David Hunter
Hall of Fame (Saturday Night)
David Hunter: Madusa’s speech was the best of the night for me. Lots of little digs, a decent call back to the Arn Anderson story by Nattie’s introduction, clearly enthused to be up there, and a sweet heartwarming moment with her husband. Also the prop use was good considering everybody knew what was coming.
Andrew Lutzke: Most of the inductions and acceptances were entertaining, with the highlight being Madusa, who gave no care to bowing to corporate buzzwords and hoping to find one last payday with the WWE. I found that Dana Warrior should have probably focused more on why Connor was an inspiration and less on her personal woes. I know that opinion places me in the minority though.
David Hunter: I wanted to like Lanny’s speech about Randy Savage more than I did to be honest. I loved that Lanny focused mostly on Randy’s out of the ring accomplishments with the Special Olympics and his passion for baseball but the crowd interrupting seemed to take me out of it at times.
B. Patrick: While there was nothing wrong with Lanny’s speech, I felt it was one of the weakest.
Connor McGrath: Also here in Southern Maine, a few of my friends are unreasonably upset that Rikishi didn’t mention his old pal Scotty 2 Hotty (Westbrook, Maine’s own) in his induction speech. That’s why I kind of liked Kevin Nash saying that he wasn’t going to individually thank everyone. I don’t envy these old timers making HOF induction speeches. There’s surely a lot of people that have helped all of these guys on their way to the top—and it can be hard to remember them all when you’re 50.
B. Patrick: There is just a major tone change from the importance of the event with the red carpet (which you have to love Maria Menounos reciting the “Hard Times” promo of Dusty Rhodes to him, which was my favorite segment). For the ceremony itself, I enjoyed it way more than I expected. A lot of these acts were people that were there in my youth, either as performers, or in the case of Larry Z, calling the action. Echoing many others, I enjoyed the Madusa/Alundra Blaze and Bushwackers speeches way more than I expected. Those moments and speeches really were what the event should all be about. And yes, I mean Bret Hart doing the Bushwacker Stomp.
David Hunter: The crowd… we were talking about this in the CXF Chat Room and most of us thought the WWE fans were okay at times to straight out obnoxious by the end with random cat calls and random chanting started up by a handful of people because the show was running 3 to 3 and 1/2 hours by that point. Also the booing/jeering was pretty cringe worthy especially for Reigns during Rikishi’s speech and at Arnold for his Governor run of California. Considering the prestige and honor of the entire ceremony, if you can’t conduct yourself properly, don’t attend the event.
Connor McGrath: I always have and always will think that the arena setting is completely wrong for the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. I thought it was a lot better when they did it in 5,000 seat theaters and required the fans to show up in formal wear. Just allowed less opportunity for drunk yahoos. I’d give the ceremony a solid 8 out of 10. Nine inductees was just way too many for the night. I think they probably could have saved some of the guys for next year. After the three hour mark or so, the crowd just felt sort of deflated. If you’re not gonna rush the guys (and you really shouldn’t) then you should cap it at six inductees and a three hour time limit.
dubq: I always enjoy the Hall of Fame. This year was no different. The highlights for me were Madusa’s amazing speech, getting choked up at Randy Savage’s induction video and subsequent speech by brother Lanny Poffo, and finally getting to see Larry Zbyszko get his due in the HOF. I know a lot of people don’t like Larry and were put off by his speech, but I’ve always been entertained by the man and he really deserved this show of respect from the WWE.
Andrew Crow: I spent my Saturday night trying to find a theater playing It Follows with my girlfriend. We ended up just driving aimlessly after the only theater nearby was sold out. From what a friend of mine who watched it said, though, I didn’t really miss much. I’m glad Randy Savage, Madusa, and Larry Zbysko are in, but I can’t help but feel like Ray Stevens was an obvious choice. I know, such a controversial opinion, but given that the more I hear of him and his legacy the more obvious it is how much he’s influenced how talent performs in the ring? And that he was a San Francisco mainstay? It’s awful that he was left out.
Pre-Show Matches: Tag Team Titles & Andre the Giant Battle Royal
Andrew Lutzke: They cut a fast pace and loaded the match with highspots, making for a fun opener. The match was so entertaining, it overcame its lackluster star power.
David Hunter: Enjoyed the Battle Royal and loved finally seeing MizDow come to a head. Also the Axelmania moment was fun stuff at the very start. As for the Tag Title match, I mostly thought it was somewhat forgettable and nothing we haven’t seen much of in the past 4-5 months. **1/4
Connor McGrath: I liked the tag team titles match more than David. I thought it was a perfectly fine, energetic but not too energetic spotfest. Everybody got a chance to shine. It was a bit of a cluster but I don’t mind that too much in a WM opener. And I thought the right team went over even though I thought the Usos would get the hometown/babyfaces overcoming the odds nod. Glad to see Cesaro get a little WrestleMania moment for a second year in a row. I’d say it was a *** match.
B. Patrick: Watching Big Show take out all of New Day and Kane dominate Miz/Mizdow just gave me flashbacks to this most recent, awful Royal Rumble.
Andrew Lutzke: Hideo Itami should have been used better to help put over NXT, if nothing else. The ending was booked poorly as Miz and Mizdow should have either fluked into eliminating Big Show, leading to Mizdow’s turn or else Miz should have interfered when Big Show was being choked out and eliminated Mizdow in order to put more heat on both heels. As it stood Mizdow foolishly sent Miz away, costing him his best chance of surviving against the Big Show.
Peter Kostkas: Not as fun as last year’s as there weren’t many cool elimination spots and it really seemed like the field wasn’t very star-studded.
Connor McGrath: Battle Royal was good by battle royal standards. I think they fit in as much little spots for guys as they could with the time permitted. I know some might be disappointed with The Big Show win but I think logistically, it makes sense for a giant to win at least some of these battle royals.
dubq: The tag match was pretty hot, and the right team won. Cesaro and Kidd are pretty hot as a team right now so keeping the belts on them was the right move. The battle royal? Ugh.. what a pointless endeavour. Don’t get me wrong, I am one of the few people who thinks Big Show is entertaining and has some worth.. but did he need to be put over here tonight? Not at all. This match should’ve gone to the most “over” guy in the ring: Sandow.
Andrew Crow: I really enjoyed the Tag four-way. It was a good collection of ascending spots and there was only one team that had no chance of going over (Los Matadores), so as a start of the show for Network subscribers and the live audience shuffling in it was as good a choice as any. The right team went over and the opposition looked strong in defeat. The Andre Memorial, though, was little more than a clusterfuck that lacked the charm or memorable finish of its inaugural presentation. I can understand the Big Show being put over due to his being the only true giant left in WWE (not to mention it being a wink to his original gimmick in WCW), but at this point both he and Kane are such damaged goods that their involvement, let alone winning, in anything is a quick reason to stop caring and/or change the channel. 1/2, I guess.
IC Title Ladder Match
David Hunter: A lot of big spots and not much else for me. Seeing guys hustling 100 MPH to make it in time for the next spot took me out of the match when they had been selling/getting their ass kicked. With that said, Dean’s bump was nuts. ***
Peter Kostkas: They seemed to be going at double speed for this match as spots weren’t given much time to sink in until someone else was falling off of/getting hit by ladders. At the very least Bryan winning should lead to a reason to regularly watch SmackDown again.
Connor McGrath: From what I saw, a perfectly fine spotfest although not really one of the best of its genre. Overall, right guy went over and I think everyone got a little bit of a Mania moment. ***
dubq: Super fun match with a lot of great and crazy spots. Though seeing Dean go THROUGH a ladder via powerbomb made me cringe. If the rumors are true, and Bryan winning the title is a sign of treating it with more respect/gravitas, then I am all for it.
Andrew Crow: Three things made this match work for me: Dean’s CZW-style bump on the ladder, Barrett nailing anything moving with the Bull Hammer at every angle possible, and the headbutt trade-off between Bryan and Dolph to send it home. I was hesitant to watch this going in due to Bryan’s health issues, admittedly, but he was used very effectively and his title reign should give relevance to a title that once meant so much to the company, if only for how over he is and the quality of work he can bring. 2/3.
Seth Rollins vs. Randy Orton
David Hunter: Felt like a paint by the numbers match and I feel like I’ve seen better matches/performances from both of them. Didn’t feel like a WM match and felt like a typical Monday Night Raw main event. Not necessarily a bad thing, however. ***
Andrew Lutzke: Very good match with a GREAT finish.
Connor McGrath: I can kind of see where David was coming from with the RAW main event critique but I thought there were enough unique spots to make this feel a little bit special. I’m going to rate this… you guessed it… ***
Peter Kostkas: Randy had his working boots on tonight and a motivated Orton usually leads to good things. How Rollins managed to launch himself that high for the finish I will never figure out.
dubq: Match of the night for me. A lot of people call themselves the “Best in the World” these days, but I honestly believe that we need to look no further than Rollins for that title. He works like no one else, physically and emotionally, his facial expressions, everything.. and his selling is next level. Randy going over was the right move in the feud, but Seth was the real star of this match, especially with how he took that match-ending RKO.
Andrew Crow: While this wasn’t the show stealer that Orton had positioned it as via social media, this was a fun match with two guys who have decent, though unspectacular, chemistry. There were major feed issues during the latter half, though, with it cutting back and forth between Big Show’s post-Battle Royal celebration and the live action of Orton/Rollins in the ring, and even the finish was glitched and only visible via replay (the one time I actively enjoy the endless replays that Kevin Dunn is so damned fond of). That said? This was a solid match between two guys who can go when given the right conditions (Rollins very much more so than Orton, IMO), and that finishing spot was one of the best RKO’s I’ve ever seen (maybe second only to the SSP reversal on Bourne). 3/4.
Sting vs. Triple H
Peter Kostkas: Probably will be as divisive as the HHH/Taker match from 27, but put me in the camp that didn’t care much for it.
Connor McGrath: I knew it’d be an overbooked, semi-entertaining mess but I wasn’t sure what the curveballs thrown at us would be. I feel like this match was just one extended plug for the Monday Night War series on WWE Network.
David Hunter: Was what it was with overbooked zaniness all over the 2nd half of the match. Finally seeing nWo vs. DX was a neat little tease but the actual match seemed to lack something for me. **1/2
Andrew Lutzke: I was baffled by Sting’s entrance. HHH’s entry was badass. I was afraid things were starting to come apart during this match as the vets worked a methodical pace and Sting’s age started to become a factor, and not just because of his receding hair. The DX/NWO run ins were memorable, but completely lacking in any kayfabe sense. This was overbooked in a very good way.
dubq: I can’t even. This was a no-brainer, yet somehow WWE managed to turn it into a clusterfuck. I get what they were trying to do with DX and the nWo, but it was dumb. This match should’ve been a brawl between two grizzled veterans and the god damn babyface should’ve went over. Shaking Triple H’s hand in the end means nothing since the Triple H character is still a massively corrupt asshole (as evidenced in the Rock segment later on). What was the point?
Andrew Crow: The match was alright. I wasn’t expecting much from two men who are very much so past their primes, but, as anybody who watched TNA in the past decade can attest to, Sting is always willing to bring his working boots for matches with even a hint of a big-time feel. HHH is no slouch with the right opponent, to be fair, but I haven’t been enthralled with any of his matches that didn’t involve Bryan or Benoit in the past 13 years. The overbooking was going to come, of course, but I question the logic of having X-Pac on the DX side against his fellow Kliq members of Nash and Hall when the nWo came out to even the odds for Sting. Even worse, though, was that the nWo was on Sting’s side given the nWo’s reason for inception (the destruction of WCW) and Sting’s reason for donning the Crow look (to destroy the nWo). HBK being the deciding factor for HHH adds heat to Hunter as an elder authority figure who always has an ace up his sleeve, true, but back-to-back overbooking leaves a sour taste in my mouth when it isn’t orchestrated by Paul Heyman. The entrances were also ridiculous and not in a good way for me, so while the match itself wasn’t awful and the result was probably the right way to go given the angle set up later in the night? I still can’t say this was a worthwhile match or segment. 3/5.
AJ Lee & Paige vs. Bella Twins
Andrew Lutzke: They had to fight hard to get the crowd back after the last match. They bumped hard and the babyfaces winning was a pleasant surprise to me.
Connor McGrath: This was a fine Divas match but I don’t really see why it wasn’t a Four Corners Match for the Title. **
Peter Kostkas: A pretty standard match that is disappointing considering how good Paige and Nikki (no seriously) are. Honestly, Paige vs. Nikki from this past RAW should have been here.
David Hunter: Felt like their standard fare from Monday Night Raw to be honest. Wasn’t that sold on AJ’s long selling on the outside given that the Bellas didn’t really try to double team Paige too much. **
dubq: I agree with Connor. A four way dance for the title would’ve been more fun. But I liked it for what it was. The Bellas get a lot of shit, but I really think Nikki has stepped up her game this year in terms of physicality and how believable her work is in the ring. That being said, putting AJ & Paige over for the win was the right move. I love AJ’s face when she locks in the Black Widow and gets the tap out, just this “aw shit, I told you so,” look that is priceless. <3
Andrew Crow: I’m with everybody else: Nikki is really turning into a very solid wrestler. I found it laughable that AJ spent the majority of the match lying on the floor after being knocked off of the apron so many times, but letting the best overall talent in the match (Paige) do the majority of the leg work was the right call. This was still nothing compared to what the women of NXT could do with the same amount of time, but at least we’re on the road to leaving the Miller Lite Cat Fight girls and Lingerie Pillow Fights in the past. 4/6.
US Title: Rusev (C) vs. John Cena
David Hunter: My favorite match of the night behind the ME. Wish it had gotten 8-10 more minutes actually. ***1/4
Peter Kostkas: The result was never in doubt so I tried to enjoy the match, but their Fastlane match was better. Not a fan of a potential Rusev/Lana breakup either.
Andrew Lutzke: Rusev did well, with a lot of suplex variations and both men sold dramatically. Cena’s STF and AA remain terrible, unconvincing finishers.
Connor McGrath: Rusev had the entrance of the night. Overall, this was a good, over the top ’80s WWF Superhero Vs Supervillain type match. ***
dubq: All Rusev Everything. Give this man the push to the moon that Reigns is/was getting. That entrance. A fucking tank! Lana conjuring imagery of Emma Frost. Lawdamercy. Great match regardless of the outcome. Highlight for me was Rusev’s crazy flying headbutt. Wasn’t expecting that! Not looking forward to the Lana/Rusev breakup, but it is what it is.
Andrew Crow: Rusev on the tank was great. Rusev when he’s more of a sprinting monster instead of a methodical machine is great. John Cena busting out a new move (and doing it just as sloppy as most of his offense) was interesting. The finish was expected and I’m glad the secondary titles are on talent considered to be main event players by the fanbase, but this was just another Cena match I didn’t care about. 4/7.
The Rock & Ronda Rousey against Triple H & Stephanie McMahon Promo Segment
Connor McGrath: As a politically correct, liberal feminist, there were parts of this segment that I found mildly problematic. But as a wrestling fan, I thought this segment was awesome but a bit too long. ***1/2
Andrew Lutzke: The Rock came in and business picked up. Getting a big mainstream/PPV draw like Ronda to do a bit that was begging to be on Sportscenter was a great get by the WWE.
Peter Kostkas: Promo Segment: Dragged a lot, but they need some big matches to fill Jerry World next year and the two that were teased here are a good start. Steph should now wear a cast for the next 364 days.
dubq: Stellar. Say what you want about part-timers, the fans still know who the Rock is and he is still as over as fuck. WWE was also smart as hell to carry over the Brock on EPSN momentum with having Ronda “IT’S OVER 9000!!” Rousey get physically involved as well. Ronda herself was very impressive in her presence and the way she conducted herself during that segment. I’m placing bets on her having a guaranteed spot in WWE if/when she is ever done with MMA.
Andrew Crow: I’m glad Stephanie is so hurt after somebody firmly holding their arm. I’m glad at all the time wasting they did so the sun could go down before the next match. I’m glad that Ronda Rousey is incredible. This was dull and reminded me too much of WrestleMania 27 with its obvious attempts to just kill time and set up another program between two guys who were big deals over a decade ago and should be pushed aside for other talent to shine. I loved their programs in 1998 and 2000, to be fair, but nothing I’ve seen of the Rock back in WWE has been worth watching since he first turned Hollywood in 2003. 4/8.
Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker
David Hunter: Was what it was. Reminded me of WrestleMania 8 and the Jake Roberts match (where Undertaker took a lot of punishment but prevailed in decisive fashion) but more entertaining. ***
Andrew Lutzke: The match was nearly a foregone conclusion before I bought into a false finish pin by Wyatt. It was good to see Taker in action again.
Peter Kostkas: Taker looked MUCH better physically than last year (even before the concussion), but I just don’t think much of Bray Wyatt.
Connor McGrath: This match is the one that most benefitted the most from low expectations. Undertaker looked better than he has since WrestleMania XXVIII. I gave this… ***
dubq: Not a huge Wyatt fan, but it was great to see Undertaker back in action. He looked about 10 years younger than his match with Brock at WM30. I also loved that he was conjuring Big Evil / Booger Red with his hair and ring attire this year. Here’s hoping he goes on one more run leading up to a final match at WM32 because I definitely don’t want to have to wait a year to see him fight again.
Andrew Crow: The wrong man went over in a match that was neither offensive nor worth mentioning. The visual of Bray doing the spider walk as Undertaker sits up was incredible, true, but Bray is so damaged after a series of horrible programs and awful booking that a win here could have salvaged him entirely. So of course he loses. The finishing stretch was captivating enough and Undertaker looking better than he did last year was worthwhile for me, though. 5/9.
WWE Title: Brock Lesnar (C) vs. Roman Reigns
Peter Kostka: I could go match by match giving my thoughts, but really all you need to know that, as Max Landis said, when wrestling is great, it’s fucking awesome. The finish to this show was one of the most amazing, unexpected and greatest endings to a show ever. It was pitch perfect booking and the buildup during the match wasn’t too shabby either. After being maligned for two months, Roman Reigns was made as the man that took everything the Beast threw at him and dishing out some of his own. Brock Lesnar matches have become must see events because of the sheer destruction he brings to the ring.
Connor McGrath: Then we got one of the best, most genuinely surprising WrestleMania finishes ever. Wow. Props to WWE Creative. They came up with a finish that sets up a bunch of different interesting angles for the nights, weeks, and months after WrestleMania. Overall, very, very good match where all three guys came out looking strong. A rarity. ****
Andrew Lutzke: Brock’s aura carried the match until the Rollins cash in that ended things on a very high note.
David Hunter: Amazing match, especially with the Seth Rollins cash-in being the cherry on top. Unexpected finish to a very good match beforehand already going. ****1/4
dubq: Brock destroying Reigns for 3/4 of the match was golden. Reigns, despite his ridiculous padded vest, sold all of Brock’s offense like it was death and I was impressed with that. Not impressed enough to think that Reigns is “the guy” this soon in his career, but it definitely redeemed some of the forceful booking of the past few months. Brock himself is always impressive. He’s a consummate worker inside that ring and I really respect him and how snug he works. I was really pulling for Brock to leave with the title, but the next best thing happened: SETH! The right man came out of this match with the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! Best. Ending. Ever.
Andrew Crow: Oh. Holy. Shit. The only negative of this match was Roman constantly smiling. The finish was brilliant, Brock stiffing the HELL out of Roman to help get him over was brilliant, and Roman’s comebacks were believable and may have turned much of the crowd in his favor. Much like last year, the ME delivers in spades and gives me, as a fan who has barely watched the product from last summer onward, a reason to tune back in. Let’s hope they don’t screw this one up. 6/10.
Credit for all photos to WWE.com
