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The W - Pro Wrestling - WWE Fastlane 2015
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Since: 2.1.02
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#1 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.54
WWE Fastlane is a new pay-per-view gimmick, following in the grand tradition of former car-related shows such as WWF Breakdown, and Hermie Sadler Presents TNA #1. The show emanates LIVE from Memphis, Tennessee, and tonight’s Panel features BOOKER T, COREY GRAVES, BYRON SAXTON, and RENEE YOUNG. Renee is the first female broadcaster with any credibility in well over a decade, and possibly since Sunny. She’s fantastic. Byron Saxton is not.
 
The big pre-show angle features Paul Heyman on MizTV. Half of that sounds awesome, and it's not coming the guy whose gimmick is based around that very concept.
 
Sting and Triple H’s saga is looked at. In essence, at Survivor Series, Sting appeared for Some Reason and helped Dolph Ziggler stop the Authority for roughly 4 days. Since then, Triple H has maintained Issues. Booker T speculates that Sting’s actions were the deep down hatred WCW has from the time DX drove up to the WCW arena in April of 1998. If that’s the case (it’s not the case), then dude – seek therapy. Bret Hart is the most bitter, vindictive wrestler on the entire planet and even HE found closure with Shawn Michaels faster than that.
 
Dean Ambrose expresses his desire to capture the IC title, causing Booker to fondly reflect on his first IC title win over Christian … you know, the one that came long after he was an established main eventer, until Triple H destroyed his cred by pointing out the black man had no place atop the company, and then proved exactly that.
 
Lots of discussion about Paige. She grew up in a wrestling ring. She became a woman in a wrestling ring. Did she date Jerry Lawler or something?
 
Meanwhile, John Cena is Old. This angle is nothing until he’s offered a Legends Contract and is banned from appearing on RAW unless they need a Serious Person to tell Roman Reigns that Brock Lesnar is too tough for any one man.
 
THE USOS celebrate their father Rikishi going into the Hall of Fame this year. In particular, the prospect at seeing him for the 4th time in their lives has them almost giddy!
 
Sheamus Returns! Not now, but at some point.
 
Hosts MICHAEL COLE, JOHN “BRADSHAW” LAYFIELD, and JERRY LAWLER welcome us to the show.
 
THE MIZ and DAMIAN MIZDOW head down to fire up MizTV, but Mizdow steals the fans adulation and he’s banned to the corner as a result. Miz chose to skip the Oscars (Rock took his place apparently) in order to see the Daniel Bryan / Roman Reigns match. PAUL HEYMAN power walks to the ring, and is asked if Lesnar’s here tonight. To quell everyone’s fear, no, he’s not. Miz reminds us he once defended the belt successfully in a Wrestlemania main event (UGH), and asks if Lesnar’s concerned about Daniel Bryan seeing as how he defeated all of Evolution in last year’s show single-handedly. Heyman angrily asks why Mizdow is staring at him, and Miz berates him for acting like a child and forces him to face the corner for the rest of the interview. Heyman talks Roman Reigns, a savage warrior coming from the Island of Sam Hoa. Either way, no matter who wins, Lesnar leaves Mania with the belt.
 
And with that, the fireworks display kicks this baby off, on the Road to Wrestlemania. Your line for Sign Points is set at 5.5 wrestlers. Take the Over and don’t question it.
 
TEAM EXPLOITED COMMON BOND vs. LOS AUTHORITATOS (with J&J Security)
 
Cole takes us through the Exciting History that brought this match together 3 days ago. I will never understand why this company always takes the most convoluted ways to get to what they want. It’s easy: the Authority fired Team Exploited, they got their jobs back, and now it’s stompin’ time. Erick Rowan’s continued insistence in wearing the sheep mask is going to do him no favors, seeing as how it’s been like 6 months since he left Bray Wyatt. A new look might go a long way, otherwise he has no hope in doing anything but tread water as a heatless midcarder scheduled to be wished well in about 17 months. Speaking of Big Red, a pumphandle backbreaker on Rollins looks great, and gets 2. Korporate Kane is slammed with ease, and a big leg drop keeps Rowan in command. Kane powers him back to the corner, and turns over to Big Show, who beats down Erick like a frozen hunk of beef. Rowan gets dumped, but he clumsily shoves Show into the ringpost before missing a spin kick and injuring himself. Back in, Kane starts to stomp on Rowan’s leg, as we get our first glimpse at our SummerSlam 16 main event: Big Red vs. Big Red Machine. You won’t be laughing when it’s announced the show is being booked in Cincinnati. Show botches the Indian deathlock, so he stops that and goes for a Chokeslam. Rowan blocks with a DDT, but Show tags in Rollins to stop the momentum. A dropkick to Ziggle sends him sprawling, but Rowan fights him off and tags in Ryback. Ryback nails Rollins with the Dick to the Face, but misses a big splash. He dodges a Curbstomp, nails Kane with a meathook, but interference from J&J get a schoolboy from Rollins for 2! Superkick gets 2! A top rope Curbstomp misses again, and Ryback catches him coming off the top again with a Shellshock. Show dives in with a splash to stop him from getting a pin, as Ziggler is only now getting back to his feet after selling that dropkick for the last 48 minutes. He gets the latest hot tag, walking right into a Chokeslam from Kane – but he dances backwards and DDTs Kane for 2! The Fameasser is blocked with a sidewalk slam, but Ziggler escapes and nails a Superkick. Rollins takes the Fameasser now, and Kane faces the wrath of 4 punches before Show hits him with the KO punch behind the referee’s back. Kane gets the easy pin at 12:58. Post-match, Ziggler takes a Curbstomp anyway, and the other two get beaten down. Hot enough opener, but the babyfaces looked like total chumps, getting virtually no offense except for a couple of quick bursts of energy. I get that Rollins needs all the protection he can get, but Kane and Show? In 2015? **1/2
 
RANDY ORTON returns to chase off the heels since the other 3 are completely incapable. J&J take RKOs, but Rollins bails before he can pay his receipt for putting Orton out, firing up his Wrestlemania program.
 
DUSTY RHODES, mistaking this show for WCW Saturday Night, remains completely incomprehensible. Goldust reflects on going to see Dusty’s matches with Cody, when Cody was a kid. Cody was born in 1985, what matches were these? Dusty running around with Jim Duggan looking for Thweet Thapphire?
 
STARDUST vs. GOLDUST
 
JBL reflects on all the great brother battles from years back, and somehow having the gall to name Rick vs Scott Steiner. That’s just laziness, now you’re just naming known brothers, their matches were AWFUL. Goldust wears his solemn face tonight, while the fans root for “CODY” because they suck. Dustin’s been doing some of the best work of his life for the last 2 years, give the guy a break. Goldust goes for a piledriver, but Cody quickly reverses. Goldust falls backwards into a Curtain Call position, but Cody escapes and hits the floor. Cody tries a bulldog, but Goldust hangs on and turns it into a backbreaker. Cody takes a quick break, but comes back in for more abuse, getting set up for the Golden Globes. He escapes, so Goldust goes up instead but leaps right into a big boot. They brawl to the floor, where Cody drives Goldust into the ring apron kidneys first and rolls him back in. According to the announcers, Cody’s been wearing the makeup at home and genuinely believes he’s Stardust. Well shit, that sounds like a perfect opportunity for a series of vignettes, why haven’t these been produced? It’s easy character development. Cody stops working over Goldust long enough to ask the camera “who’s your favorite?” A rear bearhug is applied to work over the softened up ribs, as the fans try to rally Goldust. He tries a springboard elbow, but Cody sidesteps and Goldust eats canvas. Crossrhodes is blocked with a reversal, and Goldust somehow sneaks in a cheap pin at 8:57. Goldust looks like he’s going to cry, perhaps because he just had such a lousy match with his brother on pay-per-view. The pair shake hands, reluctantly, and the ghost of Dusty Rhodes lets out a sigh of relief in the back. Can we put them back together now? *1/2
 
After a quick vignette on Jon Stewart, Stardust attacks Goldust in front of Dusty. He blames daddy for killing Cody Rhodes, because he’s tired of living in his shadow. A superkick to Goldust’s head against Mr. Dressup’s Tickle Trunk is the cherry on top. Sad.
 
THE USOS (with Naomi) vs. CESARO and TYSON KIDD (with Nattie Neidhart) (for the WWE world tag-team titles)
 
This feud was set up when Jey Uso called Tyson Kidd an Initt Jackass on a date. With the girls, not with each other. For WWE dates, it was a long way from topping the Dean Malenko / Terri / Perry / Sherri quartet, but we can’t all top the comedy stylings of the former WCW cruiserweight champion. Cesaro chop blocks Jimmy and gives him a European uppercut. Kidd starts to work over the leg, and Cesaro smells what he’s cooking by stomping on it from the second rope. A one-legged swing is both vicious and creative, and Kidd comes off the top with a guillotine to the leg to add to the pain. An Indian deathlock is applied, but fails to yield a submission. Jimmy fights off Kidd for a second, long enough to get the hot tag to Jey who hits Cesaro with a Samoan drop. Enzuigiri has Cesaro seeing stars which fail to include himself because he’s too Swiss, and Jey gets 2. He comes back with a superplex, and Kidd comes off the top with an elbow getting a near pinfall. A Sharpshooter attempt is shoved off, and a monkey flip is blocked, getting Jimmy involved again. An assisted Samoan drop is only saved by Cesaro, and all hell breaks loose. Uso takes Kidd off the apron in position for a Samoan drop, but he stumbles backwards and both guys crash hard into the security wall! Nice looking spot. Jimmy recovers first and heads in with the Superfly Splash on Kidd, but Tyson lifts the knees and gets 2. Shaprshooter is applied dead centre of the ring, but Jey stops it with a superkick! Cesaro brawls with Jey, taking them both down to the floor, as Jimmy rolls over and gets 2. The fans start an overused “THIS IS AWESOME” chant. Come on guys, that used to be saved for four star matches or better. Somewhere in the mess of this, Kidd comes back in and hits the Roll of the Dice to score the win and claim the tag-team titles at 9:36. Kidd and Nattie swap spit, and then in tribute to her father, she tugs on her beard. ***
 
TRIPLE H makes his way down to the ring for his confrontation with The Vigilante Sting, and he’s serious because he’s hauled out an old t-shirt, the leather jacket, and spits water all over himself. He brings up his conversation with “two time hall of famer Ric Flair”. I love that we’re keeping count now, and quietly thank god that Russo’s not around to inflate that total. “13-time Hall of Famer John Cena might be over the hill, but he’s still got heart Maggle!” STING and his Horrible Theme Music makes his way out. One passionate fan tries leading a “WCW” chant, and to quash all rumors; no, it’s not me. Triple H reminds us that Sting backed the wrong horse by sticking with WCW, and that his legacy was putting Sting’s legacy out of business. After all, failure is what Sting is all about. Still, Triple H offers him a chance to win his legacy back, if they can do a little biznezz. He offers him spotlight on the WWE Network, DVDs, merchandise, wrestling figures, making him bigger than he’s ever been before. In fact, he might even put Sting in the Hall of Fame someday if he plays his cards right. But if he continues to show Triple H disrespect, he’ll erase him from history like that Chris Benoit guy. Before Sting can answer, Triple H tries a cheapshot, but Sting fights him off … for like 2 seconds, before Triple H takes over and beats him into the mat. “I GAVE YOU A CHANCE!” Now, since we’re playing Retroactive Triple H tonight, it should come as no surprise he’s got a sledgehammer hidden under the ring. Of course, he didn’t take into account that Sting’s always got a black bat nearby, and it’s pointed at Hunter’s throat. The sledge is dropped, and takes a number of fantastic bounces for an allegedly heavy metal object. The bat is moved from the chin, and towards the Wrestlemania sign. As he walks away, Triple H charges, but Sting’s got the peripheral vision of a Bumble Bee and cracks Helmsley in the ribs. Then, a Scorpion Deathdrop because that’s how we do. I really, really, really want to be excited for this, but I’m not feeling it. It just seems at LEAST 5 years too late (and probably closer to 10), and with the wrong guy. If anything, this just seems more about Triple H’s legacy, than Sting’s.
 
PAIGE (with clothes) vs. NIKKI BELLA (with Brie Bella) (for the WWE divas title)
 
Nikki takes Paige to the floor where she tosses the challenger into the security wall. Back in, a double leg slam gets 1 (or 2, if you’re Michael Cole). Paige hits a dropkick, but can’t capitalize because a stomp is blocked with a schoolboy for 2. Paige tries to go for her finisher, but Nikki fights out, so Paige is forced to hit a superkick instead for 2. They slowly make their way to the top, and Nikki comes out ahead with a sunset flip into a running powerbomb for 2. Paige recovers and puts on a PTO, but Nikki makes the ropes to break. A handful of tights from Nikki a second later gets the pin, and Bella continues her reign at 5:34. I don’t pay a lot of attention to the divas typically speaking, but Nikki seems to have come along a bit in the last few months. She’s still not great, and Paige has yet to back up any of the hype, but this was ok. *
 
BREAKING NEWS: Triple H and Sting has been signed. “It’s hard to believe that the two icons of the two respective companies …” Triple H, the WWE Icon.
 
DEAN AMBROSE vs. WADE BARRETT (for the WWE intercontinental title)
 
Barrett comes out with the aggression early, hitting Ambrose with those ham hocks, but Ambrose comes back and knocks Barrett to the floor. Back in, Ambrose nails the People’s Elbow for 2. Dean jumps to the top rope, but Barrett knocks him right off and to the floor with a boot to the face (getting some quality height!). Dean is slammed into the ring steps, and back in Barrett hits another boot to the face. Ambrose’s eyes roll as Barrett drives him into the ring, but he refuses to be tossed back in and clotheslines the champ. Barrett gives chase, walking right into a tornado DDT, and both guys get some air. Barrett tries to block a bulldog, but succumbs to the move, and an inside cradle gets 2. Barrett goes low and tries to go off the ropes, but Ambrose is right behind him and knees him in the midsection. Savage elbow off the top (onto a standing Barrett – hah!) gets 2. Barrett nails a mule kick, and follows with Wasteland for 2. Ambrose’s tongue takes on a life of its own as Barrett preps the Bullhammer. Dean ducks the move, and nails a violent clothesline that’d make JBL cringe. Barrett figures that’s about all he’s prepared to deal with, grabbing his belt and calling it a night, but Ambrose stops him on the way by with tope suicida! Barrett tries the crowd next, but Ambrose grabs him and introduces his face to the ring steps. Ambrose stomps on Barrett’s face in the corner, and the referee asks him to stop. Dean refuses, and the referee DQ’s him at 8:02?!?!? What … the … fuck? How many more ways are they gonna screw over Ambrose? They had, about 6 months ago, their next big star, and they have done everything in their power to slow and neuter his progress. It feels like Nick Patrick has been assigned to every one of his matches; except they are allegedly playing it straight. I just … this company man! Ambrose, thankfully, redeems the finish a little by stealing the belt. I’m HOPING this leads to a ladder match at Mania for possession of the gold, but we’ll see. **
 
THE DRUIDS make their yearly February appearance, and the gong hits – but I’ve gotta assume we’re looking at Bray Wyatt playing games here, as given away by JBL immediately screaming that the Undertaker is here. Sure enough, popping out of a casket is BRAY WYATT to a pretty good response. He remembers fearing the Undertaker when he was young, but he’s weak and broken now, a shell of his former self. He calls for the Undertaker to hear him, because he doesn’t fear him. He is the new Face of Fear (LOVE IT), and he vows to claim the soul of the Undertaker at Wrestlemania. And, with that, he lies back in the coffin and returns to the darkness. HELL … YES. This is the polar opposite of Sting / Triple H – Wyatt is easily the best mid-card guy ready to burst, and he’s targeting the right guy for the right reasons. Take ALL the rub from this that you can, Bray, and make yourself a star.
 
RUSEV (with Katy Perry) vs. JOHN CENA (for the WWE United States heavyweight title)
 
Will a xenophobia angle put Cena back in the good graces of the fans? Of course, it’s the easiest trick in the book, and I can’t believe they haven’t spent the last few years feeding him evil foreigners. Is Muhammad Hassan available? He’s already a jihadist, a quick jump to ISIS shouldn’t be an issue. Of course, the heroes’ response lasts until the bell rings, when the fans dive into their usual “LET’S GO CENA / CENA SUCKS” routine, but it took longer than usual. Cena attacks first, but gets a knee to the face for his effort and Rusev gets 2. A spinning heel kick misses by 8 feet, but Cena’s a pro and sells it for 2. The announcers point out that Rusev has pinned 6 former WWE champions, but one of those is Jack Swagger and shouldn’t count. Cena finds himself on the ring apron, where a hearty shove sends him crashing into the security wall. Back in, Cena surprises Rusev with a dropkick, but Rusev returns the favor with a much better dropkick for 2. A crossbody block is caught, and Rusev hits the fallaway slam for 2. Cena crawls to his feet, and Rusev stands there allowing it to happen, giving Cena a chance to start teeing off on his kidneys. Still, Rusev quickly turns it around and we find Cena locked in a cobra clutch. Cena suplexes loose and hits a clothesline for 2. The FU is countered with a DDT, but Cena won’t stay down. A Stinger splash doesn’t get the job done, and Rusev starts showing frustration. Cena starts in with a series of shoulderblocks, and the 5 Knuckle Shuffle sets up the FU, but Rusev escapes again and hits a superkick for 2. An STFU is countered with the Bossman Slam, and Rusev starts stomping around like an angry bull. A charge in the corner is blocked with the knees, and Cena comes off the second rope with a DDT for 2. Both guys start duking it out in the middle of the ring, and Cena goes for the FU for a 3rd time, but Rusev uses the ropes to escape again, so Cena turns to the STFU, dead centre of the ring. Rusev refuses to tap, breaking the hold with brute force, and he slams Cena for 2. Rusev, desperate, starts dropping elbows, and goes for the stomp to set up the Accolade, but Cena blocks and applies the STFU again. Rusev makes the ropes, but not without giving up a world of energy, and he looks completely shot. Still, he charges, but Cena goes for the FU for a 4th time, but AGAIN Rusev gets loose. A kick is dodged, and the 5th attempt FINALLY hits, but Rusev kicks out! A closeup reveals some incredibly chapped lips on the Bulgarian Brute, and I’d encourage the producers not to do that again. Cena comes off the top, but he’s stopped and Rusev locks on the Accolade. Cena fights like hell, turning various shades of purple in the process, but every time he seems to get the grip broken, Rusev re-applies it even harder. Finally, in a last ditch burst of power, Cena powers to his feet, so Lana gets in the ring and Rusev kicks him in the nuts as hard as he can! Accolade is re-applied, and he ain’t going anywhere this time, passing out at 18:42. Perfect, it sets up the all American comeback at Wrestlemania, and the fans get their feel good moment in seeing the hero conquer the unbeatable badass. A shame Lesnar’s not hanging around, because there would be an argument to keeping him undefeated and rolling them out for SummerSlam. ***
 
ROMAN REIGNS vs. DANIEL BRYAN (for the WWE title shot at Wrestlemania)
 
Lawler: “Has there ever been more riding on a single match than this guys?” I don’t even know how to respond to that appropriately. This announce crew has been Mark Madden levels of bad for months now. The crowd, unbelievably, is split between Daniel Bryan and Roman Reigns. I’m impressed. Daniel works a headlock, and it takes a number of kidney punches to fight loose. Bryan tries a drop toe hold, but a surfboard is blocked with a quick leg flip. A tilt-a-whirl slam puts Reigns in charge for the first time, and Bryan is clotheslined to the outside. Back in, Bryan kicks Reigns in the hamstrings, and the Indian deathlock is whipped out for an impressive 3rd time tonight. Reigns gets loose by punching Bryan in the face repeatedly, and a hot shot sets up a Samoan drop. Reigns charges in with a spear, but Bryan sidesteps and delivers a drop toe hold on to the buckle. Bryan rears back and charges, and nearly has his head taken off with the forearm shot to the face that’s delivered. Roman starts talking to his fist, setting up the Superman punch, but Bryan stops it with a kick to the ribs. Daniel refuses to let up, kicking away at the herniated area, and follows with a bunch of double leg dropkicks in the corner. He puts Roman on the top rope and tries for a super rana, but Reigns counters with a superbomb for 2. Reigns heads up, but Bryan crotches him and hits a superplex for 2. The fans are completely heatless for every single nearfall so far, and the wind is being sapped out of this place REALLY quickly. Bryan applies the YesLock, but Reigns quickly makes the ropes and hits the floor for a break. Reigns catches Bryan coming off tope suicida, and goes to boot him in the face by the ringsteps, but Bryan sidesteps and Reigns crashes in. Reigns barely beats the 10-count, and Bryan goes for the Flying Goat, but it’s stopped with a punch to the face and Reigns gets 2. Roman goes for the spear, but it’s countered by a cradle for 2. Bryan starts a YES chant to get the fans back into this, hits the flying knee, and as Cole screams “DANIEL BRYAN IS GOING TO WRESTLEMANIA”, you can feel the kickout at 2. The fans wake up now, starting a “THIS IS AWESOME” chant for god knows WHAT reason, because this has been anything but. Daniel kicks away at Roman, but the big kick is blocked, so Bryan bitchslaps Reigns and puts on the YesLock. Reigns looks up at the Wrestlemania sign, and it gives him a newfound inspiration to fight loose, and he immediately delivers a violent ground and pound assault on the former champion. Bryan applies an armbar desperately, but Reigns fights up and powerbombs him off. Bryan kicks his way to his feet, and a big spin kick knocks Reigns into next week. The Running Knee is blocked by a Spear, and Roman wins it clean as a whistle for the second month in a row at 20:15. Bryan tells Reigns he was the better man, and shakes his hand to a mixed reaction. **
 
Sorry Bryan fans, no more outs. Reigns has effectively wiped the floor with all the top challengers, and whether you like it or not, he’s main eventing Mania because Vince has decreed it so. Where this takes Daniel is anyone’s guess, but he’ll likely be shuffled into one of the backup plans of Sheamus or Ziggler; neither of whom has any momentum right now.
 
Look, as much as I want to join the bandwagon of declaring Reigns a disaster, I’ll give them credit for picking a new star and refusing to give up on the push after a slow start – because it’s pretty much the polar opposite of what they’ve done with everyone else for years now. The only way we’re going to get anything going is to start making some choices and running with it, and while there are probably a number of far more popular choices in Ziggler, Wyatt, or Ambrose, they could do a whole lot worse than Roman Reigns. Worst case, he tanks and is forced into a heel turn which might be the best thing for him anyway.
 
That aside, this show wasn’t particularly good, and we’re not looking at a promising Wrestlemania right now. 5 weeks is enough time to fix matters some, so we’ll see if they’re able to make lemonade and tighten the card up into something a little more palatable.




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Since: 9.12.01
From: ミネアポリス

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#2 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.11
The problem with a free show is sometimes - usually - you end up getting what you paid for.



It's False
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Since: 20.6.02
From: I am the Tag Team Champions!

Since last post: 2190 days
Last activity: 572 days
#3 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.59
If the outcome of this show highlighted anything to me (other than, they really, really, REALLY do not want Daniel Bryan anywhere near the world title scene), it's that the problem is, and always has been, the Booking of Roman Reigns and not the Performance of Roman Reigns. This is actually Reigns' best match ever and he held his own with Bryan just fine. More than anything, it gave him some valuable main event experience, because at least now he'll know how to pace himself, how to call the match, etc. etc. etc. The challenge now is that Reigns is going to expect to carry Brock Lesnar, who doesn't have much in him besides German Suplex x1000 (which, to be fair, always looks damn impressive), so that match has trainwreck potential. But to sum up, I don't feel as bad about Roman Reigns in the main event today as I did 30 days ago. And that's...some sort of victory, I guess. Unfortunately, getting here meant sacrificing Daniel Bryan, once and for all, and at the end of the day, that's a tragedy.

They're playing the Cena/Rusev angle perfectly. I thought for sure this had schmozz written all over it, but giving Rusev the clean win to pave the way for the Rocky IV ending is brilliant.

Points to Dean Ambrose for the pre-match promos trying to bring a sense of importance to the belt. Those points get taken away, and then some, for the horrific booking of the actual match.

I wouldn't call it reaching for the brass ring, but at least Cesaro has a title. And he just keeps getting better, too. A half-crab swing is just bonkers good!

So your Wrestlemania card:

WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns
Triple H vs. Sting
The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt
WWE United States Heavyweight Championship: Rusev vs. John Cena
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Bad News Barrett vs. Dean Ambrose (Ladder match?)

I think cfgb nailed it with the Triple H/Sting match being a lot more about Hunter wanting to nail his legacy than anything with Sting. There is no way that match doesn't end up being an absolute car wreck, especially since I can't remember any time in the last 10 years (outside of maybe a match with Austin Aries) where Sting has had a good match... or even a match that's gone past 10 minutes. And knowing Hunter, he's going to want this thing for at least 20-25. Get your helmets for this one, because it's going to hurt. Big time!

And how bad do they wish they had a mulligan on the Streak right about now? If Bray beats Undertaker last year, they have a star for life and a perpetual main eventer for the next ten years. If Bray beats Undertaker this year, he beats a crippled old guy that can barely move anymore and probably shouldn't even be wrestling at this point. Meanwhile, the guy that DID break the Streak is probably going to be in a UFC Octagon in about six months. Oof!

(edited by It's False on 22.2.15 2035)

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Since: 14.6.13
From: Baton Rouge, LA

Since last post: 2560 days
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#4 Posted on | Instant Rating: 8.21
    Originally posted by cfgb
    5 weeks is enough time to fix matters some, so we’ll see if they’re able to make lemonade and tighten the card up into something a little more palatable.



It will be very hard at this point to make real lemonade out of this top half of the card (final 2 hours or so?):

Lesnar/Reigns
HHH/Sting
Wyatt/Undertaker
Cena/Rusev

Of those 4 matches, the one that actually seems like it can live up to the quality of a Wrestlemania main event is Cena/Rusev, and that's for the US Title. Try to wrap your head around a 30 minute Roman Reigns match with Brock having to carry and lead it.

And I am really hoping that Undertaker just gets one last decent match here. That concussion match with Brock really is not fun to watch knowing now why it was such a mess.

This is going to be a Wrestlemania worth paying $9.99/month for. I doubt I'd be plopping down the $60 PPV cost.



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Since: 2.1.02

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#5 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.53
They've got balls. I admire their decision even if I don't totally agree with it. It will be interesting to see how WrestleMania is laid out because there are a lot of shakey matches on the card.

I'm totally in on the idea of Bray-Undertaker and totally out on Sting-Helmsley, but they could both end up being good. Hopefully one of two delivers.

I don't like Cena losing with the help of shenanigans. Rusev could have taken that clean since Cena will be getting the win on the card that matters. This was my favorite match of the night and might be the only sure thing at Mania.

Reigns was good, so was Bryan. Too bad it felt like it was an empty arena match for most of it.

The rest of the show was blah to bad. Where is Luke Harper? I guess he is doing better than Ambrose though. The NXT show was better again.

Blind_Guardian
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Since: 30.12.13

Since last post: 2758 days
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#6 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.29
I have to chuckle at how people were claiming this looked like a great card on paper, and could be one of the sleeper hits of the year. Yeah, not so much. Since the Network's free this month, I went ahead and watched, even though my stream was absolutely horrendous. I was literally watching that 20-minute main event from 9:55 to 11:00, and 20 minutes of that was waiting for the entrances to buffer, run for 10 seconds, buffer for another five minutes, run for 5 seconds, buffer ...

I always run into this problem during the Main Event ... it happened during Survivor Series when I tried to watch that live, and it happened here again. I think some people only tune in for the last 30 minutes of the PPV so they can catch the main event, because the stream really goes to hell every time.

Well, my predictions were 0/6 ... Ambrose lost, Paige lost, Stardust lost, Bryan lost, Usos lost, and even Cena lost (I figured he'd win by DQ, so he was protected while letting Rusev remain semi-undefeated). The tag team match was easily the match of the night, and it's good to see Cesaro finally get a belt. Reigns vs Bryan was pretty awesome too, carried mostly by Bryan's incredible talents but Reigns was able to at least keep up. I was disappointed in the finish, but what can you do (other than cancel the Network). The Divas match was going better than it had any right to be, then an abrupt cheaty-faced ending that left me highly unsatisfied. Ah well, both of the girls looked good (in more ways than one), especially Nikki in those shorts, and that's all VKM really cares about.

I'll probably watch Rusev/Cena tomorrow when there's less traffic on the Network ... by the time I finished Wyatt's promo (which took about 15 minutes to finish playing, the way my stream kept fucking up), I was ready to just skip to the main event and say to hell with Cena.

I may decide to keep the Network for Wrestlemania, but they'll probably just give it away again for April, so I may just wait. Especially since if the live stream was this bad for a throwaway PPV, I can only imagine how much lag I'll be experiencing for WRESTLEMANIA.
JustinShapiro
Scrapple
Moderator








Since: 12.12.01

Since last post: 1755 days
Last activity: 1407 days
#7 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.05
First CM Punk this time last year and now Daniel Bryan, ya fuckin blew it again, Meltzer. The Lords of Pain crowd will have your ass.

Yeah bros, Roman Reigns definitely collectively speared Daniel Bryan and all his fans and won them all onto his side and should be fine going forward. Definitely worth undercutting his own Rumble win while selling out the character of the biggest pure babyface in the company.

    Originally posted by It's False
    The challenge now is that Reigns is going to expect to carry Brock Lesnar, who doesn't have much in him besides German Suplex x1000


It's the other way around. Lesnar + creative agenting is going to have to put together a Mania worthy main event. Lesnar always works hard but doesn't have the same wrestling mind and professional pride for puzzle-cracking as Bryan does. And the agenting, match layouts, and finishes in the company are at an all-time low.

That said, I was impressed by the finish for Cena/Rusev though, a few weeks ago I remember a lot of us said that Rusev by Accolade was the ideal but unlikely finish.

Ziggler going down to Kane all but ensures to me that we're back to the Bryan/Sheamus odyssey. Even 6th from the top, with the nature of the storyline they're almost obligated to give them time, right? Unless of course Bryan wins in 18 seconds.

Clappin' Randy

Mania sux and wrestling sux and I'm wasting my life but I'm very happy for Cesaro and Tyson Kidd.
lotjx
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Since: 5.9.08

Since last post: 1672 days
Last activity: 1511 days
#8 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.36
Let me take those lemons and throw them in the trash where they belong. WWE has built Mania up that Mania sells Mania. Here is the problem, Mania is $10 this year. Anyone paying full price for Mania this year of 2015 is a fool. And should be treated as such.

Bryan losing clean pretty much ends the Yes Movement for the foreseeable future, because Vince has his new Rock. Who can't cut promos like Rock and needs to be carried to some degree. He also has zero momentum going into a match where we will bury the bar so low that both of them making out of the match alive will be this perverse win. I honestly have no idea how they are going to keep people in their seats for the main event. I also don't know how they are going to get people excited for any of this.

Most of the matches will be re-matches to some degree with Cena/Rusev, the tag belts and Ambrose/Barrett. Rollins/Orton even with John Stewart will be in the mid-card. Sting/HHH. Again we will bury the bar low and be happy Sting isn't in a wheelchair at the end of the night. Taker at Manis is almost meaningless. Ziggler/Bryan will open the show or we get Bryan/Sheamus with Sheamus going over to troll the fans. Because not getting the fans what they want is what is best for business.



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Now reviewing Better Call Saul and a ton of superhero TV shows.
thecubsfan
Scrapple
Moderator








Since: 10.12.01
From: Aurora, IL

Since last post: 938 days
Last activity: 318 days
#9 Posted on | Instant Rating: 9.42
    Originally posted by Horsemen4ever
    the quality of a Wrestlemania main event is Cena/Rusev, and that's for the US Title.


Spoiler: Cena's going to win so somehow it's not going to be for the US title.

Maybe the payoff to all the "old/near the end" talk is Cena put his career on the line for another match? Not a single person would believe it, so it fits.



thecubsfan.com - luchablog
HMD
Andouille








Since: 8.6.02
From: Canada

Since last post: 2532 days
Last activity: 2532 days
#10 Posted on | Instant Rating: 7.74

Major Takeaways:
Opener was odd. Usually the opener is designed to kick the show off on a strong note. This six man was laid out very strangely. The largest man on the good guy squad played the face in peril. Then Ziggler tried to play the face in peril from the apron. Dolph's DDT on Kane was ugly as hell. Has Kane ever been able to take a DDT properly? Then the finish put heat on Show instead of Rollins. Just weird. Obviously it was setting up the Orton run-in but it all felt very disjointed.

What the Dust-Up and the tag-title match both had in common is that they warranted better reactions than they got from the Memphis crowd. All those guys worked hard.

Cena/Rusev was good for what it was. Rusev remained strong. When Cena wins the rematch at Mania, I do wonder what becomes of Rusev. Would take serious shine off him.

Main event was great. Best thing Reigns has ever been near, and he more than held his end up. Only problem is he won't be working with Danielson every night. Best thing about this match for me is that it didn't feel like a WWE "main event style". Wonder how much input Bryan had. It had a seeming almost more Japanese in its layout, yet at the same time reminded me of one of the Diesel/Bret bouts where Bret worked as the heel without actually turning. Think it was Rumble '95. Regardless, they're doubling down on Reigns. Truth be told, he's not Boo-Tista, has nowhere near the level of disdain and was booked well for a very long time. Him beating Brock won't be anywhere near what they'd like it to be, but I don't see it being an absolute disaster either. But I've been wrong before.





Quiet, Or Papa Spank!
Big Bad
Scrapple








Since: 4.1.02
From: Dorchester, Ontario

Since last post: 1918 days
Last activity: 1486 days
#11 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.83
    Originally posted by It's False
    And how bad do they wish they had a mulligan on the Streak right about now? If Bray beats Undertaker last year, they have a star for life and a perpetual main eventer for the next ten years. If Bray beats Undertaker this year, he beats a crippled old guy that can barely move anymore and probably shouldn't even be wrestling at this point. Meanwhile, the guy that DID break the Streak is probably going to be in a UFC Octagon in about six months. Oof!


No kidding. The only 'finishing touch' Bray could do to Undertaker at this point would be to make him tap out, yet Bray doesn't have a signature submission hold. Hindsight being 20-20, last year's two big Mania semi-mains should've been switched....Lesnar/Cena get their rematch at WM30 while Taker loses the Streak to Wyatt.

Though really, the problem last year was that the decision for Taker to lose came quite late, when UT was having injury problems and just couldn't get in his usual once-a-year game shape for Mania. If Taker's physical condition was at all in question, then he probably shouldn't have been wrestling in the first place, or if he HAD to wrestle, he should've been booked against someone who was a more logical 'streak-ender' than Lesnar.



"They showed Kazarian talking on his cell phone. Tenay said that was a sign of disrespect. West suggested that perhaps Kazarian was phoning in the moves to someone who is going to help him prepare to face one of these wrestlers. That's one of the worst guesses in history for why someone is on the phone."

-- Wade Keller, 5/12/2004
Damocles
Braunschweiger








Since: 15.2.15

Since last post: 3276 days
Last activity: 3259 days
#12 Posted on | Instant Rating: 8.00
All of the eye rolling aside, I patently do not understand the logic of the WWE creative team here.

I'm a big fan of shoot interviews and the Legends of Wrestling roundtable and that sort of media. Within them, I look to try and see the logic in what the WWE has done in the past and attempt to predict how they think. I have never believed that their mindset was as simple as some on the internet have made out and these are intelligent and experienced wrestling minds who MUST have an internal logic to their decisions.

This was the first time that I have ever challenged that assumption. I suppose one of the issues is that I've just bought and watched KC's Guest Booker with Bruce Pritchard where the insanity is laid bare and attempted justification.

With the Rumble last year, I could see that it was possibly a work to further interest in the character of Bryan as "held down by the company" which is where his heat was coming from at least partially. With the Rumble this year, you could argue that they weren't really sure if Bryan was going to be quite as over as he started to fade a little post-WM and it was worth slotting Reigns in.

The decision to book Reigns as the winner is something that I cannot find an excuse for. Post Rumble it was pretty obvious where the crowd was going and who they wanted in the Main Event. One of the common WWE-isms from their staff is that wrestling is not a complicated business as you essentially listen to the crowd, find what they want and book it. There have been numerous occasions when you could challenge that in past sure, but this feels different.

The Main Event of Wrestlemania is going to take place with a guy who the fans have been booing for three months against a badass who is leaving soon. Lesnar will almost certainly be the babyface in that match, the amount of resentment that is building up on social media and in the crowds towards Reigns has surprised even me.

The crowd have picked which one they want. They did it loud and clear at the Rumble and even if you write this off as a Philly thing, they did it pretty loud and clear in Memphis.

I have no idea what they are hoping to achieve here. The crowd doesn't want what they are selling; it feels like they are actively sabotaging Reigns and will force to heel turn him in the future. The only possibility I can come up with is that they want Reigns-Bryan to be their next 6 months of matches with Reigns as a heel. Hulk Hogan couldn't turn Bryan heel at this point, the audience has made a proper emotional investment in him rather than the Pavlovian response many on the roster garner.

I don't get it.
wannaberockstar
Frankfurter








Since: 7.3.02

Since last post: 2726 days
Last activity: 189 days
#13 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.18
Honestly, I like Daniel Bryan but some of his fans are just plain being absurd. Do you not realise that he was in the main event last year at Wrestlemania and won the freaking world title yet you at like it's a freaking slight against him and everybody is holding him down or something. It's pretty f***ing disrespectful to both Daniel and Reigns...

Add for the rest of the card, it was pretty good. Amazingly that Cena/Rusov match made the US title seem so important. I feel like the Bryan/Reigns match should have gone on before because the crowd was spent from it.

(edited by wannaberockstar on 23.2.15 0521)
Tenken347
Knackwurst








Since: 27.2.03
From: Parts Unknown

Since last post: 32 days
Last activity: 19 hours
#14 Posted on | Instant Rating: 5.12
I'm just happy that like four weeks ago they realized they were destroying Roman Reigns, and instead of doubling down on their booking of him (which is their default reaction), they actually realized the problem and just had him go back to doing the stuff that got him over in the first place. I'm definitely in the minority on this one, but I'd actually rather see Reigns win at WM, and funnel the whole thing into a title match with Bryan over the summer at SummerSlam or Money in the Bank.

The problem is, as many have noted, that right now they have Small Plans for Daniel Bryan, the most over guy on their entire roster. I don't constantly need him in the title picture, but there's absolutely nothing for him right now. Rollins? Taken. Cena? Taken. Bray Wyatt? Inexplicably taken, I guess. The only guy on the roster right now that he's got any history or heat with is (ugh)Kane(again), or the returning Sheamus, which actually probably is the best option here, but don't ask me to get excited about it.

As for that whole thing with Bray Wyatt and the Undertaker, now that the Streak's broken, I just don't see the point. There's no real value in beating a guy who only wrestles once a year, and absolutely no value in putting over a guy who only wrestles once a year. I could see sending UT off with a better match than last year, but you'd need a guy (like Cena) who wouldn't be damaged by the loss. They never should have ended the Streak.
JimBob Skeeter
Bierwurst








Since: 2.1.02
From: MN

Since last post: 1669 days
Last activity: 1628 days
#15 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.49
    Originally posted by wannaberockstar
    Honestly, I like Daniel Bryan but some of his fans are just plain being absurd. Do you not realise that he was in the main event last year at Wrestlemania and won the freaking world title yet you at like it's a freaking slight against him and everybody is holding him down or something. It's pretty f***ing disrespectful to both Daniel and Reigns...

    (edited by wannaberockstar on 23.2.15 0521)


I don't speak for the reest of the DB fans out there, but I'm pretty pissed that Bryan hasn't got his Title re-match that he deserves.

I would like to officially start the "Screw You Vince!" chants during the WMME. Let's see how he responds to that.
wannaberockstar
Frankfurter








Since: 7.3.02

Since last post: 2726 days
Last activity: 189 days
#16 Posted on | Instant Rating: 4.18
    Originally posted by JimBob Skeeter
      Originally posted by wannaberockstar
      Honestly, I like Daniel Bryan but some of his fans are just plain being absurd. Do you not realise that he was in the main event last year at Wrestlemania and won the freaking world title yet you at like it's a freaking slight against him and everybody is holding him down or something. It's pretty f***ing disrespectful to both Daniel and Reigns...

      (edited by wannaberockstar on 23.2.15 0521)


    I don't speak for the reest of the DB fans out there, but I'm pretty pissed that Bryan hasn't got his Title re-match that he deserves.

    I would like to officially start the "Screw You Vince!" chants during the WMME. Let's see how he responds to that.


What is "deserves"? You realise that pro wrestling is predetermined in the name of entertainment, right? That's like saying to Hollywood that you're angry that T-1000 hasn't gotten the sequel that he deserves.
PowerPB13
Sujuk








Since: 25.4.02
From: Belleville, IL USA

Since last post: 723 days
Last activity: 500 days
#17 Posted on | Instant Rating: 3.32
In contrast to the Rumble, I had no realistic expectations of Bryan winning so there was no real disappointment here. Oh well.



-PB

Nobody here but me and my friend Mark
JimBob Skeeter
Bierwurst








Since: 2.1.02
From: MN

Since last post: 1669 days
Last activity: 1628 days
#18 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.49
    Originally posted by wannaberockstar
      Originally posted by JimBob Skeeter
        Originally posted by wannaberockstar
        Honestly, I like Daniel Bryan but some of his fans are just plain being absurd. Do you not realise that he was in the main event last year at Wrestlemania and won the freaking world title yet you at like it's a freaking slight against him and everybody is holding him down or something. It's pretty f***ing disrespectful to both Daniel and Reigns...

        (edited by wannaberockstar on 23.2.15 0521)


      I don't speak for the reest of the DB fans out there, but I'm pretty pissed that Bryan hasn't got his Title re-match that he deserves.

      I would like to officially start the "Screw You Vince!" chants during the WMME. Let's see how he responds to that.


    What is "deserves"? You realise that pro wrestling is predetermined in the name of entertainment, right? That's like saying to Hollywood that you're angry that T-1000 hasn't gotten the sequel that he deserves.


HHH even said that Bryan is due a re-match, because he never lost the title. Hence: "deserves".
Stefonics
Frankfurter








Since: 17.3.02
From: New Jerusalem

Since last post: 2386 days
Last activity: 252 days
#19 Posted on | Instant Rating: 6.19
    Originally posted by JimBob Skeeter
      Originally posted by wannaberockstar
        Originally posted by JimBob Skeeter
          Originally posted by wannaberockstar
          Honestly, I like Daniel Bryan but some of his fans are just plain being absurd. Do you not realise that he was in the main event last year at Wrestlemania and won the freaking world title yet you at like it's a freaking slight against him and everybody is holding him down or something. It's pretty f***ing disrespectful to both Daniel and Reigns...

          (edited by wannaberockstar on 23.2.15 0521)


        I don't speak for the reest of the DB fans out there, but I'm pretty pissed that Bryan hasn't got his Title re-match that he deserves.

        I would like to officially start the "Screw You Vince!" chants during the WMME. Let's see how he responds to that.


      What is "deserves"? You realise that pro wrestling is predetermined in the name of entertainment, right? That's like saying to Hollywood that you're angry that T-1000 hasn't gotten the sequel that he deserves.


    HHH even said that Bryan is due a re-match, because he never lost the title. Hence: "deserves".


And I hope he gets it. After WrestleMania. With a champion who can actually defend the championship more than once every 3 months (give or take). And, not for nothing, Bryan can be the most over guy in history but with the way they built Lesnar combined with his size and look, I can't think of a a believable way, without help/shenanigans, that leads to Bryan tapping or pinning Lesnar in the center of the ring.
lotjx
Scrapple








Since: 5.9.08

Since last post: 1672 days
Last activity: 1511 days
#20 Posted on | Instant Rating: 1.36
The sad part is I believe in Bryan beating Brock more so than Reigns. Reigns slept walk through Mania and got lucky last night in beating Bryan. They have done nothing to make me believe Reigns can do enough damage to Brock to beat him as well as sustain the damage Brock brings. They have also made Brock into a Superman/Hulk character after Mania to their own determent. Bryan is really the one person on the roster, I can see beating Brock. Rollins had his chance and blew it.



http://comicbookspotlight.wordpress.com/













Now reviewing Better Call Saul and a ton of superhero TV shows.
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I think the story is interesting as well. I certainly see them team up one more time against a jobber team (probably face as well, Funaki anyone). London convinces Kidman to do the SSP, Kidman does it and "knocks out" his opponent...
- Net Hack Slasher, Kidman versus London (2004)
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