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So I watched Wrestlemania for the time since 30!
Night 1 thoughts
The set is decent but I'll never be a fan of the excessive lighting and sponsorship all over the place.
The commentary team is OK, McAphee doesn't suit being a kiss-ass in the main event though, he should stick to his style, especially since Graves is doing the exact same shtick.
The opener was good, I'm not as enamoured with Rhea as many are but she's good in the ring and I thought both women brought it, plenty of good back and forth with some slick exchanges and the feeling of a real struggle, a contest between 2 top athletes with a good finish.
To be honest my attention drifted during the ladder match for the tag titles, just a lot of stunts, I was pleased to see R-Truth get his moment though.
The LWO tag match was OK and I thought Jey vs Jimmy was clunky, both matches felt like they could have been on a Raw or Smackdown.
Really enjoyed the 6 woman tag match, the entrance for Bianca, Naomi and Jade was epic, very superhero feeling, Marvel might be casting a copyright eye towards Jade's Storm stuff lol and Bianca had Cyclops visor on. Damage Control were pretty much cannon fodder for some Road Warrior style dominance, this was the right way to use Jade Cargill as she's a superstar but very raw, it was especially clear when you saw how Bianca flowed through the ring with fantastic timing hitting her big spots.
Gunther vs Sami......maybe it's because I'm not remotely invested in his story but I have no idea wtf they were doing having Zayn go over. I didn't sense any great clamour from the crowd for Zayn to win and overcome odds that were in his own head. The match wasn't particularly great either, Gunther's striking offense doesn't lend itself to a bumping underdog face and it looked disjointed, the finish made even less sense, if you're going to beat Gunther you do it with a flash pin so it's an upset, not just a bunch of cycled through finishers and a clean pin in the middle of the ring.
The main event was fantastic, it started out like an oldschool 80's Mega Powers match, then did the Austin attitude era crowd brawling and then settled into it's rhythm. I thought Rock was great here, he's obviously top heavy with muscle mass and can't move as slickly as he used to, but working heel allowed him to use his physical presence and experience, he worked so smart and his timing was really good for someone who hasn't had a proper match in a decade. The moment he took the back elbow double team from Cody and Seth I knew he was on point, no double clothesline counter, he was working full heel, he sold for both the faces all match, he nailed the big spots (Peoples elbow into the Codycutter was a standout) and it was all paced perfectly Imo. Not to take away from the other 3 guys, they all Busted their ass, but we knew they'd deliver at the highest level and they overdelivered! The facial expressions and the way all 4 guys interacted with the crowd throughout was exactly what pro wrestling is about, it draws you in and I totally marked out when Roman speared Rock followed by the dual Pedigrees lol one of the best false finishes I've ever seen. Incorporating the weightlifting belt into the finish was great storytelling and it was the perfect ending.
Night 2 thoughts
Triple H called it the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, I don't know if I'd go that far, but it was great and the best booked wrestling show I've seen in years, well over a decade, the pacing and match variety was spot on.
Seth vs McIntyre was a good opener, Drew going straight for the win to capitalise on Seth's injured state made sense, it was basically a case of the 2 guys just hitting each other with their best shots from opening bell, it was fast paced, high impact and crisp. Seth was great as the injured fighting Champion so Drew winning worked, and then the cash-in was perfect as it heightens Drew's paranoia and "woe is me" mentality and added another layer to his feud with Punk as he spoiled Drew's moment because Drew couldn't stop trolling, now it's Priest's chance to see what he can do in a top spot.
The Philadelphia Street Fight was essentially a tables match and was a fun change of pace, it was fairly short but everyone got a chance to shine, Montez Ford in particular had a couple of spectacular spots and I thought having Bubba as the ref in Philly was a great touch.
AJ vs Knight was another good match, proper mid-card contest, not too long, good intensity and athleticism, his lack of selling of the leg was poor but overall this was the best match I've seen from Knight and the finish was nice and straight forward, clean and well executed.
The triple threat for the US title was probably the weakest match of the night but was still decent, the 2 veterans guided it and Logan Paul hit his athletic spots, his frogsplash for the finish was incredible.
Iyo vs Bayley was really good, like I've said before Iyo is the best in-ring talent since HBK, everything she does looks great and her timing is flawless. It was a good contest and as expected Bayley went over.
Roman vs Cody....this had that intangible big match feel, exactly as WWE title match and Wrestlemania main event should, and both guys were on point, they can deliver a great match with no trimmings, but we knew the run-ins were coming and they were really well executed, except the Cena one which I thought took too long to happen, but as bitesized showdowns they were perfect and I think the Undertaker being the last one was a big surprise, most were expecting Austin, but I'm guessing they were going with Taker's "Conscience of the WWE" standing. Then Cody finished things succinctly, sticking Roman with 3 Crossroads and a clean pin, Roman's prone body afterwards was class, he went out in regards to this reign with class as the top heel. Cody's celebration with his family and all the faces afterwards was great feelgood stuff, it almost felt like it was catharsis for the company in the wake of Vince.
Overall I enjoyed both night's, the booking across both was on point, I didn't agree with Gunther losing but that doesn't make it bad booking, and maybe he's injured or something. The storytelling was tight throughout and while I wouldn't say there was any amazing standout matches, there were plenty of good ones and for me the best match across the 2 nights was the tag team mega match.
Top 5
1. Cody & Seth vs Rock & Roman
2. Roman vs Cody
3. Iyo Sky vs Bayley
4. Rhea vs Becky
5. AJ Styles vs LA Knight
MVP's were Rollins and Samantha Irvin, Seth worked his ass off and put everyone he came into contact with over, even his run-in just saw him selling, and Samantha is not only a beautiful, sexy Lady, she has the pipes of a Goddess!
Night 1 thoughts
The set is decent but I'll never be a fan of the excessive lighting and sponsorship all over the place.
The commentary team is OK, McAphee doesn't suit being a kiss-ass in the main event though, he should stick to his style, especially since Graves is doing the exact same shtick.
The opener was good, I'm not as enamoured with Rhea as many are but she's good in the ring and I thought both women brought it, plenty of good back and forth with some slick exchanges and the feeling of a real struggle, a contest between 2 top athletes with a good finish.
To be honest my attention drifted during the ladder match for the tag titles, just a lot of stunts, I was pleased to see R-Truth get his moment though.
The LWO tag match was OK and I thought Jey vs Jimmy was clunky, both matches felt like they could have been on a Raw or Smackdown.
Really enjoyed the 6 woman tag match, the entrance for Bianca, Naomi and Jade was epic, very superhero feeling, Marvel might be casting a copyright eye towards Jade's Storm stuff lol and Bianca had Cyclops visor on. Damage Control were pretty much cannon fodder for some Road Warrior style dominance, this was the right way to use Jade Cargill as she's a superstar but very raw, it was especially clear when you saw how Bianca flowed through the ring with fantastic timing hitting her big spots.
Gunther vs Sami......maybe it's because I'm not remotely invested in his story but I have no idea wtf they were doing having Zayn go over. I didn't sense any great clamour from the crowd for Zayn to win and overcome odds that were in his own head. The match wasn't particularly great either, Gunther's striking offense doesn't lend itself to a bumping underdog face and it looked disjointed, the finish made even less sense, if you're going to beat Gunther you do it with a flash pin so it's an upset, not just a bunch of cycled through finishers and a clean pin in the middle of the ring.
The main event was fantastic, it started out like an oldschool 80's Mega Powers match, then did the Austin attitude era crowd brawling and then settled into it's rhythm. I thought Rock was great here, he's obviously top heavy with muscle mass and can't move as slickly as he used to, but working heel allowed him to use his physical presence and experience, he worked so smart and his timing was really good for someone who hasn't had a proper match in a decade. The moment he took the back elbow double team from Cody and Seth I knew he was on point, no double clothesline counter, he was working full heel, he sold for both the faces all match, he nailed the big spots (Peoples elbow into the Codycutter was a standout) and it was all paced perfectly Imo. Not to take away from the other 3 guys, they all Busted their ass, but we knew they'd deliver at the highest level and they overdelivered! The facial expressions and the way all 4 guys interacted with the crowd throughout was exactly what pro wrestling is about, it draws you in and I totally marked out when Roman speared Rock followed by the dual Pedigrees lol one of the best false finishes I've ever seen. Incorporating the weightlifting belt into the finish was great storytelling and it was the perfect ending.
Night 2 thoughts
Triple H called it the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, I don't know if I'd go that far, but it was great and the best booked wrestling show I've seen in years, well over a decade, the pacing and match variety was spot on.
Seth vs McIntyre was a good opener, Drew going straight for the win to capitalise on Seth's injured state made sense, it was basically a case of the 2 guys just hitting each other with their best shots from opening bell, it was fast paced, high impact and crisp. Seth was great as the injured fighting Champion so Drew winning worked, and then the cash-in was perfect as it heightens Drew's paranoia and "woe is me" mentality and added another layer to his feud with Punk as he spoiled Drew's moment because Drew couldn't stop trolling, now it's Priest's chance to see what he can do in a top spot.
The Philadelphia Street Fight was essentially a tables match and was a fun change of pace, it was fairly short but everyone got a chance to shine, Montez Ford in particular had a couple of spectacular spots and I thought having Bubba as the ref in Philly was a great touch.
AJ vs Knight was another good match, proper mid-card contest, not too long, good intensity and athleticism, his lack of selling of the leg was poor but overall this was the best match I've seen from Knight and the finish was nice and straight forward, clean and well executed.
The triple threat for the US title was probably the weakest match of the night but was still decent, the 2 veterans guided it and Logan Paul hit his athletic spots, his frogsplash for the finish was incredible.
Iyo vs Bayley was really good, like I've said before Iyo is the best in-ring talent since HBK, everything she does looks great and her timing is flawless. It was a good contest and as expected Bayley went over.
Roman vs Cody....this had that intangible big match feel, exactly as WWE title match and Wrestlemania main event should, and both guys were on point, they can deliver a great match with no trimmings, but we knew the run-ins were coming and they were really well executed, except the Cena one which I thought took too long to happen, but as bitesized showdowns they were perfect and I think the Undertaker being the last one was a big surprise, most were expecting Austin, but I'm guessing they were going with Taker's "Conscience of the WWE" standing. Then Cody finished things succinctly, sticking Roman with 3 Crossroads and a clean pin, Roman's prone body afterwards was class, he went out in regards to this reign with class as the top heel. Cody's celebration with his family and all the faces afterwards was great feelgood stuff, it almost felt like it was catharsis for the company in the wake of Vince.
Overall I enjoyed both night's, the booking across both was on point, I didn't agree with Gunther losing but that doesn't make it bad booking, and maybe he's injured or something. The storytelling was tight throughout and while I wouldn't say there was any amazing standout matches, there were plenty of good ones and for me the best match across the 2 nights was the tag team mega match.
Top 5
1. Cody & Seth vs Rock & Roman
2. Roman vs Cody
3. Iyo Sky vs Bayley
4. Rhea vs Becky
5. AJ Styles vs LA Knight
MVP's were Rollins and Samantha Irvin, Seth worked his ass off and put everyone he came into contact with over, even his run-in just saw him selling, and Samantha is not only a beautiful, sexy Lady, she has the pipes of a Goddess!
