Wrestlemania 29 Thoughts

[Bigelow34]

I still don't fully believe the Taker match killed Hunter/Brock. It just wasn't a good style of match for a big stadium show. Also, fans just aren't into Triple H in that sense...he is just not someone people care enough about to build retribution sympathy. Stick HBK in that slot in that same exact booking and story, and I think the crowd stays alive.

[tigerpride]

Brock got 0 pop coming out too. The crowd was silent the entire match, it was sad/funny.

[Bigelow34]

Brock got 0 pop coming out too. The crowd was silent the entire match, it was sad/funny.

The retirement stip messed everything up. Also, from some quick polling of more casual fans, not many care for Brock either.

[Brian Fowler]

I still don't fully believe the Taker match killed Hunter/Brock. It just wasn't a good style of match for a big stadium show. Also, fans just aren't into Triple H in that sense...he is just not someone people care enough about to build retribution sympathy. Stick HBK in that slot in that same exact booking and story, and I think the crowd stays alive.

 

Speaking strictly for myself, it was the Taker match that killed me. I like Triple H, I like Brock, I was looking forward to the match, but when it started, I had nothing left. I'm fairly certain the same was true for the people I was with.

 

Granted, if the match had started out hotter, it might have been different. Hard to say. Eventually, I need to watch the show and see how everything looked on tv.

 

FWIW, I got the same idea as Matt on the GTS - Rope bounce - Tombstone spot. I thought the idea was Taker landed before Punk got the knee up, and shoved off to get the rope bounce.

[Guest Andrews]

The best thing about the HHH vs Brock match was HHH coming out with pyro cum all over his belly.

 

I just don't think those two clash very well - it happens. Shawn Michaels and Mr Perfect were two excellent workers who couldn't have an excellent match - sometimes things just don't click. The match was just flat from my perspective. HHH was obviously going to win, Shawn's involvement wasn't needed and the drama just wasn't there.

[Brian Fowler]

Triple H and Shawn do come across like idiots, too. It's No Holds Barred. Just double team the monster.

 

Of course, Shawn also managed to make me laugh my ass off by being useless when he did finally try to get involved. At least he can take out Heyman.

[Bigelow34]

I still don't fully believe the Taker match killed Hunter/Brock. It just wasn't a good style of match for a big stadium show. Also, fans just aren't into Triple H in that sense...he is just not someone people care enough about to build retribution sympathy. Stick HBK in that slot in that same exact booking and story, and I think the crowd stays alive.

 

Speaking strictly for myself, it was the Taker match that killed me. I like Triple H, I like Brock, I was looking forward to the match, but when it started, I had nothing left. I'm fairly certain the same was true for the people I was with.

 

Granted, if the match had started out hotter, it might have been different. Hard to say. Eventually, I need to watch the show and see how everything looked on tv.

 

FWIW, I got the same idea as Matt on the GTS - Rope bounce - Tombstone spot. I thought the idea was Taker landed before Punk got the knee up, and shoved off to get the rope bounce.

 

I am sure fatigue was part of it, but I just have a hard time accepting that if the story was hotter and they worked a quick paced match, fans wouldn't have found the energy for a big time Mania main event.

[Death From Above]

I do think they made a mistake having the three 20 minute matches right in a row with nothing in between them, and that there is something to that. I process it just fine because I am used to watching like 40 minute All Japan matches, but I'm not exactly your stereotypical wrestling fan.

 

I don't think Brock/HHH was any good and Cena/Rock wasn't really that much either, at the end of the day. But the crowd might have been better with a goofy segment that lets them recharge a bit.

 

It's funny but this seems like at *least* the third Wrestlemania in the last 5 where the talking point of "I would have liked this show better if I re-arranged the match order" has come up.

[Bigelow34]

I do think they made a mistake having the three 20 minute matches right in a row with nothing in between them, and that there is something to that. I process it just fine because I am used to watching like 40 minute All Japan matches, but I'm not exactly your stereotypical wrestling fan.

 

I don't think Brock/HHH was any good and Cena/Rock wasn't really that much either, at the end of the day. But the crowd might have been better with a goofy segment that lets them recharge a bit.

 

It's funny but this seems like at *least* the third Wrestlemania in the last 5 where the talking point of "I would have liked this show better if I re-arranged the match order" has come up.

Interesting too, because this seems to be the first time in a while they stacked the three biggest matches in a row to close the show out.

 

It seems we always look back in retrospect and say XXX match should have closed the show, no matter where the hottest match lies on the card (assuming it was main event quality).

[soup23]

The way the matches worked, I think any match following Taker vs. Punk would have had a tough time getting a great reaction. Taker's streak has created such a template in the past 5 years for having really excitable matches live with huge moves being displayed and spots designed for the streak to be in jeopardy. The streak is so by far the most prestigious thing that WWE has for the fans to invest in that retirements, championships, and dream matches just don't measure up.

 

That being said, Brock vs. HHH certainly didn't help the cause. Brock mugging for the crowd was humorous but created a lot of down time and we never had any crisp heated strike exchanges from this no holds barred match than what we got in the match right before in Taker/Punk. I also do think the impact of these heated brawls is lost a lot in a big arena like this where it is a. tough to see what is going on without looking at a screen and b. you have such a huge arena that the impact sounds are muffled. I could barely hear the impact spots on the table outside and this was when the crowd was dead as hell.

[tigerpride]

They really should've put the Diddy concert on after Punk v. Taker, or tried to rush out the intergender match.

 

With HHH v. Brock, no one cared from the onset. Nobody got any heat and it was flat from there.

[Bigelow34]

They really should've put the Diddy concert on after Punk v. Taker, or tried to rush out the intergender match.

 

With HHH v. Brock, no one cared from the onset. Nobody got any heat and it was flat from there.

Instead of Diddy, which may have killed the crowd even more (and this is coming from someone that enjoyed it being there live, mainly because he did some old stuff)...what about the tag title match in that slot? Bryan & Kane usually get the crowd going regardless of spot on the card. The only thing you lose there is the possibility of a Dolph cash in.

[jdw]

They put Trip-Taker on in the middle of the card last year, before the HOF. That did seem to break things up. Wonder if they should have done it this year.

 

There also was some fatigue with the Rock-Cena video packages. Overkill on some level.

 

John

[Chess Knight]

HHH wrote on twitter that the 'stuff' on his body at Mania was dry ice, and he got 2nd degree burns from it.

[Al]

IMO, they really need to stop rolling out multiple 20-30 minute matches. There have been many, many "classic" Wrestlemania matches that went less than twenty minutes. Steamboat/Savage, Hogan/Savage, Ramon/Michaels, Savage/Flair, Edge/Foley, Undertaker/Batista, Hogan/Andre, etc. I can't help but think WWE would do well to chop five minutes off most of their big Wrestlemania matches. (And 20 off of HHH/Lesnar)

[Superstar Sleeze]

John, Yeah reading it back, I see your point. I think watching wrestling live is a very similar experiencing to watching music live for me where I just enjoy it for the atmosphere, presentation and being there with my brother and/or friends. If I watched that show on a TV, I probably would have found myself agreeing with all of you wholeheartedly. When I was writing that I was trying to reconcile the amount of fun I had with what I truly felt. For instance, I think Cena/Rocky bit the big one besides a couple spots, but it was tremendous fun rooting on Cena in the pro-Rocky environment. The audible groans from Rocky fans when he went for the Five Knuckle Shuffle -> FU -> Kick out -> Huge Pop was an awesome moment. I didn't explain that clearly, which was due to the fact the Michigan game was starting to get away from us at that point. I truly do think the card was better than the past two Manias from a "watch on TV" perspective, but it was such a fun atmosphere that is why I am giving this card a pass.

 

I was a little harsh on the crowd. I softened my stance on the crowd as it became more good-natured in their chants. It would get tiresome if a smark crowd showed up every RAW, but once a year, it is a nice twist. The continual singing of Fandango's entrance was tremendous.

 

Did anyone catch the real highlight of the night? When Orton came out to cut his promo, he said a line and then stopped walked over to Sheamus and from his mouth you could read "What's my line?" My brother and I were rolling especially when all he had to do was ask the crowd if they wanted to see him kick Show's ass.

[KrisZ]

The off air stuff on Smackdown tonight in Boston sounds like a total blast

[Superstar Sleeze]

Damnit, I'm from Boston, but couldnt go due to a combination of my new job and my brother being burnt out. I will have read/check it out when I get a chance.

[rovert]

Best picture of the weekend:

 

 

 

CM Punks shows Brunk his "Drug Free" tatoo on his knuckles.

[WingedEagle]

A few thoughts after attending Mania this weekend:

 

I had an incredible time there with my friends and crossed off "attend Mania" from my bucket list. The crowd was unquestionably tepid for much of the show, but in the building there was still a great atmosphere with everyone jacked to be part of such a big show even if much of what we saw didn't set anyone's world on fire.

 

That being said, I doubt I'd go to another Mania unless I had truly spectacular, i.e. the most expensive seats in the house. Much like football, stadium wrestling is just better in HD on a big screen.

 

Punk/Taker was clearly the highlight. Between the streak, presentation and spots the crowd was amped for this throughout. Combine the comedown from that with the fact that absolutely no one wanted to see Triple H and it was clear pretty quickly that match was going to die. At least in my area, there were a ton of audible groans when Trips locked him in the Kimura.

 

Finishing stretch in the main event was exciting and felt big in the house. I don't care what anyone says, I enjoyed the hell out of it.

[Guest Andrews]

HHH wrote on twitter that the 'stuff' on his body at Mania was dry ice, and he got 2nd degree burns from it.

I prefer my usage of "pyro cum".

[artDDP]

Shawn Michaels was wearing galoshes and looked like a Walmart customer, not a former WWE superstar.

 

Considering Shawn did almost nothing I have to wonder if Triple H set this up just so his buddy could get another WrestleMania payday.

[Guest Andrews]

The off air stuff on Smackdown tonight in Boston sounds like a total blast

 

As is often the case, when the guys can play with their hair down, it probably is more fun that the stuffy scripted stuff.

[s1rweeze]

Courtesy of wwe.com...

 

STAMFORD, Conn. — WrestleMania 29, held Sunday, April 7 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, grossed an excess of $72 million, becoming the highest-grossing event in WWE history, WWE has announced. In addition, WrestleMania will once again exceed 1 million global pay-per-view buys and attracted a sold-out crowd of 80,676 fans from all 50 states and 34 countries at MetLife Stadium.

I can't be the only person disappointed with this news, since it gives them an excuse to keep jacking up prices, right? If any WM was going to bomb, I'd have imagined it be this one since it had such a blah buildup.

[Al]

Given that tickets are sold months in advance, I doubt WWE could do much to hurt revenue unless they flat out failed to deliver matches they promised (i.e. Rock no-showing the event).