WWE Wrestlemania 32 (2016 - Sunday 3rd April) - Discussion Thread

[Libertine]

The right victor if a boring way to do it.

 

[Saddlerrad]

Correct decision politically to let Reigns win. Regardless, he will be shit on. Unfortunately my lasting impression of this WM is that 4 hours and 48 minutes is just TOO much for any wrestling event, let alone 1 that was billed as 4 hours.

Great ladder match, easily MOTN, good from Jericho/Styles. The HITC was very slow but ended with a decent spot from SOM. Second MOTN was the divas.

The main event felt a necessary chore and the rest was 'watchable to dross'.

An average 6/10 from me. They didn't quite paper the cracks this year and Ryder aside literally every outcome was expected or very dull.

 

[Christian Slater]

What a bag of shite. Some good moments but not one result goes in the fans' interests. New Day lose, AJ loses, Ambrose lost, Shane gets beat, Charlotte retains and Reigns wins. What a massive "fuck you" to the hardcore fans that spent a fortune to go.

 

[Christian Slater]

I also don't get the "right decision" about Reigns winning. He's the least over champ they've ever had. It'll end in tears.

 

[Libertine]

I also don't get the "right decision" about Reigns winning. He's the least over champ they've ever had. It'll end in tears.

True but HHH retaining would be stupid. A heel turn would've been welcome but unlikely. Let's see where it goes tomorrow. Probably nowhere.

 

[Christian Slater]

True but HHH retaining would be stupid. A heel turn would've been welcome but unlikely. Let's see where it goes tomorrow. Probably nowhere.

Their own fault for booking the match.

They're going to have to pull something big off tomorrow, that crowd will be pissed with tonight's show.

 

[Captain Scumbag]

I'm fine with Taker winning. Shane is the boss's 46-year-old non-wrestling son. He should never beat Taker in a pro-wrestling match. Never. The match type doesn't matter. The amount of smoke and mirrors doesn't matter. He just shouldn't beat him. I know Taker is winding down and now looks about 107 years old, but he's still the Undertaker. He's still their greatest ever star. He's still a guy who had a 20 year winning streak at WM. Brock broke it, and that made Brock special, but you immediately diminish that if you start jobbing Taker out to any old chump.

That's why I was so down on the booking of that match from the first promo onwards. I try to give everything a chance (not least because I rather despise fans who are habitually negative about everything), but sometimes you can see from the off that the fundamentals are wrong. They teased something that people wanted (a Shane takeover) and then made it contingent on him beating a guy that no one really wants to see lose. Just terrible storytelling.

It's worth remembering that Shane being in charge of Raw (which they might still do via some fuckery tonight) would just be a kayfabe thing. A welcome kayfabe shake-up, for sure, but it wouldn't be a meaningful power change. The self-proclaimed 'creative genius' who runs the show would still be in charge, applying his outdated booking assumptions and riding roughshod over a creative team who probably understand the audience 100 times better than he does. So, really, who cares if the proposed 'takeover' doesn't materialise?

As for the rest…

No idea why Jericho went over AJ. I would have put Ambrose over Brock, though I understand the argument for keeping Brock 'unbeatable'. Torn between being happy for Ryder and seeing his win as example 17,657 of them treating the IC title like garbage. Sasha should have gone over in the women's match, but the important thing was them having one of the better matches on the card, which they did. The rest (including the title match) I don't care about.

 

[spireite]

Oh Scumbag, not wrasslin'..

 

[Eamonn]

I got up at 6am and just finished the show now,, match quality wise I thought the show was really good, main event was disappointing though. Results and booking wise is very strange, nothing has changed really beside Corbins wins and Ryder winning (which was a great moment for him after being shit on for daring to get himself over a few years ago but will probably lose it in 2 minutes tonight. Raw after Mania is always great though, hoping for some debuts (Bayley, Enzo and Cas, Joe) and some new misguided hope again.

 

[T.A]

They ended up going with quantity over quality. A few good moments but some strange booking. Wyatts being used as jobbers was probably the worst of it all for me.

 

[RavenBish]

A weird night. A fun Wrestlemania but certainly not a particularly good one - had the day off work today and just watched a few bits back, can't see myself ever sitting down and watching any of it again.

Good bits
Solid IC title match
Using Mania to put over an NXT star (Corbin)
Shane got his big moment
Lana's ring gear

bad bits
weird booking throughout
setting Reigns up to be booed
Jericho over Styles (although I suspect this was to give Reigns a heel that might not get cheered over him)
A great women's match spoilt by not having a clean finish.
that loooooong Rock segment at a point in the show where it was already dragging on too long
Ambrose/Lesnar

 

[1884 Belmont]

It was just WAY too much. If you watched the kick-off (which I did because it had 3 matches and what else is on at that time on a Sunday?), the whole event came in at 6 HOURS and 48 MINUTES.
NXT Takeover Dallas - 2 hours
2016 Hall of Fame - Just under 4 hours
Wrestlemania Pre-Show - 2 hours
Wrestlemania - 4 hours 48 minutes.

So, between 3AM Saturday when NXT started and 5am Monday, they presented 12 hours and 48 minutes of content in a 50 hour timeframe.

Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed a lot of the stuff on the card, but my energy was just sapped by the time The Rock came out. Nice to see some NXT stars on the main roster, the Women's match (and new title) are exciting for the future of that division (Sasha's attire was awesome) and Shane being Shane was just an amazing visual. The arena looked incredible and even if they have padded the numbers, that crowd looked absolutely enormous.

Overall, it was a decent show with a few good/very good matches. Lacked a true 'WOW' match though and as such, slightly worse 'mania than the last couple, but nowhere near as bad as I've seen suggested in other places.

 

[RavenBish]

I do think it was made to seem longer than it was, the Rock's segment and Battle Royal at that time was bizarre. I get that it was a cool-down period but seriously, people were already drained without putting two of the dullest parts of the card that late.

If you'd ended with the womens, Reigns/HHH then Taker/Shane as the final 3 - opened with the battle royal and put the Rock on earlier I think there'd be a lot less complaints about the length.

 

[TheMinsterman]

I have to admit, watching smarks go into meltdown made the whole event worthwhile, there's some proper projection and bitchfitting going on today.

 

[Christian Slater]

I have to admit, watching smarks go into meltdown made the whole event worthwhile, there's some proper projection and bitchfitting going on today.

I'm no fan of smarks, but they're justified this time. It was a big waste of time. Some people paid thousands to go to see Ryder get the pop of the night.

The wrestlers delivered but the booking was abysmal.

 

[TheMinsterman]

I'm no fan of smarks, but they're justified this time. It was a big waste of time. Some people paid thousands to go to see Ryder get the pop of the night.

The wrestlers delivered but the booking was abysmal.

Are they, really? This is one of the WORST Wrestlemania's ever?

Nonsense.

It was good to average, with some odd winners.

 

[Christian Slater]

Are they, really? This is one of the WORST Wrestlemania's ever?

Nonsense.

It was good to average.

Obviously there's always a tonne of hyperbole that's cringy, stemming from overemotion. There were people claiming the Raw go-home was the worst ever last week, forgetting the tug-of-war episode only a year prior. Some take it too far but it was an insulting show.

 

[TheMinsterman]

Obviously there's always a tonne of hyperbole that's cringy, stemming from overemotion. There were people claiming the Raw go-home was the worst ever last week, forgetting the tug-of-war episode only a year prior. Some take it too far but it was an insulting show.

It's only insulting if you adopt the mindset that it's a personal shot at you, which is what a lot of people have done. I admit to feeling the same in the past, but honestly not watching it with that same emotional attachment was quite refreshing, I don't agree with everything they did but if you remove yourself a bit and don't start seeing all the choices as a deliberate screw you to you personally (which a lot of fans have done so because they're so emotionally invested), it was a reasonable show.

Not a classic, not a stinker.

 

[Eamonn]

I eagerly await tonights show to see what direction the fallout heads, I do feel something big will go down, I dont think the Shane angle is over just yet. When injured stars return and the talent roster WWE now have on the main roster and of course NXT, there is hope for the future, it really is the most talented roster they have ever had, so much potential fresh and exciting feuds with all the recent additions and calls ups and future call ups (AJ, Zayn, Balor, Nakamura, Joe, Aries, possibly Roode) to mix it with Cena, Rollins, Ambrose, Orton, Cesaro, Owens etc Not to mention the womens division with Bayley soon to be added. I remember a thread a couple of years ago saying who would you take from TNA to WWE, I choose AJ, Bully, Roode, Aries and Joe. All could well be here now, crazy!

 

[kopite]

Watched it live and thought it started with a bang! Did not expect Ryder to win so it was brilliant omg moment.

Jericho Styles just did not bother me at all, and what a way to bury Styles!! Can't see him progress up the card anymore and that was huge disappointment.

Putting the most 'under' team over The New Day!?!?! Just to get 3 legends to beat up LON? Loved New Day's entrance and the pop they got was unreal.

Ambrose Lesnar was the one match I felt was truly a Wrestlemania type match. It was flat and a complete let down. Might get heat for this but Brock is running his course. Turns up whenever he wants, 15 suplexes and ploughs through the roster...yawn! Ambrose didn't come out looking any stronger either.

Womens title....hats off to them. Best 'wrestling' match of the night and good heel win for Charlotte. I think fans will get behind Sasha better chasing for the title.

Cell match....agree with earlier comments. Abysmal booking and it was a poor match but that spot....WOW!

Battle royal....Shaq?? Really? Great to see DDP. No entrance for Tatanka?? Corbin winning was good...just hope it leads to something for him cos its done nothing for previous winners.

The Rock....love the guy. But it dragged at times. However I did mark out mentally when he ripped his clothes off to see his wrestling gear on.

Main event...meh!

Overall some good action, nice surprises and sadly I don't see Raws and Smackdowns getting any better. I don't see any guys breaking out and moving higher up the card.

 

[Christian Slater]

It's only insulting if you adopt the mindset that it's a personal shot at you, which is what a lot of people have done. I admit to feeling the same in the past, but honestly not watching it with that same emotional attachment was quite refreshing, I don't agree with everything they did but if you remove yourself a bit and don't start seeing all the choices as a deliberate screw you to you personally (which a lot of fans have done so because they're so emotionally invested), it was a reasonable show.

Not a classic, not a stinker.

The whole point of wrestling is to get emotionally invested. I watch without emotional investment every week because I'm given no reason to, and it's shit.

 

[TheMinsterman]

The whole point of wrestling is to get emotionally invested. I watch without emotional investment every week because I'm given no reason to, and it's shit.

I allow myself to go on the rollercoaster of emotions they want to try to take me on, but the difference is a lot of fans don't just mark out, get shocked etc, they take decisions as personal slights because they are TOO emotionally invested, as though the company ACTIVELY sits there planning how to make them angry.

 

[Christian Slater]

I allow myself to go on the rollercoaster of emotions they want to try to take me on, but the difference is a lot of fans don't just mark out, get shocked etc, they take decisions as personal slights because they are TOO emotionally invested, as though the company ACTIVELY sits there planning how to make them angry.

I seriously think they do book like that, but it's intentional in the sense of riling the fans up to add to the show. They're cleverer than people give them credit for.

I just don't understand anything about last night. I would be upset if I'd paid to go and see that. It was detrimental and stagnant booking. Granted, they've probably done it with the intention of unleashing some amazing things on Raw tonight, but at the cost of Wrestlemania?

 

[The Fack]

Interesting to see where Kevin Owens goes from here.

Feud with Zayn, then win MITB? Sane reason to drop IC belt.

 

[Renegade]

Why do WWE hate Roman Reigns' career so much? Putting him on last knowing he would be booed out of the building if he won clean without a heel turn. How have they not learned from the last two Royal Rumbles and Wrestlemania that this isn't how you build a face of the company?

Look at most of the great faces they've had in the last couple of decades. CM Punk, gained popularity by first becoming a great heel. Daniel Bryan, same. John Cena, same. Jericho, same. The Rock, same. Seth Rollins was on his way to becoming one of these faces after a great heel run. Dean Ambrose gained major kudos as a face because of his heel run as the voice piece of The Shield.

So why do they insist that Reigns has to be forced down our throat like recent John Cena in order for him to be the biggest face on the roster? Especially when Cena himself gained his popularity as a heel? Baffling. He is the worst booked wrestler of recent times because he's actually really good and in time could be what they want him to be.

As for Wrestlemania, I enjoyed it apart from the main event. The women stole the show, was my favourite match of the night. HIAC very good. Ladder match good but I really don't think Zack Ryder will ever get over properly, would have preferred Zayn or Owens to leave with the strap. Lesnar vs Ambrose was decent (all Lesnar matches are the same now). Loved Michaels, Foley and Austin's appearance and New Day's entrance (best thing about WWE at the moment). The Rock and Cena appearance was lame, Bray Wyatt buried for the umpteenth time, also thought it was a waste of Cena's comeback, they could have used it to build a new feud instead of seeing once in a lifetime for the fifth time.

It was waaaaaaaaaaay too long though. Even if the main event was good, I was dying for the event to end so I could sleep.

 

[SamScfc]

Not watched raw properly since November, watched the odd bit so I have WM a watch.

It was shite.

I say shite because of the hype they give it. It was just boring. Highlights were Lana and Steph looking decent.

Shane jumping off the cage was class but I don't like how obvious they made it as he looked up at the cell a few minutes before he opened the door so we all knew it was going to happen.

I expected one of Cena/Rollins to come back and it happened to be the most boring twat on the roster, not even a heel turn.

The main event was shite, did we even see a pedigree?

That battle royal is pointless.

The results were predictable.

So glad I didn't stay up for it.

 

[SamScfc]

Just seen that was Brie's last match. Shame.

 

[silvergull]

Some horrific booking, but it's impossible not to feel genuinely delighted for Ryder to get a Wrrstlemania moment! I thought Owens came out looking incredible too. The slow burn on he Owens Zayn fued will be huge

 

[Gilly?]

On catch up.

So far, I'm delighted for Ryder. Not expecting a long run but what a moment for him.

Didn't expect AJ to lose.

The divas involved put on a great match.

Bray Wyatt is gold on the mic and is completely wasted.

 

[Scott Barton]

I have read so many reports and honestly, i do not get the hate for Wrestlemania. Sure, it was a marathon length and there was no "big match" this year, personally i don't see Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker as the attraction of the night, it ended up being that way because Shane is completely nuts.

I found it to be a good and unlike many people, I watched it for what it was, some good not great matches, some great nostalgia, a terrible main event but all in all, I think they did a mania which had a big show feel and finally, the return of the wrestlemania highlights at the end of the show. I think too many people presume it would be rubbish so are extra critical.

For the many hours Mania went on for, it didn't hold a candle to how good NXT Takeover was.