Vice Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 Having enjoyed this year's Money In The Bank pay-per-view far more than Wrestlemania, I couldn't help but wonder when I actually last considered Wrestlemania the best show of the year. It seems normal now, for me, to treat the Royal Rumble and Summerslam like the best shows. Â Looking at the last 10 Wrestlemanias (18-27), there's a couple of absolute blinders in there (19 and 22), but the rest are either more or less average, or one- or two-match shows. But it seems like, since 23, Wrestlemania has consistently felt markedly underwhelming and/or left me with a sense of "how'd they fuck that up?", with Wrestlemania 25 being a particularly bad event, in my opinion. Â Don't get me wrong; I love the bells and whistles that come with Wrestlemania and appreciate that it's the show where we'll get extraordinary moments like Ricky Steamboat's astoundingly good performance and Edge spearing Foley through a flaming table, soap opera matches like Hogan vs. McMahon and Triple H vs. The Undertaker, and gems like CM Punk vs. Randy Orton. For those reasons, Wrestlemania is still special, and I look forward to next year's for Rock vs. Cena and the possible in-ring return of Austin. Â However, I'd say 22 was the last time Wrestlemania was actually the best show of the year. And since Wrestlemania 23, it seems like Wrestlemania has consistently fallen flat overall, whether it's due to it not living up to its potential, or just cramming too much unnecessary crap into it (27 was especially bad for this). Â What do you guys reckon? Has the quality of Wrestlemania generally decreased in the last few years? Is it still special to you? Does it still live up to your expectations? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slapnut Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I think I'm the only one that doesn't rate 22 that highly. Maybe it just shows how shit WWE PPV's were in 2006, but I really don't get the love for it. It's not a bad show at all (better than 25 at least) and there's the obvious gems like Edge vs. Foley, but besides that it doesn't really do anything for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mackie Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I think the problem is more just the changes in the wrestling industry over the last decade instead of just wrestlemania's. You would find a similar change in quality looking at other PPV's Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members air_raid Posted July 25, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 I personally didnt rate 22 overall at all. Cena/HHH was a masterpiece, but the World title match didnt get anywhere near enough time, and I wasn't even slightly interested in Michaels/Vince or Undertaker/Mizark as I considered them a colossal waste of Michaels and Undertaker on the big stage and never had a second's doubt both would win. Having said that, "one great match" does seem to have become the standard for WrestleMania these days. Â I must admit, match by match there tend to be cards that deliver overall more than 'Mania, but in terms of having that feeling of "that was fucking special" there aren't actually many that I revisit. MITB is one, definitely, and I've heard a case made for best card since WMXVII. Jeff Hardy's moment of self-actualization at Armageddon 2008 is another, and possibly the "something a bit different" about Breaking Point will make it worth digging out occasionally. One Night Stand 2006 is definitely another, to a lesser extent 2005 too. Â Truthfully though, when I want to dig out something to watch from recent years, there isn't all that much I've kept hold of outside of the yearly Rumble-Chambers-Mania corridor (for want of a better word) that I'll grab and think "YEAH, lets give it a whirl." And unless I've got time to watch ALL of a Rumble-Chambers-Mania big matches corridor, then I'll usually just plump for Cena/HHH, Cena/Michaels, Michaels/Undertaker or Undertaker/HHH. Â So, in a roundabout way... still the Grandaddy of 'em all for me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Miz Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 When PPV's were every three months and squash matches were regular on TV, big matches were alot more rare. So quite obviously the big Mania matches, and even the rest of the card were more exciting. Now Mania is more often than not no more special than every other PPV apart from one or two stand out matches. Taker's streak gimmick wont last much longer and MITB has already gone. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mr.Showtime Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 WrestleMania has generally sucked for many years now. Each one has at least one great match that I may watch again and these involve the usual suspects - HBK, Undertaker, and earlier ones with perhaps Chris Benoit and Kurt Angle. I think the problem for me is that I've never been a huge fan of John Cena, Randy Orton or Batista (until his last heel turn) and Triple H's in-ring performances have been stale for a long long time. And of course those are the main men of the last few years. The MITB matches all merge into one for me. So yeah, therefore I've generally been disappointed with Mania for ages and would never watch them back in full again, like I might and still do with the likes of WM 19. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members IANdrewDiceClay Posted July 25, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 WrestleMania 24 was really good. I think it was the last excellent WrestleMania. You had the Flair/Michaels thing, the Edge and Undertaker match which was excellent, Mayweather and Big Show was was really good for what you thought it would have been. The ones after that have either been one match shows or they have to many rushed matches with shit crowds. WrestleMania's crowds have been shit recently. A few people blamed the Georgia Dome being to big, but that was the building Goldberg won the belt in. The infamous roof shaking crowd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members CleetusVanDamme Posted July 25, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 Can't see it myself. I'd say if anything the Wrestlemanias have got stronger during the 20's compared to the 10's. WM's 23, 24, and 26 are genuine supercards for me. In the last 4 years alone, we've had Cena/Michaels, Cena/Batista, Takers matches with Batista, HBK, and HHH. and HBK/Flair. All of them up there with the best the company's ever put out on their biggest show. Â Â 25 and 27 didn't live up to expectations for alot of people, but compare them to shows like WM 13, 15, and 16, and they'll look fucking stellar in comparison. Then again, it all depends who you're asking. Some people say WM 17 and 19 are the two best ever. While I wouldn't even put 17 in the top 2 WWF shows that year*, and didn't give a fuck about 19 at all. Â Â I know that this year, sitting watching HHH/Taker, I was as excited as I've ever been as a fan, and felt as "big time" as it ever did. Just because the company put out a better show a few months later (which has happened countless years) doesn't change that. Â Â Rock vs Cena at 28. There's only one event capable of showcasing a match that big, in any year, and I can't wait for it, already!. Â Â So, uh, yeah. It's as big as ever, IMO Â Â Â Â *No Way Out and Summerslam, thanks for asking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEWM Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 I think 22 is enormously overrated retrospectively. It took as much flak as any of them would for all the usual at the time, but these days it's bummed. Cena/HHH is an absolute diamond, and Foley/Edge was a good stunt show considering Mick Foley's limitations by that point, but the rest was filler. Oh, and Mickie sucked her fingers after they'd been in Trish's clunge, people still like that. Also, considering how pleasant it all was last year, it sort of irks me more now that Bret wouldn't just ref or run-in during Vince/HBK - the match and storyline designed pretty much for his involvement on the big stage. Decent crowd, but average Mania, in my opinion. Â 25 would probably be in my bottom one of all Manias had it not been for Michaels/Taker. Orton/HHH was their usual abortion and the Kid Rock marathon was possibly the worst experience I've ever had outside of shitting blood once. A nice chance to see some old Divas was blown, and despite his amazing, amazing entrance, John Cena deserved way more than the tripe he had to slot himself in on with that World Title stuff. And Steamboat rolling back the years nearly saved that load of shit until the Rourke standoff dropped right back down again. I'd rather sit through Wrestlemania 2 and all its oddities than watch this show in full again. I can get Michaels/Taker elsewhere. Â 23 though, what a fucking show. Battle of the Billionaires was lush with the best hair payoff ever, Undertaker/Batista rocked my cock and it fucking did yours too. And Cena/Michaels had an absolutely amazing contemporary main event wrestling match - my favourite ever John Cena match (he's had more snowflakes in my mind than Meltzer's ever dished him out) and a masterpiece that belongs with Michaels' other triumphs just in a slightly quieter and less grandiose way. Money in the Bank was still awesome and special, Chavo and RIC FLAIR got bumped off the card for a million divas and botches (mega fucking lolz at the internet the next day after that one), and it was the last Mania where everybody was still all roided and mental and chairy-to-the-head and before somebody had to ruin it for us all by going murdering for the weekend. Â I'll say this much - whilst I don't particularly think the last ten years offers any particular sort of pattern, I can honestly say 18 and 25 are two of my very least favourite PPVs ever, which should never really be the case with a Mania. And that's considering they both contain legendary matches, it only goes to show how poor the rest of the card was. 19 & 26 were both good, but 20, 21 & 24 were all excellent for me, and to that end I'd say there have been more hits. Plus, I'm a big fan of the big shit they pull out for Mania such as the big sets, pyro, stadiums and all that. It takes a dog of show to taint all that good stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
King Pitcos Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 WrestleMania 24 was brilliant. Michaels vs Flair was a classic, and I'd put Undertaker vs Edge up there with any other WrestleMania main event. Mayweather vs Big Show was really good, as well. Money in the Bank is always a decent spotfest, the WWE title triple threat was fine and had an air of unpredictability that few WWE title matches at WrestleMania have. Finlay vs JBL was better than anyone could've expected. I can't recall Batista vs Umaga being any good, but on the whole, the show was superb. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members Ron Simmons Posted July 25, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 WrestleMania 24 was really good. I think it was the last excellent WrestleMania. You had the Flair/Michaels thing, the Edge and Undertaker match which was excellent, Mayweather and Big Show was was really good for what you thought it would have been. The ones after that have either been one match shows or they have to many rushed matches with shit crowds. WrestleMania's crowds have been shit recently. A few people blamed the Georgia Dome being to big, but that was the building Goldberg won the belt in. The infamous roof shaking crowd. I was gonna say that. Really enjoyed the whole show. Â There's usually a great quality match in the Wrestlmania line-up, but the title matches have often absolutely tanked for me because of the same participants being involved. It's hard to care about John Cena chasing the title, for example, because he's already won it so many times. The idea of having a fresh star chase the belt in the main event title bouts against an established guy really works well for me (like JBL/Cena, Triple H/Batista, Triple H/HBK/Chris Benoit) and can really create Wrestlemania moments. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richie Freebird Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 WrestleMania 24 was brilliant. Michaels vs Flair was a classic  Apart from the ultra cheesy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NEWM Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 WrestleMania 24 was brilliant. Michaels vs Flair was a classic, and I'd put Undertaker vs Edge up there with any other WrestleMania main event. Mayweather vs Big Show was really good, as well. Money in the Bank is always a decent spotfest, the WWE title triple threat was fine and had an air of unpredictability that few WWE title matches at WrestleMania have. Finlay vs JBL was better than anyone could've expected. I can't recall Batista vs Umaga being any good, but on the whole, the show was superb. Â JBL chucking a bin at Hornswoggle more than made up for Batista falling on his arse, that's for sure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tommy Atkins Posted July 25, 2011 Share Posted July 25, 2011 They rely too heavily on "dream" matches rather than matches that have been built up in storylines over the past year. Â WrestleMania is a big deal because it always has been and because it's always in front of a huge crowd with a nice set and fireworks etc. I don't think there's been a really good one since WM19. Most of the recent ones I couldn't tell you what match was on which WrestleMania, they all blend together. Â Actually the one with Big Show vs Mayweather was pretty good, but I had to look on Wikipedia to remember the other matches on the card. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paid Members ShortOrderCook Posted July 25, 2011 Paid Members Share Posted July 25, 2011 Wrestlemania 21 was fucking fabulous. Bunch of guys elevated, two new main eventers cemented, a 'dream match' and the streak showing it's first signs of becoming a true special attraction. A true landmark WrestleMania, totally delivered and made for a real enjoyable watch too. Â I really liked 19 (at the time),22 and very much 23 and 24 too actually. So I'd say they've had a pretty good run of WrestleManias there really. Â 18 can go fuck itself though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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