Wrestlemania 37 - April 10th & 11th

[DavidB6937]

Personally I loved it.

Just made me smile for the whole time as long as I forget the women's tag match.

The opening had me proper emotional. Rhea crying. The genuine smiles on so many of their faces. I just fucking loved it at that moment. It was everything I wanted it to be and more.

Even Drew's entrance and sheer excitement made up for the match result. I get that they've finally got Lashley right but yeah I felt a bit sorry for Drew. I guess his WrestleMania moment was more than just winning the title this year.

The women's tag match was fucking appalling. Mandy falling over. Dana's nipple escaping. So many of them still not being able to wrestle properly. The winners. Fucking hell. I don't get why they'd have someone like Lana there or Billie Kay involved and have Tamina and Natalya win. At least have a face team win. At least have someone the crowd cares about even if they're maybe not the best wrestlers. Let Naomi have a shot. I have no idea of the logic behind what we've ended up with at all.

Cesaro and Rollins was fantastic. Really enjoyable match that didn't overstay its welcome. Enjoying this version of Seth a lot and he seems a lot more comfortable in it too. And he made Cesaro look like a star too. Great job on both sides.

I thought Omos wrestled like someone who clearly can't wrestle very well but they did what they needed to do with him.

Couldn't care less about Braun and Shane and I'm all for advocating against bullying but not sure the answer is throwing people off cages.

Bad Bunny is exceptional and has clearly worked really hard at it so good for him that everything went so well. Props to Miz and Morrison for going out there and making him look like a superstar.

Despite the shoddy storyline pre Mania I was all in on Bianca and Sasha with the hype package and even more once you could tell Belair was trying so damn hard not to completely lose it at the start. Really got to me at that point. Great match with some innovative stuff there. Fucking hell that hair whip at the end. Right result and I hope they book Bianca with some solid feuds going forward.

All in all a pretty damn solid show and just a pleasure to watch with a crowd.

[SaitoRyo]

Watching in bits and pieces because life, but I thought the opener was a good hoss fight, but they should have really put Cesaro/Rollins on first. Would gave been a great, fast-paced opener with a popular result. Skipped the women's tag thing because I read that it was brutal, but I am looking forward to watching the rest later. 

Obviously the fans make a huge difference as is this is the only WWE I've really wanted to watch since the pandemic began. 

[Chili]

First time watching a lot of WWE in a long while. Although I liked the crowd back, was I the only one who the actual crowd noise didn't seem to matter much. 

Generally I liked it, not enough to convert me to sticking around, still too much weird shit and boring stench to them. Even after the most genuine moment of the show near the end with Belair mouthing 'mum', it still felt partly false because WWE are so fecking over the top and Michael Cole bless him, actually improvising makes him sound bizarre, like they found the good switch on a Krusty doll and he suddenly sounds like a human. 

Are AJ and that huge bloke faces? Because that match confused me. 

Main and Title Match were great performances, really great. 

Billie Kay is someone I really thing could be cracking business in another profession like comedy or something she can be a very funny Aussie with. Basically doing Damien Sandows stuntman bit and nearly missing every punch or kick thrown her way is not. It's one of the worst performances I've seen in ages. 

Speaking of the turmoil match. There was something that struck me, and it was an image in gorilla position of Mandy and Dana in those bizarre 'salute to the awkward portrayal of women' pink outfits with Vince, headset on full on 'Lovely Girls' leer, just thinking 'that's what they want' in his most Strydom tone. 

Imagine what he was like on the headsets during that storm. 

Edited April 11, 2021 by Chili

[RedRooster]

Perhaps it was an optical illusion with cardboard cutouts padding things out, but the fans seemed to be packed in quite densely and that made me feel really uneasy, as did the poor mask etiquette, with people shouting and screaming, giving the virus a chance to spread.

Compare that to Wrestlekingdom, where fans were asked to clap and stomp rather than shout to reduce the risk of airborne transmission.

I know this is an outdoor environment, and perhaps evidence will eventually show the risk of spreading the virus in that setting just isn’t there.

But given that we don’t definitively know this (though studies are being conducted) and that we’re one mutation away from being back to square one, at the risk of sounding like an absolute killjoy, I feel like unnecessary and potentially dangerous risks were taken last night. 

[d-d-d-dAz]

Did Scott Hall’s subscription to DDP’s fountain of youth expire?

In that NWO t-shirt, he looked like a 90-year-old woman wearing her 33-year-old, gold-digging boyfriends t-shirt in between dry sex sessions.

Edited April 11, 2021 by d-d-d-dAz

[Project Nim]

I had a feeling Vince would have been the first person out in front of the crowd. Vince sounded a bit pissed especially when trying to say “tirelessly” and he can’t say WWE for love nor money. 

It would have been brilliant if they’d had The Fiend in full Yeti outfit out there with his head bowed for the national anthem. 

Would have been handy if Jonathan Agnew had been available on commentary for the rain delay. Rollins promo made me chuckle.

Titus slowly Dad dancing to Real American was incredible. 

Lashley put over strong, the distraction just made Drew look like a mug.

Could have done without the ad breaks.

Oh God, that tag turmoil match was dreadful, I reckon the crowd were hoping for another storm.

Cesaro and Rollins made light of the conditions; great match.

When someone as steady footed as AJ slips on the entrance way you know things must be slippery. If there’s more rain tonight there is no chance that Owens is coming off that pirate ship in those conditions, that spot is jinxed. New Day couldn’t have done any more to get Omos over.

Bit scary watching Shane and Strowman on top of the cage.

Top entrance for Bad Bunny. Match was fun too.

Good main event, oh Michael Cole at the key moment.

All in all night one was a fun watch for me. 

[Hannibal Scorch]

1 hour ago, jazzygeofferz said:

Looks like rain tonight as well. I wonder whether they're going to be able to arrange some kind of alternate setup to keep everything dry, a ring in the back and make everybody watch on a big screen or something.

 

[Supremo]

Billie Kay should have been the host across both nights. Far better than Hogan, who I fully expect is being re-written today to avoid him being in front of the booing crowd tonight. Would have actually made for a natural conclusion to Billie’s resume storyline, too. Sprinkle each show with a couple of daft backstage segments where Billie’s being an idiot backstage and it would’ve been gold.

[Liam O'Rourke]

Watched the first half of the show before tapping out. The first 40 minutes were hilarious, and really separated the pros. Owens and Big E, fabulous. Rollins and Scheiber were all over the fucking place.

Here we go, match time. The 3D effects for most of these entrances looked cheap and shit. They need to go. You couldn't see Lashley's cool pyro because there are rocks in the way that look like Doom graphics.

Wasn't impressed with Lashley/Drew at all, and I'm not convinced that Drew didn't get hurt on the outside early on. From that point on they were quite sloppy and the striking was abysmal at points. Of course, after 40 minutes of waiting, itchy trigger finger Kevin Dunn is cutting the camera so much its borderline unwatchable. It's our first match in front of fans, and the top babyface loses clean. WWE is BACK.

The women's tag match was absolutely dreadful and is one of the worst matches I've ever seen on a Mania. Garbage. Billie Kay in particular is terrible.

Cesaro and Rollins was a good match, nothing out of this world, but did the trick and had a couple of cool moments at the end. The crowd didn't seem to give two shits for most of the match, but they got them by the end. Cole had a bad night, pushing the company narrative about Cesaro's potential and how its always been stop-start with hin. 'Kerf.

New Day and AJ/Omos did one of the best jobs of building the pop for that babyface hot tag to the new monster heel I've ever seen. Cole again with that "Remember Kofimania!" bollocks minutes before he gets pinned with one foot. Omos is clearly green as hell, so there's really limited options, but...surely it's bad booking then?

At least Roman Reigns looked like a fucking superstar standing there at the start.

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by Liam O'Rourke

[The King of Old School]

I thought it was brilliant.

The sheer chaos at the start was the best TB they have done in months I loved it.

Lashley/Drew was a great opener. Really glad we get to see the "Almighty Era" continue. 

Tag turmoil was horrible. Was hoping a Charlotte/Becky "super team" were going to come out at the end to win to save it.

Cesaro and Rolling was a fun sprint, great action and the right winner.

Enjoyed Omos debut, put him over strong even if the match was booked in a strange way.

Cage match was a good story and a brilliant bump by Shane. Incredible how much they have dropped the ball with Braun, the guy should be a superstar in a league of his own.

Loved the bad bunny tag match as the crowd clearly did too. Thought he was superb, busting out all kinds of shit. On a par with Ronda for best debut performance for me. Should stick around and put his pop career in the bin.

Loved the main event, Bianca is a proper superstar. Her vs Becky/Ronda could headline Mania again next year.

Looking forward to night two, such a shame they are going back to the 8 hour snoozefest next year as 2 night Mania's should be the way to go now.

 

 

Edited April 11, 2021 by The King of Old School

[IANdrewDiceClay]

16 minutes ago, d-d-d-dAz said:

Did Scott Hall’s subscription to DDP’s fountain of youth expire?

In that NWO t-shirt, he looked like a 90-year-old woman wearing her 33-year-old, gold-digging boyfriends t-shirts in between dry sex sessions.

He looks like a hip hop granny a radio show would get on for a terrible attempt at humour.

"Say cunt, granny. Say cunt!"

[The King Of Swing]

Didn't watch the show but saw a clip of Hogan getting the fuck off treatment from the crowd. 

Made me smile. Wouldn't shock me if Hogan conives himself that they booed Titus. 

[SuperBacon]

There are so many things I hate about WWE. The presenters, the pundits, Pete fucking Rosenberg, the commentators, the camera work, the whole presentation, most of the wrestlers. I can't think of anything else I regularly watch that I hate as much (probably Spurs)

But fuck me, this was so great. The utter mayhem of the start, and seeing people put in 'Louis Theroux at the Power Plant' level promos, to Big E saying "Grod's Green Earth" and his little face as he came into shot, to Joe dressed like he was about to go on Loggers Leap, it was all thrilling, in a chaotic shambles way.

Seth Rollins should never, ever, ever, ever be a babyface. Ever. He has been glorious in this run and him and Cesaro I thought had the match of the night. The usual "Push Cesaro to the mooooooon" comments came out just after the match, and no. I love Cesaro, but not everyone you love HAS to be a main eventer. I genuinely don't think he is that level. Which is fine obviously.

Bad Bunny. Jesus. That's what happens when you bring in people that give a shit, and put their all into what they've been given. Fair play to the other three lads in the match, all of who I really don't care for. Bunny looked an absolute megastar because of them.

The main event, I thought, was fantastic, full of drama and emotion, and a well told story, and I cannot believe (I can) that that fucking awful cunt Michael Cole nearly ruined it. The call, along with the absolute bullshit WWE pull with their 'We must immediately have 3 or 4 jump cuts to the crowd' meant that the ending for TV viewers was a slight dampener, but even that prick couldn't ruin it. Great moment.

Also, I am glad that Sean Waltman is living his best life.

All in all, a really great night. 

 

[d-d-d-dAz]

Waltman blowing up the Bayley segment because he wanted to say he liked her was great.

Overall it was a fun show, I’ll review the whole thing after tonight but one thing that does make me sad is Lashley.

Lashley has everything. He looks the bollocks, great character work, good intensity... but I really don’t like his work when he has to go longer than a few minutes.

It’s like you can see him thinking things through. Nothings fluid, everything feels laboured. They say great’s make things look easy, but he makes everything look a struggle.

[The Dart]

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.