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Post by GGWF on Apr 2, 2007 8:02:39 GMT -6
I stayed up last night to watch Wrestlemania. I am very tired.
My thoughts (possibly slightly out of match order):
Money In The Bank:
Some nice high spots and some clever set pieces (Booker sacrificing the briefcase for Sharmell, the leprechaun getting Kentoned, spear into someone holding a ladder, homage to Terry Funk, etc). I thought Edge was being deliberately stiff with Punk and the Hardys (wanker). I also would have liked clarification that Edge and Jeff were okay after their hideous bump: I am still unaware if Jeff had a serious injury (there was an X sign). Nice to see Punk get a good look in, and I think Kennedy needs MitB to to get the credibility to be a main-eventer. Shame the ending was mildly anticlimactic.
Khali V Kane:
Better than I expected, but still completely lame. Khali didn’t humiliate himself or injure Jabobs when he was live so that’s all you expect really. This match was quite obviously only on the card for the homage to the Hogan moment from Wrestlemania 3 only.
Backstage silliness:
A fab bit of light relief! Great to see the Slickster, and Mae and Moolah are always priceless entertainment! And the Dragon was there too – woo!
Benoit V MVP:
A solid match. I’ve always liked Benoit and MVP has skills. MVP’s entrance was yummy too. A good, solid, enjoyable match and nice to see Benoit win with the Swandive.
‘Taker V Batista:
I hate ‘Taker and his primadonna attitude about his streak, but I didn’t want that loser Batista to be the one to take it. ‘Taker’s entrance was stunning. As much as I suspected it wouldn’t be, this was a solid match and it didn’t appear that ‘Taker was carrying him too much either: Batista appeared to have lifted himself out of his recent nonchalant attitude for this match. Classic Mania ‘big’ match with the false finishes and finisher kickouts. A surprisingly good match.
Battle of the Billionaires:
I still can’t decide if I rate Lashley, but this match was good. I saw it as a big test for both Lashley and Umaga to see if they can wrestle big time without either a) wrestling a squash match or b) having an opponent that can carry them. And they didn’t do half bad, despite needing Shane O’Mac for the bigtime moment. A sure crowd pleaser with Donald smacking around Vince and plenty of stunners, I was sucked in and thoroughly enjoyed the match. Vince looks awful! Hehe!
ECW Originals V New Breed:
Perhaps a little short, and the ending was a surprise, but I enjoyed this match too. Shame there wasn’t a Heinekenrana at Wrestlamania. This result shows that the booking team have realised this feud is a good one and is working which I am pleased about. There’s plenty more in this feud, and this match worked very well in that regard as well as being rather entertaining in the bargain.
Lumberjills Match:
This was simply abysmal. A pointless and heatless feud simply because some bint got her norks out in Playboy. Melina’s outfit was hideous. Melina is average at best, and could not carry Ashley adequately. I am frequently appauled by WWE’s attitude towards their female workers: it seems all they’re interested in is mutant norks, completely disregarding anything that actually matters (such as inring ability).
Cena V Michaels:
A very good match, even if I hate to see Shawn tap out to the lamest submission in wrestling today. Predictable after Shawn’s injury issue was leaked, I guess, but still a shame.
Overall:
I dunno, this card was solid and only the Khali match hummed. But I just don’t quite feel that there was a truly outstanding match on the entire card. There were some very good matches, and some amazing set choreography, but it just didn’t quite *ding* as something truly special.
What did other people think?
M x
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Post by GGWF on Apr 2, 2007 9:16:19 GMT -6
Oh yeah, did anyone else notice that Aretha Franklyn has a Camel Toe?! Ew.
M x
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Post by Icon Lord Leon Corbin on Apr 2, 2007 11:16:03 GMT -6
Not quite spoilers lol, some are not obvious as to who won. How about the quick results? 
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Post by Rob on Apr 2, 2007 11:40:05 GMT -6
Taker's primadonna attitude?
If any of us had a streak like that we'd be the same, no doubt. Plus he has been putting people over for the last few years, getting victories here and there so he doesn't look like a jobber. He deserves the title and the streak.
The lumberjill match was fuckin boring and the Kane/ Kahli match wasn't worth shit. I was told Kane was leaving for a while, but I seriously would NOT go out on a shitfest like that.
Cena should lose the title. He's had it too long and is not getting over. We all heard the boos, it's time to find someone else.
Oh, and the Mania 3 moment was supposed to involve Hogan, but for some (read: Ego) reasons, he fell out with the management and got replaced.
Not a bad card, not too bad anyway, but could have been a hell of a lot better.
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Post by Rob on Apr 2, 2007 11:41:21 GMT -6
Oh, and someone please kill Kevin Thorn. He is a talentless cunt and Gangrel he is NOT, no matter how hard he tries to be.
I hope Gangrel murders him in a similar style to Bruiser Brody's demise.
I just hate him with a passion.
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Post by vyle on Apr 2, 2007 14:14:38 GMT -6
Taker's primadonna attitude? If any of us had a streak like that we'd be the same, no doubt. Plus he has been putting people over for the last few years, getting victories here and there so he doesn't look like a jobber. He deserves the title and the streak. The lumberjill match was fuckin boring and the Kane/ Kahli match wasn't worth shit. I was told Kane was leaving for a while, but I seriously would NOT go out on a shitfest like that. Cena should lose the title. He's had it too long and is not getting over. We all heard the boos, it's time to find someone else. Oh, and the Mania 3 moment was supposed to involve Hogan, but for some (read: Ego) reasons, he fell out with the management and got replaced. Not a bad card, not too bad anyway, but could have been a hell of a lot better. There was also that issue with hogan leaking hall of fame live on radio. Mania didnt feel as special as it should, but it didnt drag like some have. I wanted to see a mania pounce. Im happy about the streak. Not happy about cena still being champ. Nice hardy spot. Midget murder rulz. That is all. |
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Post by Icon Lord Sean "Magic" Fiery on Apr 2, 2007 14:24:53 GMT -6
I love Kevin Thorn!  And Mania was alright. For a WWE PPV it was good. For a Wrestlemania... It was "eh". |
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Post by Sir Chris Cairns on Apr 2, 2007 16:33:23 GMT -6
Here are my opinions on this shitfest of a PPV, in no particular order...
Those little "All Grown Up" promos were, quite simply, the most horrifically cheesey things I have ever seen. I'm actually sure I saw some melted cheddar oozing out the back of my television during those fucking things. Awful. The mini Stone Cold looked like he should be applying for an application from the make-a-wish foundation. It was shocking and stupid.
I usually like the pre-match promos and they get me hyped for the contest ahead, but none of these ones particuarly stand out, and the Cena/Michaels promo was especially shite, as was their entire feud.
I wanted Carlito and Ric Flair on the card. I am glad Triple H was nowhere to be found, but was dismayed by the presence of the likes of Kane, Batista, JBL (announcing) and a host of others.
There wasn't enough of good ol' J.R. and Jerry "The King" Lawler. Ross truly is a special announcer and Lawler will always have a place in my heart. Michael Cole and JBL? Absolutely rotten. Cole has his moments and I actually like him. JBL, on the other hand, is almost as bad an announcer as Jesse Ventura was. His voice does my nuts in. And his comments are about as insightful as the opinions of the page 3 girls in The Sun. Shame Joey Styles and Tazz weren't heard much.
Anyone else notice the man and woman sitting in the front row wearing the neon pink and yellow? It was an amusing sub-plot for me and my friends.
Aretha Franklin impressed, camel toe was unfortunate though.
The Hall of Fame segment was quite good, if a little too short for my liking. Nice to see some old and current favourites. A highlight of the night. Good to hear The Fink's voice, too.
One of the highlights of the night was the backstage dancing thing. It just appealed to my humour, and it was fun spotting all the old favourites. I laughed my arse off at Sgt. Slaughter getting down and dirty to the infectious beat with that smile on his face. It was surreal. Was nice to see I.R.S. getting his groove on. Dusty Rhodes. Mae Young. The Dragon. There was so many, but Farooq stole the show with his catchphrase. Anyone here who knows me will know this is my kind of hummour. Amazing.
The Vince/Steph segment with the baby was poor. I usually love Vince's backstage bits, but none of them here tonight.
Don't get me started on the Boogeyman/Trump segment.
And now onto the matches...
Money In The Bank
I wanted King Booker to win. Love him. This wasn't as good as past ladder matches, especially considering the talent on display here. One big bump, but that ladder was probably weaker than the tables they use, and would snap if you farted on it. That's not to take away from Jeff and Edge's bump, though. It was brilliant and I hope they were okay. This wasn't a smooth match and there was lots of hesitation. It was very slow considering there was nine men involved. The step-ladder was funny. I wanted to see more of Booker. I don't really care that Mr. Kennedy won.
Khali vs. Kane
I really cannot take Kane seriously. He's not one of the better big men in my eyes, and he looks stupid. Of course he's better than Khali though. Kane sold his opponent's limited arsenal of offence pretty well and did his job of making Khali look unstoppable. The finish was the worst part of the match. Khali's finishing move is awful, but at least it somewhat resembles a wrestling move I suppose. Kane... blah. Khali wins. Oh well.
Benoit vs. MVP
I didn't really like it so much. It was passable, decent wrestling I suppose. Haven't got much to say. Glad Benoit won, but I quite like MVP too. Not a WrestleMania standard match by any means.
Undertaker vs. Batista
This match really had my interest for a number of reasons. First, I'm an Undertaker fans and wanted him to keep up the streak. Second, I really cannot stomach Batista and would personally start a riot if he ended Taker's streak. In that sense this was an entertaining match, but obviously not pretty to watch. We saw Old School, a huge dive to the outside, Last Ride, Chokeslam and Tombstone so I was happy, and very glad Taker won it. Loved his entrance, too. Can't stand Batista. So boring and plain, and he doesn't even look like he cares about the business.
Battle of the Billionaires
I quite like both Lashley and Umaga. Umaga is packaged well, but he needs a better finisher. He has some good moves and pyschology. Lashley seems likable and talented. They went at it fairly well but nothing stands out as far as their exchanges go. The 'entrance' of the barber chair was hilarious and sent me into a laughing fit. It was something else that really appealed to my stupid humour. Austin was decent, and sold Umaga's thumb move very well. I was actually surprised by how devestating Austin made the first thumb look. Shane's coast to coast bit was good. Vince and Donald Trump were amusing. The head shaving was somewhat fun. Vince looks freaky. Trump being stunnered was great. Probably match of the night, entertainment wise.
ECW Originals vs. New Breed
Dear Lord this was so boring. I thought it would've been extreme, but it was horribly tame and forgettable. What the hell happened to ECW? The New Breed are woeful.
Lumberjill Match
I can't remember any of this. Once you've had a few girlfriends, felt a few tits, kissed a few lips, had a few shags and you get past the age of 15 you really shouldn't need to watch this shit. I want talented females dammit.
Cena/Michaels
Cena's entrance was horrible. I stuck up for him last year, but I now officially hate him, and it's not even really his fault. It's the way he's presented. By this point I was tired and wanted sleep, and my arse was numb. I had also eaten too much. The first part of the match was boring, but it picked-up and there was some good reversals in there. Gutted Cena won. Gutted.
All in all this was the shittiest PPV I have ever watched live. Honestly. I cannot believe how bad this event was. I'm no cynic - look at my past posts defending WWE and praising Vince for his enthasis on sports entertainment. Something went horribly wrong at WrestleMania 23 and nothing clicked.
It was a load of shite.
Billy
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Spyral
Up and Comer
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Post by Spyral on Apr 2, 2007 17:20:47 GMT -6
Money In The Bank:
Good match, pretty much what you expect now. The bump was cool but anyone who knows me knows I dislike Jeff Hardy. I liked seeing Kennedy win it but it kinda slowed in momentum near the end.
Khali V Kane:
Meh, Khali is a crap wrestler but he is a legend for that chin of his. I'm sick of seeing Kane nowadays, its the same old show. He was much better masked etc cause he had a good gimmik to weigh out for his moveset's lack. Pretty cool chokebomb to end it.
Backstage silliness:
It can be good but I think they are stretching it for laughs. Some of it kind of makes the hairs on yar neck stand up when you cringe. like the camera shot from the babys pram?
Benoit V MVP:
Good match, but there wasn't much of a buildup or anything. I've always liked Chris Benoit but I feel they arn't using him right (I could say that for so many people). Good finish.
‘Taker V Batista:
Surprisingly I enjoyed this one. Somehow I thought that maybe Batista just might steal the streak. I'm glad Taker won, the guy needs a last go as champ.
Battle of the Billionaires:
I love Umaga, he's believable. You look at him and know he could easily fuck you up. I like Lashley but i cant stop thinking he's the result of Brock Lesnar and Goldberg having sex. from his entrance to some of the moves he pulls off. Too bad Lashley sounds like a 12 Year old on the mic. I was rootin' for Umaga in this even though I knew he wouldnt win.
ECW Originals V New Breed:
I really enjoyed this one. Good to see the Ol' ECW legends doing what they do. Dreamer still is the man. Also, Matt Striker sold alot of the moves he took surprisingly well. Props to him. Kevin Thorn is a kind of useless roster filler. Ariel needs a mirror and Monty Brown looks good in the WWE's ring. This is the one finish that surprised me, i didn't think the originals would have won this with the way the 'E treats them.
Lumberjills Match:
I was away having a smoke during this one, couldnt give two fucks. would have stayed if it was a womans title match where the women could wrestle (Victoria).
Cena V Michaels:
This one surprised me, Micheals kinda bores me a bit nowadays and Cena is someone who i can't stand being forced down my throat every monday. But the match was fantastic. Loved the springboard moonsault from Micheals, nice to see he still has it in him. Hated the finish. I dont think its right for a guy who can do about 3 moves and they are all grapples/brawling moves have a submission as a finisher. the STF doesn't suit Cena. I wish he'd stop using it. Shame Micheals had to go out like that but oh well... John Cena sells t-shirts...
Overall:
Didn't really feel like wrestlemania to me. They should have had some live bands or something to make it stand out more from other PPV's. Hated the whole "all grown up" thing, that was cheesey as fuck.
Whats worse is that the matches were really predictable which i dont expect at a Wrestlemania.
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Post by Icon Lord Leon Corbin on Apr 2, 2007 17:54:47 GMT -6
There was a good reason I wouldn't fork out £15...
Fucking Cena, his career is beyond a joke. It's no surprise there are people taking up primadonna attitudes when having to work alongside shit like that. 
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Post by vyle on Apr 3, 2007 11:32:59 GMT -6
I like jbl as a commentator.he actually knows and remembers things. Continuity is underrated.
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Post by Icon Lord Sean "Magic" Fiery on Apr 3, 2007 17:46:52 GMT -6
JBL is a great announcer and WWE voice. He plays his role well.
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Post by GGWF on Apr 4, 2007 3:48:36 GMT -6
Commentator Reviews:
JR:
Mostly retro value. His excitement and genuine love simply does not make up for his bumbling.
The King:
Neutered. He used to be witty, edgey, and funny. He is no longer ‘colour’ enough, and is a watered down, dull version of his former glory.
The Coach:
I actually like his cocky gimmick, and his ‘colour’ is more colour than The King. Still not great though.
Joey Styles:
Keeps himself on a leash these days, but still tenfold better when it comes to knowledge than JR. Would be better off in TNA where they’d let him be the real Joey Styles. Has the best commentator catchphrase in the world ever.
Tazz:
Always showed potential, but just like The King isn’t sure if he’s a goodie or a baddie, but as he doesn’t have years of greatness to disguise it like the King, it just makes him look a bit naff.
Michael Cole:
There is something to be said about the guy who doesn’t need to try to be hated. However, this marrs the fact that he’s not actually that bad at play by play.
JBL:
Hilarious, intelligent, witty, knowledgeable, arrogant, and edgier than The King ever was, JBL is a shining light in WWE right now. His colour commentary is like the King’s used to to be, but as he can do no wrong in WWE’s eyes, he can get away with even more. I cannot stress how much I rate JBL’s commentary skill. He is one of the best breakthroughs that WWE has had in a long time.
Josh Matthews:
Fit as you like, but has an annoyingly overenthusiastic voice.
M x
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Post by Icon Lord Leon Corbin on Apr 4, 2007 4:02:18 GMT -6
Even though I have always liked Tazz, I've found his commentary hard to chew on at times. He does mess up a lot and mumbles and stumbles as he tries to bring what he says to an end. Cole has picked up his slack a lot over time.
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Quake
Up and Comer
JOY!!!!!!!
Posts: 467
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Post by Quake on Apr 4, 2007 5:39:51 GMT -6
i think its fair to say the attitude on mania is a bit mixed at the moment....I havent watched it yet but it sounds OK no real suprises in there though (Benoit retaining the US title being the only result that kinda suprised me)
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