I mean, you can't say Lashley's stuff didn't all look really good. That's the same takeaway I had as a casual watching his match with Balor whenever that was (last Mania, I don't even know?). But a crowd would have been just as silent as the empty seats were on this one.

Yeah, Black/Lashley was the definition of a nothing match. 

I'm embarrassingly invested in this Otis storyline. Best thing Ziggler has been involved with in years. 

Otis shirt is him holding a big ham.   As a fat man I approve 

This Otis shit is unwatchable to me. Eugene levels of embarrassment. 

Just now, FMKK said:

This Otis shit is unwatchable to me. Eugene levels of embarrassment. 

Agreed. Ridiculous amount of TV time dedicated to this. 

Otis is the main event.

 

Intenet gave out, cannot watch it through shady means.

Rhea lost? The fuck???

Otis is sloppily beating the shit out of Dolph.  

I'll allow it 

 

From the "ashamed to admit it" files, Michael Cole and JBL each had a good line during this. Cole popped JBL so hard with the "someone married YOU" routine that you could hear JBL frowning while he mumbled a joke-book reply. Then JBL described Otis as "Ivan Putski if he ate Bam Bam Bigelow."

Caught up on Flair vs Ripley. I don't think it was as good as Becky vs Shayna for this setting just because I think the quick strike sprint intensity there worked better with the lack of crowd. Here they worked it more into the animosity and the trash talking. I think the trash talking was a good solution to the lack of a crowd (and a lot of different matches have tried different things, which I really appreciate) but I'm not sure if it worked in execution all the time. It did some of the time and that's probably enough, though. Some great spots. I loved the kick cutoff on Charlotte's flip up and over in the corner, and the mare from the apron out was nice. Charlotte can work over a leg (The forearm/chop block was especially good) and Ripley's selling was exactly what it should have been. I particularly liked her roll over writhing sell after the belly to back pancake and when she was actually landing kicks or the short clothesline on her initial comeback. There are a lot of wrestlers twenty years ago that wouldn't care enough to sell like that on a comeback. I thought it went a little long in the stretch maybe, and knowing the response hurt it a little.

 

Otis vs. Ziggler was FUN.

I'll take this over inconsequential throwaways like Lashley vs. Black any day, or even "good rasslin' matches" like Charlotte vs. Rhea where the outcome was never, ever in doubt, not even for a split second. 

Broke: Macho and Elizabeth

Woke: Edge and Beth

Bespoke: Otis and Mandy

2 minutes ago, C.S. said:

Otis vs. Ziggler was FUN.

I'll take this over inconsequential throwaways like Lashley vs. Black any day, or even "good rasslin' matches" like Charlotte vs. Rhea where the outcome was never, ever in doubt, not even for a split second. 

Yeah, even if you aren't a fan of the Otis storyline, it at least has purpose. Thought the ending was sweet as far as wrestling romance angles go. 

I have high hopes for Orton/Edge.

They should do another shitty movie for this match

Ziggler's biggest problem as a heel is that he can't compellingly control when he's on top. The contrast was better than usual in that regard, I guess. Yeah, this was fine. At least there was a story and some emotion behind it. I bet more people watching this now will remember this one decades from now than Lashley vs Black. 

Really, the Otis/Mandy storyline is WWE doing a romcom.

It's like 10 Things I hate About You 

I'm not on board with Randy hiding himself in plain sight when there's literally no one there. Edge literally had nothing to look at but the camera men.

Aw maaan, I thought this was getting the cinematic treatment too

My biggest takeaway so far is that this match doesn't just need, but also deserves, Shane McMahon. 

Last man standing matches would be so much better with half the counts just eliminated. 

I bet Seth Rollins is pissed he didn’t get to use the gym to do a bunch of CrossFit moves in his match. 
 

Also, this ref’s voice is weird. 

I'm really worried this match is going to kill the crowd.

I guess it's proof that Mania is distracting me from the real world that I was again going to suggest a match needs blood, without realizing that's a terrible idea right now.

This is shite lads

I think a bladejob is just as safe as actually wrestling each other, unless Randy's dad shows up. 

I saw none of the build, but I saw a lot of people really into it. But this was always leading to Edge vs Randy Orton actually wrestling. Didn't people realize that?