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Post by grunt on Apr 1, 2023 23:47:55 GMT -5
Cena/Theory - 1 star - Pointless, predictable and unsatisfying. And Cena's bald spot was strangely distracting. Four Way Tag - 3 stars - Fun, messy match. Nothing more, nothing less. Rollins/Paul - 3 stars - Solid bout, did what it needed to do. And Paul didn't win. Damage CTRL/Becky-Trish-Lita - 2.5 stars - Didn't care for it. Rey/Dominik - 3.5 stars - Predictable again, but nicely worked. Rhea/Charlotte - 4.5 stars - Great match, even though something still bugs me about Charlotte's work + match booking. Miz/Mcafee - 1 star - See Cena/Theory. KO-Zayn/Usos - 5 stars - Couldn't care less about the Bloodline storyline (i've stopped watching the weekly shows a long time ago, and i've skipped a bunch of PPVs, so... zero investment), but this was a great main event and culmination of this part of the storyline.
So overall a 3 stars show, maybe a 3.5/5 for the pageantry.
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tirtefaa
Unicron
If you wanna know the truth, you gotta dig up Johnny Booth.
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Post by tirtefaa on Apr 1, 2023 23:50:28 GMT -5
9
Sorry, but I just can't wrap my mind around Cena losing. This is a guy who conquered Big Show, JBL, Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Edge, Batista and The Rock for titles, yet he can't beat Theory?
I know that technically Cena got a "visual win", but it's not the end of the world to have him win the US title, then quickly drop it either back to Theory, or someone else.
I think the biggest reason why it annoys me is because Cena absolutely eviscerated him on the mic, and then he loses. It reminds me of when Triple H would say Cena couldn't wrestle (getting the crowd to agree with him), then proceeds to lose to him. It makes them look like an idiot because they lost to a loser. It doesn't elevate them.
But the rest of the show was good.
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clc
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Post by clc on Apr 2, 2023 0:00:34 GMT -5
I wasn't expecting the Cena match to be any good given that Cena isn't really a wrestler anymore. But it was a bit worse than I was expecting. I'm a Cena fan too The tag showcase was really fun! Surpassed my expectations. Maybe it was my favorite match of the night. Seth vs Logan Paul was great. I expected it to be great. If tag 4 way wasn't my favorite, then this was. Becky, Lita, and Trish vs Damage CTRL. Ugh someone please put Damage Control out of their misery. I love Bayley and IYO, but Damage CTRL just suck. Rey vs Dominik was also very good. I wanted Dom to win (which he should have since that Mom slap was grounds for a DQ!) Rhea vs Charlotte. It was a good match. I'm a bit of a Charlotte hater so I sort of check out when she's on. Like I just can't be bothered to care. She wins, whatever. She loses, she'll just be right back anyway to pad up those title numbers. Also, the Asuka fan in me hates how beating Charlotte for the Smackdown title means Rhea finally made it, but her beating Asuka for the RAW title 2 Wrestlemanias ago was chump change I guess. Pat McAffe was there. This was fine. Usos vs Sami and KO. A great match but...I'm really tired by this point in the show. Also, I am still salty about Sami's story getting demoted to tag titles. Also, I am a Zeke freak and will never forgive KO for what he did to Zeke! So I wanted the Usos to win. I give it a 7, but maybe that's me being unfair for my personal bias. All I know is last year's Mania night 1, I was flipping out happy and excited. This year I'm like, that match was excellent, but I just not feeling it as much on a joy level. Like the matches were good, but something was lacking on the overall presentation.
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Post by firsttimelongtime on Apr 2, 2023 0:36:38 GMT -5
I gave tonight a 10.
Even the stuff I didn’t really care for had some redeeming qualities. I am a total John Cena fan so even just watching him do his moves makes me happy. Below are the ratings I gave the matches!
(Note since this is my first post here!! I grade all my matches 1-10 with 5 being a perfectly average match. I do it this way because it’s how I rate everything! Easier to decipher in my mind.)
Cena/Theory 5.1 Showcase Tag 8.4 Paul/Seth 8.9 Trios 4.8 Mysterios 9* Ripley/Flair 8.5 Mcafee/Miz 5.1 Tag Title 9
*My favorite match of the night.
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Post by Instant Classic on Apr 2, 2023 0:49:57 GMT -5
8/10 a great night. I’m the biggest Cena fan but man I just feel like he’s lost his touch. Only match I didn’t care for. It had to be his worst match ever at a Mania, felt like a complete tv match. Everything else was great. I really liked the 4 way tag match it was really fun, Gable is a freakin star! Charlotte vs Rhea was really good, going in wasn’t expecting much from it. Rey beating Dom with a belt was a highlight for me I was laughing my ass off. KO and Zayn becoming tag champs was a wish of mine since 2017 so I’m glad it finally happened.
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john84
Fry's dog Seymour
Proud Father of 3 :)
Posts: 24,299
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Post by john84 on Apr 2, 2023 1:21:45 GMT -5
10. From decent to good to amazing matches to Michael Cole's commentary it was well worth staying up all night for even though I'll be absolutely knackered now lol.
Night 2 performers have big shoes to fill.
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Post by yokohamacpfc on Apr 2, 2023 1:31:40 GMT -5
Marks of ten:
Cena/Theory: 7, a good match but didn't really feel like a mania match.
Tag four-way: 9, exceeded expectations, crowd were hot, Braun & Otis looked great, for all the silliness about their gimmick the Viking Raiders are very good wrestlers when given the chance, perhaps a last hurrah for the Street Profits who will probably move into singles careers now.
Rollins/Paul: 9, excellent from both guys.
Six-woman match: 7, went on for too long, Lita is too beat up.
Rey/Dominick: 9, a really good story.
Rhea/Charlotte: 8, excellent in-ring work, I felt both wrestlers tired early on.
Miz/Mcafee: 5, to give the crowd a chance to catch their breath but didn't come across well on TV.
KO-Zayn/Usos: 9, would have been an 8 if I was watching WWE for the first time in a year (too many kick outs at 2.9 a bad habit from nxt that has crossed into the main roster) but having watched the Bloodline story bumped it up.
So 7.8 or 8.2 if you take out the Miz match which is fair as it was mainly for the crowd.
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Post by Rudy Gobert Weather Machine on Apr 2, 2023 3:43:16 GMT -5
Made me feel like Mick Foley when he hugged Stacy Keibler at the airport for the first time or whatever the f*** he said last night
10 tho
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4real
Wade Wilson
Posts: 28,719
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Post by 4real on Apr 2, 2023 4:13:59 GMT -5
8. The last 2 matches were incredible. Dom v Rey was great sports entertainment. Fatal 4 way tag was fire. Rollins v Logan was fun especially the KSI stuff.
Loses marks for boring Miz v McAfee match and predictably bland Cena v Theory match. 6 woman tag was also meh.
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Post by DZ: WF Legacy on Apr 2, 2023 5:21:19 GMT -5
I liked Night 1 a lot last year, and this year was no different. Lots of exciting matches and emotional moments. KO main evented two straight WMs in a row, and now Sami and the Usos get the honor of making that history as well. This was the right match to close the show. I gotta say though, the pure storytelling and emotion and match quality would've made the Rey/Dom a solid choice to do so, too. I loved that match aside from the weird product placement stuff that felt unfitting for something so personal. Everyone in that arena was behind Rey, it was so awesome to hear such an enthusiastic crowd. It was one of those clear-cut babyface vs heel kind of things; everyone can get behind the good guy here. Rey using the belt on Dom was hilarious and felt so deserved after the way Dom treated his sister and mother. Loved it! That fatal four way tag match was a sleeper hit, too! I can't say enough good things about Chad Gable. Ricochet always leaves me in awe. Just a really fun match to remind people who these guys are.
Cena/Theory was fine but never got out of 1st or 2nd gear. The logical story was Theory losing because he was too focused on his own arrogance, but then he just kinda won, so...alright? The women's 3 on 3 was fine. Trish looks like a million bucks out there, but Lita is stiff and slow, unfortunately. I'm glad she got another WM match after only having 1. Her match with Becky in Saudi was pretty good; that was her peak since returning over the past few years. Still, I'm glad Bayley and the rest of Damage Ctrl got to work with Trish/Lita/Becky at such a major show. I am expecting them to reclaim the titles on the Raw after Mania.
A few middle ground matches and a few blockbusters, that's not bad! Rey/Dom was my MOTN, and the closing tag match was also a historical celebratory moment.
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Post by Mid-Carder on Apr 2, 2023 5:54:31 GMT -5
The good far, far outweighed the bad and even the bads weren't THAT bad. That being said, I skipped Logan Paul completely so no idea how that match went and Lita should never be allowed near a wrestling ring again but otherwise I enjoyed everything else.
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champchumpchange
Don Corleone
Everyone needs to drive a vehicle, even the very tall.
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Post by champchumpchange on Apr 2, 2023 5:56:14 GMT -5
15
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Legion
Fry's dog Seymour
Amy Pond's #1 fan
Hail Hydra!
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Post by Legion on Apr 2, 2023 5:59:49 GMT -5
10.
I dont think I've given a 10 before.
But that was that good a show.
The only weak link was the opener, and that wasn't really weak, just a bit pointless
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Post by King Devitt and the Woke Mob on Apr 2, 2023 6:54:55 GMT -5
Gonna go with 8 on this one.
Cena/Theory was weak. As someone else said it was a "TV match".
4 Team Tag Match was a welcome surprise, and it should have opened the show.
Rollins/Paul was okay. It never reached a gear I thought it would given the athleticism of both men.
The 6 Woman Tag was brutal. Lita just can't do it anymore. Split Damage CTRL now please. It's taken the shine off of Io and Bayley so damn much.
Rey/Dom was entertaining, but I didn't like the booking of it, and the wrong person won. I know I'm in the minority on this. It was just backwards in so many ways from the entrances with Rey getting Eddie's song (Dom having it would have generated nuclear heat with the lowrider) to the ending. Dom's sneaky ass should have cheated to win (ala Eddie), and coasted off being a chickenshit heel a lot longer. Again I know I'm in the small percentile here, and it kinda took the wind out of my sails.
Charlotte/Rhea though put the wind back in them. These two have AMAZING chemistry, and always deliver. The right woman won, and I loved Rhea being the face in the eyes of the crowd.
Usos/Zayn-Owens was fantastic. Well put together, well told, and the right call making it the main event with the absolute right winner.
So yeah 8. I appreciate the last 2 matches, but it wasn't a perfect show. A damn good one, but a couple matches made those 4 hours drag. I'm glad these things are 2 night events now. Matches have time to breathe and tell stories.
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Post by ariestheram on Apr 2, 2023 7:12:02 GMT -5
I'd say either 9.25 or 9.5
Opener, 6 woman tag, and everything in between Rhea/ Charlotte and the tag titles hold it back from being a 10
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Mozenrath
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Post by Mozenrath on Apr 2, 2023 8:20:06 GMT -5
10. The stuff that needed to be good was great, some of the stuff that wasn't really expected to be much of anything over delivered, and the stuff that was bad was largely inconsequential.
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schma
El Dandy
Who are you to doubt me?
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Post by schma on Apr 2, 2023 8:34:32 GMT -5
I gave it 9. I wasn't giving it my full attention until partway through but every match had stuff I liked. The results were what they should be for the most part. I think maybe Damage CTRL should have won but I wasn't upset. I was fading a bit at the end but that was nothing to do with the show and everything with me not getting enough sleep.
My only complaint is that I realized early on in the Rhea/Charlotte that if Rhea wasn't doing her special pin, it wasn't the end. That took me out a little though I genuinely wasn't sure if she would win. I gotta say, for as bad as Charlotte has been about insisting she be at the top at all times, I appreciated her looking genuinely happy for Rhea.
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The Warthog
Unicron
Tell them, the warthog is back in business!
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Post by The Warthog on Apr 2, 2023 9:12:29 GMT -5
8 because it was better than I expected, especially since I haven't seen an episode of RAW in months (saw Smackdown though).
My question is, they had Logan Paul and Bad Bunny in the same building and they didn't interact? There's some controversy (or was) between them.
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schma
El Dandy
Who are you to doubt me?
Posts: 7,547
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Post by schma on Apr 2, 2023 9:14:24 GMT -5
8 because it was better than I expected, especially since I haven't seen an episode of RAW in months (saw Smackdown though). My question is, they had Logan Paul and Bad Bunny in the same building and they didn't interact? There's some controversy (or was) between them. I found it odd that they had Bad Bunny on commentary and he didn't say a damn word. I know he was just out there to counter some interference but I don't remember saying one word.
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XIII
Bill S. Preston, Esq.
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Post by XIII on Apr 2, 2023 9:18:36 GMT -5
8 because it was better than I expected, especially since I haven't seen an episode of RAW in months (saw Smackdown though). My question is, they had Logan Paul and Bad Bunny in the same building and they didn't interact? There's some controversy (or was) between them. I found it odd that they had Bad Bunny on commentary and he didn't say a damn word. I know he was just out there to counter some interference but I don't remember saying one word. He was doing Spanish commentary
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