@mattfgrady
Hi, my name is Matt and I liked this year’s Wrestlemania. I really did. I am not afraid to say it. It was a fun show with good matches and several memorable moments.
Did the booking make sense? Not really.
Were there any Match of the Year candidates? Probably not.
Were any new stars created? Doubtful.
Was the show too long? Definitely.
Are there lots of things that could be nitpicked? Yes.
So, how could it be a good show?
Here’s how. Simply put, it was entertaining. I find watching a three hour episode of Monday Night Raw to be impossible. I actually have never done it. It’s boring, dumb, and hard to watch. I’d rather watch MMA or go to bed or do laundry or watch paint dry.
I never felt that way with Wrestlemania 32. I may have wished it ended earlier; because I’m old and have kids, but the show itself was enjoyable. There was nothing terrible on the card and overall there were lots of fun moments. It will most likely be WWE’s best show of the year.
For most of the show the crowd was hot. The stadium was packed. And the production was the best of any pro wrestling show ever. The stage, video packages, and pyro were top notch throughout.
The opening 7 man ladder match for the Intercontinental title had lots of crazy spots. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens looked great and the match had a surprise finish, with Zack Ryder winning the belt. This match was entertaining and an excellent way to open the show.
Next, was Chris Jericho vs. AJ Styles, which was not an all-time classic, but was still solid and never boring. There were several cool spots teasing the Styles Clash. To end the match, Jericho won in another upset after hitting a codebreaker. I didn’t agree with the finish of the match, but it was still very good.
After that, we had a tag match with the New Day going up against the League of Nations. The New Day had one of the more spectacular ring entrances of the show, with a giant box of Booty O’s cereal taking up a huge portion of the stage. This match will likely be the least memorable, but it was really just a vehicle to bring out Cactus Jack, Shawn Michaels, and Steve Austin. After the match, all the old timers hit their finishing moves on the League of Nations. Austin drank beers. The crowd popped. It was fun.
Next up was Brock Lesnar vs. Dean Ambrose in a Street Fight. Brock beat the crap out of Ambrose and threw him around the ring. It really felt like a match designed to make Lesnar into an even more formidable monster. The match did little to help Ambrose get over, but it was good while it lasted. Lots of crazy suplex and chair spots throughout.
After that, it was a 3 Way Women’s Title Match with Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks. Banks had a cool entrance with her cousin, Snoop Dogg, rapping her theme song. The match itself felt rushed and sloppy in parts, but it was so much better than your average “Divas” match. Charlotte hit a nice moonsault to the floor and there were several other athletic highspots that are rarely seen in women’s matches in the WWE. Charlotte winning was a bit of a letdown (after Sasha Banks’ entrance), but it was still one of the Top 10 WWE women’s matches in the company’s history.
Then, there was Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon in Hell in a Cell. This match was most likely put together because there was a serious lack of depth headed into this year’s Wrestlemania. With John Cena, Seth Rollins, and Randy Orton unable to wrestle due to injuries, Shane McMahon was called upon to “save” the show. In the end, this match was probably the worst on the card. Shane’s offense looked lousy and Undertaker is well past his prime. Interestingly, however, this match was probably the most memorable. Shane took some crazy bumps, hit the “coast to coast” dropkick, and missed a flying elbow drop off the top of the cell, crashing through an announcer’s table. It was a spectacle for sure and a classic “holy shit” moment that will be remembered for years to come.
The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal followed Hell in a Cell. As far as battle royals go this was pretty typical, except there were a few surprises thrown in. Diamond Dallas Page and Tatanka made unexpected returns. Shaquille O’Neal, the greatest NBA Center of the last 25 years, also made an unannounced appearance in the match. With NXT star Baron Corbin winning, we can add another unexpected finish to this card. Again, for a battle royal, this match was fun with a couple memorable moments thrown in.
Then the Rock came out with a flamethrower. He set a sign on fire, then cut a long promo, until he was interrupted by the Wyatts. After some back and forth banter, Rock challenged any of the Wyatts to a match and ended up beating Rowan in a few seconds with the Rock Bottom. After that, Bray, Strowman, and Rowan surrounded the ring to attack Rock, but John Cena ran out and made the save. This was another moment that was fun, surprising, and actually held my attention.
The final match had Triple H defending his WWE Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns. The best part of the match was probably Stephanie and Triple H’s entrance, but the match itself wasn’t awful. The most memorable part of the match was was Reigns unintentionally spearing Stephanie. In the end, Reigns won the strap after spearing Triple H. This match was not at the level of other Wrestlemania main events, but no one really expected that anyways.
So, what’s the point of all of this? Well, in sum, this was a fun show. I may have booked things differently, put different guys over, and ended the show sooner, but as a singular show this was enjoyable. I was never really bored and popped for the “Wrestlemania Moments.” I may actually end up watching all, some, a few minutes of Monday Night Raw tonight. Thanks WWE.
Matt thinks we should also remember that Wrestlemania only costs $10 now and it was so much better than those $15 In Your House shows from the mid-90’s. He used to watch those back in the day. In 2016, for $10, it’s really hard to complain about Wrestlemania.
