Rhea was pretty damn good and met my fairly high expectations. Both of their looks were dope, too, and Rhea getting her theme played live was rad (and Ash was actually singing unlike Wale). Crowd seemed a little weak for it but seemed to get pretty hot at times and popped good for the pin. That DDT off the apron was rad. Great win for Rhea, definite rebound from last year, and thus far, on a good star-making path.
Bayley once again getting deserved spotlight. Not mad about the Bellas laying her out, I'm not a hater and you had to figure it was going to end with comeuppance and it wasn't like Hogan was going to deck her. Maybe this will be the start of that Bella return and Bayley will get herself a tag partner (Sasha is a heel now without a title to keep her busy...:chin: ).
Main event delivered. Awesome match. More white gear from Edge which looked dope (I think I'm a sucker for white gear). Thought Reigns might debut his new theme music tonight but no such luck. Looks of great stuff in this one: double spear, crossface/Yes Lock on Roman, the powerbomb through the table/spear off the steps. Edge just losing his shit more and more as things went on, Conchairtos galore, and Roman looking like king badass several time sand stacking them up for the big pin (heyo there's my points!). Nice, figured with Drew coming up short last night that we'd get a happy Bryan win here but this pleases me. Big E's freed up to come for him and Cesaro's certainly possible, as well. Let's go, baby.
Overall, WrestleMania was pretty damn good as an entire event and it was nice to have one that felt "back to normal".
My top 5 for the weekend
1. Bianca/Sasha
2. Reigns/Edge/Bryan
3. Bad Bunny & Priest/Miz & Morrison
4. Cesaro/Rollins
5. Owens/Zayn
I feel like Edge has to win the title eventually, but I guess he's gotta take out Daniel Bryan first.
1. Strownan/Shane
2. Styles and Omos/New Day
3. Cesaro/Rollins
4. Sheamus/Riddle
5. Lashley/McIntyre
Lol, probably not but that would be fun to see. I only have three viable options at this point and one is on the NXT roster.
McIntyre and Bálor seem like current options that could work. The long-game plan would be The Rock and I doubt that actually plays out to where Reigns keeps the title for another full year.
Sure, Big E and Cesaro are probably options but I think they won't get enough momentum to overshoot incumbents (Edge and Bryan) even though they already were put in their place.
I'm still sticking to Big E getting it done at SummerSlam.
...
Man, think of how much better that Women's Tag Title match could have been if Riott Squad were in it and won the titles. All the Women's belts changing hands at Mania, a face team with a feel good win to balance out the other heel champs winning/retaining, and I would think a superior match, as well. Grumbelgrumblegrumble...
Reigns pinned Edge and Bryan, but Edge also pinned Bryan at the same time. Edge v Reigns at Backlash
I like the 2 day format. I say keep it :heart:
I was hoping for Bryan but kinda knew it was a long shot. I do love the way Reigns retained though, beastly and delicious!
Asuka/Rhea was great as well and fucking pleased for Rhea as she more than deserves it! That DDT off the apron to the floor spot was glorious.
Also haven’t read through everything here yet but Seamus/Riddle...that attempted White Noise off the top...was Seamus realising he was slipping and then decided not to bother? Either way, glad he adjusted and they were both safe.
Oh and @Alexandria Ocasio-Bertez and @McIntyrenReigns_Rulez the shackles are off as the Royal Rumble Game of Death period for your name changes is now over and you may officially request the mods to change your names back, retain them or even go for new ones if you. Would have bumped the official GOD thread but that got locked so doing it here.
Thanks for being great sports guys! :beer:
So we got a 3 hour show with each hour feeling quite distinct for me. The first was dreadful and I hated it, the second was really good with some matches probably being a bit too short. I was all ready for the third hour with it's two high profile matches to be something special but I came away thinking that it didn't quite reach that level. I had kind of had enough by 3am though so that probably played a part.
Orton/Fiend was so so shit. I've paid zero attention to this feud until the video package they showed and you know what? By the time this began I was kind of ready for something completely wild, something so bad it's good. The Fiend's entrance was brilliant, including that little tribute to Brodie Lee. But then they kept that fucking red light on and had a completely unremarkable/dull 5 minute match. Bliss appears looking scary and Orton gets the win. Then... nothing, as everyone is teleported away and the audience boos. It just felt completely lacking as a match, an angle and a spectacle. The only positive was that the match was over after 5 minutes rather than 15.
Women's tag title match was another terrible choice to go on second. To go from that Orton/Fiend finish straight into Natalya & Tamina's entrance was such a downer. They had a 15 minute match for some reason. Thing is, it doesn't feel like the first time that Nattie and Tamina have been rewarded for their longevity/backstage popularity with a brief push. They probably had a decent match here and I noticed the crowd were genuinely getting into it but I didn't care at all.
Owens & Zayn was kind of a joy. I loved seeing them have a condensed indie bombfest sprint in front of Logan Paul a Wrestlemania setting. They've wrestled each other hundreds of times and it was evident how well they know each other in the ring. Lots of fun but it ended quite suddenly. I wondered why the women's tag title match got almost 15 minutes if this couldn't even get 10. Then Sami just kind of fucks off but we did get the stunner on Paul which was a delight. Feel like a pop up powerbomb through a table would've been an even more satisfying pay off though.
I found the Riddle/RVD/Khali segment amusing. Sue me. Sheamus & Riddle had a banger of a match. These two beat the piss out of each other and there were a handful of memorable and great looking spots including that fantastic finish. I thought this match probably had the right amount of time but I wouldn't have been opposed to more. I was surprised that Sheamus won because I thought they were really getting behind Riddle. Well maybe they still are and he'll go on to something bigger now. Either way, Sheamus has been killing it in the ring lately and I'm all for seeing more of that. The shots of the bloodied Riddle post-match could hint at Riddle developing a more serious aspect to his character but I won't hold my breath.
Big E's entrance was money and he looked like a superstar. This match was another banger with some brutal bumps and shots. I popped big for Babatunde/Dabba Kato/COMMANDER AZEEZ. I was surprised that this only went like 7 minutes, thought it felt longer. They really should have incorporated the drums more. I think Apollo needed the win more than Big E who can hopefully move on to bigger and better things now. MITB?
Ripley's entrance didn't exactly snap, did it? I heard her on a podcast and she was so excited about Ash Costello playing her to the ring - oh well. I thought this match was good but once again ended too soon. The crowd actually appeared to be losing interest as it went on. Rhea should absolutely not be a heel. Didn't buy it at all and I don't think the crowd did either.
Hated the Bayley/Bellas/hosts segment. It had the same tone as the usual legends segments. Reminded me of that awful post-match beatdown of the League of Nations at Wrestlemania in Dallas. Really thought the pay off was going to be Becky Lynch so when it turned out to be the Bellas I was disappointed. Then they ran off Bayley and celebrated with Hogan and Titus and it was rubbish.
Main event was mostly a blast but I was having a real hard time staying awake by this point so probably didn't enjoy it as much as I should've done. I'll watch it again. The crowd was really into it. Bryan and Reigns impressed me but I really can't stand Edge at this point. Great finish with the BIG DOG going over huge. What a superstar he is.
Not as good as night one. Match order and lengths probably the biggest reason. Pretty enjoyable after that first hour though.
Ah is that who that dude was in the Apollo/E match? Cheers Ringo.
Actually on Orton/Fiend. I don’t understand that ending unlesssss....Alexa pretending to be the Fiend’s puppet all along and a convoluted scheme with Orton to cost the Fiend would actually be sorta clever and make some sense but yeah they did not explain it well or at all really. Maybe on Raw we might find out more.
Lol @ Bryan Alvarez live tweeting Beckys return then get pissy he got it wrong, Pair of cunts.
Becky and/or Charlotte returning would’ve been quite epic though. Was expecting one or both to return myself.
Looking back, Rhea winning as a face would have been much better and I don’t think she needed to go heel for this but still very much happy for her.
Bit harsh to call Becky a cunt :shifty:
Haha you know who I meant.
Roman Reigns is a douche with butthole teeth.
Out of all the insults, first time I think seeing a crack at his teeth.
Still head of the table as well as the dentist chair.
And he didn't cry.
Thank god for that. Had enough of that disgusting behavior the night before.
I definitely didn't get the memo that Rhea was the heel last night if that's what was going on. I just kinda saw it as a face vs face match.
Ehhhhhh yeah what the fuck was that about, giving Orton the W? This night made me go "Ok, let's see where they go from here" Riddle losing blew my fucking mind. That was the match that felt like it had the most obvious-in a good way-trajectory. Riddle goes over a highly decorated legend, same with Fiend...wtf? Orton and Sheamus, I'm sorry that in 20 years neither guy has had more than maybe 3 times in that entire run that was truly worthy of legendary status.
Then they follow it up with the women's tag team match....It was almost like they were fucking with us. They did the same thing with Night 1. Kind of a downer with Lashley going over clean, then the 4-way....
Negative shit out of the way the rest of the night was questionable but KO-Zayn, Asuka-Ripley, and the triple threat delivered enough to make up for the nonsense. I wish the main event didn't have the Uso interference, or at the very least have it be the other Uso in a HOLY SHIT moment....
Like I said, despite my super negative opinion on some of the results from last night-we definitely have to believe WWE has a plan.
I think she was trying to sell a little heel side with the match signing or whatever it was where she flipped the table on Asuka. The crowd definitely felt like they were more about Asuka than Rea so it could've been a moment where they realized someone needs to have a little edge.
They’ve changed her personality up a bit, extra heavy on the dark make-up and on Raw screw Asuka in a tag match. It is up in the air tbf if this means a heel turn or just have her be more aggressive to get the win. If she continues being scathing then yeah can say she’s heel.
I felt she was heelish. She was the one that turned the table on Asuka's head prior, and during the match, she was slapping the back of her head and such and saying "come on, champ" in a condescending tone. Probably doesn't help that she smiles a lot. From what I've seen of her in NXT, she's much better as a badass babyface that won't put up with your shit (she stuffed Dakota Kai in a locker), so I think they're better suited to go that route with her instead of "hate me, I'm evil, lulz".
On the flip side, since I mentioned the table, Asuka was acting a bit of an overconfident jerk. So, she got what she deserved? I think the bottom line is that this is a situation where the fued needed a few more weeks to flesh it out and build.
And while I want the Fiend stuff to end, I do kinda want an explanation for why she was sitting on top of that box, causing the distraction. Was she "supposed" to be motivating to Fiend, but he was just TOO STUPID to get the job done. Her and Randy working together all along would just be...awful.
I think we're going to find out that sister Abigail had been controlling alexa, and not bray.
I was shocked Randy beat Bray at Mania again. It's almost baffling to me that no matter what character, Bray continues to lose big matches at Mania. I get he was distracted by what appears to be Sister Abigail's spirit taking over Alexa but still weird.
I think i enjoyed night 2 more than night 1. Riddle vs Sheamus was awesome. That finish was wicked as was the triple threat. Rhea vs Asuka disappointed me. I would rank the matches like this
Bryan/Edge/Roman
Riddle vs Sheamus
Cesaro vs Rollins
Bianca vs Sasha
Zayn vs Bryan
McIntyre vs Lashley
Bad Bunny/Priest vs Miz and Morrison
AJ/Omos vs New Day
Rhea vs Asuka
Big E vs Apollo
Braun vs Shane
Women's tag titles
Tag turmoil
Fiend vs Orton-because of the finish
The Ripley/Asuka finish felt sudden, like I wouldn't have minded the match going another 3-5 minutes. My top three would be the two show's men's title matches (Lashley, Reigns) and Belair-Banks, in no particular order.
Nice surprise with Dabba-Kato or are we to pretend we don't remember him? It legitimizes Crews as a threat, much like the same way Omos should've been seen as all along for Styles. Both in different angles, utilizing giants for the same purpose. Interested to see where they each go off to next.
My son pointed out how it was weird that all it took was one RKO to finish The Fiend. He took a couple DDT's and then boom, RKO.
The name of the May 16 PPV is now "Wrestlemania Backlash" instead of just Backlash.
I noticed that too, they put emphasis on him kicking out of the DDT a few times. I bet he was supposed to kick out of 3 RKO’s and then lose on the fourth and Randy shot down the idea because he’s protective of the RKO or just didnt figure it was worth it in a short match.
Fiend just no sold the RKO on Raw so IDK how protective he is of the finish. It was lazy. That crowd was hype for The Fiend's return, he looked like he had slimmed down and was giving a solid performance.
Randy Orton has zero to do moving forward imo that matters. Like I said, him and Sheamus are two guys who have barely lived up to their credentials and need to be putting the future over. I understand now why one of my close friends dipped out years ago saying "Too much Cena, Too much Orton" Good talents but holy shit let's give some other people the rub. Cena at least was putting people over on his way "out" Orton is still getting these oddball wins that make no sense.
So the Alexa thing, if we're to go off Bray's tweet earlier today, is gonna be "Samson and Delilah"... the biblical tale.
Maybe the black blood signifies that she's taken away the Fiend's power and weakened him.
I don't have a problem with Randy's victory, as he has had a heckuva year, going back to his feud with Edge last year, his matches with Drew, and his work with the Fiend. He and Alexa made this story interesting without Bray/Fiend even being around. There's more story to be told.
I was most surprised by how good the Bad Bunny match turned out to be - it was booked really well, and Miz deserves a lot of credit for making this match flow so well. Not only for how well he sold the shock of Bunny's moveset, but the little things like how he heelishly played to the crowd, giving Bunny a bit of a breather, but also giving the crowd a chance to reset themselves. I expected Bad Bunny to get the W, but this was far more enjoyable than most celebrity appearances.
Shane vs Braun was also better than I expected. I'd like to see Strowman come out tonight to talk about how stupid Shane is - all he had to do was fall to the ground as he was outside the cage, but he had to stick his arm through to waive to Braun. I liked Braun tearing the cage apart. Braun looks like he's in great shape, following Big Show's diet/training. They should put Keith Lee on that program.
Omos/AJ was what it was - and kudos to them all for making it all about Omos. I smell a rematch here, maybe even this week.
If Apollo / Dabo Kato was done on the same night it would have looked silly.
Bianca and Sasha belong. I am still upset that Bayley was used so poorly, but glad she was still featured so prominently. I thought their match was terrific, perhaps the best Sasha match I've seen her in. The hair braid whip was intense. Bianca showing off her power by pressing then carrying Sasha up the steps to throw her back in the ring over the ropes was impressive, but Sasha ain't exactly Nia Jax. I am thinking they are trying to make Bianca's character a bit more emotional - her reaction of tears after the win was, like after the Rumble, something special.
Cesaro and Rollins delivered, as expected. I wonder where each of them goes next.
Zayn and Owens was terrific. I loved Owens stunning Logan Paul.
But Orton was already rewarded with his brief for no reason World title run. There's more to the story but I don't know if I want more to the story with Orton involved. Sheamus and Orton's victories were pointless, especially if we put Mania victories high on our list of important victories.
Orton has literally done so much that I don't even know what they can do with him that would make sense other than having him feud with Lashley for the belt.
Apart from the main event, everything after the abominable first hour was quite good. Everybody is quite good so they had quite good wrestling matches. None of it really mattered but it was a fun couple of hours. First hour was atrocious and a candidate for the worst 2 punch combination to open a PPV of all time. Main event was the pros stuff, three guys that get it having a fun triple threat sprint. I'll be back for the Rumble I guess, the production isn't for me. It's all CGI and chocolate adverts.
i really hate the cgi
It's the worst. I don't get it at all. Does anyone like it? They must be convinced that younger people or kids will be into it, idk.
I don't think the camera cuts annoy me as much as some but on occasion it is unbearable. Also at WM the pirate ship was so tall that you couldn't see the fireworks going off behind it so they kept cutting to a different angle and then back to the wrestler on entrances. Edge's entrance in particular was ridiculous. It cut back and forth like 10 times in as many seconds.
It's bizarre. You have these astonishing looking human beings, beautiful set, pyro. That's the shot. Go wide for the pyro, come back in and follow the wrestler to the ring. It's almost schizophrenic the way they shoot it. The CGI is just nonsense. Wrestling is one of the most striking visuals in entertainment. The audience, the athletes, the arena. Whoever thinks shooting birds or boulders enhances that needs a session in a padded room. And the fucking adverts man. That wide shot in the main event where it was literally
SNICKERS wrestlemania SNICKERS
SNICKERS
Just fuck off.
Quite surprised at all of the positive write ups of this event to be honest. Given it was over two nights I think the fact that only the main events really got sufficient time is a real let down. Most of the matches with the potential to deliver felt rushed, while others such as the women's tag match went for too long (was there some kind of gender equity breakdown of ring time perhaps?) . The show also lacked a solid tag team match, and feel that the SD match should have really been on the card. The dirty dogs and co have to feel aggrieved at that call.
On the plus side both main events were good to very good (although Uso interference stretched believability), and the midcard mens matches did well with the time they had.
-That was a great triple threat match, each dude got his moment and the right guy went over. Reigns getting a chance to acknowledge and bask in the heat from the crowd was awesome, he should keep the strap until Summerslam at least.
-Good on Apollo, he needs the IC title more than E does; I really hope Crews can continue with the character progression. The addition of Dabba Kato is a cool move.
-Sheamus going over was fine, Hunter’s dude has really stepped his game up over the past 3-4 months (since the Big E feud, really). I would love to see Xavier Woods get a feud for, and eventually win, the US title.
-Strap the rocket to Rhea, let’s see what she can do. It was definitely not the best build, but the ladies put on a decent match.
-That women’s tag match was underwhelming, two over-rated teams that bore me to tears. It should have been the Riott Squad going over.
-Orton/Friend was not great, feels like the Fiend/Bliss storyline has lost some momentum.
-AJ and Omos, huh? Not a fan. I wish I could go back in time and put the straps back on Alexander/Benjamin and reunite The Hurt Business.
Night one was definitely better.
Couldn't help but notice how during the finish of the Rhea/Asuka match Rhea hit her finish a little slow and awkward because she was waiting for Asuka to give her her arm (ah the era of obvious cooperation) but Asuka was waiting for Rhea to TAKE her arm so it came off a little goofy.
Still a good match though I'm sure.
It was better than the rematch on Raw. They really got lost midway through that one.
I still think the Mania match was a little too slow, burdened by expectation, and hindered by placement.
This was a hyped first-time match but the bar was set pretty damn high with the main event on night one. They went slow because Rhea was putting a bunch of heat on Asuka. That seemed to work as the crowd was getting into it as Asuka was battling back. It just felt stifled because the death spot is hard to work through on a Mania card when the biggest match of the weekend is right on deck.
The Raw match was clunky as hell.
I was watching Asuka-Ripley thinking, imagine if they had worked with each other 5-6 times before and were comfortable with how each other worked-what kind of match would that look like? I also wonder what the original plan for Asuka and Ripley were going to be. Were they even going to be on the card? It seemed like Charlotte v. Lacey was going to happen.
I agree that it seemed like Charlotte v. Lacey was going to happen, but do you think that was going to be for the Raw women's title? And Charlotte was the face at that point, which she does not seem as comfortable in that role. Sometimes I wonder if they even have general plans for most of the roster.
I agree that Asuka/Ripley was good, but perhaps a little below high expectations. I feared Bianca/Sasha would not be as good as it was - and watching it again, even now knowing the result, it still is excellent.
So what, if anything, was the plan for Asuka?
Either the match we saw but without the title or probably not much of anything, if anything at all. That's clearly a guess but there's variables in play that make it relatively tough to presume a top option.
After Charlotte was off the card I would've preferred Asuka have an open challenge, leading to Io Shirai going for the title at Mania. Keeps Ripley as a face, and maybe put her on Smackdown instead. All three shows would have an awesome women's division without it being too heavy in one's favor.
The way it seemed to be going was Lacey would beat Asuka for the title then go on to face Charlotte. Now what I want to know is, would they have blew it off at Mania or would they have put the title on Charlotte prior to Mania and then had Charlotte v. Ripley 2 with Ripley getting the win?
Asuka was pretty holding the title while they figured out how to get it on a tall blonde lol.