goodhelmet Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Pre-Show Interview: Paul Heyman on Miz TV Cesaro & Tyson Kidd vs. The Usos (Tag Team Titles) Goldust vs. Stardust Nikki Bella vs. Paige (DIvas Title) Dean Ambrose vs. Bad News Barrett (IC Title) Dolph Ziggler, Erik Rowan & Ryback vs. Seth Rollins, Big Show & Kane HHH-Sting Confrontation John Cena vs. Rusev (US TItle) Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan (Winner main events Wrestlemania) OK, I am starting this early since insomnia has the best of me and I can't sleep right now. Looking at the matchups, this looks like it could be the best card of the year. On the other hand, the booking could absolutely suck the life out of the crowd and me. The tag tile match could be good but may suffer from repeat-itis where people are already tired of the matchup. As an opener for a hot crowd on a PPV, it could tear the house down. Goldust-Stardust is completely up in the air. They have no heat as a tag team. With Goldust as face, I am convinced he can rally the crowd into the match but I don't know if Cody comes through or if it gets enough time. Ambrose-Barrett could be really heated and exciting or dull and uninspiring. WWE Six Man tags are usually a safe bet but with Kane & Big Show in there, I am not so sure about this one. Cena-Rusev should get plenty of time and could be MOTYC level material. Reigns vs .Bryan... who knwos what to expect? I am guessing this will be a really good match but we'll see if the crowd turns Roman heel or if we get a 50-50 response. Booking-wise, I feel like it is time for Cesaro & Kidd to win the belts but I don't think we see a title change here. I thought the Wyatts should have had the belts last year and they never pulled the trigger on a super long Wyatts run last year. For Goldust-Stardust, I like the idea of Goldust winning since he is the older brother who knows more tricks up his sleeve... IF they give this a longer program. If this is a one and done then I am guessing Cody wins convincingly. I picked Barrett winning but it wouldn't shock me if they gave Ambrose the belt. I don't think anyone cares either way. The six man tag should go to the faces but WWE loves them some Kane & Show. I wouldn't be surprised if the finish has Kane & Show picking apart all 3 faces most of the match and ending it in a non-controversial, completely tone deaf manner with Show knocking out Ryback or Ziggler. I think so highly of Rusev that I don't think anyone should beat him for a long time but I have a feeling Cena goes over here AND Mania just because. I would rather see Brock-Bryan but I think they give Roman his shot and Bryan raises his hand after the match. Most realistic scenario is Brock laying out both of them after the match and the three way at Mania is on the ticket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grimmas Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 This is an interesting show. It could be an awesomely great show if they allow it, but we all have a feeling the booking will get in the way. Every single match could be awful to awesome. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmare007 Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm guessing the crowd is 70-30 in favor of Bryan. Really interested in seeing if their on screen chemistry translates to the ring as well. Rusev/Cena might be MOTY if they let them have it. Really like this card but I agree it can go south if booking fucks it up again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zoo Enthusiast Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 After the Rumble, I had zero interest in what they would do at Fastlane, but the card does actually look pretty solid. I have been excited by the prospect of Cena/Rusev for pretty much the entire time Rusev has been on the main roster, and I think they could have a great series. If they do a fucked finish here with Rusev winning, and then have Cena beat him clean at Mania, that would really suck. I'm sure most of us would like Rusev to run through Cena and get even stronger, though that's not what they do - and Cena did already get mauled by a monster a couple times six months ago. Rest of the card I can't say I care about, per se, aside from liking the match quality potential. I am probably in the minority in saying I'd prefer they just do Reigns/Lesnar and get it over with, and not take the easy triple threat option again. I'm really not invested enough in the characters to have any strong opinion, though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shoe Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 It looks like a good card up and down it. Their should be a minimum of at least 4 3* matches or better with potential of at least 6. Cena/Rusev has potential to tear the house down. They are 2 of the better guys on the roster who emphasis selling. I think the tag title match has the potential to be a show stealer. Still it all comes down to the booking. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Dusty just tweeted that he was on his way to Memphis.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DMJ Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 I am a huge Bryan fan/mark and even I must admit to hoping Reigns wins here. Bryan/Brock is a dream match for me and I'm really excited to see how good of a match Bryan can have with the relatively green Reigns, but at the end of the day, Reigns is "the guy" and if WM is going to be sink-or-swim time, then, it needs to be sink-or-swim time. Bryan lost at Rumble and, kayfabe-wise, isn't entitled to anything...other than a rematch for the title he never lost, which could've been an option for post-Mania or pre-Mania. It still can be. The build-up to this match has been good, a clear example of making lemonade out of lemons, but only if one considers what the WWE's intention was - an intention that I dislike, but can't deny. The plan was to cool Bryan and even tease a bit of a heel turn, to not turn Reigns into this year's Batista. In that regard, it worked. Bryan is less hot than he was and his talking points haven't been about how he's an underdog fighting for what's right. He's come off as a bit of an entitled prick, actually, though, one that I still want to root for because he's not lying when he says he never lost his title or that he's the best wrestler in the company. Reigns, meanwhile, has been made to look a bit arrogant and cocky - but its worked at making him seem less like "The Next Cena," which was what many fans seemed to hate about him. After floundering at the Rumble, I do think the writers and Reigns have picked on a better tone for his character, one that might still be a tad one-dimensional, but seems less "needy" in terms of fan approval, less vanilla, and more driven by his personal ambitions than the "I'm doing this for the WWE Universe!" grandstanding that Cena butters his bread with. Reigns may not be the most interesting character, but a stoic, level-headed tough guy is one that pairs well with just about everything, whether its Rollins or Rusev or Daniel Bryan or John Cena down the line. Pretty excited for the show. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
anarchistxx Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Free to air in the UK for Sky Sports subscribers, looking forward to it. Hopefully DB vs Reigns goes on last and they get some time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chief Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 They've put such little effort into the Rhodes breakup I'm not going in with high expectations. The split only happened last week and they wouldn't even use Dusty outside of a pre-tape. I'm expecting Stardust to win a 4 to 5 minute inoffensive pedestrian match but I would really, really love to be proved wrong. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 They've put such little effort into the Rhodes breakup I'm not going in with high expectations. The split only happened last week and they wouldn't even use Dusty outside of a pre-tape. I'm expecting Stardust to win a 4 to 5 minute inoffensive pedestrian match but I would really, really love to be proved wrong. Was that because Dusty went off script last time they had him on live? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NintendoLogic Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Wait...Goldust/Stardust is tonight? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 My worry is that they do a clean finish tonight and the two of them just end up in whatever sort of multi-man or battle royal they run at Mania. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Chief Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 They've put such little effort into the Rhodes breakup I'm not going in with high expectations. The split only happened last week and they wouldn't even use Dusty outside of a pre-tape. I'm expecting Stardust to win a 4 to 5 minute inoffensive pedestrian match but I would really, really love to be proved wrong. Was that because Dusty went off script last time they had him on live? Probably. Dusty's mic work could totally light up this angle and it's such an obvious thing to do. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Cesaro & Tyson Kidd -Vs.- The Usos - Will be the same old Usos match we always get (which isn't a bad thing), most likely. I'm sure it'll involve some soap opera drama with Naomi & Natalya too. I could see the titles changing hands, just so a babyface team can win them at Wrestlemania. Goldust -Vs.- Stardust - I think the feud will continue, so I don't think we'll get a definitive winner. Maybe a DQ or Countout, something like that. Or Goldust leaving because he doesn't want to fight his brother. Hopefully it doesn't really happen until Wrestlemania, where Cody Rhodes can win definitively & hopefully obtain some sort of rub from it. It is going to be hard for me to ever care about Cody Rhodes. Certainly will not happen while he's in the awful Stardust gimmick. Nikki Bella vs. Paige (DIvas Title) - I don't think that Paige really needs the title to remain over, where as Nikki might. So I imagine that Nikki retains, maybe with Brie helping her cheat or something. Could be an OK match too, maybe a sleeper. Nikki has improved a lot. Dean Ambrose Vs. "Bad News" Barrett (Intercontinental Heavyweight Championship) - This match, with better build, would have had me excited & had potential. As it stands, I don't think Ambrose gains anything from winning the IC title & I think Barrett would lose quite a bit if he lost it already, so I expect Barrett to retain. Dolph Ziggler, Erik Rowan & Ryback -Vs.- Seth Rollins, Big Show & THEDEMONKANE - Nothing match featuring 3-4 terrible workers. Dolph will oversell stuff from hosses. Rowan & Kane will be as awkward as ever. Big Show will move at the velocity of Akeem. Ryback will raise his arms a lot & get blown up. Rollins will probably win. Triple H and THEVIGILANTESTING Confrontation - They need to do something to sell the Wrestlemania match... John Cena -Vs.- Rusev (United States Championship) - I think John Cena wins but I don't think it's by pinfall or submission. Even though Rusev has, in fact, lost on TV (to Jack Swagger on Main Event) WWE is still trying to present him as "undefeated." For awhile, they just, correctly, said never pinned or submitted. Now it's "undefeated" again. So I suspect Cena will win after a beatdown with a flag pole or something from Rusev to let the feud continue. I don't think John Cena as U.S. champion would be bad. I do think beating Rusev soundly before Wrestlemania would be though. Roman Reigns -Vs.- Daniel Bryan (Winner main events Wrestlemania) - I have zero desire to see Roman Reigns Vs. Brock Lesnar, where as I think Daniel Bryan Vs. Brock Lesnar would be a great David Vs. Goliath dynamic. Plus Brock could sell Bryan's submissions really well whenever he "got caught" (like being hit with a knee bar in UFC). Reigns just isn't ready, he's still at least another year off. He needs a run with a midcard title first. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted February 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 If anything, this does feel rather unpredictable... just not in a good way. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Coffey Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 I had actually totally forgotten about all the stuff recently with Kane & The Big Show. So them losing that match seems certainly plausible to me now. Are we really going to get Kane Vs. The Big Show as a Wrestlemania match this year? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 WWE PPV? Time to make Bryan look like a loser moron after portraying him as a pretty big star on TV. Sheamus interferes in the main event and sets up Bryan's mania match Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shining Wiz Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm hoping against hope that they use this "PPV" the way they used to use The Main Event. Basic card, with an important main event, but it gives you a lot of eyes to put your 'Manis set up plans in front of. So, in that vein, I'm looking for some big angles - Rusev destroying Cena, maybe covering him in the Russian flag; orton returning to set up a match with Rollins; Taker showing up to answer Bray; and something big in the main event. wWE being WWE though - Cena beats Rusev clean, no Orton, Taker on tape if at all and Reigns dominates bryan in winning clean. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
goodhelmet Posted February 22, 2015 Author Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 Fuck... didn't even think about the Sheamus return. That would be... not good. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Strummer Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 interesting tidbit from Meltz's daily update: --The goal for tonight's show, among many, is for Seth Rollins to come out looking like a major star for his WrestleMania direction. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matt D Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 interesting tidbit from Meltz's daily update: --The goal for tonight's show, among many, is for Seth Rollins to come out looking like a major star for his WrestleMania direction. Well, he has to face Jon Stewart after all. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Steve T Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 I don't know why but I still have faith in WWE to book decently going into Maina. I see either Bryan winning or there being a non-finish leading to a triple threat at Mania. Barrett will retain the IC title leading to, hopefully, a meaningful rivalry with Ambrose going into Mania. I could see Cena winning by CO or DQ leading to Rusev snapping and destroying Cena on Raw tomorrow furthering their fued and leading to a Rusev win at Mania. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timbo Slice Posted February 22, 2015 Report Share Posted February 22, 2015 I'm still thinking Rollins cashes in at WrestleMania. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hammerva Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 interesting tidbit from Meltz's daily update: --The goal for tonight's show, among many, is for Seth Rollins to come out looking like a major star for his WrestleMania direction. Well based on that then Rollins probably interferes tonight to set up the triple threat match. I mean bringing in Orton tonight is not what I consider "looking like a major star". That 6 man is definitely not it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrisZ Posted February 23, 2015 Report Share Posted February 23, 2015 Yeah this Rollins/Jon Stewart thing is a major deal and Stewart being a big wrestling fan will be all in on it which will help. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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