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March Wrasslin' |OT| Don't Forget, You're Here Forever.
- Thread starter Bronx-Man
- Start date
Is that during the hogan heel turn? I thought I remember some big fat guy getting stomped out by nash first then hall follows up.
So since getting a second monitor I've been on a PPV binge. I should watch them chronologically but since the network doesn't have an easy way of doing that I'm just watching all PPV's of the same category.
Were Summerslam and Survivor Series considered the big PPV's aside from Wrestlemania in the 80's/90's as well? What would follow after? (I watched all the Rumbles already)
Were Summerslam and Survivor Series considered the big PPV's aside from Wrestlemania in the 80's/90's as well? What would follow after? (I watched all the Rumbles already)
Sweeney Tom
Banned
This happened in TNA tonight and...you know what? Everyone deserves to read this, not spoiling it
Who was doing the main play by play in that FCW match? Good grief.
80's was Rumble, 'Mania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series only. In 1993, they started the King of the Ring PPV, which mattered at that point because it elevated the winners. It came between Wrestlemania and SummerSlam.
JesseEwiak
Member
Yes, and this is a good thing. More wrestlers should be booked like Roman and less like Dolph Ziggler or anybody stuck in 50/50 hell. Two people who win all the time facing off has equaled money since day one of fake wrasslin'.
I Wanna Be The Guy
U-S-A! U-S-A! U-S-A!
You know Rocket League? Am I the only one that keeps hearing the crowd chant "WE WANT PUNK!" at the end of a match?
I find it easier to hear it as that or "welcome back" than the "we want more" that I guess it's supposed to be.
FlammableD
Banned
On the BritWres docket for today:
Should be fun. They've just annonunced a partnership with Rev Pro, so if you have their on Demand, EVE stuff will be showing up there, and the title is recognised.
avengers23
Banned
That was the second match I've seen Thatcher in that went for the sudden head butt finish. He and Scurll had the same finish at APW Kristmas Kaos 2015.
Hero/Bailey was similar from the last Queens show, and it made sense with Bailey. It made less sense than Williams, but I can see the logic of using Hero to show their toughness to win the crowd over.
British Monsoon
Member
Was going to go to that, but the trains are still fucked. I almost remember what it was like to pay for a train ticket and actually get on a train, rather than a replacement bus service. Going to have to deal with it next weekend though for PROGRESS - either pay £20+ for a train that ends up being a foul old bus that winds its way to London over the course of an hour and forty minutes, or pay £15 to get a taxi to the next train line over. Either way, I'm inconvenienced and paying more than I should have to. Cunts.
Nocturnowl
Member
Ah British trains, just a step under wrestling on the carny scale I'm sure.
FlammableD
Banned
Pretty much. My trains out to London have been a half hour longer all month. And the event is in the arse end of north east London
British Monsoon
Member
Was better when the trains were nationalised, at least then you felt like there was someone to be held accountable for the service - now it's just faceless corporations running each line and, regardless of the quality of service they provide or the satisfaction of their customers, the same group of cunts get the same contracts year after year. But hey, privatisation is great and you're a dirty lefty socialist if you disagree :/
Bluekaveli
Member
Oh hell no
TarpitCarnivore
Member
After watching Hell in a Cell 2013 (Punk vs Ryback) I have a new found respect for Sheamus. I hate his look and gimmick, but his match with Show is pretty damn good. The two of them put on one hell of a match. The main event was LOL worthy. I would have been PISSED if I paid for that PPV and that was the match I got.
I'm onto WM 30 now and I think I finally made the connection to what Haitch king mask reminds me of: Willow
I'm onto WM 30 now and I think I finally made the connection to what Haitch king mask reminds me of: Willow
Someone out here does wrassle figure switcheroo pretty often. It's hard to cruise the toy section of a store without seeing it. Sometimes you can tell it's an older version of the same guy, but other times it's pretty blatant:
Aint I Great Double J forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwOIavellt4
Aint I Great Double J forever
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nwOIavellt4
FlammableD
Banned
Goodbye Jimmy, it's been real.
:'(
I know you said he doesn't come back but that was a great send off. Works way better when I know that he doesn't come back. I never thought a brutal deathmatch could be a classy way to go out but it kinda was. Establishing Robinson as having become more cuntish and vicious than Havoc plus putting Havoc back to right where he started: beloved losing babyface. It was the end but it was the beginning as well in a weird way.
I'll miss you Jimmy!
FlammableD
Banned
Oh totally, I was there for it and the crowd was nuts. Perfectly fitting. If I had to take a punt, I wouldn't be surprised if he showed up unannounced at the big Brixton show, provided his knee is healed up
Bluekaveli
Member
If I had a gun and was sitting inside a tank with one shell left and Meng is 300 yards away, hes mine, right? Well the first thing Im going to do is jump out of the tank and shoot myself because I dont want to wound that son of a bitch and have him pissed off at me.
slightconfuse
Banned
Going to evolve tonight
Card looks fun
Card looks fun
sf2fanatic
Member
When was this supposed to happen?
sf2fanatic
Member
Wow EY in the WWE? They'll allow the piledriver back again?
Nocturnowl
Member
Sheamus/Show was a legit surprise because everyone expected the worst.
One of the few great Big Show matches in general, I also found his later feud with Alberto Del Rio pretty solid.
slightconfuse
Banned
Negro F'N Casas
Also volador trying to one up Dragon Lee
Also volador trying to one up Dragon Lee
sf2fanatic
Member
Holy sheeit at last gif. Great move!!
Bluekaveli
Member
Before Russo, who was the head creative writer in wCw during the Nitro run?
Was it a combo of Eric, Hogan, and Nash? Dusty Rhodes?
Was it a combo of Eric, Hogan, and Nash? Dusty Rhodes?
slightconfuse
Banned
22 years ago today, one of the best WM matches ever
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2nlirm_wrestlemania-10-owen-hart-vs-bret-hart_sport
http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2nlirm_wrestlemania-10-owen-hart-vs-bret-hart_sport
Interesting. I loved the Batista-Taker match though.
He refused a match with Taker? Why? To stay in TNA? Wtf... Talk about bad career choices.
SallyIsNow
Banned
This was in 06. People REALLY believed in TNA. And with good reason, it was getting so hot you'd hear TNA chants at WWE events. Plus, WWE was having some really awful shows around this time.
Cheetos is Pretty Awesome
Member
seriously, what a dumb motherfucker. bet the dude regrets this decision to this day.
avengers23
Banned
They lost Daniel Bryan, so they're going with the non-union equivalent.
avengers23
Banned
I'll be shocked if Thatcher vs. Konley is any good. At best, it could have a bunch of interference from PAB. At worst, it's a shit match because Konley is just bland as fuck.
BoboBrazil
Member
Bobby Roode is great. He definitely should get a chance in WWE.
Nocturnowl
Member
Tis the season friends of Wrasslegaf, Mania draws closer and it's just...kinda "there".
One would refresh their mania hype by going back and watching some classics but what about those more forgotten matches? after all we've all seen a bazillion lists of the best and worst so clearly what we need is a selection of ones that make you say "hey, that wasn't too bad!", though I'm avoiding matches that had the WHC title attached, typically they end up being reliable.
So coming to you courtesy of my boredom are 10 Arguably Underrated Matches from the Last Decade of Wrestlemania so you can get your 9.99 worth.
Equal opportunities here so one match from each Mania from the last 10 years starting from....
WM22: Mickie James vs Trish Stratus
Kicking off with a BIG TIME bang, its Booker T vs Boogeyman!
Actually no lets start a bit stronger than that. This years WM Star event looks to have something I havent seen since WM22 and thats a womens match Im actively looking forward to. In a post WM22 world the womens division would often spend its Mania event either cramming as many of the divas roster in as possible or a big program for whoever last got their tits out for playboy magazine.
Trish vs Mickie on the other hand was a match that actually had a multiple month build up as crazed Trish fan Mickie James slowly but surely became more psychotic in her appreciation of Stratusfaction to the point where things ultimately boiled over into this mania match up.
At this point Trish had held the title for like a year or so? The roster was sort of starved of notable challengers so the arrival of Mickie James was much appreciated, this could also explain the crowd being split between the two though that could be because its Chicago or perhaps it was due to Mickie Jamess Skirt attire ,a fan favourite Im sure.
Mickie really revels in her character role here, taking a gleefully skippy approach to working over Trishs leg, meanwhile Trish herself adopts a more aggressive style to more effectively tackle her bunny boiler of an opponent.
Standout moments include when Mickie counters Trishs top rope stratosphere and revels in her counter with a dleirosuly mad laugh before scampering back into the ring making a rather unique cover that sticks her backside up in the air so the audience behind get shall we say on heck of a view to an audible pop, Chicago you filthy rapscallions.
Mickies filthy antics come full circle as she uniquely counters Stratusfaction by introducing her hand to Trishs private area (and then makes a rather lewd gesture the WWE network and DVD releases cut away from because theyre no fun, though cutting to the audience you can see their expressions tell the story).
The finish was actually botched as I recall Mickie going for Stratusfaction only to bugger it up leading to instead hastily reverting to stealing the Chick Kick for the finish instead.
A solid enough Womens match that comes across a lot better considering the years that followed it consisted of Snoop Dog interference, Santina Marella gimmick dumping on decades of divas and Hog Splashes.
WM23: Benoit vs MVP
A match up I almost missed myself because I momentarily forgot that the WWE network hides the markers for Benoit matches in the hopes that no one will find them, which seems to be more of an unnecessary nuisance if anything.
Classic veteran vs brash newcomer showdown, MVP had quite a quick push on Smackdown late 2006 being put in ppv matches with more notable stars, I tend to think at this point Smackdown was scrambling to create new stars hence the likes of Kennedy, Lashly and MVP ascending up the card at various quick speeds. So MVP netted himself a pretty solid spot for his mania debut as well as a good learning experience because regardless of the mans actions, Benoit was damn good hand in the squared circle.
Thus MVP got to showcase some of his more technical chops that Im not sure anyone knew he had, its a solid and reliable Benoit match as youd expect that actually ends with the diving headbutt which was quite unexpected, straight up multiple germans into the headbutt, not often matches end with that sort of straight up demolition but it serves to highlight the skill gap between the two rather well I thought and was a strong showing for MVP as I recall people expecting him to possibly stink up the joint here.
Alas this would be Benoits last Wrestlemania for obvious reasons, in the meantime though lets enjoy some commentary in hindsight
Benoit epitomizes what Mania is all about Cole
Hes going in the hall of fame! JBL
In general JBL is pouring on the praise for Benoit here, its all a bit much after the events that transpired.
WM 24: JBL vs Finlay: Belfast Brawl (not actually in Belfast)
Typically Id wager the idea of opening mania with JBL and Finlay seems detrimental to getting the crowd into the event, fortunately the power of match gimmicks is behind them with Belfast Brawl rules favouring both mens aggressive brawling styles.
The pre match rivalry vid tries to make the viewer take pity on JBL demolishing Hornswoggle in a cage as a handcuffed Finlay watches on in terror but lets face it, it was glorious. Actually this here is technically the finale to the McMahons son saga, in the end there was no hobo army or anything interesting in its insanity, just a footnote before WM24 where JBL reveals that Hornswoggle was Finlays son all along.
So Finlay trots out with his awesome theme only to then bring Hornswoggle out to replace said theme with the vastly inferior and ill fitting jaunty jig theme, JBL takes no time beginning the attack and what ensues is a lot of punch kick, garbage cans, steps and baking trays. Why the heck are baking trays under the ring anyway? Are they leftovers from Deborahs cookie baking days?
Swoggle causes a nice kendo stick distraction that allows Finlay to conk JBL straight out of the ring with a shillelagh strike. While the fans arent too invested in Finlay and JBL (because lets face it, this feels like a heel vs heel punch up) they do pop for leprechauns and tables which fortunately this match has.
Finlay uncharacteristically goes for a suicide dive (sure everyone does it these days but 2008 was a different time) but eats a trashcan lid to the face. JBL one ups his previous use of trash related weaponry moments later as he hilariously just launches a garbage can out of the ring crushing Hornswoggle, a moment youll want to rewind over and over. Finlay mounts a comeback but in the end falls victim to the clothesline from hell.
An example of one of those matches that sounds like a sleeping aid on paper but instead served as a solid opener to a very consistent WM event.
Id love to say Batista/Umaga was an honourable mention here but theres no denying that match just didnt deliver on the hoss hopes.
WM 25: Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy
Remember when Matt Hardy tried to kill his brother on multiple occasions because of jealousy? Seems a bit extreme even for Team Xtreme, but I suppose Kane and Taker really stepped up the sibling rivalry storylines and anything less than trying to kill each other just aint worth a Mania showdown.
Thus Matt Hardy sets fire to Jeffs house and kills his dog because he really wants that heel heat, I unashamedly love how stupid the feud is, watching Jeff get blown up by his pyro never gets old.
So heres a match that really shouldve been bigger than it was, for the Hardy Boys this is like a dream scenario I have to imagine after all they got to face each other on the grandest stage of them all. Youve also got the extreme rules stipulation meaning they can tumble off ladders and through tables which is basically their tag team legacy.
For whatever reason though it never quite came together, perhaps the Matt heel turn was just too damn silly for its own good and thus this ended up as something of a forgotten Mania matchup, I suppose it also doesnt help that both bros would become something more akin to punchlines in the years that followed.
However its quite a fun weapon based bout that serves as one of the brighter spots of WM25 which admittedly is basically remembered as that one where HBK and Taker killed it and HHH once again floundered in the main event.
It also includes one of the most stupid looking spots in Mania history where Jeff sandwiches Matt in between two tables (with a chair teetering on Matts gut to boot) and then leaps through his crazy concoction. Not only is this spot illogical as they come but the way its performed basically has Jeff throw himself through a table while Matt gently crumples into the lower table, hilarious!
The match ends in a recurring fashion for Jeff Hardy where he goes for a high spot, crashes and burns and then eats a finisher. But what a finisher, Matt performs a twist of fate with Jeffs head trapped in a chair and it looks neck snappingly good.
And thus as a result Matt Hardy finally got the rub and went onto have a storied WWE title run .
Actually he lost the rematch at Extreme Rules screaming I QUIT like a chump, got injured and then returned assisting Jeff like hed never tried to murder his bro in the first place.
Well it could be stupider I suppose, imagine if the loser lost the right to the surname Hardy eh? EH?
WM 26: Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk
Ah yes, the WM26 card, an interesting event that serves as an example of having all the pieces in place but not quite fitting them together. And what better example than this match? Mysterio and Punk got roughly 6 minutes to try and deliver on the hype and in fairness to them they did about as much as they could with such a small timeframe.
So yes it was disappointing in that sense, it would serve as a strong opener but squatting in the middle of the card it was just over all too quickly.
On the other hand its a fast paced Punk/Mysterio showdown, its like the fast food of wrestling matches, tasty but not substantial.
Meanwhile the following match is the torturously slow and terrible McMahon vs Bret Hart encounter, in a perfect world the allotted match times for these two matches wouldve been swapped around. As I said WM26 was close but no cigar .YOU DESERVE TO BE SCREWED!
WM 27: Undashing Cody Rhodes vs Rey Mysterio
The drizzling shits of modern mania, the infamous WM27!
Id actually go as far to say that this was the best match from WM27 thus not making it that much of an underrated pick. On the other hand WWE were incredibly quick to try and force HHH/Taker 2: Oversell harder as the greatest thing since sliced bread so with that in mind heres Cody Rhodes before he became misused as the cosmic jobber Stardust.
Before the match has even started the insufferable heel Cole commentary surfaces, yes this is also the event with Cole vs King, holy shit this mania was truly tragic.
So lets take what we can get as Captain Mexamerica takes on Cody von Doom. For the most part youve got a typical Mysterio style match, a bit back and forth and unlike WM26 it has more than enough time to breathe. Towards the finish you get the fun of injury aids as weapons with both Rhodes face mask and Mysterios Knee Brace factoring into the final moments. Cody gets the rub, that kids gonna be a star, or hell just fade to dust .well why not both?
WM 28: Kane vs Orton
Before WM28 I recall Orton being on a radio show or something where he matter of factly stated his WM match as being bigger than the WHC matchup and how the internet laughed.
Except he was right all along, the WHC was contested in a joke squash match that opened the event and then Orton and Kane had the fun task of being the real opening match in an arena of pissed off Daniel Bryan fans. Well granted the legacy of the infamous WHC opener was definitely a lot more notable than Orton and Kanes throwaway match up but from a content standpoint on the night itself? Yep Orton was right.
So heres a match that found itself in a rather unfavourable position, on top of the above it was Kane in 2012 (origin year of the Wrasslegaf classic) fresh off his masked return being immediately neutered by the Cena effect and you know what? IT WAS A GOOD MATCH, F THE HATERS! Approximately three salty fans attempt to start a boring chant midway through the match which gains no traction because deep down everyone knows it isnt nearly that bad, fortunately next year Kane would bring Bryan to Mania glory so be grateful friends.
This was around the point where Orton was a solid worker who could get good matches out of most opponents and Kane could still jump off the top rope, the stars had truly aligned on this night even though the match took place in the afternoon. Not content with already having kicked off WM28 with a shocker this match up also delivered something very unexpected, a completely clean heel victory for Kane over Golden Boy Orton, busting out the mania enhanced power of top rope chokeslams.
WM 29: errr.....The Miz vs Wade Barrett?
We can either view the IC title on the pre show as them attempting to make the pre show seem important or perhaps more accurately the decline of the IC title prestige in action.
At this point both wrestlers were at their peak of midcard purgatory, Barrett was yet to be Bad News and Miz had inherited the Figure Four from Flair because reasons, I think thats about as much development as we get here. I cant actually find this match on the network so I just watched the Raw After Mania rematch instead which is probably better because Barrett wins it.
Yep, they had Miz win the title on the pre show only to drop it right back to Barrett the next night, engaging booking right there.
Well since Im stuck here on WM29 lets just talk about that, So Im looking through this WM29 card and this might actually be worse than WM27, after a reliable Shield 6 man tag opener the show just becomes Sunday Night Heat, Fandango! Swagger getting jobber entranced in his title match! CM Punk and Taker save this show from being truly miserable.
WM 30: John Cena vs Bray Wyatt
The streak breaker in more ways than one, after a bunch of lackluster mania outings WM30 was a return to form which in turn makes picking a match here a bit trickier.
So lets just go back to a time where Bray Wyatt was still a thing, where his promo template hadnt quite worn itself out, where Wyatt looked to destroy Cenas legacy by making him angry or something like that.
Of course this match is mainly remembered for being the beginning of the Wyatts getting Cenad so its easy to overlook the rather well done Legacy pre match video, the voodoo Wyatt entrance with live music performance (which is totally out of character surely but hey look theyve got plague doctor masks) and that the match is otherwise a reliable Cena overcoming the odds story because hes the hero of WWE and no mere Saturday morning villain of the week in Bray Wyatt is going to stop Hustle, Loyalty and Respect.
Plus Cena was in the midcard, at Wrestlemania, such things hadnt happened in a decade!
Cena teases his RAGE powers but is too good a guy to succumb to Wyatts cult tactics, thus this match is like a perfect encapsulation of the John Cena experience. Youve got heel turn hopes, odds to be overcome via a numbers game, a new guy jobbing to Cena and sending the kids home happy and the adults bitter.
WM 31: Cesaro/Kidd vs New Day vs Los Matadores vs The Usos
Back to the Pre Show, which basically does the same match as the WM30 pre show did but better.
After a slow start that has one of the Usos taken out the match thing start entering wonderful clusterfuck territory, you know when its messy but in a way thats actually kinda fun and exciting thus allowing everyone to get some spots in, even the ringside diva duo of Naomi and Natalya.
EVEN EL TORITO!
Probably the best pre show match of the lot and set a good tone for a surprising Wrestlemania event that looked to suck on paper but turned out pretty fun, like the inverse of WM26 (I still like you 26).
Cesaro may have moved like nowhere after his battle royale win at WM30 but hey at least he got the pinfall win here.
Yeah, I ran out of steam here, but have some bonus content anyway, the alternative WM25 choice!
See who needs your Bret/Austin or your HBK/Taker when you have these?
One would refresh their mania hype by going back and watching some classics but what about those more forgotten matches? after all we've all seen a bazillion lists of the best and worst so clearly what we need is a selection of ones that make you say "hey, that wasn't too bad!", though I'm avoiding matches that had the WHC title attached, typically they end up being reliable.
So coming to you courtesy of my boredom are 10 Arguably Underrated Matches from the Last Decade of Wrestlemania so you can get your 9.99 worth.
Equal opportunities here so one match from each Mania from the last 10 years starting from....
WM22: Mickie James vs Trish Stratus
Kicking off with a BIG TIME bang, its Booker T vs Boogeyman!
Actually no lets start a bit stronger than that. This years WM Star event looks to have something I havent seen since WM22 and thats a womens match Im actively looking forward to. In a post WM22 world the womens division would often spend its Mania event either cramming as many of the divas roster in as possible or a big program for whoever last got their tits out for playboy magazine.
Trish vs Mickie on the other hand was a match that actually had a multiple month build up as crazed Trish fan Mickie James slowly but surely became more psychotic in her appreciation of Stratusfaction to the point where things ultimately boiled over into this mania match up.
At this point Trish had held the title for like a year or so? The roster was sort of starved of notable challengers so the arrival of Mickie James was much appreciated, this could also explain the crowd being split between the two though that could be because its Chicago or perhaps it was due to Mickie Jamess Skirt attire ,a fan favourite Im sure.
Mickie really revels in her character role here, taking a gleefully skippy approach to working over Trishs leg, meanwhile Trish herself adopts a more aggressive style to more effectively tackle her bunny boiler of an opponent.
Standout moments include when Mickie counters Trishs top rope stratosphere and revels in her counter with a dleirosuly mad laugh before scampering back into the ring making a rather unique cover that sticks her backside up in the air so the audience behind get shall we say on heck of a view to an audible pop, Chicago you filthy rapscallions.
Mickies filthy antics come full circle as she uniquely counters Stratusfaction by introducing her hand to Trishs private area (and then makes a rather lewd gesture the WWE network and DVD releases cut away from because theyre no fun, though cutting to the audience you can see their expressions tell the story).
The finish was actually botched as I recall Mickie going for Stratusfaction only to bugger it up leading to instead hastily reverting to stealing the Chick Kick for the finish instead.
A solid enough Womens match that comes across a lot better considering the years that followed it consisted of Snoop Dog interference, Santina Marella gimmick dumping on decades of divas and Hog Splashes.
WM23: Benoit vs MVP
A match up I almost missed myself because I momentarily forgot that the WWE network hides the markers for Benoit matches in the hopes that no one will find them, which seems to be more of an unnecessary nuisance if anything.
Classic veteran vs brash newcomer showdown, MVP had quite a quick push on Smackdown late 2006 being put in ppv matches with more notable stars, I tend to think at this point Smackdown was scrambling to create new stars hence the likes of Kennedy, Lashly and MVP ascending up the card at various quick speeds. So MVP netted himself a pretty solid spot for his mania debut as well as a good learning experience because regardless of the mans actions, Benoit was damn good hand in the squared circle.
Thus MVP got to showcase some of his more technical chops that Im not sure anyone knew he had, its a solid and reliable Benoit match as youd expect that actually ends with the diving headbutt which was quite unexpected, straight up multiple germans into the headbutt, not often matches end with that sort of straight up demolition but it serves to highlight the skill gap between the two rather well I thought and was a strong showing for MVP as I recall people expecting him to possibly stink up the joint here.
Alas this would be Benoits last Wrestlemania for obvious reasons, in the meantime though lets enjoy some commentary in hindsight
Benoit epitomizes what Mania is all about Cole
Hes going in the hall of fame! JBL
In general JBL is pouring on the praise for Benoit here, its all a bit much after the events that transpired.
WM 24: JBL vs Finlay: Belfast Brawl (not actually in Belfast)
Typically Id wager the idea of opening mania with JBL and Finlay seems detrimental to getting the crowd into the event, fortunately the power of match gimmicks is behind them with Belfast Brawl rules favouring both mens aggressive brawling styles.
The pre match rivalry vid tries to make the viewer take pity on JBL demolishing Hornswoggle in a cage as a handcuffed Finlay watches on in terror but lets face it, it was glorious. Actually this here is technically the finale to the McMahons son saga, in the end there was no hobo army or anything interesting in its insanity, just a footnote before WM24 where JBL reveals that Hornswoggle was Finlays son all along.
So Finlay trots out with his awesome theme only to then bring Hornswoggle out to replace said theme with the vastly inferior and ill fitting jaunty jig theme, JBL takes no time beginning the attack and what ensues is a lot of punch kick, garbage cans, steps and baking trays. Why the heck are baking trays under the ring anyway? Are they leftovers from Deborahs cookie baking days?
Swoggle causes a nice kendo stick distraction that allows Finlay to conk JBL straight out of the ring with a shillelagh strike. While the fans arent too invested in Finlay and JBL (because lets face it, this feels like a heel vs heel punch up) they do pop for leprechauns and tables which fortunately this match has.
Finlay uncharacteristically goes for a suicide dive (sure everyone does it these days but 2008 was a different time) but eats a trashcan lid to the face. JBL one ups his previous use of trash related weaponry moments later as he hilariously just launches a garbage can out of the ring crushing Hornswoggle, a moment youll want to rewind over and over. Finlay mounts a comeback but in the end falls victim to the clothesline from hell.
An example of one of those matches that sounds like a sleeping aid on paper but instead served as a solid opener to a very consistent WM event.
Id love to say Batista/Umaga was an honourable mention here but theres no denying that match just didnt deliver on the hoss hopes.
WM 25: Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy
Remember when Matt Hardy tried to kill his brother on multiple occasions because of jealousy? Seems a bit extreme even for Team Xtreme, but I suppose Kane and Taker really stepped up the sibling rivalry storylines and anything less than trying to kill each other just aint worth a Mania showdown.
Thus Matt Hardy sets fire to Jeffs house and kills his dog because he really wants that heel heat, I unashamedly love how stupid the feud is, watching Jeff get blown up by his pyro never gets old.
So heres a match that really shouldve been bigger than it was, for the Hardy Boys this is like a dream scenario I have to imagine after all they got to face each other on the grandest stage of them all. Youve also got the extreme rules stipulation meaning they can tumble off ladders and through tables which is basically their tag team legacy.
For whatever reason though it never quite came together, perhaps the Matt heel turn was just too damn silly for its own good and thus this ended up as something of a forgotten Mania matchup, I suppose it also doesnt help that both bros would become something more akin to punchlines in the years that followed.
However its quite a fun weapon based bout that serves as one of the brighter spots of WM25 which admittedly is basically remembered as that one where HBK and Taker killed it and HHH once again floundered in the main event.
It also includes one of the most stupid looking spots in Mania history where Jeff sandwiches Matt in between two tables (with a chair teetering on Matts gut to boot) and then leaps through his crazy concoction. Not only is this spot illogical as they come but the way its performed basically has Jeff throw himself through a table while Matt gently crumples into the lower table, hilarious!
The match ends in a recurring fashion for Jeff Hardy where he goes for a high spot, crashes and burns and then eats a finisher. But what a finisher, Matt performs a twist of fate with Jeffs head trapped in a chair and it looks neck snappingly good.
And thus as a result Matt Hardy finally got the rub and went onto have a storied WWE title run .
Actually he lost the rematch at Extreme Rules screaming I QUIT like a chump, got injured and then returned assisting Jeff like hed never tried to murder his bro in the first place.
Well it could be stupider I suppose, imagine if the loser lost the right to the surname Hardy eh? EH?
WM 26: Rey Mysterio vs CM Punk
Ah yes, the WM26 card, an interesting event that serves as an example of having all the pieces in place but not quite fitting them together. And what better example than this match? Mysterio and Punk got roughly 6 minutes to try and deliver on the hype and in fairness to them they did about as much as they could with such a small timeframe.
So yes it was disappointing in that sense, it would serve as a strong opener but squatting in the middle of the card it was just over all too quickly.
On the other hand its a fast paced Punk/Mysterio showdown, its like the fast food of wrestling matches, tasty but not substantial.
Meanwhile the following match is the torturously slow and terrible McMahon vs Bret Hart encounter, in a perfect world the allotted match times for these two matches wouldve been swapped around. As I said WM26 was close but no cigar .YOU DESERVE TO BE SCREWED!
WM 27: Undashing Cody Rhodes vs Rey Mysterio
The drizzling shits of modern mania, the infamous WM27!
Id actually go as far to say that this was the best match from WM27 thus not making it that much of an underrated pick. On the other hand WWE were incredibly quick to try and force HHH/Taker 2: Oversell harder as the greatest thing since sliced bread so with that in mind heres Cody Rhodes before he became misused as the cosmic jobber Stardust.
Before the match has even started the insufferable heel Cole commentary surfaces, yes this is also the event with Cole vs King, holy shit this mania was truly tragic.
So lets take what we can get as Captain Mexamerica takes on Cody von Doom. For the most part youve got a typical Mysterio style match, a bit back and forth and unlike WM26 it has more than enough time to breathe. Towards the finish you get the fun of injury aids as weapons with both Rhodes face mask and Mysterios Knee Brace factoring into the final moments. Cody gets the rub, that kids gonna be a star, or hell just fade to dust .well why not both?
WM 28: Kane vs Orton
Before WM28 I recall Orton being on a radio show or something where he matter of factly stated his WM match as being bigger than the WHC matchup and how the internet laughed.
Except he was right all along, the WHC was contested in a joke squash match that opened the event and then Orton and Kane had the fun task of being the real opening match in an arena of pissed off Daniel Bryan fans. Well granted the legacy of the infamous WHC opener was definitely a lot more notable than Orton and Kanes throwaway match up but from a content standpoint on the night itself? Yep Orton was right.
So heres a match that found itself in a rather unfavourable position, on top of the above it was Kane in 2012 (origin year of the Wrasslegaf classic) fresh off his masked return being immediately neutered by the Cena effect and you know what? IT WAS A GOOD MATCH, F THE HATERS! Approximately three salty fans attempt to start a boring chant midway through the match which gains no traction because deep down everyone knows it isnt nearly that bad, fortunately next year Kane would bring Bryan to Mania glory so be grateful friends.
This was around the point where Orton was a solid worker who could get good matches out of most opponents and Kane could still jump off the top rope, the stars had truly aligned on this night even though the match took place in the afternoon. Not content with already having kicked off WM28 with a shocker this match up also delivered something very unexpected, a completely clean heel victory for Kane over Golden Boy Orton, busting out the mania enhanced power of top rope chokeslams.
WM 29: errr.....The Miz vs Wade Barrett?
We can either view the IC title on the pre show as them attempting to make the pre show seem important or perhaps more accurately the decline of the IC title prestige in action.
At this point both wrestlers were at their peak of midcard purgatory, Barrett was yet to be Bad News and Miz had inherited the Figure Four from Flair because reasons, I think thats about as much development as we get here. I cant actually find this match on the network so I just watched the Raw After Mania rematch instead which is probably better because Barrett wins it.
Yep, they had Miz win the title on the pre show only to drop it right back to Barrett the next night, engaging booking right there.
Well since Im stuck here on WM29 lets just talk about that, So Im looking through this WM29 card and this might actually be worse than WM27, after a reliable Shield 6 man tag opener the show just becomes Sunday Night Heat, Fandango! Swagger getting jobber entranced in his title match! CM Punk and Taker save this show from being truly miserable.
WM 30: John Cena vs Bray Wyatt
The streak breaker in more ways than one, after a bunch of lackluster mania outings WM30 was a return to form which in turn makes picking a match here a bit trickier.
So lets just go back to a time where Bray Wyatt was still a thing, where his promo template hadnt quite worn itself out, where Wyatt looked to destroy Cenas legacy by making him angry or something like that.
Of course this match is mainly remembered for being the beginning of the Wyatts getting Cenad so its easy to overlook the rather well done Legacy pre match video, the voodoo Wyatt entrance with live music performance (which is totally out of character surely but hey look theyve got plague doctor masks) and that the match is otherwise a reliable Cena overcoming the odds story because hes the hero of WWE and no mere Saturday morning villain of the week in Bray Wyatt is going to stop Hustle, Loyalty and Respect.
Plus Cena was in the midcard, at Wrestlemania, such things hadnt happened in a decade!
Cena teases his RAGE powers but is too good a guy to succumb to Wyatts cult tactics, thus this match is like a perfect encapsulation of the John Cena experience. Youve got heel turn hopes, odds to be overcome via a numbers game, a new guy jobbing to Cena and sending the kids home happy and the adults bitter.
WM 31: Cesaro/Kidd vs New Day vs Los Matadores vs The Usos
Back to the Pre Show, which basically does the same match as the WM30 pre show did but better.
After a slow start that has one of the Usos taken out the match thing start entering wonderful clusterfuck territory, you know when its messy but in a way thats actually kinda fun and exciting thus allowing everyone to get some spots in, even the ringside diva duo of Naomi and Natalya.
EVEN EL TORITO!
Probably the best pre show match of the lot and set a good tone for a surprising Wrestlemania event that looked to suck on paper but turned out pretty fun, like the inverse of WM26 (I still like you 26).
Cesaro may have moved like nowhere after his battle royale win at WM30 but hey at least he got the pinfall win here.
Yeah, I ran out of steam here, but have some bonus content anyway, the alternative WM25 choice!
See who needs your Bret/Austin or your HBK/Taker when you have these?
sf2fanatic
Member
First match vs AJ Styles plz
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