The Dart

If anyone doesn't have the Network....you can get it for a month for 99p right now.

I'd like to see him just sign with AEW for 6 months or something, then maybe do a handful of indy shows/Japan/Mexico then go back to WWE with the agreement he will also/only do NXT or something.   If he signed a short term deal with AEW then WWE would no doubt give him whatever he wants to come back at the end of it.

Reginald too.

It’s good to see some debuts who haven’t come from NXT.  Hopefully it happens more.

Peyton Royce too.

Kalisto too.

9 minutes ago, Vamp said:

All I remember of the Nigerian drum match was Big E's entrance, his spear, and some cane shots. Did some big bloke interefere at the end? 

46 minutes ago, kieranjennings said:

I don't know why they don't make RAW more like a magazine show these days. Proper sit down interviews with different hosts, maybe showing clips of the odd 'on this day' classic match, videos of the stars getting up to stuff away from the ring or about their background (where they grew up/how they got into the WWE etc.) and have matches/angles disbursed in between that get dissected by a panel (like most Sports coverage shows).

It would get different formats and different hosts within the show so would presumably make it feel more lively. 

Probably because that's not what USA Network are paying for.   Raw is a live event show and that's what USA Network want on at 8pm on a Monday.   They have other shows, This Week in WWE etc, plus endless YouTube videos, that cover all that stuff you want If that's what you want to watch, it's there for you.

Why do you feel sorry for her?  I thought she’s been given time off she asked for to finish her studies.

That “Sign Guy” twat I saw him walking around in his stupid outfit one Wrestlemania week and someone asked him for a photo and he obliged but was properly acting like he was a celeb, like OK but I’m really busy, I’m surprised you’d want to meet me I’m not famous, while wearing his outfit he only wears cos he’s desperate to get noticed and recognised.

1 hour ago, Supremo said:

Early days, I know, but Bianca has got to be their Developmental System’s greatest success story, surely? Or at least in the conversation. Literally came in with no wrestling experience and went straight to the top.

Was this also the first time since Brock Lesnar that someone debuted and then headlined Wrestlemania within a year? I can’t remember the last time it happened but could be wrong.

 

Alberto del Rio "main evented" Wrestlemania 7 months after his debut, but whether you want to call that main eventing or not is definitely up for debate.

I met Bianca Belair's mum at Axxess 4 years ago.   She was sitting next to me and when Bianca came out for her match she was going mental.   She then told me, without me asking, that she was Bianca's mum, as an explanation/apology for her over excitement.   The pride and joy of seeing her kid wrestling in front of 400 people who don't really know who she is in Orlando was crazy.   Can't imagine how she's reacted seeing Bianca main event Wrestlemania.

As Natalya is coming to the ring Michael Cole says she's decided it's time to stop living off her family's name (the only thing she's ever had going for her).  I assume this is something she's said in a promo recently.

This is as she comes to the ring wearing pink and black and to a remixed version of Bret Hart's theme.  She also went to do the Sharpshooter in the match, although she didn't do it.

Has there ever been someone so shit for so long that for some reason WWE/other wrestlers talk about as if they're one of the greatest of all time?

And they pair her with Tamina, the only wrestler on the roster shitter than her.   And then they win, meaning they're the only ones wrestling on both shows (unless there is some kind of swerve).   Ugh.  Only part of the show I didn't enjoy.

Kane describing Knox County as the greatest place in the world was a good one.   It's probably not even the greatest place in Tennessee.  A mayor who loves his town though is probably a good mayor.

Some of the speeches were cut to be way too short.   I don't think people's complaints is speeches being too long, it's that there's too many long speeches.  If they inducted 4 people a year and let them talk for 25 minutes each I don't think anyone would have any complaints.

1 hour ago, Perry said:

That's quite a coup for Belair, her first WrestleMania and she's in the main event match. Don't think anyone else has done that since Lesnar at Mania 19.

Not her first Wrestlemania technically, if you count kick off shows or not.

If they couldn’t find any footage of her they could have just not inducted her at all.

It is possible some very old tapes they bought were mislabelled and someone who would have no idea didn’t notice and just went with what it was labelled as.

Didn't she do a shoot interview DVD, where she just said nice things about everyone (the opposite of most shoot interviews) and donated all the money it made to Crash Holly's family?

33 minutes ago, AshC said:

Modern day fans: 'We don't want 50/50 booking, give your stars a sustained push, full of victories'.

 

Also modern day fans: 'If you get a sustained push, full of victories, we will fucking turn on you'.

 

Anyone booing big Drew on Saturday needs to question what they're doing with their life.

Also...

Why do they have to have everyone on Mania making the show 6 hours long?

then

Why have they relegated the tag team title match to Smackdown?  Those guys deserve to be on Wrestlemania, the show can be longer.

1 hour ago, BigJag said:

A quick check on Ticketmaster shows that they've pretty much sold out. Unless WWE are using multiple vendors.

I'm genuinely surprised that in the current climate people are snapping up the opportunity for what on the face of it is a very lacklustre looking Mania. One that will also not have the support events around it. Does that area of the country have much in the way of attractions to draw people in for a bit more than just Wrestlemania? 

I suspect most people going will be locals.   Without Axxess, Raw etc I can't imagine many people flying across the country to go, although obviously some are.   Although the amount of indy shows taking place is still surprisingly high.

It's been said that about 40% of people who go to Wrestlemania usually are from the host city.

I don't think the quality of the lineup matters much to people choosing to go this year, like it ever does anyway.  People go to Wrestlemania for the experience, rarely for a specific match or wrestler and this year is going to be a unique experience for sure.

Meltzer's report makes out like it's some big issue, then says at the end says there's 800 tickets left.   I don't think that's a big issue, I'd say that's pretty normal and if there' one year where having some empty seats isn't going to matter for the presentation, it's this year.

Am I understanding correctly that even though night 1 of Stand & Deliver is on the USA Network, it is on the WWE Network aswell?    (unless it's in the USA only?)

And Night 2 is only on WWE Network?

39 minutes ago, The King of Old School said:

Probably be waiting a while, I can't see them returning to live crowds on a weekly basis for at least this year.

I did read something about them returning to arenas in July, but I suspect they won't be allowed to have full arenas by then, if that's when they do return.

AEW have postponed some shows to September, so you have to assume they're planning to return to arenas by then, although those are shows that have already been postponed a couple of times, so it could change again obviously.

21 minutes ago, Tsurutagun said:

An American (Olivia Rodrigo) just spent 9 weeks at number one. 

Just sure, push the British don't care about non-English music narrative. 

I suspect he meant English language?

29 minutes ago, WyattSheepMask said:

The war is over, NXT is moving to Tuesdays from April 13th, the first night of Stand & Deliver.

USA Network have extended the deal too, which I’ve got to admit is a bit of a surprise

The first week after.

A battle royal where the 6 finalists get in the gauntlet, but the order of the final 6 determines their spot in the gauntlet match.   They have have to win the gauntlet to get a title shot the next day.

Meanwhile, Rhea Ripley can show up on her debut on Raw and say "I want a title shot at the biggest show of the year", despite having not beaten any other contenders and for some reason Asuka's allowed to decide if that's OK or not (unless Rhea had been given the go ahead backstage by Adam Pearce, etc to challenge Asuka, which would make Adam Pearce etc very unfair in the match making decisions).

Tomasso Ciampa is 35 years old by the way.

Khali's speech will be wild.