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Post by ChitownKnight on Mar 31, 2019 22:00:05 GMT -5
I feel like these three manias are the less talked about ones in the past decade. How do people feel about these shows? HBKs retirement was in 26 (although it’s not as talked about as Flairs retirement a few years earlier), 33 I guess was takers retirement (all his matches since idk if I consider them real matches) and 34 didn’t really have anything too memorable either but I thought all three were solid shows
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Post by xCompackx on Mar 31, 2019 22:52:27 GMT -5
26 was alright, I guess. Nothing about the show was particularly memorable, save for HBK's last match, but it was alright.
33 was a pretty good show until the last couple matches. AJ Styles got a good match out of Shane McMahon, The Hardys coming back is still an amazing moment, and I liked the weird stuff in Wyatt vs. Orton. Brock vs. Goldberg was kinda meh, and Reigns vs. Undertaker was unbearably awful. Roman Reigns as a character was peak garbage during this period.
34 was... a show. Brock beating Reigns was weird, Undertaker squashing Cena was weird, Charlotte beating Asuka was dumb, and everything else just kinda happened. A 10 year old kid won the tag-team titles, though. That was cool.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2019 23:27:16 GMT -5
26 seems very love it or hate it. Personally I find it... pretty middle of the road. It's not bad, outside of the horrendous Bret / Vince match, but there's not really a lot there worth remembering either.
33 I thought was great right up until the mixed tag and then it's just crap from there. Granted I still had a great time because I was there live, but I've never had any desire to rewatch it on the Network.
34 I thought was mostly pretty good but then it just falls apart at Nia / Alexa and doesn't improve. On the whole I still consider it a good show but the downward slope hurts it and Lesnar / Reigns is probably the single worst Mania main event.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2019 23:31:15 GMT -5
26: Cena vs. Batista was one of my favorite matches/builds, aside from the HBK stuff.
33: Roman retires the Undertaker, NOT! Remember little else about the show.
34: I know I watched it but don't really remember it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2019 23:34:28 GMT -5
WM26 - HBK. WM33 - Taker match right? Well, Taker was depressing. That's all I'll say about that. WM34 - All I remember are Bryan's return and where Reigns lost the Lesnar match after going SSj.
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Post by GuyOfOwnage on Mar 31, 2019 23:38:34 GMT -5
I don't mind 26. It was alright. I do wish they'd booked Hart/McMahon better, though. That was utter ass. Bret proved later that year at SummerSlam that he could still work, so it's not that that was the issue. Just a really poorly booked match that could've been so much more, even with Bret's limitations. I liked the rest of the card though.
It speaks volumes about the product in recent years that I had to be actively reminded what the cards were for 33 and 34. I remember just being relieved a year later when Reigns/Taker was not, in fact, Undertaker's final match. Then 6 months after Mania, Crown Jewel happened, and now I find myself hoping that Taker can just have one final squash match this year to go out looking credible.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Mar 31, 2019 23:43:04 GMT -5
26 had the single best build of any Wrestlemania this side of the millennium, possibly ever.
Say what you will about the show itself, but week-to-week absolutely every match meant something and had us all chomping at the bit for the show itself. A perfect, perfect build.
The show itself, the only Mania without celebrities, shows why the celebs are essential to the event to add to the "Mania" of Wrestlemania. Between that, the questionable structure and poorly booking decisions, lead to an very middle of the road show. With the exception of the stellar main event, it's not really a show you *Feel* like the others.
33 had an all-time great Mania moment in the Hardyz returning, Goldberg and Lesnar having the stellar match they were always meant to have, and some of Kevin Dunn's all-time best directorial work. So many images burned into my skull from this show: Charlotte's entrance with the fireworks, Owens getting one finger on the rope, Taker's hat and cloak all folded up at the end of the night. Definitely a cinematic show. Plus, you could make a case for Styles vs Shane being the all-time "better than it had any right to be" match in Mania history (perhaps only rivaled by Taker-Batista and Taka-Aguila). Finally, which technically it's not Mania itself, the Neville-Aries match might be the greatest pre-show match of all time.
34 Kid Rock sucks so much, dude. He's just awful. I'm so happy I haven't had to hear that terrible song for a year. That said, the merch here was so cool. Bryan's return was awesome. Ronda surpassed expectations. Nia Jax winning over Alexa was a genuine feel-good moment. Taker-Cena would be an ideal final Taker match as we saw him just play the hits for a three minute squash.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 31, 2019 23:44:24 GMT -5
26 had the single best build of any Wrestlemania this side of the millennium, possibly ever. Say what you will about the show itself, but week-to-week absolutely every match meant something and had us all chomping at the bit for the show itself. A perfect, perfect build. I'm going to dispute that because the build to Edge / Jericho was awful. It was just every single week Edge trying desperately hard to get people to chant for the spear and then beating Jericho half to death. Rest was mostly pretty good though... though I still don't understand why exactly Rhodes and DiBiase actually fought each other at Mania. They beat Orton in a handicap match right before Mania and they never bothered to put them in a position to also have problems with each other, they just decided to respect the rules of the triple threat match because reasons.
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Mar 31, 2019 23:47:36 GMT -5
26 had the single best build of any Wrestlemania this side of the millennium, possibly ever. Say what you will about the show itself, but week-to-week absolutely every match meant something and had us all chomping at the bit for the show itself. A perfect, perfect build. I'm going to dispute that because the build to Edge / Jericho was awful. It was just every single week Edge trying desperately hard to get people to chant for the spear and then beating Jericho half to death. Those segments were rough and the weakest part of the show, but the story itself was strong. Edge and Jericho win the tag belts the previous May, Edge goes down quickly and Jericho runs him down whenever he gets the chance on screen despite Edge being out 8 months. Edge is the surprise entry in the Rumble, Jericho wins the belt and suddenly they collide. Edge just didn't resonate as a face in it, but Jericho definitely got the heel heat in there and did a great job with the build.
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Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Apr 1, 2019 1:47:18 GMT -5
Finally, which technically it's not Mania itself, the Neville-Aries match might be the greatest pre-show match of all time. Neville vs. Aries is close. Definitely Top 5, if not Top 3. But I don't know if I would put it above Rollins and Reigns vs. The Usos (MITB 2013) or The New Day vs. The Usos (Summerslam 2017).
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chazraps
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Post by chazraps on Apr 1, 2019 1:51:17 GMT -5
Finally, which technically it's not Mania itself, the Neville-Aries match might be the greatest pre-show match of all time. Neville vs. Aries is close. Definitely Top 5, if not Top 3. But I don't know if I would put it above Rollins and Reigns vs. The Usos (MITB 2013) or The New Day vs. The Usos (Summerslam 2017). Great calls! Is the MITB 2013 preshow match on the network?
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 1:51:52 GMT -5
Finally, which technically it's not Mania itself, the Neville-Aries match might be the greatest pre-show match of all time. Neville vs. Aries is close. Definitely Top 5, if not Top 3. But I don't know if I would put it above Rollins and Reigns vs. The Usos (MITB 2013) or The New Day vs. The Usos (Summerslam 2017). What, no love for WeeLC?
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Post by Oh Cry Me a Screwball on Apr 1, 2019 1:55:21 GMT -5
Great calls! Is the MITB 2013 preshow match on the network? No, because it predates the Network, and the Kickoff shows from before then aren't on the Network. However, it's easily found in full on YouTube. Also definitely in the conversation for Top 5 Kickoff show matches, as I knew I was overlooking something.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 2:26:10 GMT -5
26 - I've only seen HBK/Taker and it was really good. Can't say anything about the show as a whole.
33 - Really liked AJ/Shane and Brock/Goldberg was a surprisingly awesome match that I still enjoy watching even now. Hardyz return was a nice moment and Seth/HHH was pretty good too, just a little weird since it was supposed to be a blood feud and they just had a straight up wrestling match. Awful main event. Alright overall.
WM 34 - Loved the opening triple threat and Charlotte/Asuka. Mixed tag was a lot of fun, AJ vs. Nak disappointed and once again, the main event was awful. Overall I'd say it was decent enough.
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Post by abjordans on Apr 1, 2019 6:39:22 GMT -5
I always thought WM 26 was liked across the board. Not the number one Mania ever, but I thought it was pretty universally enjoyed.
I liked 33 and 34 because I was there, but I also thought both were good shows objectively. Especially 33, that was a really good show I thought.
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Post by Jumpin' Jesse Walsh on Apr 1, 2019 6:47:37 GMT -5
It's too early in the morning for me to give my full thoughts on each of them, and I haven't nearly had enough coffee, but I will say right now that 33 has the greatest entrance set of all time.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 7:13:28 GMT -5
All three of these Mania’s were garbage. Save for the Hardy’s return at WM33.
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Post by chronocross on Apr 1, 2019 7:15:33 GMT -5
WM26: It was okay, much like the previous year, HBK/Taker was the MOTN. I liked the Money in the Bank match, but that was it, the Bret/Vince match went on waaaayyy too long.
WM33: I liked AJ/Shane and the Hardy's return to WWE, but that was it, not a whole lot I remember, skippable, IMO.
WM34: I liked Charlotte/Asuka and Ronda's match was very entertaining and memorable, didn't care for the main event as I wish Roman went over there.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 12:06:48 GMT -5
What I love about 26 is the pacing of the show. Nothing drags other than Bret v Vince. After the main event the longest match is 15 minutes.
The Legacy triple threat and Mysterio/Punk are fun sprints. Triple H v Sheamus doesn't overstay it's welcome like it probably would if it happened a year or two later. Cena/Batista and Jericho/Edge are good lengths too and don't try to be epic 30 minute world title matches just for the sake of it.
I don't love every single match but it's an easily rewatchable show for me unlike recent Mania's which tend to drag on and on.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 1, 2019 12:30:06 GMT -5
What I love about 26 is the pacing of the show. Nothing drags other than Bret v Vince. After the main event the longest match is 15 minutes. The Legacy triple threat and Mysterio/Punk are fun sprints. Triple H v Sheamus doesn't overstay it's welcome like it probably would if it happened a year or two later. Cena/Batista and Jericho/Edge are good lengths too and don't try to be epic 30 minute world title matches just for the sake of it. I don't love every single match but it's an easily rewatchable show for me unlike recent Mania's which tend to drag on and on.
I forgot Bret vs. Vince. I usually remember this match when thinking about Bret's career but forgot it was at 26.
Possibly the best "old dudes" match of all time. I'd rather watch them than even 20 awesome luchadors doing 3600 degree spins.
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