Moving Past Mania Weekend

Look at any wrestling fan’s predictions for Wrestlemania 32 then look at the results and you’ll likely see numerous differences. Mania left hardcore wrestling fans scratching their heads because of various questionable booking decisions. The card ended up nearly 7 hours long leading wrestling fans both in attendance and watching from home to feel fatigued by the time the main event rolled around. For fans to invest so much in the product while ultimately coming away disappointed is trash WWE.

Zack Ryder’s victory to open the show was one of the only decisions that brought a smile to fan’s faces on Sunday night (despite him losing the title the next night on Raw). What followed this match was a loss by fan favorite AJ Styles, followed by a loss by The New Day, followed by an underwhelming defeat of Dean Ambrose by Brock Lesnar, followed by Charlotte winning the Women’s Championship, followed by a Shane McMahon loss before the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. The big draw of the Battle Royal was Shaquille O’Neal appearing. Baron Corbin ended up winning the match to cement a main roster debut, giving fans something to look forward to in the future. The Rock wrestled an impromptu match against Erick Rowan that ended in 6 seconds. This segment ended in a moment between The Rock and a returning John Cena. The main event of Wrestlemania was a letdown. I had to go back and watch it because I literally fell asleep watching it live. Roman Reigns vs. Triple H did not feel like a Wrestlemania main event. The electricity was missing. There was not a “big fight feel”. Reigns title win was meant to be a great moment, but it was so telegraphed that it fell flat.

This show was strongly structured around appearances from Attitude Era staples. Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock all played prominent roles during this event. The Dudley Boyz, Chris Jericho and The Undertaker all picked up victories. Triple H was in the main event. This card banked on nostalgia at the expense of building new stars. The superstars of today looked second rate compared to their attitude era counterparts. Hell, even Brock Lesnar and John Cena looked dominant Sunday night with the latter not even competing in a match.

Lesnar dominating Ambrose was especially hard for fans to watch as it was expected that this match would solidify Dean Ambrose as one of the most over babyfaces in the company. Fans were expecting an Austin/Hart or Taker/Hardy type performance. Fans, myself included, expected to see Brock Lesnar beat the hell out of Ambrose with the underdog refusing to give up. We expected to see Lesnar’s pure physicality offset by Ambrose being able to swing steel chairs and kendo sticks at The Beast. Instead we got a little over ten minutes of Brock Lesnar beating up Dean Ambrose.

Older superstars are beloved, but they should be used to make today’s superstars look credible. When two superstars from different eras are in the ring together fans shouldn’t assume that a lopsided victory would come if the two squared up, fans should be jumping at the opportunity to see a dream match.

On Raw Monday night we saw some steps towards storyline progression made. We saw the Raw debuts of Apollo Crews, Big Cass & Enzo Amore and Baron Corbin. The Vaudevillians are expected to make their main roster debut on Smackdown. Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens added another page to their longtime rivalry. Charlotte is seemingly reigniting her rivalry with Natalya. The Wyatt Family may be in the midst of a face turn which, if done correctly, could make them one of the most over acts in the company. We saw the return of Cesaro to a great reaction. We saw AJ Styles named the number one contender to Roman Reigns’ World Heavy Championship. In regards to Reigns, there is hope that his character undergo a shift since he is matched against a true babyface in Styles. Maybe we will finally see Reigns adopt some heel mannerisms, even if we don’t get a full-fledged turn.

There are still opportunities on the horizon to tell fresh stories. We have the Balor Club’s main roster debut on the horizon. We have the returns of impact superstars like John Cena, Seth Rollins and Randy Orton in the cards. Samoa Joe and Bayley may very well be on the main roster by the end of the year too. My point being, the talent is there for the WWE to tell credible stories. Wrestlemania wasn’t the greatest but good things can still come. The only problem is that we have to trust WWE’s booking…

#wrestlemania #ProWrestling #mondaynightraw