Mochi Lone Wolf
Fry's dog Seymour
Development through Destruction.
Posts: 24,047
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Post by Mochi Lone Wolf on Apr 1, 2012 22:34:46 GMT -5
Mixed bag. Big matches delivered but the undercard really stunk. I also REALLY hate that we now have yet another heel GM in full control. That concept is so boring and so outdated it's unreal.
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The Ichi
Patti Mayonnaise
AGGRESSIVE Executive Janitor of the Third Floor Manager's Bathroom
Posts: 37,350
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Post by The Ichi on Apr 1, 2012 22:35:55 GMT -5
I've only seen the second half for now (stupid alarm clock not waking me), but its already superior to 25 and 27.
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elryc
Samurai Cop
Team ANYONE But Johnny
Posts: 2,478
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Post by elryc on Apr 1, 2012 22:36:10 GMT -5
Better than last year. In terms of actual matches the HHH vs Taker match was phenomenal. Excellent job by 3 great vets. The Punk/Jericho match moved a little slow for my liking, however, they both put on a high quality title match. The main event was way better than I expected it to be. John Cena has risen to the point of a good credible wrestler(god i cant believe I just said that). The Rock for being out of the ring for 10 years did a pretty good job, sans Sharpshooter. But you could tell Cena was working his butt off and beat Rock to spots a couple times. My biggest complaint is the crowd. The WWE needs to stop with the open air stadiums and crap wrestling cities. The crowds absolutely kills the vibe of the shows. Domes are alright because the sound will echo down. The choice of cities was inexcusable. Miami can't even get a crowd to a world series championship game, let alone a Wrestlemania, and you expect them to sell out? Let alone be a hot wrestling crowd for 7 matches? Put it in New York or Detroit or Houston every year. Don't blame the crowd. They were hot as hell for the open, but the booking kept beating them down. I mean, hell, did you hear the D-Bry chants for the first hour? You just can't keep throwing shit at a crowd like an 18 second match, that abortion of a Divas match, the stretch of Brodus and the concerts, and expect them to stay hot.
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Post by Djm Doesn't Find You Funny on Apr 1, 2012 22:37:26 GMT -5
What happened with Sheamus and Bryan was on par with what happened with Booker T at Wrestlemania. I could almost feel the chemicals in my brain forcing me into a legit depression.
When the show actually kicked off, Taker & Hunter was much better this year than last, mostly thanks to Taker & Shawn.
Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy went how I expected, though I'm not enthused about it.
Brodus, Mama Clay & The Bridge Club pulled me out of my depression.
Punk vs. Jericho was MY main event, and it delivered.
Rock vs. Cena was OK...but I don't understand why.
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Post by eldandyjamupguy on Apr 1, 2012 22:39:47 GMT -5
Not the worst Mania, but not a Top 15 Mania. It was okay.
Undertaker/Triple H - ****1/4 The Rock/John Cena - **** CM Punk/Chris Jericho - ***3/4 Kane/Randy Orton - *** Big Show/Cody Rhodes - **1/2 Team Ace/Team Long - ** Diva Match - 1/2 Sheamus/Daniel Bryan - 1/4
I guess I wasn't watching the same Taker/HHH match as some of you who are raving about it and thinking ti's the greatest match ever. It was very very good and MOTN, but I put last years ahead of it and both of his with Shawn ahead of it, too. It was a HIAC match and they never even utilized it for christs sake. Storytelling was very good, but maybe could have been better.
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Post by grunt on Apr 1, 2012 23:32:41 GMT -5
Okay Mania, easily better than last year's, but nothing to really write home about.
Hour 1 really sucked. Hour 2 (Taker/HHH) was solid : not the best HIAC ever, but a good feud & career ender, that could/should have used the cage much much more. Hour 3 was a mixed bag : only Punk/Y2J was really worth the time, and even that took some time to get into gear ; Hour 4 (Rock/Cena) was entertaining : i was glad to see Cena sell for most of the match, and not forget about it halfway through. That said, both guys really really suck at submissions, with their crappy sharpshooters & STFs.
That said, all that might very well be worthless if tomorrow night, Cena is back to normal, and nobody retires. So... wait & see.
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Post by danboone2006 on Apr 1, 2012 23:35:44 GMT -5
Don't post a lot, but here's the most important and biggest thing that is stuck in my head.
Somehow for the 4th straight year, they had me believing that Taker might actually lose. I wonder if they'll be able to do it for a 5th?
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Steveweiser
Dalek
Mickie Mickie You're So Fine... Hey Mickie!
THE GRAPS
Posts: 50,249
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Post by Steveweiser on Apr 1, 2012 23:55:04 GMT -5
I liked it, despite the Sheamus/Bryan debacle. The worst other match was the usual Divas match you have these days, and at least the 12 man had some fun stuff in it. Cody/Show was fine, and Orton/Kane built up during the match. The rest was pure gold.
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Shazam
Mephisto
And then there's this ***hole...
Posts: 727
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Post by Shazam on Apr 1, 2012 23:55:55 GMT -5
Overall thoughts:
Daniel Bryan... damnit guys. Really? We just SD Jonesed him at Wrestlemania? WTF...
Funkasaurus was awesome. I really hope he gets a good US/Int title run for a while. He'll never main, but he deserves at least that if he puts on one or two more good shows.
Vince should never do a musical number at Wrestlemania ever again, unless it is the Honky Tonk Man. Or possibly Jarrett.
Rock winning is the stupidest god damn thing ever. The guy isn't even a part time wrestler, he's going to show up once (tomorrow), talk about how he's the best ever, then disappear never to be seen again. You just devalued your top star big time. And for nothing in return. Seriously, WTF...
Taker/HHH might have been the best damn match in Mania history. It was that good.
That's what I got.
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Post by Some Guy on Apr 2, 2012 0:00:05 GMT -5
Undertaker/HHH- ****3/4 Punk/Jericho- ****1/4 Rock/Cena- ***1/4 Orton/Kane- *** Team Teddy/Team Johnny- ** Big Show/Cody- *3/4 Divas match- 1/2* Bryan/Sheamus- DUD
Two great matches and a couple of fairly solid ones make it interesting enough.
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Sc
Don Corleone
Must think of something witty to put here...
Posts: 1,417
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Post by Sc on Apr 2, 2012 0:07:00 GMT -5
I thought Wrestlemania was kinda boring. It was built as a two match show and one match was excellent (HIAC), the other was just okay, and the rest of the show was average at best.
Rock vs Cena was slow and plodding for a lot of it but the finish was great.
Rock's sharpshooter sucks so much and the way he positioned his head in the STF was terrible.
Oh and the first match was funny as hell.
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Post by woowoowoox on Apr 2, 2012 0:08:22 GMT -5
I thought it was great. Was not disappointed at all.
Maybe I'm just too easy to please?
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Paco
Hank Scorpio
Posts: 7,145
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Post by Paco on Apr 2, 2012 0:16:26 GMT -5
I agree with lots of you. Middle of the road Mania.
Taker/HHH delivered. I think Jericho/Punk could do lots better (testament as to how awesome they are) but still a fine job. Rock/Cena was exactly what I wanted (just like Rock/Hogan or Hogan/Warrior, I was not expecting an in-ring masterpiece but an EVENT).
The rest? Meh. Although, the only disappointing thing for me was not getting the great match I wanted between Sheamus & Bryan. Other than that, the other matches were exactly what I expected. Can't be underwhelmed there.
I won't be mentioning this Mania when naming my Top 10 or so but they've done much worse Manias (especially lately)...and much better ones too.
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BRV
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
Wants him some Taco Flavored Kisses.
Posts: 17,033
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Post by BRV on Apr 2, 2012 0:17:25 GMT -5
My grades for each match and the overall event. Matches graded on a 0-5 scale, with 0 representing the worst and 5 representing the best.
Sheamus vs. Daniel Bryan: 0 out of 5 - It's indefensible what they did to these two for the second consecutive year. I have no issues with them opening the event, but I do take issue with the fact that a world championship match at WrestleMania lasted less than 20 seconds. Daniel Bryan and Sheamus are both very talented performers, and, if given even five to ten minutes, would have been able to put on a good to great match.
Kane vs. Randy Orton: 2 out of 5 - Good, not great. I was very surprised with the ending, as I found it borderline impossible to see any conceivable way in which Orton left as the loser. It was very safe, very standard and very typical for both, with only the ending standing out as the lone curveball.
Big Show vs. Cody Rhodes: 2 out of 5 - Like Kane and Orton, it was good but nothing memorable. I honestly thought this would be the match to get the "over before it begins" award, not Bryan vs. Sheamus, so the fact that they went about five minutes bumped it up a few notches in my eyes.
Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres vs. Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos: 2 out of 5 - All the credit in the world to Menounos for her performance tonight, given her injury. She's a celebrity, so you wouldn't expect her to get in the ring and get down and dirty, especially with injured ribs, but she showed a lot tonight. Also, credit to Kelly Kelly for that astoundingly impressive top-rope flip into a Lou Thesz press. Easily the best Divas match the WWE has had at WrestleMania since Mickie James vs. Trish Stratus at 22.
Triple H vs. Undertaker: 4.5 out of 5 - Significantly better than their match last year, with a great story played out in the ring. Not as good as Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels at XXV, but slightly better than their rematch at XXVI. Hands down, this was the match of the night. Probably one of the top five WrestleMania matches in the Undertaker's career, and perhaps in his top ten all-time.
Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy: 2.5 out of 5 - Harmless fun, a much-needed break for the live audience who was clearly gassed after the Hell in a Cell match. It was a bit jumbled due to having too many bodies in and around the ring, and probably could have been much better as an elimination, Survivor Series-style match.
Chris Jericho vs. CM Punk: 3.5 out of 5 - I expected them to steal the show, and while the match was great, it didn't take the cake for the night. The crowd was still working its way back up from the Hell in a Cell match, but they were into the last few minutes, which were riveting to watch. The match started off strong, slowed down a bit and then put the pedal to the metal to wrap it up. If this match occurred last year at XXVII, this is easily the match of the night.
John Cena vs. The Rock: 3 out of 5 - Something seemed off with The Rock, like he seemed exhausted way too easily, way too early and way too often. As hot as the crowd was, this can't compare to Rock vs. Hogan at x8. The ending was a bit of a surprise, though I had a sneaking suspicion that they would give The Rock the win tonight in his hometown and let Cena get his win at SummerSlam or, heaven help us all if we have to put up with another year of this, WrestleMania XXIX.
OVERALL: 3 out of 5 - The three best matches on the card all would have stolen the show last year. Aside from the opening, there were no real bad matches. By no means was it flawless, but considering the WWE was on a three-year cold streak with WrestleManias, it was a pleasant bounceback.
RANKING IN THE PAST FIVE YEARS: 1. WrestleMania XXIV: 4 out of 5 2. WrestleMania XXVIII: 3 out of 5 3. WrestleMania XXVI: 2.5 out of 5 4. WrestleMania XXV: 2.5 out of 5 5. WrestleMania XXVII: 2 out of 5
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Post by alabastergrim on Apr 2, 2012 0:18:07 GMT -5
Surprised how much hatred there is for the Bryan/Sheamus match. Bryan got a good payday and my friends and I at least thought it was HILARIOUS (and YES, we are Bryan fans).
HIAC made it worth getting the show. That match was a classic and the drama was intense.
VERY happy Team Johnny won. I'm not ready to see Laurinaitis' character go away any time soon. I'm glad that it's under one person regardless though, maybe they'll drop the idea of separate brands soon?
Punk/Jericho was every bit as awesome as I expected, which was a lot since you guys probably weren't sure what I expected.
Rock/Cena, slightly disappointing but I mostly think that's because I wanted Cena to win as I don't understand how a Rock victory benefits anybody. Regardless, I'm amped to see how Cena's character takes this tomorrow night, I think some big things are in store.
Overall, I loved the show. Really can't be too negative about it. As for Orton/Kane, wasn't too shabby, Divas match was when I hit the bathroom (it's a cliche but it's true) and I dug Cody/Show cause the right guy won.
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Ryanar
Samurai Cop
Posts: 2,429
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Post by Ryanar on Apr 2, 2012 0:25:07 GMT -5
Middle of the Road for me.
Taker vs HHH was the best HIAC since Edge vs Taker at Summerslam 2008. Very good match, Shawn's ability to cry on demand was good. and the end result of them all hugging was very different, and it Humanized Taker for the better. Takers back looked like hell though
Team Johnny vs Team Teddy was actually pretty good.
Punk vs Jericho was too convoluted with Story for a First Match in the feud. They didn't need to add in the stipulation, it really detracted from the opening minutes of the match. I was expecting some great stalemates, and chain wrestling between the two. It surprised me that the chain wrestling and Stalemates were actually done by Rock and Cena.
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Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Apr 2, 2012 0:26:19 GMT -5
Punk/Jericho, and Undertaker/Triple H made it worth the price. It was a two match show to me, the overall presentation leaves so much to be desired and it's been this way for years. We all see the potential in what Wrestlemania could be every year, but WWE seems to think it's enough to just bombard these events with two or three great matches and a shitload of filler.
Rock vs. Cena, I don't know, during the build up I thought that once the match started the excitement would hit me but I'm just not a big fan of the Rock, never was, and I guess I couldn't get myself caught up in the moment watching this. I understand the matches importance and why someone else might have seen this to be a classic. I just couldn't get interested.
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Post by rnrk supports BLM on Apr 2, 2012 0:27:36 GMT -5
It looked like a rather underwhelming card going in, but they handled it about as well as could be expected without any huge twists.
Compared to the other recent 'Manias... a lot better than 27, weaker than 24 or 26. As for 25... nothing tonight was as disappointing as the worst parts of that show, but nothing was as spectacular as its highlight ('Taker/Shawn) either.
All in all, I'd rate this on about the same level as 25. Slightly below average for a Wrestlemania, but well above the really awful ones.
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Post by chunkylover53 on Apr 2, 2012 0:29:07 GMT -5
Surprised how much hatred there is for the Bryan/Sheamus match. Bryan got a good payday and my friends and I at least thought it was HILARIOUS (and YES, we are Bryan fans). Thats what I was thinking. Could've been a decent match, but I found it fun no less. The crowd popped so thats what really mattered. Orton/Kane I didn't mind. Divas match is what I expected - nothing special. Big Show/Cody Rhodes was allright. Triple H/Undertaker was phenomenal and the crowds participation made it even better. The Team Johnny vs. Team Teddy match was basically filler, had a few bright spots, but nothing memorable. Like how they put some storyline development in there with Eve and Zack Ryder. CM Puink vs. Chris Jericho was pretty good for what it was. The Rock vs. Cena was great and really had my heart racing. From top to bottom, it was an amzing show, but I might have a huge bias towards that because I was there live. If I watched it on TV, I might've not had such a high opinon about it. Being there in person can really change your perspective on it.
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Renslayer
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
every time i come around your city...
Posts: 16,721
Member is Online
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Post by Renslayer on Apr 2, 2012 0:33:09 GMT -5
My star ratings:
Sheamus/Bryan: 0 of 5 Kane/Orton: 1.5 of 5 Beth & Eve/Kelly & Maria: 2.5 of 5 Hell in a Cell: 5 of 5 Tag team match (playas): 1 of 5 Punk/Jericho: 3.5 of 5 (It was technically fine, but it just didn't feel like the epic wrestling match I was hoping for. The dead crowd & slow pace hurt it) Cena/Rock: 4 of 5 (which is really impressive considering Rock hasn't wrestled a match that long since WrestleMania 19 vs. Stone Cold)
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