The Smackers Thread

[TheScarlettChad]

1 minute ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

I'm genuinely embarrassed for you. 

Bit mean.

[Mr Butternut Squash]

Until the match with the most promotion behind it closes night one, then yes, night two is the proper main event.

Other than Punks constant need to pop Cornette, I actually enjoyed the segment this week. Roman was back on top form and the tension between him and Punk is always fun to watch. The sly "big dog" while he was bending the knee was great stuff. Nice cliff hanger to end on too.

Edited March 30, 2025 by Mr Butternut Squash

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

1 hour ago, Doog said:

Whatever goes on last on night 2 is the main event of WrestleMania, it's the marquee match

These are two different arguments you are making here. There is no doubt that Cody v Cena is the marquee match, that is not arguable. The marquee match is the main event of night two. Night one still has a main event. Wrestlemania has two main events now. It really isn't that hard to understand. It's not like Rollins/Reigns/Punk is Kiss Demoning this. 

I also don't think there can be much argument that this is the second biggest match. I'd also agree that Gunther v Jey should be the second biggest match but it hasn't been built as such. The reasons for this are many but the two main ones have to be that Jey is shite in the ring despite his popularity and that while Gunther is superb in the ring he does not have anywhere near the crowd connection that the guys in the triple threat have. Throw in some buyers remorse on Jey winning the Rumble and its not hard to see why the Gunther v Jey match has lost its lustre. 

[Chili]

I'd say there are two main events if it's two nights. It's completely subjective to opinion and depending which wrestler you don't like and want to troll.

Is Hogan & Yoko the MAIN EVENT of Wrestlemania IX? Wrestlemania X has two title matches, What's going on there. Jericho/Triple H and Orton/Triple H headlined X8 & 25 but let's be fucking serious. Wrestlemania 2 has three venues, so did the Boxing Match, Hogan/Bundy and The WWF/NFL Battle Royal close the venues. All main events?

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

2 minutes ago, Chili said:

I'd say there are two main events if it's two nights. It's completely subjective to opinion and depending which wrestler you don't like and want to troll.

Is Hogan & Yoko the MAIN EVENT of Wrestlemania IX? Wrestlemania X has two title matches, What's going on there. Jericho/Triple H and Orton/Triple H headlined X8 & 25 but let's be fucking serious. Wrestlemania 2 has three venues, so did the Boxing Match, Hogan/Bundy and The WWF/NFL Battle Royal close the venues. All main events?

Wrestlemania 2 was on a Monday so its null and void. Only Saturday and Sunday count for Wrestlemania. 

That logic by me has as much validity as night 1 has no main event. 

[Supremo]

2 hours ago, Doog said:

Whatever goes on last on night 2 is the main event of WrestleMania, it's the marquee match, the one the company want to close out the whole weekend with, with your biggest stars. That's what it's been since the two night format started.

Big Show vs. Drew at Wrestlemania 36.

[Chili]

5 minutes ago, Lion_of_the_Midlands said:

Wrestlemania 2 was on a Monday so its null and void. Only Saturday and Sunday count for Wrestlemania. 

That logic by me has as much validity as night 1 has no main event. 

I guess time wise for us UK viewers, most Wrestlemania's have been on a Monday. There never has been a Wrestlemania Main event except the Night 1 matches.

[Lion_of_the_Midlands]

2 minutes ago, Chili said:

I guess time wise for us UK viewers, most Wrestlemania's have been on a Monday. There never has been a Wrestlemania Main event except the Night 1 matches.

Faultless logic Sherlock. So Cody V Cena is The Marquee Match but the only main event this year is Rollins v Reigns v Punk. 

Close the thread, nothing else to discuss. 

[Jesse]

Setting aside whether you count it as a main event or not, it's not working for me as the culmination of the character motivation. What is it about main eventing Wrestlemania that is so special to this person? Why isn't being on the show enough, it's the same audience? Why is it more special than going on last at Summerslam?

For me, the answer is that it's essentially a sign of being the biggest star in the sport. Wrestlemania is the biggest feeling show of the year, and main eventing it is about that marquee feeling. You're seen by the company (and ideally the audience) as the guy and I can square that with the character of CM Punk that I'm familiar with. It's the ultimate validation, and I can buy that as being the last achievement of someone who's already climbed the other mountains of holding a world title etc.

And that's why being in the last match of night one doesn't work for me. Because it ultimately doesn't feel like that, it's a huge peak but there's a bigger one the next day that you could be in. It's fulfilling the word of the dream, but not fulfiling the spirit of it and I think that's why we end up in the pedantic "Is it the main event?" conversation. Your answer to that is less about your definition of 'main event' and more about whether or not this feels to you like that dream is fulfilled by this.

[Dr. Alan Grant]

26 minutes ago, Chili said:

Is Hogan & Yoko the MAIN EVENT of Wrestlemania IX?

I came here to bring this up. What do people generally consider the main event of this one? The advertised match or the 30 second unscheduled travesty that followed?

[d-d-d-dAz]

5 minutes ago, Jesse said:

Setting aside whether you count it as a main event or not, it's not working for me as the culmination of the character motivation. What is it about main eventing Wrestlemania that is so special to this person? Why isn't being on the show enough, it's the same audience? Why is it more special than going on last at Summerslam?

For me, the answer is that it's essentially a sign of being the biggest star in the sport. Wrestlemania is the biggest feeling show of the year, and main eventing it is about that marquee feeling. You're seen by the company (and ideally the audience) as the guy and I can square that with the character of CM Punk that I'm familiar with. It's the ultimate validation, and I can buy that as being the last achievement of someone who's already climbed the other mountains of holding a world title etc.

And that's why being in the last match of night one doesn't work for me. Because it ultimately doesn't feel like that, it's a huge peak but there's a bigger one the next day that you could be in. It's fulfilling the word of the dream, but not fulfiling the spirit of it and I think that's why we end up in the pedantic "Is it the main event?" conversation. Your answer to that is less about your definition of 'main event' and more about whether or not this feels to you like that dream is fulfilled by this.

But we're in the realm of deciding what something else means to someone else then aren't we?

It matters to Punk the character because it matters to Phil the person, which we know because of how the lines have blurred over the last few decades.

The only position here is 'he's wrong to feel love this is an achievement' which is so mad.

He wants to main event Wrestlemania, a personal goal, and he's personally decided that that crosses that threshold and he's personally happy about it. That's great. Trying to undermine that by retrofitting an argument is so odd.

 

[Chili]

No it's not, it's just ball busting some fucking multi millionaire with a hair trigger. It's not odd. It's Jey Uso who should be fucking raging. If we're all wanking ourselves inside out about what is THE main event of Wrestlemania, then the Royal Rumble where you have to go through all that lying down during other people's spots to get the championship match at Mania means fuck all too as it's a lie or whatever nonsense.

[Jesse]

It's a TV show, and like other TV shows I watch to emotionally connect to what's happening on-screen. I'm not arguing whether Phil can be satisfied with himself or not, that's entirely his business. But they put it in the show and said "This is important to the character" and that doesn't work for me for the reasons I outlined above.

To repeat my own feelings on the subject. WWE wants that Night 1 main event to have as much significance as the Night 2 one since they moved to two nights, and I think generally they try to put on matches that match that, but they've never felt to me like two equal peaks. Main eventing Night 2 feels more significant than main eventing Night 1, so when they tell me "It's important to this character to main event Wrestlemania specifically" I hear all the things I laid out previously as the reasoning, so when that character says "Main eventing Night 1 fulfils that" I disagree and so I don't care for it.

I think you can agree, which you obviously do. I don't have a problem with anyone who feels like it's a fulfilling end to that narrative but I can't buy into it and it's not motivating me to watch (I'm feeling the same about Cena's stuff post-heel turn so I'll probably be skipping both nights this year).

[Chico Torres]

Roddy Piper would claim he was part of a triple main event of Wrestlemania 2 as the NY headliner. I’ve seen him and Harley each claim to have been part of the 3 main event matches of Wrestlemania 3. Flair/Macho wasn’t one of the main events of WM 8. There’s only one main event and that’s now the match that headlines night 2.
 

As an aside this terrible narrative that started in 96 with Shawn and his boyhood dream and the awful “gratitude” and childhood dream fulfillment and tears that has become part of this fake sport since then has ruined wrestling. CM Punk (person/character) always manages to come off as truly pathetic. Enough of this gratitude and let’s get back to larger than life superstars and heroes and villains and wild angles and coked-up promos and feuds and revenge.

[DavidB6937]

Not the worst Smackdown ever though.