WingedEagle

I like to look at Mania season like the NFL season. I'm a Jet fan and last year sucked. Mania season was underwhelming if we're being polite. But unlike the NFL, the entire product is my team and I'm rooting for a win on Sunday and I am pumped for it -- MANIA! I'm aware the show could suck or be a pretty big meh, but its still the big game and this week always feels a lot bigger than any other. This lineup on a Payback or Night of Champions or some other B show wouldn't do much, but between the stadium, pageantry and expectations its simply a big deal. Looking forward to it.

This was terrific. Thanks for putting it together.

Sorry it didn't work for you.

Would Putin trump Tyson as the ultimate Mania hotshot? I would gladly forgo the Network and spend all Floyd/Pacman PPV money to see that.

Rewatched Mania 21 yesterday and I thought Angle/Michaels held up incredibly well. Perhaps some find it an example of excessive finishers, but I thought the build and escalation were terrific and it wasn't just something they resorted to. The cumulative selling down the stretch was great and even knowing the outcome, I was still popping at certain counters and near falls. Easy 4.5 stars in my book.

That will mean more for the show than anything else they do to push the match tomorrow night.

That would be much appreciated. Planned on looking up your recs from the supplemental folder as I march through the yearbooks but that will be difficult if they're not online

I'd also add the Misterio match from Summerslam '02, as well as the triple threat with Lesnar & Big Show from '03. Its not as widely regarded as the Lesnar PPV matches (and rightly so) but its different and worth watching.

It doesn't answer Parv's question, which I think is a good one, but the All Japan crew simply did everything better. Selling, offensive diversity / strikes / execution, storytelling, escalation -- you name it, they did it better. I'm not in the camp of Angle haters, even if some of his stuff hasn't aged as well as the AJPW stuff, but I also wouldn't begin to put him on that level. As far as domestic / WWE goes, when he was at his peak I enjoyed his top matches quite a bit and still do.

Anybody want to recommend a couple of his top matches?

Jesus Christ. That is absolutely frightening. What an awful tragedy for his friends and family. Thoughts and prayers to everyone close to him.

Cena hasn't had a public falling out with WWE. Yet. There's a long time for that to happen. Not suggesting it ever will because I'm not privy to Cena's personality, sensitivities, demands, insecurities, etc., but we're talking about people here. There's always a chance.

45 minutes in and I love it. Couple questions: 1) How much prep / research went into getting ready for this show? 2) What topics are you considering for subsequent episodes?

I'm interested in hearing this perspective more flushed out. Initially I don't think I agree as it sounds like arguing Steph Curry or Ray Allen are better basketball players than Jordan because they have a better jumper. I also realize that's likely taking things to an extreme -- my interest is in what people may see as trumping the volume and quality of great matches.

Easily the least interesting undercard in ages. Six-man will be fine and could be very good depending what direction they go, but I'm not sure there's another match on the undercard I'd go out of my way to watch absent rave reviews.

All Japan in the 90s (lets say 92-95) would be my pick for top-flight in ring action. But watching that stuff over and over would get very draining. It may be a cop-out, but I might go with WCW+WWF at the height of the Monday night wars. The chaos of having both shows live and flipping channels back and forth with such different presentations was really something. You had the cruiserweights doing their thing on TNT when it was new to me and completely unlike anything on USA. You had Hogan and the NWO as ultra hot heels, a new Sting that was somehow hotter than ever without doing a damn thing for over a year. The Hart Foundation, Austin, Vince and Rock on the way up. Those were fun times. I've seen better wrestling that took place before and after, but not sure any point was more addictive on a week to week TV basis.

We'll see what you say after getting through 90s All Japan. Curious if anyone there makes a run for the top!

I watched Raw on DVR today which allowed me to get through it in roughly 90 minutes or so. Loved Heyman. Cena/Rusev build was interesting. The layout this week would suggest a Rusev win, but I won't believe that until I see it. Bray is always fast forward material, which is much appreciated on tape. Problem is that the main event, and really nothing at this point, feels like Wrestlemania. Maybe a regular PPV, maybe a Summerslam, but not the super bowl. If its what's needed to get Reigns over and move the chain forward, that's great, but not feeling it now. Let's hope for a new leaf after the show.

Exactly this. Can't expect anything remotely rational from him, but at some point you might expect Podcast One or certain sponsors (does he have any legitimate ones or are they all wrestling related?) to say enough is enough.

I just got home from vacation and happened across this thread before diving in elsewhere. Having literally just gotten back, I haven't seen Raw or any related WWE tv or anything about the show other than some tweets I caught Monday night. A couple quick hits: 1. It sounds like the Mania build has just about bottomed unless we start looking back to prior generations . That + Mania prominence / March (as Matt D noted above) + the ease with which this dissatisfaction can be voiced can probably make the whole subject overwhelming. 2. That being said, once Mania is over the same void, if you will, of other topics may very well be present. Dylan suggested JVK start a thread on something. The 90s forums are one of the best things about this place. What about building out something for other decades (without stepping on the toes of the 80s projects)? Whether it be individual forums / threads for Horsemen material, PWO versions of threads on All Japan 80s, WWE 2000s, some framework that gives people a launching point?

Grimmas, maybe you can start another thread that compiles these top 5 picks?

This is not insignificant. On most, if not all, nights, this means you're basically watching a different show. Usually better, but completely different.