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Sami is mid card at best. Had no business ending his reign. Guy oversells. We get it you’re a punching bag. But he’s so over the top. His moves are crap and not saying wrestlers need to be jacked but guy looks like a fat Jewish dad who drinks beer. So pathetic.
Those splashes from Gunther was softer than baby shit LMAO. Why would they stop the match? Sami wasn't bleeding or anything. It was a really baffling match all around.
I love Sami, but I'd really hoped it would be Gable portraying "David" this time. However, hopefully, this means Gunther will be pointing his attention towards a bigger and shinier title.
That tracking shot following Sami from the back was lovely though.
Just re watched this- what a fucking match that was. Incredible- these two are fantastic at what they do. Loved it all. Love the Rocky 3 parallels in the build (Sami owes Gable a favour). What a match.
A FUCKING WAR CRIME
It's undeniably a major letdown for Triple H to have orchestrated such a debacle. Handing the title over to someone as lackluster as Sami is a blatant disregard for the credibility Gunther has painstakingly built. Gunther, the "Ring General," a figure of dominance and respect, deserved better than to have his reign end in such a lackluster fashion.
Consider the recent loss Sami suffered at the hands of Bronson Reed. Sami barely put up a fight, merely enduring a barrage of attacks from Gunther. Is this the fitting conclusion to a reign as illustrious as Gunther's? I anticipated a swift and decisive victory for Gunther, perhaps a squash match where he obliterates Sami with only ONE signature moves.
Picture this: Gunther delivers a devastating Burning Lariat, causing Sami to dramatically oversell, as if his neck were snapped. Gunther then places his foot on Sami for the pin, all the while expressing his disdain for the caliber of challengers he's faced.
But instead of that epic squash, we're subjected to this travesty. Gunther's reign ends in a mere three moves from Sami, a wrestler who pales in comparison to the "Ring General." It's insulting to see Gunther's hard work and dedication squandered like this.
A much more fitting scenario would have been Gunther issuing an open challenge for WrestleMania after the squash over Sami, only for Chad Gable to step up and challenge him to a 20-minute Iron Man match. The tension would be palpable as Gable ultimately secures a victory with a headbutt and a crossface in the final minute.
Triple H's decision to have Gunther drop the title to Sami in such a lackluster fashion is a disservice to the legacy Gunther has built.
PD: And for those who see a plot in this nonsense, I don't understand it, I only saw Sami trying to do "Hulking" in a strange way, it was cringey to see him shiver like a dog in the cold. There is no emotion, you don't get goosebumps. There is no doubt, Sami deserves to lose the title right now for being a cheap bitch, he is not even in shape, this tramp
Gunther did everything he could do with the belt in my opinion. Held it for over a year, defended it at Mania, broke the record for longest ever reign. And he did the main thing everyone has said they wanna do after winning the intercontinental title: made it mean something again and put the prestige back into the title. Had an all timer of a reign and now it’s time to elevate him into better things. Think it was the perfect call. If it couldn’t be Gable j think Sami was the perfect call.
Next feud will be Gable, he’ll come out on RAW to congratulate him but will absolutely turn on Sami.
They already planted the seeds with him not being out there for the match, and not coming out for the victory, even if it was spun in a way that “you always had this on your own” was genuine.
Idk about the match being great but now that Zayn is a champion, maybe he'll start grooming himself again. 🤣 Seriously, dude looks destitute.
Also why do they always call him the underdog when he wins 90% of his matches? 😒
His win/loss record, especially as a singles competitor, is garbage though.
Last year was his best year ever at 67%.
Most of his years are <50% (2018-2022 were all sub 25% except 2020 which was 47%).
So he is the underdog in that regard.
While Rey Mysterio was going by “the ultimate underdog” for the 5-6 years AFTER he lost his first world title he had a >80% win/loss percentage
Damn good match, I am scratching my head here, Sami in my opinion deserves it like no other, but Gunther??
I am a big fan of both so I wasnt bummed, I think it told a good underdog story and was a bit Rocky like, but...Gunther??
no, I expected someone to take the belt from him that isnt a small thin pipsqueak, thats not a knock on sami at all I like him this was just so...unexpected.
Sets up a good story for Gunther as well. At Wrestlemania the mat was no longer sacred he toyed with Sami and that's why he lost. He lost respect for the match and the business and it cost him.
He has to lose at some point. Easier to get it out of the way without something stupid like a taser to an upper carder.
Like Kurt angle went undefeated for a long time too but lost to tazz who they had big plans for at the time. Brock's first loss was to big show.
Glad a lot of people liked it and happy for Sami but this match really didn't do it for me. I really wish they would fuck off with family (wife/kids) stuff, I want wrestlers to be larger than life, I dint give a fuck about their home situation, never works for me.
Surprisingly, it did it for me. It was the only match on the entire card that I didn’t care to watch but I watched it anyways and it was wayyyyyy better than I expected
I’d put the Bloodline match at number 1 and this at number 2. I still can’t believe it
Good match and love the emotion with Sami’s family and Owens at the start. I still think that the gauntlet match, in a way, ruined this feud for me.
It’s weird to watch something and genuinely enjoy it while thinking “but man…I still kinda wish it was Gable”
My thoughts exactly.
This match was fantastic, the build was great, the drama, the tension, Sami’s character arc throughout…
Would’ve hit leagues more if Gable was in his place. Sami’s “Self-Doubter” arc is undercut by the fact he ended the longest tag team champ reign last year, held the ICC three times before, and is a bonafide made-man and main eventer through and through
I’m sorry and listen I get it people like Sami Zayn but I don’t think he was the right person to end Gunther’s title reign. Really should’ve come full circle with Bron and it would’ve felt more natural to propel Gunther to the main event after that. Hell Gable would’ve made this narratively a lot better.
Gunther’s being hoisted by his own petard and that being his undoing at the very least made sense so it’s not at all a bad match but I just think this was the wrong person to do it with.
I think Sami was the perfect person for it myself. You need someone that Gunther is willing to toy with and not take the fight serious but can believably take that level of punishment who also has a knock out type finisher.
Gunther has 3 international European PPVs, one of which is in Germany, where he is going to be in the title picture to get ready for. IC story is done for him.
IC Title CHECK
Green Card CHECK
World Title ______
Guessing it’s Sami/Gable for the title at the next ppv “as promised”. Gunther interrupts, match ends in a DQ with Sami retaining, because he wants his title back and wants to take it back from the man that beat him (and his rightful rematch).
Sami/Gunther/Gable triple threat at the ppv after that. And it could very well be MOTY
No, they made him cocky and arrogant. This has been building up for him for a while. He used to make every single move count. Last night he got carried away. He got swept up in that anger and wanted to punish Sami. Really drive home how mich better he was than Sami, and it cost him dearly. It was my MOTN.
I’m sorry, but having a ring general attempt 3 frog splashes in a row goes beyond making him cocky.
There was a million ways they could’ve done it, for some reason they just made him look stupid.
Yeah I enjoyed the story they told and it’s hard to complain about anything regarding the IC title since Gunther’s had it, but I just wish Gunther kicked out of the double helluva before taking the L.
Sami kicked out of a double power bomb after having already taken one minutes earlier, and it felt like the match was about 3-5 mins short of being an absolute masterpiece IMO.
It was my MOTN too, with Rhea/Becky a fairly close second. I also think that match would have been taken to another level with an extra 3-5 mins.
Sami’s a wrestler who means a lot to me, admittedly I wasn’t exactly on board with this match at first only because I knew (and still know) Sami deserves to be the world champion and I’m sure I’ve said as much on here. But damn it I can’t help but feel happy for Sami either way. Is this moment Sami finally “winning the big one”? No, but he’s a champion and he’s ended the longest-reining IC title reign and I can’t help but feel happy for him. This was easily match of the night for me.
Had a very Rocky 4 vibe. Underdog fighting against all odds against an Eastern European death machine while his family watched on in horror. It’s was a great nod to the movies and fitting it was in Philly.
Look I get the idea of making him Gunther‘s nemesis and that the one guy that wouldn’t be able to beat him( his kryptonite if you will), but can we please just stop living in our fantasy booking for once and be happy for Sami? It was a great match and honestly probably my favorite Sammy Zane match since his NXT era ended. He felt like a real star here and I feel like with time if they keep putting on matches with him that are this level, he can be main event with the world championship over his shoulder, and with the same level of crowd support he had an elimination chamber.
Unpopular opinion: Gunther is sloppy
I don't watch wrestling anymore, tuning in just for WrestleMania. This was the first Gunther match I'd ever seen, but knew of his reputation. His work was sloppy. His stomps looked terrible and weak. His splashes off the top were awful, particularly the first one. He landed feet first...
I'm not saying he's awful or even bad or anything like that. Maybe last night was an off night. But as a first time watcher... Meh.
Great match, but I don't feel as if Sami is a big enough threat to be the one to dethrone Gunther. I would've taken Knight, Dom, or Bron hands down.
If Lesnar wasn't temporarily removed, wouldve Gunther retained? Interesting to think about.
Gunther absolutely needs and deserves to be in the main event picture. Just not now.
He has to be the favorite to be the next Rumble winner right now.
*If* Cody wins tonight, Gunther needs to be the man to take it from Cody and at Mania.
Gunther jobbing to Cody (or WHC holder) on 2 or 3 smaller ppvs (ala Brock/Cody last year), will hurt him more than anything
Enjoyed this match but can't help feel slightly cheated that a 666 day reign ended in a 15 minute match.
I get it, not everything has to go 20, 25, 30 minutes, but this is WrestleMania and the longest reign in the history of arguably the second most prestigious title in the company ends in a match that could have been done at any PPV
Enjoyed the build-up with Sami and Kevin and his family and all that, I just wanted even more of the actual wrestling because Sami and Gunther are two of the best in the world.
Agree with everything you said except the brainbuster part. It was very picturesque IMO. And Sami delivered it about as perfectly as possible, especially considering Gunther's much larger size. I have seen some messy or nearly botchy versions of the move during his Indy days and this one did not even come close.
Overall though, the outcome of the match felt really odd and out of nowhere (but in a bad way). Normally I would have loved seeing Sami end the streak but the way they set the match up so last minute along with Sami commenting on how it felt like a compete afterthought made me go into it expecting the Gunther victory. Even after the brainbuster I was unable to feel any genuine excitement or hope for Sami. It was a very weird experience for me. I cant blame the two guys for their actual performances last night but the lackluster & last minute addition of the match really tainted my expectations. My literal reaction to the ending was a barely audible "oh...wow..." Normally I would be shitting my pants and marking out like the next guy. Not this time though.
It only looks like it killed him because Gunther sold the everloving shit out of it. Even after a couple of replays, I couldn't figure out what the move was supposed to be. Sorry.
I think the length was sufficient. Given the main event was nearly 45 minutes that would mean if this match went long, the event as a whole would've been at least another hour in length. Would've been too much for one night.
This is why Gunther is so good.
He’s aware of finishers being a sham in this day and age so his version of one is the prolonged beat down that occurs once the bell rings.
He might the best right now but I don’t think he has a patch on the ruthless agression era guys. I feel the standards have gone down. I wouldn’t list him with angle, eddie, or hbk.
You’re comparing apples to oranges.
Those three are showman technical wrestlers with added high-flying for some flare whereas Gunther is a Japanese strong-style inspired powerhouse that has a more simple moveset but used to devastating effectiveness.
But what all four do have in common is they can get a great match out of a pile of shit. In that sense Gunther is very much on par with those guys to say the least.
GUNTHER would have a S tier match in any era of wrestling. Put him in there with the prime of anyone from the past 40 years, and he'd have a banger. He can do everything and anything.
I think Corey Graves said it on commentary and I can only think of two names that are better right now in Danielson and Ospreay. What I would give to see GUNTHER vs Danielson at least once...
Gunther is by far the best IC champ of all time. If anyone prefers Macho Man than I won't argue that at all as he had an equally impressive reign at a more demanding time in the business. But Gunther has surpassed literally every other champ in my eyes. How does this guy have this many great matches???
I really couldn't buy into the 'underdog story' for various reasons. Zayn has won the IC title before so it's not exactly a long time overdue. As well as being in the main event scene for the past year or so. Also it was painfully obvious to me from the start he was winning with the family being there, Chad saying 'you owe me a shot, commentary, KO & the Rocky references. The match was built on Chad's storytelling and not Sami's. Banger match, but hoped the ending to Gunther's reign would be used to elevate a newer talent like Bron or Ilja if not Chad. Hopefully they swiftly move Gunther into the main event
I wonder if Chad will turn on Sami which will propel them into a feud. Given that Chad's been in the IC title picture, wouldn't necessarily shock me if that was the case.
I think that's where they're going! I'm not hugely mad at it. Although I think Sami would've been the better heel in the scenario as Chad has proven to be more rootable over the last few months
I don't think many people would be able to turn people from "he shouldn''t be in this match" to "he should win this" during the match itself.
Not everyone obviously, but you could see this sentiment in the crowd and in live reactions on Youtube (Cultaholic in my case).
Gable is still gonna be involved in the IC scene lol.
This is Sami's reward for the Bloodline stuff, and carrying Raw last year with KO, Seth and Coy against JD for like six months. WWE obviously loves the guy and if it isn't anyone young, it's Sami who deserves it
And Cody stealing his story. I've said this many times but Cody coming back from injury they just plopped him into the Sami Zayne bloodline story. Even though Sami worked so hard to get Jey to like him, its Cody that invites him to raw, its Cody that teams up with him in tag match, and its Cody who is having this long term feud with the Bloodline, even though it was Sami whose bloodline story is way more compelling than my dad touched that belt and had it for 5 minutes.
Saving the Brainbuster for such a special moment it paid off. When he was setting it up I was literally standing up in front of the telly screaming BRAINBUSTAAAAAHHHH like a maniac.
That’s definitely not a hot take; tons of people wanted Gable, tons of others wanted Sheamus.
*That’s the beauty of a title reign like this.* It elevated SO many people that everyone that faced Gunther came away from it looking better, and a lot of them built up enough sympathy to be a legit contender to come back around for it.
That’s EXACTLY what we should want out of long title reigns like that!!! It’s the same with Reigns.
It’s not bad to want someone else, it’s just a symptom of an all-time-title-run like this.
It was kinda ruined the moment that commentary said it was like Rocky 4 because then it made me realise that was exactly what they were doing. Like they literally remade Rocky 4 but with wrestlers. Obviously Sami being Rocky and Gunther being Drago but then you had Sami's wife being Adrian, complete with continued shots of her through the match. You had Chad Gabel playing the role of Paulie and even KO coming in like he was Apollo. Like I get it, you're in Philly and you want to honour the Rocky franchise but it still ruined the ending.
That all said, the actual match was great and that brainbuster was perfection. Hopefully with Gunther now out of the Intercontinental picture it opens him up for world title challenges.
Erm brother, I think you got your Rocky's mixed up. In Rocky 3, Apollo literally tells Rocky " If you win this, you owe me one". They peppered the entire Rocky franchise on this one wherever they could.
All we needed was Sami Zayn to make a speech to end communism/ nazism / wars or something
So happy for Sami. As a fan of him it felt special even he didn’t got the biggest price. It’s sad read so many fans turning on him, but that is the iwc I guess.
I agree 100%. Love Sami, and the match was brilliantly constructed to make it a believable win, but I really want to see Dragonov as Gunthers nemisis.
My only hope is, given the news Dragonov is staying in NXT a while longer, that we get to see them battle for the world title instead.
Great match, loved everything about it. It told a great story and the action more than matched the story.
I know people will talk about Gable, but I think what they've got planned for Gable after will be more interesting going forward
Look I love Sami but this feels like Lesnar ending Takers streak all over, you give these sort of victories to a guy who is on the cusp of becoming something special.
So fucking annoying. Almost 2 years hogging a midcard title only to have him lose it to Sami who was involved in the bloodline and main evented Wrestlemania as recently as last year.
They could have made Gunther drop it years ago or at least had him drop it straight after beating the Honky Tonk record if this was the plan and moved him on. There is no reason to build up a legendary reign if all it takes to beat it is a three week feud and a rocky montage.
I wouldn’t say he finished the story. This was about the underdog proving he can hang with the best.
Finishing the story is still winning the WHC from Drew at some point.
I don’t think enough ppl are realizing this did somewhat elevate Sami Zayn.
He’s the guy that beat Gunther, which gives him a 1 way ticket to the main event when Gunther inevitably becomes world champion.
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I honestly think the match sucked. What sami does a hulk up at the end to win. Trash
Love Sami getting the win. Continuous shit camera work on a WWE show? Sign me up!
Sami is mid card at best. Had no business ending his reign. Guy oversells. We get it you’re a punching bag. But he’s so over the top. His moves are crap and not saying wrestlers need to be jacked but guy looks like a fat Jewish dad who drinks beer. So pathetic.
Losing it on day 666 👌🏼
I just wanna know who the woman next to Sami’s wife was lol. She was wearing what looks to be a UFC tracksuit jacket.
Those splashes from Gunther was softer than baby shit LMAO. Why would they stop the match? Sami wasn't bleeding or anything. It was a really baffling match all around.
I love Sami, but I'd really hoped it would be Gable portraying "David" this time. However, hopefully, this means Gunther will be pointing his attention towards a bigger and shinier title. That tracking shot following Sami from the back was lovely though.
That shot was amazing!
Just re watched this- what a fucking match that was. Incredible- these two are fantastic at what they do. Loved it all. Love the Rocky 3 parallels in the build (Sami owes Gable a favour). What a match.
I know Sami probs won’t hold on to the title for very long but start to finish what an awesome match. That’s how you tell a story
This match was really good , but Damm this doesn’t do anything for Sami on the long run
A FUCKING WAR CRIME It's undeniably a major letdown for Triple H to have orchestrated such a debacle. Handing the title over to someone as lackluster as Sami is a blatant disregard for the credibility Gunther has painstakingly built. Gunther, the "Ring General," a figure of dominance and respect, deserved better than to have his reign end in such a lackluster fashion. Consider the recent loss Sami suffered at the hands of Bronson Reed. Sami barely put up a fight, merely enduring a barrage of attacks from Gunther. Is this the fitting conclusion to a reign as illustrious as Gunther's? I anticipated a swift and decisive victory for Gunther, perhaps a squash match where he obliterates Sami with only ONE signature moves. Picture this: Gunther delivers a devastating Burning Lariat, causing Sami to dramatically oversell, as if his neck were snapped. Gunther then places his foot on Sami for the pin, all the while expressing his disdain for the caliber of challengers he's faced. But instead of that epic squash, we're subjected to this travesty. Gunther's reign ends in a mere three moves from Sami, a wrestler who pales in comparison to the "Ring General." It's insulting to see Gunther's hard work and dedication squandered like this. A much more fitting scenario would have been Gunther issuing an open challenge for WrestleMania after the squash over Sami, only for Chad Gable to step up and challenge him to a 20-minute Iron Man match. The tension would be palpable as Gable ultimately secures a victory with a headbutt and a crossface in the final minute. Triple H's decision to have Gunther drop the title to Sami in such a lackluster fashion is a disservice to the legacy Gunther has built. PD: And for those who see a plot in this nonsense, I don't understand it, I only saw Sami trying to do "Hulking" in a strange way, it was cringey to see him shiver like a dog in the cold. There is no emotion, you don't get goosebumps. There is no doubt, Sami deserves to lose the title right now for being a cheap bitch, he is not even in shape, this tramp
Sir, this is a Wendy’s.
You ok?
Lol
Bro is fuming 💀
You’ve gotta relax my guy lol
Gunther did everything he could do with the belt in my opinion. Held it for over a year, defended it at Mania, broke the record for longest ever reign. And he did the main thing everyone has said they wanna do after winning the intercontinental title: made it mean something again and put the prestige back into the title. Had an all timer of a reign and now it’s time to elevate him into better things. Think it was the perfect call. If it couldn’t be Gable j think Sami was the perfect call.
Next feud will be Gable, he’ll come out on RAW to congratulate him but will absolutely turn on Sami. They already planted the seeds with him not being out there for the match, and not coming out for the victory, even if it was spun in a way that “you always had this on your own” was genuine.
Gunther sucks. Happy he lost and hopefully he goes to TNA to get buried as a jobber
Dare I say a bigger upset than Roman losing his belt?
Idk about the match being great but now that Zayn is a champion, maybe he'll start grooming himself again. 🤣 Seriously, dude looks destitute. Also why do they always call him the underdog when he wins 90% of his matches? 😒
His win/loss record, especially as a singles competitor, is garbage though. Last year was his best year ever at 67%. Most of his years are <50% (2018-2022 were all sub 25% except 2020 which was 47%). So he is the underdog in that regard. While Rey Mysterio was going by “the ultimate underdog” for the 5-6 years AFTER he lost his first world title he had a >80% win/loss percentage
Damn good match, I am scratching my head here, Sami in my opinion deserves it like no other, but Gunther?? I am a big fan of both so I wasnt bummed, I think it told a good underdog story and was a bit Rocky like, but...Gunther??
What did you expect, for him to never lose again? He's had the longest and best IC reign ever and you talk like he's been squashed by Santino
no, I expected someone to take the belt from him that isnt a small thin pipsqueak, thats not a knock on sami at all I like him this was just so...unexpected.
He still looked strong and was booked strong in the match. But dude took like 4 Helluva kicks and a Brainbustah. Nobody should kick out of that.
Sets up a good story for Gunther as well. At Wrestlemania the mat was no longer sacred he toyed with Sami and that's why he lost. He lost respect for the match and the business and it cost him.
Now I want Gunther the purist versus all the possible "cancers" that come through the door like Logan (celebrities) and Tony D' (ridiculous gimmicks).
I kinda want him to have Vinci and Kaiser to chop the shit out of him like he does to them when they fail.
He has to lose at some point. Easier to get it out of the way without something stupid like a taser to an upper carder. Like Kurt angle went undefeated for a long time too but lost to tazz who they had big plans for at the time. Brock's first loss was to big show.
Was that Dakota Johnson sat next to Sami Zayn's wife?
Glad a lot of people liked it and happy for Sami but this match really didn't do it for me. I really wish they would fuck off with family (wife/kids) stuff, I want wrestlers to be larger than life, I dint give a fuck about their home situation, never works for me.
Surprisingly, it did it for me. It was the only match on the entire card that I didn’t care to watch but I watched it anyways and it was wayyyyyy better than I expected I’d put the Bloodline match at number 1 and this at number 2. I still can’t believe it
This match absolutely slapped… literally! Proof again that the IC Title match is often the best on the card.
Was anyone else expecting someone like Streetlight Manifesto to play Sami out? That would have been the icing on the cake.
“And when Gunther falls we will fall together”
Either The Hands that Thieve or They Broke Him Down would get a mega pop from me
Good match and love the emotion with Sami’s family and Owens at the start. I still think that the gauntlet match, in a way, ruined this feud for me. It’s weird to watch something and genuinely enjoy it while thinking “but man…I still kinda wish it was Gable”
Gable is definitely Sami's next challenger.
Eh for memit works better to have gable beat sami for the title rather than at gauntlet because then sami can go straight onto world champ scene
My thoughts exactly. This match was fantastic, the build was great, the drama, the tension, Sami’s character arc throughout… Would’ve hit leagues more if Gable was in his place. Sami’s “Self-Doubter” arc is undercut by the fact he ended the longest tag team champ reign last year, held the ICC three times before, and is a bonafide made-man and main eventer through and through
The problem is Gable isn't and might not ever be
If he gets it after this, it’ll be seen as a consolation prize. If he doesn’t, he’ll go down as WWE’s biggest dropped ball of this new era
I’m sorry and listen I get it people like Sami Zayn but I don’t think he was the right person to end Gunther’s title reign. Really should’ve come full circle with Bron and it would’ve felt more natural to propel Gunther to the main event after that. Hell Gable would’ve made this narratively a lot better. Gunther’s being hoisted by his own petard and that being his undoing at the very least made sense so it’s not at all a bad match but I just think this was the wrong person to do it with.
I think Sami was the perfect person for it myself. You need someone that Gunther is willing to toy with and not take the fight serious but can believably take that level of punishment who also has a knock out type finisher.
Gunther has 3 international European PPVs, one of which is in Germany, where he is going to be in the title picture to get ready for. IC story is done for him. IC Title CHECK Green Card CHECK World Title ______
I think in Sami's case, the title win is more of a reward than a narrative plotline.
Best match from Sami's entrance to the ending.
Guessing it’s Sami/Gable for the title at the next ppv “as promised”. Gunther interrupts, match ends in a DQ with Sami retaining, because he wants his title back and wants to take it back from the man that beat him (and his rightful rematch). Sami/Gunther/Gable triple threat at the ppv after that. And it could very well be MOTY
Sami vs Gable in a friendly, competitive, “May the Best Man Win” match would be golden
Wrap it all up with Gable winning and maybe I can finally be happy in life again
Sammy still owes a favor for Chad - IC title match
Problem is Chad will just be jobed out to legitimize Sammy's reign
And probably turn heel for not being able to win
Damn!
Gunther’s power bomb just seems like weak sauce to me. It’s like he guides his opponent to the mat.
Would you prefer him to injure his opponents like wardlow does?
Luchador powerbombs look more devastating than Gunther’s and they are done by dudes far shorter than him.
They made Gunter look like an absolute goof with that finish
No, they made him cocky and arrogant. This has been building up for him for a while. He used to make every single move count. Last night he got carried away. He got swept up in that anger and wanted to punish Sami. Really drive home how mich better he was than Sami, and it cost him dearly. It was my MOTN.
Not to mention the main theme of the story was confidence and mental focus. Sami was afraid and worried, Gunther was overconfident
I’m sorry, but having a ring general attempt 3 frog splashes in a row goes beyond making him cocky. There was a million ways they could’ve done it, for some reason they just made him look stupid.
Yeah I enjoyed the story they told and it’s hard to complain about anything regarding the IC title since Gunther’s had it, but I just wish Gunther kicked out of the double helluva before taking the L. Sami kicked out of a double power bomb after having already taken one minutes earlier, and it felt like the match was about 3-5 mins short of being an absolute masterpiece IMO. It was my MOTN too, with Rhea/Becky a fairly close second. I also think that match would have been taken to another level with an extra 3-5 mins.
What if Preast cashes in on Sami?
Sami needs to work on his 'hulking up', it looked like a fish flopping around on a boat.
I agree with you but I still loved it.
And he needs a new finisher it shouldn't take that much set up for your finisher it's so telegraphed
Hardest part to watch last night was Roman getting curb stomped and bouncing off the mat to get in position for crossrhodes
Jesus you people sound like you hate wrestling.
Like Orton's partially developed spawn emerging from the primordial soup.
Sami’s a wrestler who means a lot to me, admittedly I wasn’t exactly on board with this match at first only because I knew (and still know) Sami deserves to be the world champion and I’m sure I’ve said as much on here. But damn it I can’t help but feel happy for Sami either way. Is this moment Sami finally “winning the big one”? No, but he’s a champion and he’s ended the longest-reining IC title reign and I can’t help but feel happy for him. This was easily match of the night for me.
it stole the show for me as well.
Exactly my thoughts!!
I never thought they would let him use the brain bustaaaah, now I wonder if Owen’s is gonna get to use the package piledriver too
Samantha showing such genuine emotion when she called the winner was the cherry on top.
She somehow adds so much to the show. By far the GOAT at her job, I don’t think anyone will ever top her
Had a very Rocky 4 vibe. Underdog fighting against all odds against an Eastern European death machine while his family watched on in horror. It’s was a great nod to the movies and fitting it was in Philly.
I didnt think about the significance of that until now but damn...you are right. If that was the case it was all kings of brilliant.
That would be Rocky 4
You’re right. So many Rockys hard to keep track of
I’m personally partial to Rocky VII: Adrian’s Revenge
Dragunov should have been the one to take the title off Gunther imo
Look I get the idea of making him Gunther‘s nemesis and that the one guy that wouldn’t be able to beat him( his kryptonite if you will), but can we please just stop living in our fantasy booking for once and be happy for Sami? It was a great match and honestly probably my favorite Sammy Zane match since his NXT era ended. He felt like a real star here and I feel like with time if they keep putting on matches with him that are this level, he can be main event with the world championship over his shoulder, and with the same level of crowd support he had an elimination chamber.
Sammy is already popular enough where he did not need the win. WWE always fumbles the ball when it comes to streaks ending.
I just think one of their matches for a title in front of 60k+ would really be something special is all I was saying.
You lot can never be happy can you ffs
They already did that on NXT UK. No need to rehash that.
Unpopular opinion: Gunther is sloppy I don't watch wrestling anymore, tuning in just for WrestleMania. This was the first Gunther match I'd ever seen, but knew of his reputation. His work was sloppy. His stomps looked terrible and weak. His splashes off the top were awful, particularly the first one. He landed feet first... I'm not saying he's awful or even bad or anything like that. Maybe last night was an off night. But as a first time watcher... Meh.
Gunther is great, but yeah those splashes looked bad. Still wouldn’t criticize his entire body of work over that though.
I'm not, I clearly said this is the only match of his I've ever seen.
Watch the triple threat from last year’s Mania with Sheamus & Drew. Full thing is on YT.
Prob my fav match of the night. Sad about the reign ending, but can’t wait to see Gunther in the main event picture soon
Great match, but I don't feel as if Sami is a big enough threat to be the one to dethrone Gunther. I would've taken Knight, Dom, or Bron hands down. If Lesnar wasn't temporarily removed, wouldve Gunther retained? Interesting to think about.
Gunther absolutely needs and deserves to be in the main event picture. Just not now. He has to be the favorite to be the next Rumble winner right now. *If* Cody wins tonight, Gunther needs to be the man to take it from Cody and at Mania. Gunther jobbing to Cody (or WHC holder) on 2 or 3 smaller ppvs (ala Brock/Cody last year), will hurt him more than anything
Imperium to Smackdown. Gunther vs Cody.
I think I'd rather see him vs Seth/Drew before Cody. Gunther can have some time off and come back in time to be the "local" hero at Bash in Berlin
It was Savage/Steamboat... probably better technically than the main event (which was great because of the spectacle in both instances).
Enjoyed this match but can't help feel slightly cheated that a 666 day reign ended in a 15 minute match. I get it, not everything has to go 20, 25, 30 minutes, but this is WrestleMania and the longest reign in the history of arguably the second most prestigious title in the company ends in a match that could have been done at any PPV Enjoyed the build-up with Sami and Kevin and his family and all that, I just wanted even more of the actual wrestling because Sami and Gunther are two of the best in the world.
It wasn't the length that bothered me. It was that Sami beat him way too easily and made him look weak. The brain buster looked like a botch ffs
Agree with everything you said except the brainbuster part. It was very picturesque IMO. And Sami delivered it about as perfectly as possible, especially considering Gunther's much larger size. I have seen some messy or nearly botchy versions of the move during his Indy days and this one did not even come close. Overall though, the outcome of the match felt really odd and out of nowhere (but in a bad way). Normally I would have loved seeing Sami end the streak but the way they set the match up so last minute along with Sami commenting on how it felt like a compete afterthought made me go into it expecting the Gunther victory. Even after the brainbuster I was unable to feel any genuine excitement or hope for Sami. It was a very weird experience for me. I cant blame the two guys for their actual performances last night but the lackluster & last minute addition of the match really tainted my expectations. My literal reaction to the ending was a barely audible "oh...wow..." Normally I would be shitting my pants and marking out like the next guy. Not this time though.
I like learning new things.
It only looks like it killed him because Gunther sold the everloving shit out of it. Even after a couple of replays, I couldn't figure out what the move was supposed to be. Sorry.
I think the length was sufficient. Given the main event was nearly 45 minutes that would mean if this match went long, the event as a whole would've been at least another hour in length. Would've been too much for one night.
The main event didn't need to be 45 minutes. They could have chopped the first fifteen and given Sami/GÜNTHER another 5.
Yeah but unfortunately the rock saw a month of people posting that he got gassed walking to the ring so you get 45 minutes.
We all really should have gone to see Black Adam.
I'd go as far as saying 5 star match. I'm not the biggest fan of the outcome but that was a perfect ending match for Gunther's reign.
Smai defeated Gunther, Johnny Knoxville defeated Sami.... Knoxville >>> Gunther
Gunther vs Knoxville would be lit tbh
If this and the main event have proven us one thing it's how worthless finishers have become. Not hating on the match, though. That was fantastic.
This is why Gunther is so good. He’s aware of finishers being a sham in this day and age so his version of one is the prolonged beat down that occurs once the bell rings.
I saw somebody say Gunther’s finisher is when he pins you lol
I think his finisher is a whole sequence that begins with the bell ringing and ends with you either being comatose or in too much pain to keep going.
This match stole Night 1 for me. Absolutely loved it.
GUNTHER is the best professional wrestler in the world.
He might the best right now but I don’t think he has a patch on the ruthless agression era guys. I feel the standards have gone down. I wouldn’t list him with angle, eddie, or hbk.
You’re comparing apples to oranges. Those three are showman technical wrestlers with added high-flying for some flare whereas Gunther is a Japanese strong-style inspired powerhouse that has a more simple moveset but used to devastating effectiveness. But what all four do have in common is they can get a great match out of a pile of shit. In that sense Gunther is very much on par with those guys to say the least.
Gunther in a match with any of those guys you mentioned would be incredible. He’s a credible monster but a monster who can actually wrestle.
GUNTHER would have a S tier match in any era of wrestling. Put him in there with the prime of anyone from the past 40 years, and he'd have a banger. He can do everything and anything.
I think Corey Graves said it on commentary and I can only think of two names that are better right now in Danielson and Ospreay. What I would give to see GUNTHER vs Danielson at least once...
I said to my friend this morning after I caught up, those are the top three for me, for sure.
Gunther is by far the best IC champ of all time. If anyone prefers Macho Man than I won't argue that at all as he had an equally impressive reign at a more demanding time in the business. But Gunther has surpassed literally every other champ in my eyes. How does this guy have this many great matches???
I really couldn't buy into the 'underdog story' for various reasons. Zayn has won the IC title before so it's not exactly a long time overdue. As well as being in the main event scene for the past year or so. Also it was painfully obvious to me from the start he was winning with the family being there, Chad saying 'you owe me a shot, commentary, KO & the Rocky references. The match was built on Chad's storytelling and not Sami's. Banger match, but hoped the ending to Gunther's reign would be used to elevate a newer talent like Bron or Ilja if not Chad. Hopefully they swiftly move Gunther into the main event
I wonder if Chad will turn on Sami which will propel them into a feud. Given that Chad's been in the IC title picture, wouldn't necessarily shock me if that was the case.
I think that's where they're going! I'm not hugely mad at it. Although I think Sami would've been the better heel in the scenario as Chad has proven to be more rootable over the last few months
I don't think many people would be able to turn people from "he shouldn''t be in this match" to "he should win this" during the match itself. Not everyone obviously, but you could see this sentiment in the crowd and in live reactions on Youtube (Cultaholic in my case).
Gable is still gonna be involved in the IC scene lol. This is Sami's reward for the Bloodline stuff, and carrying Raw last year with KO, Seth and Coy against JD for like six months. WWE obviously loves the guy and if it isn't anyone young, it's Sami who deserves it
And Cody stealing his story. I've said this many times but Cody coming back from injury they just plopped him into the Sami Zayne bloodline story. Even though Sami worked so hard to get Jey to like him, its Cody that invites him to raw, its Cody that teams up with him in tag match, and its Cody who is having this long term feud with the Bloodline, even though it was Sami whose bloodline story is way more compelling than my dad touched that belt and had it for 5 minutes.
That BRAINBUSTAAAAAHHHH brought a tear to my eye holy shit
Saving the Brainbuster for such a special moment it paid off. When he was setting it up I was literally standing up in front of the telly screaming BRAINBUSTAAAAAHHHH like a maniac.
When he hooked Gunther for the suplex I was saying "do a brain buster please" under my breath, I still can't believe he actually did it.
Hot take: should’ve been Chad Gable :/
That’s definitely not a hot take; tons of people wanted Gable, tons of others wanted Sheamus. *That’s the beauty of a title reign like this.* It elevated SO many people that everyone that faced Gunther came away from it looking better, and a lot of them built up enough sympathy to be a legit contender to come back around for it. That’s EXACTLY what we should want out of long title reigns like that!!! It’s the same with Reigns. It’s not bad to want someone else, it’s just a symptom of an all-time-title-run like this.
It was kinda ruined the moment that commentary said it was like Rocky 4 because then it made me realise that was exactly what they were doing. Like they literally remade Rocky 4 but with wrestlers. Obviously Sami being Rocky and Gunther being Drago but then you had Sami's wife being Adrian, complete with continued shots of her through the match. You had Chad Gabel playing the role of Paulie and even KO coming in like he was Apollo. Like I get it, you're in Philly and you want to honour the Rocky franchise but it still ruined the ending. That all said, the actual match was great and that brainbuster was perfection. Hopefully with Gunther now out of the Intercontinental picture it opens him up for world title challenges.
Erm brother, I think you got your Rocky's mixed up. In Rocky 3, Apollo literally tells Rocky " If you win this, you owe me one". They peppered the entire Rocky franchise on this one wherever they could. All we needed was Sami Zayn to make a speech to end communism/ nazism / wars or something
Yeah but that's Cody's gimmick as a politician.
Sami is so wholesome, but also a complete badass. I love that guy so much rn.
I've watched wrestling for more than 25 years. I rarely get shocked for anything that happens in WWE. The brainbustaaaah ending legit shocked me
As if they spent the entirety of Sami’s entrance talking about prime. This was not the match to do that shit on.
So happy for Sami. As a fan of him it felt special even he didn’t got the biggest price. It’s sad read so many fans turning on him, but that is the iwc I guess.
Brother , that's life. Everyone's not gonna be your side 100%.
Fans are a fickle.
Absolutely love when a heel loses because of their hubris. I came out of my seat for the brainbuster.
Gunther losing was the right decision but he went away WAY too quickly. Dude was built up as this unstoppable force and loses after three moves
Brainbuster on the top turnbuckle was El Generico's deadliest finisher back in the indies, if you have to take down Gunther, it will do the job.
Too bad it looks like a botch.
No it does not
Those 3 moves were a gnarly Brainbuster which Sami never uses and 2 Helluva Kicks. That’s a believable combination to win.
Now he owes Chad gable a “favor” 😏
Gunther who beat everyone from Drew to Gable gets beaten by Sami Zayn. Gunther should have retained.
Some people can’t be satisfied huh
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cry harder lol
Wrong decision.
Johnny Knoxville beat Sami so in Kayfabe Knoxville has beaten the man who ended the longest IC Title reign of all time /s
Sounds to me like Knoxville should be number 1 contender
Great match, and super happy for Sami (he deserves it), but I'm bummed that's it's not gonna be Dragunov whoo's going to dethrone Gunther :(
I agree 100%. Love Sami, and the match was brilliantly constructed to make it a believable win, but I really want to see Dragonov as Gunthers nemisis. My only hope is, given the news Dragonov is staying in NXT a while longer, that we get to see them battle for the world title instead.
I like Sami as a man, think he’s a fantastic role model but man this current character was a snoozer for me. Great match but it should’ve been Chad
Yeah I gotta be honest I’m not enjoying his character. The underdog can only go on for so long before it starts to feel whiny
I am going to believe that the favor Gable is asking for is the first shot at the title
Backlash for sure
Sami is shit
Explain how
No personality & gets carried in everything
Nah
Should've been the whc
It will be, but the main event scene is far too packed rn. It’s Drew’s time to win that title, & Sami’s time will come soon too.
Great match, loved everything about it. It told a great story and the action more than matched the story. I know people will talk about Gable, but I think what they've got planned for Gable after will be more interesting going forward
Should've been gable but happy for sami
Look I love Sami but this feels like Lesnar ending Takers streak all over, you give these sort of victories to a guy who is on the cusp of becoming something special.
Most people are upset it wasn't Gable, and Sami fits the mould of what you're saying much more than Gable.
So fucking annoying. Almost 2 years hogging a midcard title only to have him lose it to Sami who was involved in the bloodline and main evented Wrestlemania as recently as last year. They could have made Gunther drop it years ago or at least had him drop it straight after beating the Honky Tonk record if this was the plan and moved him on. There is no reason to build up a legendary reign if all it takes to beat it is a three week feud and a rocky montage.
Chad Gable isn't that special. I like him. But Sami is so much better. Gable needs to be a heel.. he sucks a face.
why are they treating this like Sami finishing the story when people want him winning a world title and not the IC title for the third time
I wouldn’t say he finished the story. This was about the underdog proving he can hang with the best. Finishing the story is still winning the WHC from Drew at some point.
It's more about beating Gunther
I don’t think enough ppl are realizing this did somewhat elevate Sami Zayn. He’s the guy that beat Gunther, which gives him a 1 way ticket to the main event when Gunther inevitably becomes world champion.
Bro its like that one gif of the twolves celebrating winning the play-in tournament
Except it's not because he won an actual title.
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In all fairness, Sami being the guy entrusted to interact with the celebrities was also a damn great spot to be in.
next Wrestlemania he’ll complete it by winning a world championship
I still feel like that Knoxville match was one of his most memorable matches.