Wrestlemania 37

[Microstatistics]

Great, unique finish despite the interference. Both Bryan and Edge had their shoulders pinned to the mat so there was no ambiguity either.

 

[Microstatistics]

1 hour ago, strobogo said:

Lol fuck that Bellas segment. Glad the crowd shit on it. That's really the best they could do for Bayley after the past almost 2 years that they've pretty much relied on her to carry Smackdown? Punked out by the Bella Moms. 

Agree with this. They failed to read the room with that segment. The crowd wasn't exactly enamored with Hogan and the Bellas received a lukewarm reaction at best. Bayley was actually popular (and rightly so) and Titus was left in an awkward position at the end.

[Jmare007]

To add to the "dominance" of pinning both guys at the same time. Roman survived the LeBell Lock, which he previously tapped to AND a Crossface + LeBell Lock combo. They made him look strong as hell AND keep heat on him with Jey's interference. Pretty damn good booking, for once.

 

[KawadaSmile]

I think that's the one Wrestlemania where every single booking decision was correct. Honestly impressive.

[funkdoc]

7 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

I think that's the one Wrestlemania where every single booking decision was correct. Honestly impressive.

the closest i can think of in recent years was WM30, though the poor followup means a lot of that has been forgotten over time (cf. Cesaro winning the battle royal to a huge pop)

[C.S.]

19 minutes ago, KawadaSmile said:

I think that's the one Wrestlemania where every single booking decision was correct. Honestly impressive.

Even Nattie and Tamina winning the qualifying match?

[PhilTLL]

1 hour ago, ButchReedMark said:

And he looks like he fucking stinks. You can just tell he's got B.O.

I've always felt this about Reggie Watts from James Corden's show.

[Johnny Sorrow]

That was a great show. We loved that Fiend/Orton was first because all of us, kids included, were happy they got that shit out of the way right off the bat, so we could get down to it. We did all pop for the Jack In The Box. One of the kids said" Is he gonna pop out and jump into the ring?" and my nephew said, " He's too fat for that." 
Then we all enjoyed pizza and wings and going crazy for Shaemus kicking Riddle's face off. I had four 10 year old boys cheering the heel and booing the face during that match. The Philly fan that I am was so proud.  They hated Riddle. As opposed to Asuka, who is one of the boys favorite wrestlers.
Rest of the show was fun,  and while we were all YES! pointing and rooting for Bryan, everyone loved the end. 

[Johnny Sorrow]

20 minutes ago, C.S. said:

Even Nattie and Tamina winning the qualifying match?

That even made booking sense since you'd want the "shooter" vet and monster against the champs. I'd have preferred an underdog Riot Squad win but you can't make every match a feel good moment. 

[Johnny Sorrow]

1 hour ago, KawadaSmile said:

Such a power move. Stacked 'em up. Pinned all four shoulder to the mat. Reigned supreme.

FINALLY the push this man deserved for years.

AND he does it because of cheating. He's the best heel going.

[KawadaSmile]

31 minutes ago, C.S. said:

Even Nattie and Tamina winning the qualifying match?

If the plan was to have Miracle Violence Connection retain, yes.

[C.S.]

1 hour ago, KawadaSmile said:

If the plan was to have Miracle Violence Connection retain, yes.

Don't you dare!

[MoS]

The best part about the weekend about the Belair win. 

The 2nd best was Hogan getting booed whenever he came out, no matter what stupid shit he might be doing. Like putting over the previous night's main event. As someone on Twitter put it, imagine a Florida crowd booing you for racism 

[RingoPlaysDrums]

So we got a 3 hour show with each hour feeling quite distinct for me. The first was dreadful but the second really good. I was ready for the third with it's two high profile matches to be something special but I came away thinking that it didn't reach that level. I had kind of had enough by 3am though so that probably played a part.

Orton/Fiend was so so shit. I've paid zero attention to this feud until the video package they showed and you know what? By the time this began I was kind of ready for something completely wild and ridiculous. The Fiend's entrance was brilliant, including that little tribute to Brodie Lee. But then they kept that fucking red light on and had a completely unremarkable/dull 5 minute match. Bliss did something, Orton wins, then... nothing, as everyone is teleported away and the audience boos. It just felt completely lacking as a match, angle or spectacle. The only positive was that the match was over after 5 minutes rather than 15. Women's tag title match was another terrible choice to go on second. To go from that Orton/Fiend finish straight into Natalya & Tamina's entrance was such a downer. They had a 15 minute match for some reason. They probably had a decent match here and I noticed the crowd were genuinely getting into it but I didn't care at all. 

I loved seeing KO & Zayn have a condensed indie bombfest sprint in front of Logan Paul in a Wrestlemania setting. It's not my favourite kind of match by any means but it just felt kind of appropriate for Owens and Zayn to have a match like this after finally getting a spot at Wrestlemania one on one. Ended quite suddenly. I wondered why the women's tag title match got almost 15 minutes if this couldn't even get 10. Then Sami just kind of fucks off but we did get the stunner on Paul. Enjoyable. Feel like a pop up powerbomb through a table would've been a more satisfying pay off though.

I found the Riddle/RVD/Khali segment amusing, sue me! Sheamus & Riddle had a banger. They beat the piss out of each other and there were a handful of memorable and great looking spots including that fantastic finish. I thought this match probably had the right amount of time but I wouldn't have been opposed to more. 

Big E's entrance was money and he looked like a superstar. This match was lots of fun with some brutal bumps and shots. I popped for Dabba Kato. Surprised this only went 7 minutes. They really should have incorporated the drums more. I think Apollo needed the win more than Big E who can hopefully move on to bigger and better things now. MITB?

Ripley's entrance didn't exactly snap, did it? I heard her on a podcast and she was so excited about Ash Costello playing her to the ring - oh well. I thought this match was good but once again ended too soon. The crowd actually appeared to be losing interest as it went on. Rhea should absolutely not be heel. Didn't buy it at all and I don't think the crowd did either. I really like Rhea but I felt like this was missing something. 

Hated the whole tone of that Bayley/Bellas/hosts segment. Reminded me of that awful post-match beatdown of the League of Nations at Wrestlemania in Dallas. Really thought the pay off was going to be Becky Lynch so when it turned out to be the Bellas I was disappointed. Then they ran off Bayley and celebrated with Hogan and Titus and it was rubbish.

Main event was mostly a blast but I was having a real hard time staying awake by this point so probably didn't enjoy it as much as I should've done. I'll watch it again. The crowd was really into it. Bryan and Reigns impressed me but I really can't stand Edge right now. Great finish with the BIG DOG going over huge. What a superstar he is. Not as good as night one. Match order and lengths probably the biggest reason. Pretty enjoyable after that first hour though.

[Coffey]

I can't get over that Nattie Neidhart & Tamina Snuka Vs. Nia Jax & Shayna Bazsler was not only a Wrestlemania match, for the tag team titles mind you, but that it was after Nattie & Tamina won some bullshit gauntlet match the previous night.

Like, fuck. Regardless of whom their relatives are (or were), three of those women shouldn't even be EMPLOYED let alone working fucking Wrestlemania. And of course they shit the bed, just like Nattie/Tamina did the night before. Because they're fucking terrible.

But can't fit Bayley in a match & need her to sell & bump for Hogan & the Bellas. Sweet.

[MoS]

I felt bad for the Bellas cuz they were put in a bad spot, given WWE had teased a Becky Lynch appearance, so the fans booed the Bellas for no fault of theirs. 

I liked the fact that they put over Roman strong, and I thought the first 3/4th of the match was excellent, but the final fourth was filled with bullshit cringeworthy overwrought WWE melodrama. 

I wonder if it would have been a good idea to switch the two cards. I liked the second show, but the first show felt more lively and vibrant for whatever reason, despite having a long weather delay and a lot of rain for the first half. Plus, while the Roman match wss definitely the biggest match of the weekend and the main event, they could have used the 2-day format to have the Bianca win send the fans home on a happy note.

[RingoPlaysDrums]

What I would've done is switch Orton/Fiend and Ripley/Asuka. And given Ripley/Asuka like 5 or so minutes from the women's tag. I'm sure the crowd would've been more into it and it would've got the show off to a much stronger start. Also some nice symmetry with the men's and women's title matches bookending both shows. 

[cubbymark]

 

I never want to see The Fiend or Randy Orton again. 
 

I never thought a tag match with Nia, Tamina and Nattie would be half as good as it actually was. Yes, it followedFiend/Orton, but it was nothing short of a miracle. They actually got the crowd to bite for a body slam near fall in the year of our lord 2021! Shayna brought the intensity like she always does and the finish with the double submission was cool. 
 

Zayn vs Owens was a sprint version of their indie spot fests, and started the trend of PWG ring apron bumps. Logan Paul getting a stunner was neat, although there was decent action on MyBookie if he would have gone through a table instead. 
 

Riddle gets a lot of shit people, some of it deserved. Sheamus had a nice hoss battle and isn’t afraid of taking it and dishing it out. This might sound like blasphemy to some, but he just might be the WWE’s version of Tomohiro Ishii as far as being the designated Pitbull Hoss wrestler. And the Brogue kick to a flipping Riddle was cool.

I was starting to doze off a little during Big E/Apollo. They laid it in with their Singapore cane shots, and Big E’s spear to the floor always looks great. They didn’t really use the “Nigerian drums” props as much which I guess is for the best. I had to look up who Apollo’s new muscle was, but he picked up Big E with ease. 
 

Rhea vs Asuka felt short. Asuka’s selling was pretty good for the most part. The DDT to the floor looked wicked. Rhea winning was the right call, but the Riptide came OUTTA NOWHERE. 
 

I skipped Aunt Pam/Bella’s segment. Looks like I didn’t misS much.

The main event was good, but big eyed Edge looks so ridiculous. The finish was fantastic and was quite the visual to establish Roman’s current dominance. 
 

I feel like I liked Night 1 more as others have mentioned. I actually kind of like the two night Mania format. It lets all these matches breathe a bit more and stand out more rather than trying to drag out a ten hour card and burn a crowd out entirely. 

[Jimmy Redman]

WELCOME TO TAMINAMANIA~!

My mind is boggled, and will be boggled forever more, that a match at Wrestlemania, The Grandest Stage of Them All, The First Show Back in Business in Front of a Live Crowd, in Front of You, the WWE Universe was built around Tamina - TAH MEE NAH - getting a showcase Wrestlemania Moment (tm). 

On both nights!!!

I cannot stop laughing.

What a world. Like, even in my wildest dreams I would think of spending two matches showcasing Tamina at Wrestlemania and go "Nah, I know I'm crazy but I wouldn't put you guys through that." And fucking VINCE went there. I'm less of a Divas stan than fucking Vince Mac Man booking Wrestlemania.

Baffling.

And you know what? God bless her! 

This is a single mother of two who packed up and became a wrestler at like 32 and went on the road to toil away as basically the lowest dork on the totem pole for the next ELEVEN YEARS. She's doing her business. If there's no such thing as booking anymore and twats like Zack Ryder get a Wrestlemania Moment (tm): Lifetime Achievement Award for no reason, then Tamina can go 43 YEAR OLD MOTHER OF TWO WILD on fucking everybody for a weekend. Let her live. God bless. 

[strobogo]

Of the week I have 

 

1. Bianca/Sasha

2. WALTER/Ciampa

3. Roman/Edge/Bryan

 

And when I really think about it, any of the three could be swapped and I'd be okay with the result in the top spot I think. All for very different reasons of what made them good.

 

Will be interesting to see how they follow up both Takeover and WM, which both had the feeling of booking resets for most of the divisions, but I can absolutely see them just running Drew/Lashley, Edge/Roman, Apollo/Big E, New Day/AJ/Omos, and Sheamus/Riddle for the next 3 months. As for NXT, Balor can finally go do that WALTER match they wanted to do last year, KOR is poised as Kross' challenger, Adam Cole should never have another NXT match, and it's also time for Ciampa to move on. 

[C.S.]

12 hours ago, MoS said:

As someone on Twitter put it, imagine a Florida crowd booing you for racism 

An enormously stupid and lazy tweet.

1. The crowd came from all over the country (world?), so it was definitely not just a "Florida crowd."

2. Assuming everyone in Florida is backward, racist, Republican, etc. is absurd. Yes, Trump won the state, DeSantis won, etc., but only by the narrowest of margins. I won't even get into whether there was voter suppression, fixes, etc.

I'm not picking on you, BTW, @MoS - I'm just commenting on this random tweet you quoted.

Anyway, WrestleMania was solid - a fun two nights, and mostly fast-paced and breezy except for the first night going long because of weather delays.

[sek69]

So Dave was mentioning on the WO review of night 2 that Matt Riddle was never even supposed to get the US title,  Keith Lee was supposed to get it but he got sent to the Phantom Zone. They needed someone to take the title off Lashley since he was going to get the WWE title, and it ended up being a real version of the old "Honky only won the IC title because Butch Reed no  showed"  urban legend. 

[Coffey]

52 minutes ago, C.S. said:

An enormously stupid and lazy tweet.

1. The crowd came from all over the country (world?), so it was definitely not just a "Florida crowd."

2. Assuming everyone in Florida is backward, racist, Republican, etc. is absurd. Yes, Trump won the state, DeSantis won, etc., but only by the narrowest of margins. I won't even get into whether there was voter suppression, fixes, etc.

I'm not picking on you, BTW, @MoS - I'm just commenting on this random tweet you quoted.

Anyway, WrestleMania was solid - a fun two nights, and mostly fast-paced and breezy except for the first night going long because of weather delays.

You're reading WAY too fucking much into it, dude. Learn to take a joke, goddamn.

[C.S.]

10 minutes ago, Coffey said:

You're reading WAY too fucking much into it, dude. Learn to take a joke, goddamn.

You're the one who tweeted it, aren't you?

Otherwise, your venomous overreaction is...well, I don't know WTF you're jabbering on about, but you do you. Meanwhile, I'll continue to react in exactly the manner I see fit. 

 

[NintendoLogic]

Leading up to Mania, a lot of people, myself included, were convinced that the WWE audience was rejecting Edge and Bryan had to be added to salvage the match and that Tribal Chief Head of the Table Roman was too badass for fans to boo. As it turns out, Edge got a huge reaction-even bigger than Bryan-and Roman was roundly booed. It just goes to show how hard it is to get a read on fan sentiment without actual live feedback. On that note, my favorite development of the weekend was the Fiend horseshit dying a horrible death as soon as it took place in front of a crowd whose reactions couldn't be controlled. That should put an end to arguments that there's a silent majority of Fiend superfans who need to be catered to.