Matt D

Also, and I said this earlier. To me, it didn't look like Taker ate the G2S. it looked like Punk couldn't hit it right and Taker either blocked it or took it on the chest/stomach. Then bounced off the ropes. It was visually distinct and significant and that's why it didn't hurt the match for me. I've seen the spot 3-4 times now and I still take that away from it.

The problem this year is that it didn't feel like that much of a spectacle either. A couple of entrances (way down from usual), UT/Punk, and the crowd reaction to Daniel Bryan post match.

Your computer sides with me. Just call it "Shaska"

To be fair I did miss the opener, but that show was dreadful. I mean, it might have been fine for something else, but it was a terrible Mania. A few fun six minute sprints. Rock vs Cena felt like weird performance art to me, not a wrestling match. I don't see how that was even close to good. It was like the last five minutes of a normal WWE main event match but for 25 minutes. I didn't find Escalating Reversals to be a particularly sound narrative. As for the rest, I like the entrances. I like the backstage BS where Mean Gene shows up in some goofy situation. I like guys getting to talk backstage at Mania to prep for a match over really well produced video packages. It makes things feel special. We see video packages all the time. I like the spectacle of it and I didn't get any of that here. And of what I got instead, none of it felt particularly worth it. Even then, if this thing existed in a vacuum it'd be okay. But the idea that they're going to continue from it tomorrow? With a bunch of rematches and a few shifts here or there due to the part timers? Ouch Edit: To also be fair, part of the problem wasn't the show but the card. Someone just asked me what single result I'd change in order to improve things, and with the way they laid it out and built it up, there's not a hell of a lot to be done there. That said, the show only partially helped and in some ways very much hurt.

Can we close this note before Johnny gets home from the bar or whatever? Let's all just move on before he ruins our night more?

You know those assholes who get pissy when things happen logically and they're not swerved? I think I'm with them this once, because logic was pretty damn painful tonight.

Cena's confused look was stretch armstrong levels of grotesque.

This match is like a video game match with the reversals without substance. Also, it feels awfully early for them to be doing some of this stuff.

Poor Tensai.

Heyman's great on the outside. Michaels is more like Kelly Kelly wearing a hat.

It's the Blow Away Diet.

Heyman managing the heels in the #2 and #3 matches is kind of cool. It's like Heenan having Rude and Andre at Wrestlemania V kind of. Best thing about Brock is his awesomely mangled ears.

I'm also generally okay with the lack of arm selling by Taker because it was a containment segment, mainly. This felt a little more like an Edge vs Taker match to me than HHH or HBK vs Taker but when they were doing the forearms on their knees, it felt like Punk did belong in there with him so that was good I guess. The throat-cut was pretty ridiculous though.

The front row fans really made that urn shot near fall. I'm okay with the g2s into tombstone shot since he obviously got him way low. I didn't catch if they made that clear or not.

Heyman's expressions are awesome.

Given the way Dutch wrote about his first Mania, I am so glad he got to have another, and in a featured role too. He was great here, especially that look of horrified frustration when Swagger lost. There was a huge whip on that final Cross Arm Breaker. I wouldn't have minded the abruptness of the finish on another PPV but it was a little weird here.

I bet they could have gotten Confederate Railroad for a lot less money. whatever the fuck that is.

it's fun to see Jericho kicking out the babyface offense. I thought the beginning was real rough. That bugged me more than the finish. They just didn't seem to be syncing early on. They're definitely getting the most out of their match times on this show.

Big E's offense segment on Kane looked great. Loved the crowd post match.

I actually kind of love how bloodless this is, because there's really no reason for it to have blood. The cage is used as a prop and a means to do some more stuff on the top rope.

This may be the single match i saw the most times as a kid. No lie. The only tape I owned was a taped off the TV version of GAB which cut off halfway through Sting vs Nikita.

Agree on this. Biting the cut is more silly and stupid than brutal and cool. I can see a man biting another man's cut in a fight to the death, but not in a wrestling match that is being sold as a competitive sport (at least on some level. What about in a no dq/no holds barred/lights out/cage match etc. There's a reason why the belts are so often not on the line in AWA cage matches.

Oct 22, 1977 Savage/Mayne/Skip Young v Rose/Wiskowski/Sam Bass 2/3 falls Sandy Barr's kid does the ring announcing and couldn't be more nervous. First fall is great with tons of schtick. Rose keeps trying to come in when they have an advantage on Savage, but he slips the lock right after the tag. After Rose accidentily kicks Bass in the corner we get a ton of dissension to the point where Bass goes to a neutral corner. The first fall ends with him taking a tag from Ed and they double team Skip Young to set him up for Wiskowski's diving headbutt. Very amusing stuff like always. Really great character work too. Mayne doesn't even come in. Second fall starts with some babyface domination before the heels take over on Skip Young. Buddy's offense is great. Just nasty little stuff. Fall ends with Buddy dropkicking Bass by accident and Young getting the pin. Buddy and Ed almost immediately take over on an irate Bass in order to save their skins including the diving headbutt and a gusher of a bladejob. It's just a wildly bloody mauling with great flailing selling by Bass. Mayne flips a coin with the others and sits out for the third fall so it's 2 on 2. The heels keep on Young until they make the mistake of slamming his head in the corner which allows the faces to take over. They maul the heals until Buddy and Ed are squirming together in the corner, Dutch shouting for one of them to come out and wrestle. It's a bit back and forth til the end where Young is in control of Rose leading to the time limit draw. Strong stuff again with a great mid match angle/turn.

Honestly, they should have tossed the Nasty Boys at them.

No, we're used to it