chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Mar 28, 2021 21:34:40 GMT -5
Fast Lane would have made sense had there still been brand-exclusive pay-per-views.
We did get two Mania-level outstanding matches from Drew vs Sheamus, either of those could have been great on the granddaddy of them all. Hopefully this isn't like when we got the excellent Bret-Owen, Nakano-Blayze and Luger-Tatanka blow-offs in the build to Mania 11 and they outshine everything on the actual show.
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xCompackx
Wade Wilson
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Post by xCompackx on Mar 28, 2021 21:45:37 GMT -5
Eh, I think a lot of it is down to wanting to keep stuff fluid in case someone got sick. I don't know if that's why they scheduled Fastlane so late, but given how many people have been involved with things, it'd make sense.
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Post by A Platypus Rave on Mar 28, 2021 22:05:24 GMT -5
Fast Lane would have made sense had there still been brand-exclusive pay-per-views. as I've been saying Fastlane existed SOLELY as a stress test of Peacock. had the Peacock swapover not happened, Fastlane likely would not have suddenly appeared on the calendar.
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bob
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Post by bob on Mar 28, 2021 22:12:08 GMT -5
everything except Fiend vs Orton and Edge vs Roman vs Daniel Bryan seems super rushed and very much out of left field
it's a big reason why I'm just not feeling Wrestlemania this year
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chazraps
Wade Wilson
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Post by chazraps on Mar 28, 2021 22:13:13 GMT -5
Fast Lane would have made sense had there still been brand-exclusive pay-per-views. as I've been saying Fastlane existed SOLELY as a stress test of Peacock. had the Peacock swapover not happened, Fastlane likely would not have suddenly appeared on the calendar. Ahh, so my mind wasn't playing tricks on me that Fast Lane suddenly appeared as I sat in a four-cornered room staring at candles! When was Fast Lane announced?
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Post by Celexa Bliss 54 on Mar 28, 2021 22:14:47 GMT -5
They also had to fill out Fastlane because it happened so close to Mania, so a lot of matches couldn't be finalized until three weeks before Mania. Yeah, but... did they HAVE to have Fastlane??
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Captain Stud Muffin (BLM)
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Post by Captain Stud Muffin (BLM) on Mar 28, 2021 22:15:27 GMT -5
Seems like they were thinking on their feet with some these builds and didn't really have a concrete direction until the last month or so
Edge winning is an add to what was built up as a DB/Roman feud. Sami/KO is building on old history. They had backup plans built in just in case like Seth/DB and it became Seth/Cesaro. Raw Womens title has basically had to change twice due to outside circumstances with Lacey Evans pregnancy and Charlotte getting COVID (not even counting Asuka missing time). IC title has a Mania build but I wish it was Jey Uso vs Big E. U.S. title is a last min feud. All tag titles are just there
It is hard to really plan ahead during COVID and hope shit stays the same. Add on no nostalgia acts as well so you aren't getting these "hype moments" to make it feel like Mania season is here
Besides all that, I still expect it to be a good show. Matches are good on paper
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 28, 2021 22:16:42 GMT -5
3/4 world title matches changed in the past month or so and the one that didn't change (Sasha/Bianca) has had a super underwhelming build. When that happens, Mania doesn't feel like Mania. Did McIntyre/Lashley really change? I've gotten the impression this was always the match, considering Lashley hasn't eaten a pin since the last time he fought Drew in the early Summer and Drew has beaten every other threat on the Raw roster in recent memory. I remember most of the speculation for McIntyre being a rematch with Lesnar, and Lashley defending the US belt to Keith Lee.
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Post by jivesoulbrah on Mar 28, 2021 23:30:14 GMT -5
Having a PPV so close to Mania is seriously a stupid idea. Honestly they should go back to only having the Rumble and then Mania.
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Post by toodarkmark on Mar 29, 2021 1:03:47 GMT -5
The build wasn't great because who cares? They will sell every ticket. It will get a lot of mainstream attention. Peacock will get it's biggest numbers ever because it's new.
Why would they waste time on a build or storyline. They're in the business of making money and on every level they could put anything out there and people will watch. Like seriously, just pick any two upper card wrestlers, put them together, and it will literally do the same as a 6 month build of top guys in an amazing storyline.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Mar 29, 2021 3:58:06 GMT -5
Having a PPV so close to Mania is seriously a stupid idea. Honestly they should go back to only having the Rumble and then Mania. I'm okay with Elimination Chamber being sandwiched between the Rumble and WM, but that's the only one.
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Post by EoE: Well There's Your Problem on Mar 29, 2021 4:06:07 GMT -5
Having a PPV so close to Mania is seriously a stupid idea. Honestly they should go back to only having the Rumble and then Mania. I'm okay with Elimination Chamber being sandwiched between the Rumble and WM, but that's the only one. Yeah, you have to hit a sweet spot between "Too short a timeframe where nothing can get adequately heated up in time" and "Too long a timeframe where they're obviously just padding for time and cooling things off".
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Post by Pooh Carlson on Mar 29, 2021 4:32:26 GMT -5
I'm honestly okay with having two PPV's in between the rumble and mania. When WM has had a five, sometimes six week build in the past, things start to get repetitive after week 4.
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msc
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Post by msc on Mar 29, 2021 4:41:43 GMT -5
If I can be contrarian for a moment, this Mania actually feels like its had the most build in years. Bryan's beef with Reigns goes back to last November, and they were teasing those two facing off all through the Christmas and January period - remember that Heyman promo about how when Bryan is at his best, he is the one opponent Reigns would fear? Edge then appeared as a thorn in the side, but the Reigns/Bryan focus never really left, as Bryan kept fighting to get back into the Mania main event he felt was destined to be. And while Edge was a more recent addition to the proceedings, the writers (ie Bryan) used that Rumble win to further things along. The longer Edge delayed his decision, the more Reigns became incensed that the Rumble winner didn't automatically assume Reigns was the main event. That nugget of doubt led him to renege on his Elimination Chamber "plans" and fight Bryan directly after the Chamber, and even then Bryan 'nearly' won with one move out of nowhere. Which just added to Reigns anxiety about facing the man. Meanwhile Edge has chosen Reigns, and this led to animosity between Edge and Bryan - Bryan feeling Edge had waltzed in to take Bryan's spot, Edge with jealousy towards Bryan, with the subtle subtext that Reigns clearly thinks Edge is an easier opponent than Bryan. This led to Bryan getting his chance at Fastlane, and Edge costing him the title, only for Authority Figure Adam Pearce to finally go "sod this" and turn the Mania title match into a triple threat. But they've been on a collision course since Edge announced his return in the Rumble match and became a roadblock to Bryan's destiny, a roadblock the champ encouraged.
I've been looking forward to it since it started to seem like the road Smackdown was taking in November. My only thought was that maybe it was the Rumble title match, but then Bryan was in the Rumble. When Edge won the Rumble, I was a bit depressed about the wasted opportunity for a week or two before it became clear they were still building Bryan/Reigns in the background - and now I've warmed to Edge's middle man role, as the frustrated veteran who returned to be the saviour, only to find everyone else wanted a different guy.
Lashley/Drew has been a clear build by omission - the two most protected men on the roster hadn't met, so Mania seemed likely. I agree they could have foreshadowed it a bit better.
Big E and Apollo have been feuding since early January. Apollo has been jobbing to Big E since early January too, and getting more and more frustrated, but this feud seemed like it was building momentum nicely until they went a bit racist. Oh, WWE... Big E is going to win and win big and look like a monster in waiting, basically.
Bunny/Priest/MizMo has been built fairly constantly since the Rumble.
Fiend/Orton has been going on since before we were all born...
Owens/Zayn interaction came late in the day, but made sense in terms of the plot - Owens was the last person Zayn sought out about his grievances, because Owens was the one man Zayn was sure would understand him. Cesaro and Rollins have had their issues since just after the Rumble, but it all stems from Cesaro/Nakamura's bromance and Cesaro standing up to rogues because he was absent when Nakamura got stiffed by Reigns.
Asuka/Rhea, Riddle/Sheamus etc are a bit of instafeud (take 2 wrestlers, add sudden conflict like a cup of coffee and wham, feud), but none seem as short run as this famous build from WrestleMania 17:
"Hi, I'm Kurt Angle, this is the last RAW before WrestleMania and I don't have a match at the show." "Roar, I am Chris Benoit, I also am lacking in WrestleMania matches." "Yo, Chris Benoit, we should totally wrestle." "Fine" "Fine"
And lo but a 3 month feud was born...
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Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Mar 29, 2021 5:15:30 GMT -5
Asuka/Rhea, Riddle/Sheamus etc are a bit of instafeud (take 2 wrestlers, add sudden conflict like a cup of coffee and wham, feud), but none seem as short run as this famous build from WrestleMania 17: "Hi, I'm Kurt Angle, this is the last RAW before WrestleMania and I don't have a match at the show." "Roar, I am Chris Benoit, I also am lacking in WrestleMania matches." "Yo, Chris Benoit, we should totally wrestle." "Fine" "Fine" And lo but a 3 month feud was born... The Angle/Benoit feud was a bit rushed, but there was a bit more to it than just that promo. There was a short lived Benoit/Angle alliance that functioned mostly as opposition for Austin and Rock to dysfunctionally work together against with the hope that one of them could replace an injured Rock or Austin. At one point, they almost succeeded when they had Rock in the Crossface and Ankle Lock at the same time. When Angle and Benoit failed to defeat Rock in a Handicap match on the penultimate Smackdown before Mania, Angle walked out on Benoit when Rock put Benoit in the Sharpshooter in the post-match. That set up the promo six days before the show where they both had beef with each other, but no Mania match until that point. Yes, they waited until the go home week to make the match official for Rock and Austin to have heel opposition to play off of, but you could see the Benoit face turn and the Benoit/Angle feud being telegraphed weeks beforehand.
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Post by polarbearpete on Mar 29, 2021 5:32:38 GMT -5
If I can be contrarian for a moment, this Mania actually feels like its had the most build in years. Bryan's beef with Reigns goes back to last November, and they were teasing those two facing off all through the Christmas and January period - remember that Heyman promo about how when Bryan is at his best, he is the one opponent Reigns would fear? Edge then appeared as a thorn in the side, but the Reigns/Bryan focus never really left, as Bryan kept fighting to get back into the Mania main event he felt was destined to be. And while Edge was a more recent addition to the proceedings, the writers (ie Bryan) used that Rumble win to further things along. The longer Edge delayed his decision, the more Reigns became incensed that the Rumble winner didn't automatically assume Reigns was the main event. That nugget of doubt led him to renege on his Elimination Chamber "plans" and fight Bryan directly after the Chamber, and even then Bryan 'nearly' won with one move out of nowhere. Which just added to Reigns anxiety about facing the man. Meanwhile Edge has chosen Reigns, and this led to animosity between Edge and Bryan - Bryan feeling Edge had waltzed in to take Bryan's spot, Edge with jealousy towards Bryan, with the subtle subtext that Reigns clearly thinks Edge is an easier opponent than Bryan. This led to Bryan getting his chance at Fastlane, and Edge costing him the title, only for Authority Figure Adam Pearce to finally go "sod this" and turn the Mania title match into a triple threat. But they've been on a collision course since Edge announced his return in the Rumble match and became a roadblock to Bryan's destiny, a roadblock the champ encouraged. I've been looking forward to it since it started to seem like the road Smackdown was taking in November. My only thought was that maybe it was the Rumble title match, but then Bryan was in the Rumble. When Edge won the Rumble, I was a bit depressed about the wasted opportunity for a week or two before it became clear they were still building Bryan/Reigns in the background - and now I've warmed to Edge's middle man role, as the frustrated veteran who returned to be the saviour, only to find everyone else wanted a different guy. Lashley/Drew has been a clear build by omission - the two most protected men on the roster hadn't met, so Mania seemed likely. I agree they could have foreshadowed it a bit better. Big E and Apollo have been feuding since early January. Apollo has been jobbing to Big E since early January too, and getting more and more frustrated, but this feud seemed like it was building momentum nicely until they went a bit racist. Oh, WWE... Big E is going to win and win big and look like a monster in waiting, basically. Bunny/Priest/MizMo has been built fairly constantly since the Rumble. Fiend/Orton has been going on since before we were all born... Owens/Zayn interaction came late in the day, but made sense in terms of the plot - Owens was the last person Zayn sought out about his grievances, because Owens was the one man Zayn was sure would understand him. Cesaro and Rollins have had their issues since just after the Rumble, but it all stems from Cesaro/Nakamura's bromance and Cesaro standing up to rogues because he was absent when Nakamura got stiffed by Reigns. Asuka/Rhea, Riddle/Sheamus etc are a bit of instafeud (take 2 wrestlers, add sudden conflict like a cup of coffee and wham, feud), but none seem as short run as this famous build from WrestleMania 17: "Hi, I'm Kurt Angle, this is the last RAW before WrestleMania and I don't have a match at the show." "Roar, I am Chris Benoit, I also am lacking in WrestleMania matches." "Yo, Chris Benoit, we should totally wrestle." "Fine" "Fine" And lo but a 3 month feud was born... Yeah, I don’t feel like the build has been rushed at all. Many of the matches have been building for months. As someone else mentioned, you also don’t want all the feuds for Mania to be building from January because then TV can get extremely repetitive with the heat for the match cooling off by PPV time.
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4real
Wade Wilson
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Post by 4real on Mar 29, 2021 5:40:20 GMT -5
I don't understand why they had to have two PPV-ish shows between the Rumble and Mania. Fastlane seemed completely unnecessary. Doesn't give nearly enough time for the build to Mania to breathe. Then again I'm not sure that would've mattered with Vince being his Vince-iest lately. They used to have elimination Chamber/No Way Out in February then nothing in March to lead to Mania which gave plenty of time for the build. 2 PPVs before Mania is plain stupid at this point.
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XIII
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Post by XIII on Mar 29, 2021 6:21:52 GMT -5
Even when things are normal WM is just another PPV anymore. Nothing matters in the WWE, just have to hope for some good matches and the odd good angle every so often at this point.
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thehottag
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Post by thehottag on Mar 29, 2021 7:30:44 GMT -5
The build wasn't great because who cares? They will sell every ticket. It will get a lot of mainstream attention. Peacock will get it's biggest numbers ever because it's new. Why would they waste time on a build or storyline. They're in the business of making money and on every level they could put anything out there and people will watch. Like seriously, just pick any two upper card wrestlers, put them together, and it will literally do the same as a 6 month build of top guys in an amazing storyline. It's the law of diminishing returns. If you keep churning out a substandard product, eventually the consumer gets wise & goes elsewhere. It may not be tomorrow, or even a year, but WWE's ratings keep getting lower year-on-year, & even before the pandemic, their ticket sales wern't exactly setting the world on fire. You may say 'who cares? WWE makes the majority of it's money from TV anyway'. But if you erode your core fanbase, you're only one decision from a TV executive or Saudi prince from being screwed. The idea that the paying fan will line up to empty their pockets regardless is treating them with contempt. You need these people or else you have no business at all.
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Post by MrElijah on Mar 29, 2021 7:38:27 GMT -5
To add on everything, Wrestlemania is the Draw. Yeah, you had Becky and Kofi at WM35 but let's be real, WWE is not into promoting the wrestlers itself but the fact "Wrestlemania is the biggest event for live entertainment" and MOMENTS.
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