A Mania match a day

[DeanoTheGame]

While the Triple H tombstone near-fall was incredible, the Sweet Chin Music into a Pedigree combo in the HIAC was even better for me. As soon as that was hit, I knew the streak had been broken. Undertaker kicking out of that was probably the most I've ever been shocked at wrestling, until Lesnar ended the streak last year.

[HarmonicGenerator]

Two days to go, so WrestleMania 29 time. It's The Shield vs. Sheamus, Big Show and Randy Orton, picked because I miss The Shield.

 

I really do miss them. My favourite ever team/group. I wish they hadn't split them up the way they did. Okay, I know it's resulted in them getting a new top heel in Rollins and a (hopefully) new top face in Reigns, but I would have loved, if they were going their separate ways, for them to have done it amicably. They embark on separate singles careers, but remain affiliated - basically, treat them like the Avengers. They fight their own battles, but when something occasionally comes up that is more than any one of them can handle alone, they join forces to defeat the threat as a unit. You could even have still got away with Rollins as a heel - he'll do all sorts of bad things, except for betraying his 'brothers'… well, you probably couldn't. But everyone gets cheered and booed by different parts of the crowd now anyway so why not.

 

But that's enough retroactive fantasy booking. For now, at least. There'll probably be more. Sorry.

 

The match

 

Big big crowd, and a big big stage for this 'Mania. Sheamus is out first. He's got a bit of a D-X green thing going on. Orton comes out to join him. And then Big Show. I still liked Show at this point but he doesn't get much of a reaction compared to the other two. They wander down the ramp together, as a team, which is nice, but they don't stand a chance. Why?

 

Sierra Hotel India Echo Lima Delta, that's fucking why. Here they come out of the crowd. Roman Reigns looks the absolute man. He was such a sure thing . Rollins does his somersault over the barrier. The Shield were just a brilliant unit, so good together.

 

Reigns and Sheamus start out, and they just clobber each other from post to post until Sheamus takes Roman down. It's brilliant and despite Reigns being on the receiving end, it's exactly what you want to see from those two. Reigns vs. Sheamus would be a good match. 

 

Now it's Rollins and Orton, in a nice foreshadowing for one of this year's matches. 10-punch for Seth and Orton is dominating. Sheamus tags back in but Ambrose gets a tag too, and the Shield have Sheamus in their corner. Not a good place to be, but Sheamus escapes and hits a powerslam for 2. Big Show then tags in and I sense some big chops. Ambrose eats one, tries to hit one back, and gets five more for his trouble, but hits a low dropkick and takes Show down! Great bump from Show, as Rollins takes him down with a kick every time he tries to get back up. Show can play a great face in peril for someone so massive. Reigns in, gets a two count, Ambrose in, various stomps and strikes, Rollins in with a leg to the throat, and again, the constant movement of the Shield isn't allowing Show to get up. It's a great team tactic but Show still kicks out. 

 

Reigns in again to turn Big Show's face red with a sleeper hold, but Show powers out to hit a back suplex. Weird how Roman's actually taken the most punishment of the Shield members so far. Rollins takes out Orton on the apron but Sheamus tags in to do some more clobbering and the Ten Beats of the Bodhran. Rollins gets a tag to Ambrose, and he gets them too followed by a rolling Senton. Seth gets one as well, on top of Ambrose. Sheamus goes up to the top rope but Reigns pulls him away and we go to an outside brawl interrupted by a Rollins dive. The commentators (Lawler, JBL, Cole) point out how you can never take your eyes off any one of the Shield because even if you've taken two out, the third is just waiting to hit you. Within seconds they get the advantage again and try for the Triple Powerbomb on Sheamus, but Show charges in and takes them all out, in addition to Sheamus, who was collateral damage a bit there.

 

Sheamus stretches to tag Show, but Orton tags in first by clipping him on the back of the head. He gets his moves in on Ambrose, but Big Show's annoyed. RKO OUTTANOWHERE to Rollins, but in doing that he loses focus for a moment, allowing Reigns to jump in and Spear Orton, Ambrose gets the pin and the Shield remain "undefeated, and apparently unbeatable!" Orton looked away for about half a second, but that was all Reigns needed. 

 

As they exit through the crowd, JBL puts the Shield over hugely. He loves them. BELIEVE IN THE SHIELD.

 

(Side-note: can you imagine if they'd held off that Shield-Wyatts match for Mania last year? How could would that match have been on the big stage? Provided, of course, it was the same as the Elimination Chamber match and not a 'cut for time' WM effort.)

 

Orton and Big Show have a shout at each other about the loss and Show punches both his partners and walks off. I think he's just turned heel again.

 

My thoughts

 

Not the best match from any of the six, but perfectly watchable. The Shield were on the back foot for more of the match than I remembered, actually, but seeing as they were going up against three former Champions that's probably about right. The thing to take away was that even if you can beat one of them up individually, you can't take your eyes off either of the other two for a second because as a team, they're nigh on invulnerable. Orton didn't actually do much here until the end, which also surprised me.

 

They're all doing fine individually, the Shield guys, but still, part of me wants them back. I would like to see this year's Mania go one of two ways with them. (Previously mentioned in the Predictions thread.)

 

Step 1 - Ambrose wins the IC Title.

Step 2 - Rollins beats Orton.

Step 3 - during Roman vs. Brock, Heyman's causing trouble, and new IC champion Ambrose comes out to level the score, taking him out and possibly distracting Brock momentarily.

Step 4 - Roman Reigns is about to win when Rollins comes out, and has the MITB briefcase with him. He's looking at Roman, and the almost-beaten Brock. He's weighing up his options. He whacks Brock with it and tells Roman to pin him! Roman pins Lesnar and wins the title!

 

Here's where it splits into two potential timelines.

 

Timeline 1 - Rollins celebrates with Reigns. They've taken out Lesnar and reunited the Shield - all it needed was a challenge big enough. The WWE Champion, the IC Champion, and the MITB holder. They pose and celebrate at the end. The Shield reform, and they have the power now (especially since Sting has beaten HHH). You then get a summer, or a year, of face Lesnar chasing the Shield members, because three on one is the only way anyone's getting anything on Lesnar.

 

Timeline 2 - Reigns gets smacked in the face with the MITB briefcase - or he almost does, but he ducks or something! Rollins realises that he couldn't beat Lesnar but he could beat Reigns. Before he can cash in, however, Ambrose gets involved and we get a big three-way Shield brawl with everyone trying to take everyone else out - Reigns is probably coming out on top on the night. You can then have a Shield members Triple Threat at Extreme Rules, and carry on feuding between them for months afterwards.

 

Neither timeline is likely to happen in the slightest but I'd be happy with either one.

 

 

 

 

One more match to go before the project is complete!

[patiirc]

Time line one is actually one of the best fantasy booking things I've seen on here. Never happen but meh.

The write up's have been a great read HG, very much enjoyed the trip through the Manias

[HarmonicGenerator]

Cheers Pat.

 

We're almost at the end of the project with the last WrestleMania to date, WrestleMania XXX. I'll be watching the main event, Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton, mainly for the reason that I can't remember anything about watching it live except the result because I was still in shock about the Streak ending.

 

They replayed the Streak ending a couple of times on yesterday's WrestleMania Today and it brought it all back for me. I was just like all those fans in the stadium. Utter shock and disbelief. It brought home to me how much I HATE Brock Lesnar for ending the Streak. I believe in Roman Reigns. END HIM, ROMAN. YOU CAN. YOU WILL. YOU MUST. Bastard Lesnar.

 

Sorry. Yes, so in my shock about that I kind of tuned out and couldn't focus on what happened in the main event, I think I was actually busy checking Twitter through most of it to make sure that I hadn't imagined Undertaker losing.

 

Sorry. The match. 

 

The match:

 

Randy Orton, the current WWE Champion, is out first, with that band that does his music performing his music live. I can't remember who they are. He wanders out with a belt in each hand. The song goes on a bit.

 

Batista next and he's being booed which makes me sad because the last time I watched him, nine years previously, he was beloved. Also he is Drax the Destroyer, a Guardian of the Galaxy, and should therefore have a pass for life. He walks for miles inside this pit of danger because he's got his good music now as well (but no pyro… did he actually have pyro when he does his 'gyrate at the floor' move on the stage, or did I just imagine that?). Granted, he's a great heel too but still.

 

And finally, Daniel Bryan comes out, with an injured left arm thanks to Triple H earlier in the show. They show a replay of that match which is good for me watching back now, but I'm not sure why they needed it on the night since every person watching the main event must surely have watched the first match too. Bryan's arm was already not great but it got smacked with a chair as well, which won't help. He is battling a great many odds here.

 

Justin Roberts needs to tuck his bloody shirt in, what a mess. I hope that's why they fired him.

 

Bryan can't even get his t-shirt off without wincing, he's going to have major trouble. Batista is rocking nifty pale green socks. Roberts pronounces Orton's name 'Oh-r-ton'. He definitely had to be fired. Cole and Lawler plug the Network.

 

No DQ and no count outs in this match. Bryan kicks Orotn in the face straight away, Batista tries for a Batista Bomb which is countered into a hurricanrana. Yes Kicks for Orton, who just shoves him down on the injured arm and stamps on it. What a twat.

 

Bryan rolls out of the ring and Batista takes over. Orton hits his backbreaker thingy and then shoves Bryan back outside. There's a weird kind of booing side from the crowd, not the good kind of booing, as Batista attacks Orton ringside. It's a horrible noise, like a 'grumble grumble grumble' rather than active booing. Orton eats the steps a few times but manages to hit a back body drop type thing on Batista onto the steps. Ouch. That looked nasty.

 

Orton then attacks Bryan (which we see from a weird camera angle) and Batista gets the same back-to-the-barrier thing that Edge (I think) did to Undertaker (I think) at WM24. Orton now in control but after a while, Bryan flies off the top rope with a dropkick that takes both the other guys out. The crowd wakes up a bit as he hits Yes Kicks on each man in turn, many many times, kicking Batista in the head successfully, but not so much Orton, who suplexes him away like Tazz used to be able to do in the Just Bring It game.

 

Batista is now kicking Bryan in the corner, and he's kicking him in the head, which is fair enough, but the injured arm was right there, if I was him I'd have gone for that. Bryan gets out of it and repeatedly launches his kicks at Orton and Batista who were in opposite corners. Frankensteiner for Orton gets him a 2 count. JBL points out that Bryan should have hooked the leg, but couldn't because of the injured arm. Batista suplexes Bryan over the top rope to the outside and climbs up to the top rope himself for some reason. A lot of this has been Orton and Batista, more than I remembered from what I can recall watching live. Superplex and both men are down, and Bryan turns up again for a flying headbutt and a Yes Lock on Orton. But wait! Triple H and Stephanie McMahon turn up from the crowd - who wake up again upon seeing them - and take out Chioda.

 

Orton slides out of the ring but Bryan takes too long looking at Triple H and Batista spinebusters Bryan. He signals for the Batista Bomb and referee Scott Armstrong (who we are reminded has screwed Bryan in the past) slides in to count the 3 … which is of course only a 2! He kicks out!

 

You know what I think it is? I wonder if it's the end of the Undertaker match. It's sucked the life out of the crowd. I'd think it was just them not liking Orton and Batista, but even Bryan's not getting that much of a reaction… until now when he just did a dive and took out Stephanie and Armstrong! But Triple H has a sledgehammer… SO. MANY. ODDS.

 

Bryan picks up the sledgehammer (with his injured arm, mind you) and hits Triple H with it! He rolls up Batista! Chioda wakes up! Orton breaks up the pin! Eventfulness!

 

Orton and Batista foreshadow the Evolution reunion (you know what should have also been at WrestleMania? Evolution vs. The Shield) and take turns destroying Bryan on the outside. Bryan's bad shoulder meets the steps. Batista and Orton look at each other - Orton is actually taller than Batista, which I did not know until just now - and they team up to take two of the announce tables apart. As Bryan starts to get up he gets thwacked with a monitor and plonked on the announce table.

 

The crowd chants for CM Punk. I take it back, they're not allowed the Streak as an excuse, they're just being twats.

 

WOW! Batista gets Bryan up for a Batista Bomb on table 1, Orton catches Bryan's head mid-move and hits an RKO through table 2! Fucking hell! It's hurt Orton, who's bleeding from his back, but not nearly as much as it hurt Bryan. Medics are out to help Bryan, Batista just stands around, he should probably pin someone, which Lawler and JBL both point out. I have to say, on a side-note, after the past few months it's actually quite odd watching Bryan in this main-event, world-title slot. Maybe it's the way the match has been structured, or the way Bryan's been presented since. I don't know.

 

We're back to Batista vs. Orton. Orton hits his DDT thing to the outside. Problem with that is YOU SHOULD HAVE DONE IT INSIDE THEN YOU COULD HAVE PINNED HIM, YOU STUPID RANDY.

 

Bryan's crawling off his stretcher! Which was even more stupid because Orton just grabbed him and chucked him into some more steps. TOO. MANY. ODDS. TO. OVERCOME. Instead of pinning Bryan and winning, Orton looks at the crowd for at least four hours because HE IS BEING STUPID.

 

Deservedly, he gets locked into the Yes Lock for his stupidity. Batista breaks it up, but he gets locked in it too. Cole suddenly gets a lot louder, noticeably so because I noticed it. Orton broke it up and once again, we're back to Batista vs. Orton. Bryan's basically been treated like interference throughout the match, like we're supposed to take it as Batista vs. Orton, and Bryan's like this outside observer who keeps getting in the way of the match itself.

 

RKO to Batista, who kicks out. Bryan's been taken out with a Spear. Orton is once again taking forever to do anything. He is really stupid. He's LITERALLY just standing there doing nothing. After another hour he tries to run up for a punt, but Bryan kicks him in the face. To no avail, because Batista throws him away and gets a 2 count for himself. Batista vs. Orton again.

 

Just as I think the match is starting to drag, Batista hits the Batista Bomb and Bryan kicks him now, he locks in the Yes Lock and Batista taps! The crowd are very very happy, Cole is yelling his head off about a miracle but he's shouting so dramatically I can't quite make out the words. Everybody's going 'Yes! Yes! Yes!' as he celebrates with the belts.

 

Confetti time! He may not have fitted into the match, it seemed, because this is a tremendous ending, and Daniel Bryan looks good with those titles in his arms. He invites a little girl and her mum into the ring, I don't know who they are. As the celebrations are going on, the announcers seem to be having a competition about how many different ways they can say he did good. There are so many variations I can't keep track.

 

They show Connor Michalek doing the 'Yes Yes Yes', and I'm starting to tire of Bryan's music by this point, Wagner's 'Ride of the Valkyries' didn't go on this bloody long. I'd love if they let him use 'Final Countdown' for big shows like he did in ROH, the 'Yes Yes Yes' would work great for those parts where he'd go 'Best! Wrestler! In the world!' during the chorus.

 

Lawler wins the competition by saying 'Yes-tlemania' but Cole keeps going as I suppose he's got to be the last voice we hear as the show ends.

 

My thoughts

 

Undoubtedly a great ending, but watching it back a year later, I wasn't that into the match itself. As I mentioned above, it felt almost like Bryan was a third wheel in an already-planned-out Batista vs. Orton. It was quite a long match as well, with a lot of stalling, especially from Randy Orton, who could have had the match won at least three times if he hadn't just stood around doing nothing for days at a time, but he wasn't the only guilty party there. Though it had its moments, I wouldn't be in any great hurry to watch this again.

 

 

 

-

 

 

 

So there we are! 30 WrestleManias, 30 matches, not quite 30 days but give or take it was more or less about that. I've watched opening matches and main events, grudge matches and nothing matches, squashes and epics, stunt shows and battle royals, men, women and tag teams, featuring somewhere in the region of 90 different wrestlers, and it's been a great experience reliving everything from the first Mania to the most recent. I've updated the first post in the thread with links to the reviews of every match I watched.

 

-

 

My top 5 matches of the project have been:

 

1. Undertaker vs. Triple H, 27

2. TLC II, 17

3. Ultimate Warrior vs. Randy Savage, 7

4. Shawn Michaels vs. Razor Ramon, 10

5. either Cena/Michaels, 23, or Undertaker/Edge, 24, I can't decide.

 

The moral being, if your WrestleMania ends in a 7, you're probably going to have one of my favourite matches in it. You know what? Those three might be my top 3 of anything, not just Mania.

 

And the bottom 5 (with 1 being my least favourite) have been...

 

1. Bret Hart vs. Mr. McMahon, 26

2. Chicago Street Fight, 13

 

… actually, those were the only two I actively disliked. Bret-Vince was so bad that I PREFERRED A SAVIO VEGA MATCH to it. That's bad.

 

-

 

 

It has been LOADS of fun watching the matches and writing about them, I've really enjoyed it. It's helped me hype myself up for this year's WrestleMania (also it's helped me get my money's worth out of the Network this month, so objective achieved there) and I'd very much recommend anyone to do the same next year. I probably will.

 

If you've been reading the thread at any point, I hope you've enjoyed it and cheers for doing so. Bring on WrestleMania 31!

[Max Power]

Fantastic thread. Kudos.

[air_raid]

Pissed me off a treat that they were stupid enough to refer to that as an "RKO" that Orton caught Bryan with out of Batista's powerbomb. It was a neckbreaker. The RKO is an Ace Crusher/Diamond Cutter, face down. Bryan was facing upwards, ergo, neckbreaker. Real flashback to when JR used to not know a suplex/neckbreaker combo from the 3D.

 

Fucking good match though. I miss Dave.

[Undefeated Steak]

Ace thread. Done more to get me exited for Mania than WWE have. There's a couple of matches I haven't read yet still so I'll go back over those. You need to do one for Summerslam!