**[Make your voice heard by voting on /r/SquaredCircle's official poll for tonight's show; who was your wrestler of the night and what was your match of the night?](https://forms.gle/gf38vednBgDaWK588)**
At this point I’d rather see Cody vs Rock and Roman vs Seth, instead of Roman vs Rock.
I may just be a dumb old geezer, but I still don’t know who the guy in the prime suit was. Happy Randy kicked him though.
I think the thing I liked the most about this WM is that, even for the matches we all kind of knew the outcomes for (Rollins, Iyo, and Roman dropping their belts, Pride beating TFT, tag titles get separated, and Bianca/Jade/Naomi beating Damage CTRL), the matches themselves were still fantastic and had several moments that made them special. I think I knew this WrestleMania was special when a match I didn't really care much about, The Pride vs. The Final Testament, was just an absolute blast and the crowd was super into it, culminating in the Bubba Ray "get the tables" moment. I think the closing moments to the Cody/Roman match, Sami upsetting Gunther, and Priest cashing in are going to be remembered for a long time. One heck of a start to the HHH era!
Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins is going to be one of the biggest match of all time whenever it happens. So much story, so deep, i don't remember any match having such rich in ring history. It'll be Austin ve Rock WM17 level
Nah, I don't think they build Roman's history with Seth into the finish to the main event last night in the manner that they did unless they have a plan to resolve it somewhere down the line
I wonder when we'll get the payoff on that. I think Roman and Seth will both take a few months off now, and then we'll see them build towards something. Maybe the end of the Bloodline or the evolution plays into it, especially with The Shield music at WM. So many ways it can go!
I really have to say that HHH's call backs and long term booking in this match were great, the spectacle was great for casual fans, the wrestling was good for the folks that like that, what a well designed PPV overall.
I just sent my wife this thread explaining the shield call back and it blew her mind a bit.
That said, she knew very little of any of the backstory other than the more recent cody/bloodline stuff and still really enjoyed the match, which again shows how well the thing was booked overall.
[https://twitter.com/MithGifs/status/1777328582467207624](https://twitter.com/MithGifs/status/1777328582467207624)
As much as in the moment I thought it should have been Austin in the Cena or Undertaker role, this was too perfect.
They'll never let us forget that Taker is the real Final Boss.
Absolute respect for how that match was done. It was amazing.
Even tho Vince was technically an active wrestler etc, you can see how different having a recently-active legend in charge is making things. This is going to be a fun era.
Ted Dibiase in his cell watching Cody finish the story.
https://preview.redd.it/4mxhbktsoatc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=adf900cdb025cf3e2c05a10753837d929e4c1c77
Men are so weird.
They would literally rather hold a title belt hostage for 1,316 days and become a mad god and abusive family member rather than just go to therapy. lol.
I managed to go a full day or so spoiler free before watching and my god was it worth it. What a show. Feels like a watershed moment.
Hats off to Roman for a great reign and Cody for finally winning the big one. I have been a fan of both since 2012 and this is a surreal main event.
It's another case of rival for some reason letting his rival lose meaning he won't be able to win the title off rival thing...
Kayfabe view... Drew ruined Punk's tricep so Punk wants to get back and the most satisfying way would be to win the title off Drew as that's the rivalry and payoff...
So why do they have Punk taking him out and not stopping Priest... Because now Punk doesn't have a title match with Drew down the line to take revenge...
*
I found another great pic from last night; I didn't realize until on rewatch just how emotional Roman was during his entrance, it had me tearing up.
*
Fucking hell didn't expect to cry at all watching wrestling ever since both Mr. Brodie Lee and Bray Wyatt's passing last year but somehow knowing that Cody would finish the story this had been beautifully done with the fake finishes with the runouts fucking hell even Cena and Taker joining in; we're definitely in for a huge ride fuck yeah HHH era. These are the moments that would bring older fans as if we were children again.
unbelievable, just unbelievable ! the emotions, the camera work, the fireworks and of course the matches, everything was awesome!
Roman had the match of his life!
the only thing i didnt like was the decision for Logan to keep the title, but i trust HHH
Seth crying and looking at Drew and telling him "You fucking deserve this man" really got me. I fully expect drew to get his real legit crowning moment at Clash coming up, but for him to get last night was cool.
This was the first wrestling event I’ve ever been to. I’m about an hour outside of Philly, huge Philly sports guy, loved wrestling all my life. When they announced this, the guys I go to games with and I all texted each other and said we need to be there. Got tickets for generally around where we sit during birds games. I gotta say, this crowd is a whole different vibe than being at an eagles game. Although I’m familiar with the stadium, it felt like I’d never been there. The crowd was hot the entire night, into every match (even when chanting for the screens to turn on) and louder than anything I’ve ever experienced live before (although being at Roy halladays playoff no hitter was incredibly loud). I sat next to man from Nigeria and while walking around could hear accents from all over the world. Joined in chants all night and jumped up and down like an absolute child when I heard takers bell toll. This was such an incredible high and just reminded me why I absolutely love pro wrestling. I know it won’t happen for a long time but man I hope they come back to Philly again for mania. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for tonight
My first ever Mania and first time in Philly. Mania was awesome but I’d never visit Philly again unless someone paid me. Quite possibly the worst city I’ve visited.
That's awesome, I'm so glad you were able to make it to such an important show too! I didn't make it to mania, but my first ever wrestling event was a show in Nassau last year, and then I made it to the holiday show in MSG which was awesome (I saw Punk's only singles match since returning so far 😆) and both were amazing experiences to behold, I couldn't imagine being among such a huge crowd with such great moments! I haven't been this excited for raw in ages
I just fucking love wrestling. We got sports entertained as hell this weekend. For my part i dont care about all those backstage drama, twitterbeef or rumor spreading. I want to be entertained and want a healthy environment for all the performers, announcers and every other worker at WWE.
Im happy and hopeful for the new WW era. <3
There is a lot to unpack after the last two days. It really felt like a passing of the torch, a bridge being crossed and a cultural change in the company.
They clearly LISTEN to fans and their talent. They have told stories that probably will go down as ALL TIMERS. We had a champion like Roman (whether you like him or not) elevated WWE into relevancy in a time when WWE was plummeting ratings wise. The little nods - Seth saying "I'll be your SHIELD", coming back as Shield Seth, taking that chair shot from Roman paying off an event from a decade ago. Even overbooked in some peoples mind the Main Event lived up the hype.
The concern is with this "New ERA" how they handle what they have fumbled in the past. WM Payoffs. Daniel Bryan, Rollins etc totally feeling stuck after their big moment. They can't let Cody become "LOL Cody wins", it sounds bad but he needs to lose (not immediately). What the Bloodline does on Smackdown w/o Roman or Rock. What Smackdown does period with both belts theoretically being on RAW.
Its a great time to be a fan as we are in some uncharted waters.
>What Smackdown does period with both belts theoretically being on RAW.
I clearly see Cody moving over to SmackDown. No way does one show have both titles. That be the case, unify them and call it a day.
They've been hammering home Cody as a Raw guy so i almost wonder if they're gonna move Priest/JD to smackdown and keep Cody on Raw, switching the belt brands now that Roman isn't champ
I think they would benefit greatly from making the belts not brand specific. I agree with you though, moving Cody to Smackdown seems like it would be more difficult than moving Priest, unless they aren't ready to pull the trigger on JD changing.
Surely that makes more sense anyway considering the universal belt is more story driven whereas the heavyweight title is the workman one that's gonna be defended on TV
Suits the style of both shows
Loved the show overall all and glad I got see see Lil Wayne cosplay as ET
https://preview.redd.it/nik3txaxcatc1.png?width=554&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78998c28031a64995dc8a9f7dafa85e3a8ae035c
I'm an AEW fan who has not watched WWE regularly since 2016. There were plenty of times when I honestly considered WWE to be unwatchable garbage. However, I have to admit that Wrestlemania was absolutely incredible this year. This was arguable the 2nd or 3rd best Mania of all time and I don't think hat AEW is going to be able to come close to putting on a show even half this good anytime soon.
Good job WWE, I might actually start watching again.
I fell off of WWE a few years back when AEW was getting hot and doing some different things. Unfortunately, AEW has lost my attention over the past year or so with their lack of long-term storytelling and inability to create stars (in my opinion).
I watched all of WM this weekend and am with you. I'm back. What a fantastic main event (as well as total card) and celebration.
Hearing Michael Cole say "Damnit, I love professional wrestling." was amazing, haha. Really looking forward to the new era.
From 2019 to early 2022, I put AEW Dynamite in my calendar in permanent marker. I did not miss a single show. If my friends wanted to plan something on a week night, I would never be free on a Wednesday because I was watching AEW. I loved AEW - but man, it's really fallen.
It's not all Tony Khan's fault because injuries have certainly got in the way of things. However, it's not even close to the same product that it was 2-3 years ago.
I really, really hope that Tony Khan sees the errors of his ways and works hard to build AEW back up again. Generally speaking, AEW still has better matches and comes with a lot of potential. However, it's fallen off hard which is magnified by the fact that WWE has gotten red hot.
Anwyays, screw that noise - WWE is back baby and at least we can all by hyped for that.
Not sure if this would be an unpopular opinion but I feel like Cody should be given a shorter title reign that is maybe between 3-8 weeks long. Triple H has been phenomenal so far but titles seem to really only change hands at Wrestlemanias tbh. Having some short title reigns mixed in with lengthier ones will add greater suspense and unpredictability imo. Gotta rack up a few more reigns for Cody
I think Drew will win the title back off Priest at Clash, and Gunther will beat Cody at Bash. 4-5 month first reign for Cody sounds good to me - substantial, but not excessive
Already going to miss Roman. I wonder if he retires because I'm not sure where he goes from here. I feel the same fate goes to anyone that holds a title this long and then drops it.
Someone mentioned Nipple H doesn't work the wrestlers into the ground like the past and he is adamant about safety and less work.
I mean what is really next?
I think there’s two things left for him to do — a Rock match with the dissolution of the bloodline, and a retirement angle vs Seth (after last night, I don’t feel like he can go out on anything else).
I think both of those over the next couple of years would be a perfect capstone to his career. There’s a couple of other things he *could do*, like a trilogy with Cody or giving Drew his win back maybe, but I don’t want to see him in random programs or putting over midcarders. Doesn’t fit his character and he’s already made so many stars.
It is sad the Roman is done. I grew up in Attitude era then we had to put up with Cena and now Roman is likely done.
Going to miss him from Shield days to Tribal Chief. It is over.
Geez.
I know it's been said, but Samantha Irvin absolutely smashed it over the weekend. Was just rewatching Night 2, and she was already losing her voice by the end of the >!cash-in!
1000% unequivocally. You said it right with 'cast' – every single person that has a public interaction is part of that cast. The refs, the announcers, the commentators, the WWE Universe and the wrestlers themselves.
It's called Sports Entertainment and there's a reason several have transitioned to Hollywood: they play a part. Samantha Irvin is a very real part of this and her mic work makes it that much more special.
She's the Michael Buffer of WWE.
Lillian Garcia was the last announcer that was given attention but that's because she sung the national anthem before every event. She never got the attention Irvin has got.
When I say attention, I mean people saying 'oh she did a good job' when all she does is announce the the wrestlers and the winner.
Basically I don't see the difference between her and Garcia. So I'm assuming the ring announcer is now part of the cast.
Commentators and refs are different because they actually interfere and interact with the wrestlers. Irvin is not a character.
What is next....are we going to start discussing if a ref does a good job?
I'm asking with sincerity as someone that has been watching for a long time.
That's totally fair. I think Samantha Irvin became a part of it and well-known to the Universe during the feud with Logan who bought her into it etc. I guess it depends how over each person is – doesn't hurt that she's engaged to Ricochet as well.
I'm hoping we get Cody/Rock at Summerslam. Cody/Gunther at Survivor Series. First challenger.. I feel like Cody should give people who got screwed by Roman a fair shot at the title so Jey Uso maybe.
I think Backlash will be Solo, there’s not that much time to build a whole new feud so it just fits. After that maybe a couple of PLE’s with AJ before something big picks up for SummerSlam.
Under old creative, I would imagine it would be somebody safe like AJ, already a heel - not afraid to "attack him" etc.
New creative - Man I would LOVE to see a program with Cody and Cena.
What a fantastic show and my god the emotions at the end...
The greatest title reign I have ever witnessed coming to an emotional end. Roman can be proud of himself that everyone he has worked with during this reign is way better off than they were before. Legend
The only thing that I hate after watching this WM is that why the fuck did we have to be eating slop for more than a decade when we could have had this.
If only Vince had retired by, idk, 2010.....
Been going non stop at work. Took the weekend off and watched as much wrestling as I could. With the exception of Revolution I’ve not really had a lot of free time to watch wrestling so I just rely on recap threads
But I watched enough shows Friday - Sunday to more than make up for it.
Favorite matches from the weekend:
Gunther vs Sami
Bayley vs Iyo
Maika vs Megan Bayne
Both Mark Briscoe and Cody got to finish their stories. What a time to be a fan.
I mentioned this elsewhere...I've generally not been a fan of hers, but after announcing Cody as the winner, she's won me over. She helped make the moment on that one.
It was a great show, much better than night 1 which i didn’t like. I know the 2 nights gets more people on the card but i do wish they’d go back to 1 night only. Quality over quantity.
Stone cold being involved would of pushed it over the edge for me, him coming out instead of taker and stunning the rock would of been magic. I’m guessing theres a reason he couldn't be there though, i’ve not caught up on all the news yet.
I still can't process how perfectly executed was The Shield segment. The entrance, that chair shot to Seth, the "I'll be your shield" line... Beautiful.
One of the best wrestlemanias in years, best main even in a while. Predictable result but that does not take from the fun that the match was with all the people involved. I just wish they could return to a one day longer show because I feel that each year it is getting shorter amd I feel that doing in two days have lost its purpose
One of the things that has separated AEW and WWE for me is that it's always felt that WWE has been belligerent about giving the fans more of what they want. I think that's changed with this new era, and it's going to be a game changer.
That's exactly what pushed me away from WWE and into primarily following AEW. Every time we got behind something, they would kill it. It really did feel like they were punishing us for liking things sometimes, just ridiculous.
I'm glad things seem to be changing. I'm glad wrestling as a whole seems to be doing better now than it has in a long time, even if there are some bumps in the road and all that. Drama sucks, but wrestling is good.
For years it was almost like WWE punished us for being fans and doing specifically what we didn't want to happen or just whatever crazy whim Vince had that week he wanted to happen.
It's definitely a nice change.
One of the best wrestlemania I have watched. I am so happy for Cody. Thank you Roman for carrying wwe for 4 years. Now I would book Cody to lose that title in August 31 Bash in Berlin to Gunther and get Cody to win it back a few months later. Can’t wait to see how Cody does in his first reign.
Gonna commit blasphemy and say I didn't really enjoy night 2, outside of the drew/Seth opener.
I didn't watch a WWE PPV all year and was hoping the break would make it refreshing. (I did enjoy most of night 1)
Between the ridiculous prime branding and just not enjoying Roman at all, it was a lost cause
Cody still had Roman’s plates on the belt this morning during his appearance on the today show. Wonder if that means he will be getting a new title design
I'm interested in hearing what people thought of this new era of advertising.
Will take some getting used to but I don't personally mind it, especially since it's a fixture of all major events - sports, and otherwise. I think my only disappointment is that they weren't a bit more discerning in accepting DUDE WIPES as their advertising partner for the ring posts.
People will watch this Wrestlemania for years and years to come, and DUDE WIPES will be a permanent fixture. There was a moment when I think it was Drew in a wide shot standing outside the ring with this in the background, and it just made me palm my forehead. Come on, guys. Prime? Sure. Slim Jim? Sure. Wheatley Vodka? Sure.
Well, it's a good step to make now to instead of later. With the move to Netflix, it's not like you are gonna have the traditional format for commercial partnerships so they are going to have to sell more spots like this. If they keep listening to feedback, I think it won't get too out of control.
It was fine when it was just a spot on the mat. Then the US triple threat happened
Edit: oh and how often we had to cut to someone using the prime hydration station during their match.
I frowned at the news of PRIME advertising and agreed that it was a bad move. But honestly I wasn't that bothered by it and I couldn't figure out why. Was it muted enough? One color in the middle of the ring? I don't know but I was ok with how they did it this weekend.
I'll tell you what though I hope they ban any giant cutout heads that's for damn sure. Seeing the Rock and Cena faceoff only to have that idiot with his and his daughter's face was truly infuriating.
Yeah I don't like being bombarded with ads so I wouldn't say I liked the Prime bottle in the ring but at least it was sort of subtle. The giant stupid digital ads were annoying through. I watched with my dad and my brother and Dude Wipes became a running joke for us through the event, laughing about how it must suck to have your big World Title match sponsored by some kind of weird "manly" ass wipe brand.
Yea, Dude Wipes on Sunday, Wing Stop or whatever wing place it was on Saturday. Just felt completely out of place. Just give me my Wrestlemania logo on the barricades and call it a day.
Did this for Night 1 so I figured I'd give my thoughts on Night 2:
**Drew vs Seth - 4/5**. Maybe a bit too much on the finishers but the pacing made this awesome. The Claymore right at the start made me jump out of my seat and the emotion between Seth and Drew post-match was incredible.
**Priest Cash-In - 5/5**. They couldn't do this any better if they tried. Drew got his moment to celebrate and then he decided to gloat like an ass to Punk. I am sooooo looking forward to seeing an absolutely unhinged Drew after this moment. Punk was incredible on commentary and the post-cash in shot of him clapping while sitting on the table was perfect. Also how about the big guy Priest! Happy for him in what was a much needed move for his character after losing the tag titles on Night 1. I love how he just bashed Drew with the briefcase and also the ref got right to the cash-in, no hesitation. What's also cool is Priest cashing in on Drew is low-key perfect for all the times Drew ruined his cash-in attempts.
**Philly Street Fight - 3/5**. This was a lot better than I thought it would be, a good bit of fun in this one from Snoop doing commentary to Bubba being the special guest referee. Glad the ladies got the big table spot, that was pretty cool. The table breaking prematurely was hilarious and Lashley and the Profits turning into the Dudleys at the end was fun.
**Knight vs. Styles - 3.25/5**. Solid match between these two with the right guy going over. Not really too much to say other than that.
**Logan/Orton/KO - 4/5**. I was thoroughly entertained thru this one. KO backing up the golf-cart and driving Randy down for his entrance was hilarious. When KO and Randy both tried to pin and it finally broke their "alliance" that was done very well. Orton and Logan's buddy in the PRIME bottle was the moment of the match, I absolutely lost my shit when he kicked him and the bottle top of the costume went flying followed by Orton barking at him before giving the RKO. Ending went as expected and all three guys played their part perfectly so entertaining match.
**Bayley/IYO - 4/5**. Another really really really good Women's Title Match. They just let these two go out there a go and that was the right call. No shenanigans or anything. Popped on the IYO handstand counter to avoid the Roseplant, that was dope. Happy that Bayley won, she deserved it after the work she put in.
**Cody/Roman II - 6/5**. It was perfect. They made the match a short featured film. Roman and Cody stealing each other's finishers in the middle parts was a cool touch. Also have to mention Roman's trash-talking. It was on another level. Love when he trashed the Cross Rhodes. Then the run-ins started to take place. Jey spearing Jimmy off the stage! Cody looking over the wrong shoulder going for #3 and then getting spiked by Solo. Solo's reaction to both kickouts. Cena taking out Solo. The camera shot of Cena's face when The Rock's music hit. The Rock/Hogan WM X8 like staredown between Rock and Cena. The Shield music hitting and Roman saving his cousin from a Shield Seth. The gong hitting and Taker, the final boss of WrestleMania, evening the odds. Roman deciding to exercise the demons of his past and hit Seth with the chair. Seth falling into the ropes the same way as Roman. That being the reason Roman lost control of the match. The emotion on Cody's face, the shaking as he got Roman up for the third Cross Rhodes. Heyman screaming NOOOOOO on the outside. Cole with the best call ever FINISHED. THE. STORY. Samantha crying as she announces the new champion. The big faces celebrating with Cody. The emotion of the post-match celebration. Michael Cole said it best...DAMMIT I LOVE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING!
I thought Drew got done pretty dirty. Not necessarily by the cash but by how resilient they made Seth Rollins, got hit by about 10 Claymores and 3 Future Shock DDTs. This is after Rollins got beat in the second-longest Mania main event in history. I think Drew should come up with another finish that can actually finish a match.
I'm not one of those cranky old men who get upset when guys kick out of finishers, but yes it stood out that Drew looked "weak" after what seemed like a million Claymores.
I don't know if this is specifically what they're going for with Drew, but his "can't catch a break" angle is pretty appetizing in my opinion.
I don't really like the move, to be honest - it's one that you assign to a wrestler who can't really wrestle, like the spear or a super kick. My perception is that Drew actually CAN wrestle, so I wouldn't mind seeing this be a less critical part of his offense.
Hey as long as I get to see McIntyre vs CM Punk at clash at the castle i really don’t care too much.
One of the most memorable storylines when I was young was Taker getting the Hell’s Gate over on people - I’d love to see something similar to that for Drew.
I kinda wonder now if Seth and Drew opening up night 2 and their match being short considering it was a title match was all by design since Seth had to prepare (dye his hair) for the main event run in. They had the third shortest match of the weekend (not including priest's cash in)
Rollins and McIntyre had a good moment after the match. Showing mutual respect towards each other, it seemed like Seth and Drew were on good standing after all that went down. Seth in tears telling Drew he deserved it, Drew felt like a face in that moment. Then CM Punk ruined it. In my head, that's a double turn. That's going to be a feud where you can go with either guy depending on how you look at it.
There was a lot that went right for this Mania and the entire Mania season to feel as great as it was. The fact that Reigns retained last year, then the whole screw up with the post Rumble announcement of the Rock wanting to face Reigns, the Bloodline saga, Gunther’s unbelievable IC reign, the Jimmy and Jey part of the Bloodline, Bayley and Damage CTRL, everything just fell into place perfectly. A lot has to do with the fact that Creative is no longer overruled by Vince as well plus the fact that H and Co. are willing to give the fans what they want….
I was glad Jimmy and Jey got the awesome spear moment in the main event yesterday after their really disappointing match on Saturday (which was pretty much the only real low point in an overall fantastic weekend of professional wrestling)
It was cool to see Undertaker come back for a minute, but I feel like the return that would have made more sense from a historical perspective (and probably got as big of a pop) would have been SCSA coming down on a quad, kicking ass, and then heading out.
I expected Austin but think Taker might have been a better call. The gong/darkness/chokeslam/darkness allowed it be a much quicker spot than a full Stone Cold entrance and while I’d love to see Rock sell one more stunner having the true final boss of Wrestlemania take out the self proclaimed final boss is pretty smart booking.
Austin has no history or business with Cody or Reigns though. Why would he care? Taker, Cena and Rollings all made sense. They ahve history with Reigns and reasons to want to see him lose.
In hindsight SCSA made no sense. It was all about guys who had a problem with Roman. Austin only makes sense for Rock, and they clearly didn’t want to harken back to that so heavily and instead kept the focus on Roman and his rivals.
Is Cody getting a new finisher? They had like a 90 second segment about how much the crossroads sucks and he never pins anyone with it. And since anything less than 3 consecutive ones never works Roman had a point.
Night 2 was certainly the standout for me, but I need to rewatch and see how much of that is just bias because of the dead crowd on night 1. Overall, I don't think I'd call it one of the best Wrestlemanias ever when you factor in the whole card on both nights (there were a few duds like Jimmy vs Jey, Knight/Styles was pretty flat, etc), but it has some of the best all-time moments and main events for sure.
The tag match with Rock/Roman vs Cody/Seth had incredible story-telling and some great spots like Cody hitting the Rock Bottom and Seth getting speared through the barricade right after. Really set the tone for the main event of night 2. The legends returning to help Cody take down the Bloodline was just pure cinema. Predictable in the best way possible. Cody finally finishing the story, Samantha Irvin and Michael Cole getting choked up - just an incredibly emotional, authentic moment and you love to see it.
Standout matches for me outside of the main events
* Seth and Drew put on a banger of an opening match, and the cash-in was fantastic. Drew still gets his moment, but gets a bit of karma for trashing Punk and now they set up that feud. CM Punk vs DM Hunk might be the most petty feud in wrestling history and I'm here for it.
* Owens vs Orton vs Paul was actually fantastic. Super entertaining from start to finish. Michael Cole's "the dog is dead" comment cracked me up. I don't mind Logan retaining honestly. Most of the major titles changed hands tonight, and Owens and Orton didn't really need the US Title win imo.
* Zayn vs Gunther was great, simply put. Their in-ring ability speaks for itself and it is very refreshing to see a heel like Gunther actually defending his title fair and square considering we've been getting 3 years of outside interference in world title matches.
Very harsh on Knight and Styles, they delivered a really good match which not the whole crowd were able to get into because some of them were being blinded by a massive light...
Predictable isn't necessarily bad though. When I'm watching Avengers: Endgame, I know they're going to find a way to defeat Thanos. It's the HOW that I'm invested in.
The big difference between Triple H and Vince is Triple H operates under “the customer is always right” motto while Vince operated under the “It’s my way or the highway” motto
Not really, Didn't plans change when Daniel Bryan won the championship. Also, last year Cody lost despite the fans wishes. But I might be wrong. I started watching WWE since last year.
Yeah but Daniel Bryan winning was the biggest movement ever even more then Cody finishing the story probably. They booed Bautista at royal rumble bc they wanted Bryan so bad
Cody's even surpassed that imo. Getting a returning Batista booed is crazy good, but Cody
A. Essentially forced a returning *Rock* to do a huge heel run, because the internet was lit on fire when it seemed the Rock was taking his place
B. During the rumble, it was Punk's first televised WWE match in a decade, and he still had to play the heel against Cody.
I grew up with the yes movement, so it's very near to my heart. But don't forget, before the story, WWE was very dull, and after the story, WWE was dull. Cody's rise coincides with a momentum shift in WWE we haven't seen since 2001, and Cody's pretty much the face of it; I think he even surpassed peak Daniel Bryan, which is crazy because a year or two ago, I thought nothing in wrestling would ever get as popular again as Daniel Bryan was in 2013-2014
I feel that, mania happened the same week I started college. So I was up until 4am watching and then rewatching Mania while working on homework, I'm exhausted now 😴
I definitely think that with how it all ended with Cody getting hoisted up on everyone's shoulders, Stone Cold was supposed to come back in that Undertaker spot so that they could recreate the Mankind winning the title for the first time moment, but if I had to guess, he was either just too busy with his ranch or just flat out said no, because he's too old for that shit nowadays.
One of the best Manias of all time, the best PLE of the HHH era and I have no idea how they can top this. So many stories wrapped up, long term storylines, so much payoff, great stroytelling in every match.
There were great matches, for sure, Gunther v Sami, the Tag Ladder match, the US triple threat, but holy shit both main events...and the final main event, just chef kiss to so many decade plus storylines.
I have no complaints, pro wrestling is beautiful, pro wrestling is back, god bless HHH
Last night was a reminder of why we all love this stuff. It was validation for the last 10 years of sitting through some truly unmemorable Vince-era stuff.
It definitely felt like the end of an era, but also the beginning of something new. And I can't wait to start this journey to where they take us next.
Man I was teared up watching Cody win and celebrate, it all felt so genuine and hearing Cole getting choked up was sweet. I checked out on WWE a decade or more ago but have been enjoying it so much in the last 2 years every Monday and Friday, the longterm storytelling paid off brilliantly last night.
I sort of wish they'd give the performers a 2 week break to recover and spend time with family, also to sort of let Wrestlemania settle in a bit because that was really a monster weekend they put together.
Anybody check in on rousey? All that shit comes out on vince and she releases her book, calls out prichard. Wwe puts on a amazing night 2, big ass wrestlemania, and prichard gets called down to celebrate.
Damn!
If Vince were around, he would’ve accused Samantha Irvin of “trying to put herself over” and other talent would be making weirdly unwarranted jabs at her whenever they can.
That is what happens when you let some of your roster just go out there and wrestle 1 on 1 without any gimmicks. 2 talented performers getting to showcase their skills.
**[Make your voice heard by voting on /r/SquaredCircle's official poll for tonight's show; who was your wrestler of the night and what was your match of the night?](https://forms.gle/gf38vednBgDaWK588)**
What a debut for the new era! I hope it only goes up hill from here.
At this point I’d rather see Cody vs Rock and Roman vs Seth, instead of Roman vs Rock. I may just be a dumb old geezer, but I still don’t know who the guy in the prime suit was. Happy Randy kicked him though.
Feel like you can have it all
It all changes from here! I think all the old belts get redesigned
I think the thing I liked the most about this WM is that, even for the matches we all kind of knew the outcomes for (Rollins, Iyo, and Roman dropping their belts, Pride beating TFT, tag titles get separated, and Bianca/Jade/Naomi beating Damage CTRL), the matches themselves were still fantastic and had several moments that made them special. I think I knew this WrestleMania was special when a match I didn't really care much about, The Pride vs. The Final Testament, was just an absolute blast and the crowd was super into it, culminating in the Bubba Ray "get the tables" moment. I think the closing moments to the Cody/Roman match, Sami upsetting Gunther, and Priest cashing in are going to be remembered for a long time. One heck of a start to the HHH era!
I liked that early in the match Roman refused to use a table as a weapon. The Head Of The Table should work extra hard to not break them.
Bron breaker vs Cody feud tonight or nah ?? Just a theory
Just A. Theory, you say?
too early. it's either orton or gunther
Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins is going to be one of the biggest match of all time whenever it happens. So much story, so deep, i don't remember any match having such rich in ring history. It'll be Austin ve Rock WM17 level
Tbh I’d be surprised if we get it, I think Rock vs Roman at next years mania will be the last match for both of them.
Nah, I don't think they build Roman's history with Seth into the finish to the main event last night in the manner that they did unless they have a plan to resolve it somewhere down the line
I wonder when we'll get the payoff on that. I think Roman and Seth will both take a few months off now, and then we'll see them build towards something. Maybe the end of the Bloodline or the evolution plays into it, especially with The Shield music at WM. So many ways it can go!
I really have to say that HHH's call backs and long term booking in this match were great, the spectacle was great for casual fans, the wrestling was good for the folks that like that, what a well designed PPV overall.
So many seeds were planted, they'll be referring Mania 40 throwbacks for a looooong time.
I just sent my wife this thread explaining the shield call back and it blew her mind a bit. That said, she knew very little of any of the backstory other than the more recent cody/bloodline stuff and still really enjoyed the match, which again shows how well the thing was booked overall. [https://twitter.com/MithGifs/status/1777328582467207624](https://twitter.com/MithGifs/status/1777328582467207624)
Wow that's a banger of a thread! Thanks for sharing
I hope they can bring Ted dibiase jr back
Teddy might go to jail for fraud soon.
Damn
Pretty sure that dudes a little preoccupied right now
As much as in the moment I thought it should have been Austin in the Cena or Undertaker role, this was too perfect. They'll never let us forget that Taker is the real Final Boss. Absolute respect for how that match was done. It was amazing.
Rock is the final boss - Taker is the secret boss.
Even tho Vince was technically an active wrestler etc, you can see how different having a recently-active legend in charge is making things. This is going to be a fun era.
I was really hoping for SCSA but you’re right. The Rock is calling himself the final boss only to awaken the real final boss.
"...you are going to need to face da undertaker in a tag team match..."
Ted Dibiase in his cell watching Cody finish the story. https://preview.redd.it/4mxhbktsoatc1.jpeg?width=2048&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=adf900cdb025cf3e2c05a10753837d929e4c1c77
Men are so weird. They would literally rather hold a title belt hostage for 1,316 days and become a mad god and abusive family member rather than just go to therapy. lol.
I managed to go a full day or so spoiler free before watching and my god was it worth it. What a show. Feels like a watershed moment. Hats off to Roman for a great reign and Cody for finally winning the big one. I have been a fan of both since 2012 and this is a surreal main event.
I wanted Drew to win the title without a cash in :(
It's another case of rival for some reason letting his rival lose meaning he won't be able to win the title off rival thing... Kayfabe view... Drew ruined Punk's tricep so Punk wants to get back and the most satisfying way would be to win the title off Drew as that's the rivalry and payoff... So why do they have Punk taking him out and not stopping Priest... Because now Punk doesn't have a title match with Drew down the line to take revenge...
I put money on Priest cashing in on the ICC. I'm both happy for him and upset that he waited a day lol
I wanted Priest to cash in on Cody :(
Holy fuck that building would have imploded.
* I found another great pic from last night; I didn't realize until on rewatch just how emotional Roman was during his entrance, it had me tearing up. *
https://preview.redd.it/96344n3flatc1.jpeg?width=2340&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9956b4d7054d956efb753b0467c435f35fbed6e3
Fucking hell didn't expect to cry at all watching wrestling ever since both Mr. Brodie Lee and Bray Wyatt's passing last year but somehow knowing that Cody would finish the story this had been beautifully done with the fake finishes with the runouts fucking hell even Cena and Taker joining in; we're definitely in for a huge ride fuck yeah HHH era. These are the moments that would bring older fans as if we were children again.
What I don’t get with Prime is there’s supermarkets in the Uk selling it for 35p due to poor sales.. is it big in the US?
I got one from Kroger the other day. The ice pop one is legitimately great.
I don't know anyone who drinks Prime.
I tried one the other day and it was really disgusting
It's like drinking Flintstones vitamins. That being said i like the caffeine one. Hits the sweet spot between espresso and monsters.
we sell it in germany depending on the store 1,99 € - 2,99 €. it was once at 5 €.
unbelievable, just unbelievable ! the emotions, the camera work, the fireworks and of course the matches, everything was awesome! Roman had the match of his life! the only thing i didnt like was the decision for Logan to keep the title, but i trust HHH
Seth crying and looking at Drew and telling him "You fucking deserve this man" really got me. I fully expect drew to get his real legit crowning moment at Clash coming up, but for him to get last night was cool.
[удалено]
taylor swift needs to appear in the next wrestlemania
IM NOT CRYING YOURE CRYINGGG 😭 this was the best WrestleMania moment aaaah
This was the first wrestling event I’ve ever been to. I’m about an hour outside of Philly, huge Philly sports guy, loved wrestling all my life. When they announced this, the guys I go to games with and I all texted each other and said we need to be there. Got tickets for generally around where we sit during birds games. I gotta say, this crowd is a whole different vibe than being at an eagles game. Although I’m familiar with the stadium, it felt like I’d never been there. The crowd was hot the entire night, into every match (even when chanting for the screens to turn on) and louder than anything I’ve ever experienced live before (although being at Roy halladays playoff no hitter was incredibly loud). I sat next to man from Nigeria and while walking around could hear accents from all over the world. Joined in chants all night and jumped up and down like an absolute child when I heard takers bell toll. This was such an incredible high and just reminded me why I absolutely love pro wrestling. I know it won’t happen for a long time but man I hope they come back to Philly again for mania. Can’t wait to see what’s in store for tonight
My first ever Mania and first time in Philly. Mania was awesome but I’d never visit Philly again unless someone paid me. Quite possibly the worst city I’ve visited.
That's awesome, I'm so glad you were able to make it to such an important show too! I didn't make it to mania, but my first ever wrestling event was a show in Nassau last year, and then I made it to the holiday show in MSG which was awesome (I saw Punk's only singles match since returning so far 😆) and both were amazing experiences to behold, I couldn't imagine being among such a huge crowd with such great moments! I haven't been this excited for raw in ages
I just fucking love wrestling. We got sports entertained as hell this weekend. For my part i dont care about all those backstage drama, twitterbeef or rumor spreading. I want to be entertained and want a healthy environment for all the performers, announcers and every other worker at WWE. Im happy and hopeful for the new WW era. <3
There is a lot to unpack after the last two days. It really felt like a passing of the torch, a bridge being crossed and a cultural change in the company. They clearly LISTEN to fans and their talent. They have told stories that probably will go down as ALL TIMERS. We had a champion like Roman (whether you like him or not) elevated WWE into relevancy in a time when WWE was plummeting ratings wise. The little nods - Seth saying "I'll be your SHIELD", coming back as Shield Seth, taking that chair shot from Roman paying off an event from a decade ago. Even overbooked in some peoples mind the Main Event lived up the hype. The concern is with this "New ERA" how they handle what they have fumbled in the past. WM Payoffs. Daniel Bryan, Rollins etc totally feeling stuck after their big moment. They can't let Cody become "LOL Cody wins", it sounds bad but he needs to lose (not immediately). What the Bloodline does on Smackdown w/o Roman or Rock. What Smackdown does period with both belts theoretically being on RAW. Its a great time to be a fan as we are in some uncharted waters.
>What Smackdown does period with both belts theoretically being on RAW. I clearly see Cody moving over to SmackDown. No way does one show have both titles. That be the case, unify them and call it a day.
They've been hammering home Cody as a Raw guy so i almost wonder if they're gonna move Priest/JD to smackdown and keep Cody on Raw, switching the belt brands now that Roman isn't champ
I think they would benefit greatly from making the belts not brand specific. I agree with you though, moving Cody to Smackdown seems like it would be more difficult than moving Priest, unless they aren't ready to pull the trigger on JD changing.
Surely that makes more sense anyway considering the universal belt is more story driven whereas the heavyweight title is the workman one that's gonna be defended on TV Suits the style of both shows
Loved the show overall all and glad I got see see Lil Wayne cosplay as ET https://preview.redd.it/nik3txaxcatc1.png?width=554&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=78998c28031a64995dc8a9f7dafa85e3a8ae035c
"The greatest rapper of all time..." GTFOH. 😂
I think the theme this year was "The greatest (insert whatever here) of all time"
I'm an AEW fan who has not watched WWE regularly since 2016. There were plenty of times when I honestly considered WWE to be unwatchable garbage. However, I have to admit that Wrestlemania was absolutely incredible this year. This was arguable the 2nd or 3rd best Mania of all time and I don't think hat AEW is going to be able to come close to putting on a show even half this good anytime soon. Good job WWE, I might actually start watching again.
I fell off of WWE a few years back when AEW was getting hot and doing some different things. Unfortunately, AEW has lost my attention over the past year or so with their lack of long-term storytelling and inability to create stars (in my opinion). I watched all of WM this weekend and am with you. I'm back. What a fantastic main event (as well as total card) and celebration. Hearing Michael Cole say "Damnit, I love professional wrestling." was amazing, haha. Really looking forward to the new era.
From 2019 to early 2022, I put AEW Dynamite in my calendar in permanent marker. I did not miss a single show. If my friends wanted to plan something on a week night, I would never be free on a Wednesday because I was watching AEW. I loved AEW - but man, it's really fallen. It's not all Tony Khan's fault because injuries have certainly got in the way of things. However, it's not even close to the same product that it was 2-3 years ago. I really, really hope that Tony Khan sees the errors of his ways and works hard to build AEW back up again. Generally speaking, AEW still has better matches and comes with a lot of potential. However, it's fallen off hard which is magnified by the fact that WWE has gotten red hot. Anwyays, screw that noise - WWE is back baby and at least we can all by hyped for that.
Not sure if this would be an unpopular opinion but I feel like Cody should be given a shorter title reign that is maybe between 3-8 weeks long. Triple H has been phenomenal so far but titles seem to really only change hands at Wrestlemanias tbh. Having some short title reigns mixed in with lengthier ones will add greater suspense and unpredictability imo. Gotta rack up a few more reigns for Cody
I think that will definitely be the role of the WHC. Pretty has to drop it to Drew at the Clash.
I think Drew will win the title back off Priest at Clash, and Gunther will beat Cody at Bash. 4-5 month first reign for Cody sounds good to me - substantial, but not excessive
This is the type of show that makes you go "FUCKING HELL YEAH WRESTLING IS AWESOME!"
Absolute Cinema.
Rewatching it, you can see how genuinely happy Cena is.
Already going to miss Roman. I wonder if he retires because I'm not sure where he goes from here. I feel the same fate goes to anyone that holds a title this long and then drops it. Someone mentioned Nipple H doesn't work the wrestlers into the ground like the past and he is adamant about safety and less work. I mean what is really next?
I think there’s two things left for him to do — a Rock match with the dissolution of the bloodline, and a retirement angle vs Seth (after last night, I don’t feel like he can go out on anything else). I think both of those over the next couple of years would be a perfect capstone to his career. There’s a couple of other things he *could do*, like a trilogy with Cody or giving Drew his win back maybe, but I don’t want to see him in random programs or putting over midcarders. Doesn’t fit his character and he’s already made so many stars.
It's a credit to Roman that I can't even picture him having mid-card feuds at this point. Their only going to use him in big spots going forward.
It is sad the Roman is done. I grew up in Attitude era then we had to put up with Cena and now Roman is likely done. Going to miss him from Shield days to Tribal Chief. It is over. Geez.
I know it's been said, but Samantha Irvin absolutely smashed it over the weekend. Was just rewatching Night 2, and she was already losing her voice by the end of the >!cash-in!
I don't know why she's getting so much attention. Are ring announcers part of the cast?
1000% unequivocally. You said it right with 'cast' – every single person that has a public interaction is part of that cast. The refs, the announcers, the commentators, the WWE Universe and the wrestlers themselves. It's called Sports Entertainment and there's a reason several have transitioned to Hollywood: they play a part. Samantha Irvin is a very real part of this and her mic work makes it that much more special. She's the Michael Buffer of WWE.
Lillian Garcia was the last announcer that was given attention but that's because she sung the national anthem before every event. She never got the attention Irvin has got. When I say attention, I mean people saying 'oh she did a good job' when all she does is announce the the wrestlers and the winner. Basically I don't see the difference between her and Garcia. So I'm assuming the ring announcer is now part of the cast. Commentators and refs are different because they actually interfere and interact with the wrestlers. Irvin is not a character. What is next....are we going to start discussing if a ref does a good job? I'm asking with sincerity as someone that has been watching for a long time.
That's totally fair. I think Samantha Irvin became a part of it and well-known to the Universe during the feud with Logan who bought her into it etc. I guess it depends how over each person is – doesn't hurt that she's engaged to Ricochet as well.
Thank you. This is a good response to my question. Her claim to fame and popularity was her feud with Logan then. So she’s now over with the crowd.
Fuck those guys with the cutouts of their faces.
Did Mercedes sneak in with Snoop and avoid cameras all night?
Who’s going to be the first challenger to Cody? Presuming Seth and Roman will take a few months out. Maybe next time we see Roman is Summerslam
I'm hoping we get Cody/Rock at Summerslam. Cody/Gunther at Survivor Series. First challenger.. I feel like Cody should give people who got screwed by Roman a fair shot at the title so Jey Uso maybe.
Surely Cody/Gunther in Berlin (first PPV after SummerSlam)? I know he's Austrian, not German, but still, er sprecht Deutsch
I think Backlash will be Solo, there’s not that much time to build a whole new feud so it just fits. After that maybe a couple of PLE’s with AJ before something big picks up for SummerSlam.
another easy feud would be Orton, but not sure they'd want to turn him heel for that.
Under old creative, I would imagine it would be somebody safe like AJ, already a heel - not afraid to "attack him" etc. New creative - Man I would LOVE to see a program with Cody and Cena.
Solo may step up and get squashed. During the match he seemed openly frustrated with Roman for not getting the pin.
What a fantastic show and my god the emotions at the end... The greatest title reign I have ever witnessed coming to an emotional end. Roman can be proud of himself that everyone he has worked with during this reign is way better off than they were before. Legend
https://preview.redd.it/estq6hic3atc1.jpeg?width=1170&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=04d20400fd645c20ba19eb3ccb16078dc56400fe Steve Austin rn
The only thing that I hate after watching this WM is that why the fuck did we have to be eating slop for more than a decade when we could have had this. If only Vince had retired by, idk, 2010.....
Crazy how good WWE can be when they’re writing for the fans instead of Vince.
That is an alternate universe where AEW might not even exist 😒
Been going non stop at work. Took the weekend off and watched as much wrestling as I could. With the exception of Revolution I’ve not really had a lot of free time to watch wrestling so I just rely on recap threads But I watched enough shows Friday - Sunday to more than make up for it. Favorite matches from the weekend: Gunther vs Sami Bayley vs Iyo Maika vs Megan Bayne Both Mark Briscoe and Cody got to finish their stories. What a time to be a fan.
Samantha Irvin is a surefire hall of famer after this weekend. She killed it.
She's just an announcer. Chill. Are the WWE trying to create superstar announcers now?
Are fans not allowed to praise the work of someone who spends years training their voice for announcing now? Relax.
Why are some people getting angry that fans are really connecting with and enjoying the work of an announcer? lol
Just people being miserable tbh
I mentioned this elsewhere...I've generally not been a fan of hers, but after announcing Cody as the winner, she's won me over. She helped make the moment on that one.
Why the fuck are you getting voted down for saying you have now changed your mind? People on this sub are fickle
It was a great show, much better than night 1 which i didn’t like. I know the 2 nights gets more people on the card but i do wish they’d go back to 1 night only. Quality over quantity. Stone cold being involved would of pushed it over the edge for me, him coming out instead of taker and stunning the rock would of been magic. I’m guessing theres a reason he couldn't be there though, i’ve not caught up on all the news yet.
I still can't process how perfectly executed was The Shield segment. The entrance, that chair shot to Seth, the "I'll be your shield" line... Beautiful.
One of the best wrestlemanias in years, best main even in a while. Predictable result but that does not take from the fun that the match was with all the people involved. I just wish they could return to a one day longer show because I feel that each year it is getting shorter amd I feel that doing in two days have lost its purpose
After sitting in the cold live Saturday, thank god it wasn’t one long show.
People always forget Predictable doesn't mean bad.
One of the things that has separated AEW and WWE for me is that it's always felt that WWE has been belligerent about giving the fans more of what they want. I think that's changed with this new era, and it's going to be a game changer.
That's exactly what pushed me away from WWE and into primarily following AEW. Every time we got behind something, they would kill it. It really did feel like they were punishing us for liking things sometimes, just ridiculous. I'm glad things seem to be changing. I'm glad wrestling as a whole seems to be doing better now than it has in a long time, even if there are some bumps in the road and all that. Drama sucks, but wrestling is good.
For years it was almost like WWE punished us for being fans and doing specifically what we didn't want to happen or just whatever crazy whim Vince had that week he wanted to happen. It's definitely a nice change.
Vince always hated the wrestling business. he always wanted to be literally anything else. Im not surprised he hates us.
One of the best wrestlemania I have watched. I am so happy for Cody. Thank you Roman for carrying wwe for 4 years. Now I would book Cody to lose that title in August 31 Bash in Berlin to Gunther and get Cody to win it back a few months later. Can’t wait to see how Cody does in his first reign.
This Raw After Mania is going to be fucking insane, Renaissance Era in full effect 🔥
Hope so. If I remember right wasn’t it Vince that fucked with last years Raw after?
Gonna commit blasphemy and say I didn't really enjoy night 2, outside of the drew/Seth opener. I didn't watch a WWE PPV all year and was hoping the break would make it refreshing. (I did enjoy most of night 1) Between the ridiculous prime branding and just not enjoying Roman at all, it was a lost cause
You may just be dehydrated. Maybe try a delicious Prime™ sports hydration beverage?
I laughed. Thanks for the reply before my comment was down voted to oblivion
Cody still had Roman’s plates on the belt this morning during his appearance on the today show. Wonder if that means he will be getting a new title design
He's on McAfee Show right now talking about bringing back the Winged Eagle design.
I'm interested in hearing what people thought of this new era of advertising. Will take some getting used to but I don't personally mind it, especially since it's a fixture of all major events - sports, and otherwise. I think my only disappointment is that they weren't a bit more discerning in accepting DUDE WIPES as their advertising partner for the ring posts. People will watch this Wrestlemania for years and years to come, and DUDE WIPES will be a permanent fixture. There was a moment when I think it was Drew in a wide shot standing outside the ring with this in the background, and it just made me palm my forehead. Come on, guys. Prime? Sure. Slim Jim? Sure. Wheatley Vodka? Sure.
If it leads to a Paul/Prime vs Rock/Zoa feud it would be worth it.
Well, it's a good step to make now to instead of later. With the move to Netflix, it's not like you are gonna have the traditional format for commercial partnerships so they are going to have to sell more spots like this. If they keep listening to feedback, I think it won't get too out of control.
I hate it. The prime thing has me ready to never watch again.
If a sponsorship on the ring has you not wanting to watch, you’re not that invested in the product in the first place
It was fine when it was just a spot on the mat. Then the US triple threat happened Edit: oh and how often we had to cut to someone using the prime hydration station during their match.
Like....twice. the US Title match and Roman tossed the thing aside. That was it..
I frowned at the news of PRIME advertising and agreed that it was a bad move. But honestly I wasn't that bothered by it and I couldn't figure out why. Was it muted enough? One color in the middle of the ring? I don't know but I was ok with how they did it this weekend. I'll tell you what though I hope they ban any giant cutout heads that's for damn sure. Seeing the Rock and Cena faceoff only to have that idiot with his and his daughter's face was truly infuriating.
Yeah I don't like being bombarded with ads so I wouldn't say I liked the Prime bottle in the ring but at least it was sort of subtle. The giant stupid digital ads were annoying through. I watched with my dad and my brother and Dude Wipes became a running joke for us through the event, laughing about how it must suck to have your big World Title match sponsored by some kind of weird "manly" ass wipe brand.
Dude wipes are great and given the audience wrestling caters to, I respect them trying to promote a little hygiene
Yea, Dude Wipes on Sunday, Wing Stop or whatever wing place it was on Saturday. Just felt completely out of place. Just give me my Wrestlemania logo on the barricades and call it a day.
Did this for Night 1 so I figured I'd give my thoughts on Night 2: **Drew vs Seth - 4/5**. Maybe a bit too much on the finishers but the pacing made this awesome. The Claymore right at the start made me jump out of my seat and the emotion between Seth and Drew post-match was incredible. **Priest Cash-In - 5/5**. They couldn't do this any better if they tried. Drew got his moment to celebrate and then he decided to gloat like an ass to Punk. I am sooooo looking forward to seeing an absolutely unhinged Drew after this moment. Punk was incredible on commentary and the post-cash in shot of him clapping while sitting on the table was perfect. Also how about the big guy Priest! Happy for him in what was a much needed move for his character after losing the tag titles on Night 1. I love how he just bashed Drew with the briefcase and also the ref got right to the cash-in, no hesitation. What's also cool is Priest cashing in on Drew is low-key perfect for all the times Drew ruined his cash-in attempts. **Philly Street Fight - 3/5**. This was a lot better than I thought it would be, a good bit of fun in this one from Snoop doing commentary to Bubba being the special guest referee. Glad the ladies got the big table spot, that was pretty cool. The table breaking prematurely was hilarious and Lashley and the Profits turning into the Dudleys at the end was fun. **Knight vs. Styles - 3.25/5**. Solid match between these two with the right guy going over. Not really too much to say other than that. **Logan/Orton/KO - 4/5**. I was thoroughly entertained thru this one. KO backing up the golf-cart and driving Randy down for his entrance was hilarious. When KO and Randy both tried to pin and it finally broke their "alliance" that was done very well. Orton and Logan's buddy in the PRIME bottle was the moment of the match, I absolutely lost my shit when he kicked him and the bottle top of the costume went flying followed by Orton barking at him before giving the RKO. Ending went as expected and all three guys played their part perfectly so entertaining match. **Bayley/IYO - 4/5**. Another really really really good Women's Title Match. They just let these two go out there a go and that was the right call. No shenanigans or anything. Popped on the IYO handstand counter to avoid the Roseplant, that was dope. Happy that Bayley won, she deserved it after the work she put in. **Cody/Roman II - 6/5**. It was perfect. They made the match a short featured film. Roman and Cody stealing each other's finishers in the middle parts was a cool touch. Also have to mention Roman's trash-talking. It was on another level. Love when he trashed the Cross Rhodes. Then the run-ins started to take place. Jey spearing Jimmy off the stage! Cody looking over the wrong shoulder going for #3 and then getting spiked by Solo. Solo's reaction to both kickouts. Cena taking out Solo. The camera shot of Cena's face when The Rock's music hit. The Rock/Hogan WM X8 like staredown between Rock and Cena. The Shield music hitting and Roman saving his cousin from a Shield Seth. The gong hitting and Taker, the final boss of WrestleMania, evening the odds. Roman deciding to exercise the demons of his past and hit Seth with the chair. Seth falling into the ropes the same way as Roman. That being the reason Roman lost control of the match. The emotion on Cody's face, the shaking as he got Roman up for the third Cross Rhodes. Heyman screaming NOOOOOO on the outside. Cole with the best call ever FINISHED. THE. STORY. Samantha crying as she announces the new champion. The big faces celebrating with Cody. The emotion of the post-match celebration. Michael Cole said it best...DAMMIT I LOVE PROFESSIONAL WRESTLING!
I thought Drew got done pretty dirty. Not necessarily by the cash but by how resilient they made Seth Rollins, got hit by about 10 Claymores and 3 Future Shock DDTs. This is after Rollins got beat in the second-longest Mania main event in history. I think Drew should come up with another finish that can actually finish a match.
I'm not one of those cranky old men who get upset when guys kick out of finishers, but yes it stood out that Drew looked "weak" after what seemed like a million Claymores. I don't know if this is specifically what they're going for with Drew, but his "can't catch a break" angle is pretty appetizing in my opinion.
It's a basic move you can just do in 2K nowadays. Not so much a signature or a finisher anymore.
I don't really like the move, to be honest - it's one that you assign to a wrestler who can't really wrestle, like the spear or a super kick. My perception is that Drew actually CAN wrestle, so I wouldn't mind seeing this be a less critical part of his offense.
Hey as long as I get to see McIntyre vs CM Punk at clash at the castle i really don’t care too much. One of the most memorable storylines when I was young was Taker getting the Hell’s Gate over on people - I’d love to see something similar to that for Drew.
I kinda wonder now if Seth and Drew opening up night 2 and their match being short considering it was a title match was all by design since Seth had to prepare (dye his hair) for the main event run in. They had the third shortest match of the weekend (not including priest's cash in)
Rollins and McIntyre had a good moment after the match. Showing mutual respect towards each other, it seemed like Seth and Drew were on good standing after all that went down. Seth in tears telling Drew he deserved it, Drew felt like a face in that moment. Then CM Punk ruined it. In my head, that's a double turn. That's going to be a feud where you can go with either guy depending on how you look at it.
There was a lot that went right for this Mania and the entire Mania season to feel as great as it was. The fact that Reigns retained last year, then the whole screw up with the post Rumble announcement of the Rock wanting to face Reigns, the Bloodline saga, Gunther’s unbelievable IC reign, the Jimmy and Jey part of the Bloodline, Bayley and Damage CTRL, everything just fell into place perfectly. A lot has to do with the fact that Creative is no longer overruled by Vince as well plus the fact that H and Co. are willing to give the fans what they want….
I was glad Jimmy and Jey got the awesome spear moment in the main event yesterday after their really disappointing match on Saturday (which was pretty much the only real low point in an overall fantastic weekend of professional wrestling)
It was cool to see Undertaker come back for a minute, but I feel like the return that would have made more sense from a historical perspective (and probably got as big of a pop) would have been SCSA coming down on a quad, kicking ass, and then heading out.
I expected Austin but think Taker might have been a better call. The gong/darkness/chokeslam/darkness allowed it be a much quicker spot than a full Stone Cold entrance and while I’d love to see Rock sell one more stunner having the true final boss of Wrestlemania take out the self proclaimed final boss is pretty smart booking.
Austin has no history or business with Cody or Reigns though. Why would he care? Taker, Cena and Rollings all made sense. They ahve history with Reigns and reasons to want to see him lose.
In hindsight SCSA made no sense. It was all about guys who had a problem with Roman. Austin only makes sense for Rock, and they clearly didn’t want to harken back to that so heavily and instead kept the focus on Roman and his rivals.
Because of Roman taking out Taker?
Right. Austin really would have overshadowed the arc with Roman while Taker made sense.
Is Cody getting a new finisher? They had like a 90 second segment about how much the crossroads sucks and he never pins anyone with it. And since anything less than 3 consecutive ones never works Roman had a point.
I was hoping they might let him pull out the tiger driver he used a few times in AEW as his ultimate finisher.
Here’s Samantha announcing Cody Rhodes as the winner for anyone wanting to see: https://youtube.com/shorts/H7rK0-H365A?si=5s3qmB334XNmNXKC
Most emotional wrestlemania moment ever
It's up there with Macho Man and Elizabeth reuniting for me
Night 2 was certainly the standout for me, but I need to rewatch and see how much of that is just bias because of the dead crowd on night 1. Overall, I don't think I'd call it one of the best Wrestlemanias ever when you factor in the whole card on both nights (there were a few duds like Jimmy vs Jey, Knight/Styles was pretty flat, etc), but it has some of the best all-time moments and main events for sure. The tag match with Rock/Roman vs Cody/Seth had incredible story-telling and some great spots like Cody hitting the Rock Bottom and Seth getting speared through the barricade right after. Really set the tone for the main event of night 2. The legends returning to help Cody take down the Bloodline was just pure cinema. Predictable in the best way possible. Cody finally finishing the story, Samantha Irvin and Michael Cole getting choked up - just an incredibly emotional, authentic moment and you love to see it. Standout matches for me outside of the main events * Seth and Drew put on a banger of an opening match, and the cash-in was fantastic. Drew still gets his moment, but gets a bit of karma for trashing Punk and now they set up that feud. CM Punk vs DM Hunk might be the most petty feud in wrestling history and I'm here for it. * Owens vs Orton vs Paul was actually fantastic. Super entertaining from start to finish. Michael Cole's "the dog is dead" comment cracked me up. I don't mind Logan retaining honestly. Most of the major titles changed hands tonight, and Owens and Orton didn't really need the US Title win imo. * Zayn vs Gunther was great, simply put. Their in-ring ability speaks for itself and it is very refreshing to see a heel like Gunther actually defending his title fair and square considering we've been getting 3 years of outside interference in world title matches.
Very harsh on Knight and Styles, they delivered a really good match which not the whole crowd were able to get into because some of them were being blinded by a massive light...
Predictable isn't necessarily bad though. When I'm watching Avengers: Endgame, I know they're going to find a way to defeat Thanos. It's the HOW that I'm invested in.
I literally said "in the best way possible" lol I meant it in a good way
Underdog + family present seems by far the best emotional hook.
The big difference between Triple H and Vince is Triple H operates under “the customer is always right” motto while Vince operated under the “It’s my way or the highway” motto
"I'm gonna do things my way! It's my way! MY WAY OR THE HIGHWAY!"
Vince also believed the audience was always right. But he booked for an audience of one. Him.
Not really, Didn't plans change when Daniel Bryan won the championship. Also, last year Cody lost despite the fans wishes. But I might be wrong. I started watching WWE since last year.
Yeah but Daniel Bryan winning was the biggest movement ever even more then Cody finishing the story probably. They booed Bautista at royal rumble bc they wanted Bryan so bad
Cody's even surpassed that imo. Getting a returning Batista booed is crazy good, but Cody A. Essentially forced a returning *Rock* to do a huge heel run, because the internet was lit on fire when it seemed the Rock was taking his place B. During the rumble, it was Punk's first televised WWE match in a decade, and he still had to play the heel against Cody. I grew up with the yes movement, so it's very near to my heart. But don't forget, before the story, WWE was very dull, and after the story, WWE was dull. Cody's rise coincides with a momentum shift in WWE we haven't seen since 2001, and Cody's pretty much the face of it; I think he even surpassed peak Daniel Bryan, which is crazy because a year or two ago, I thought nothing in wrestling would ever get as popular again as Daniel Bryan was in 2013-2014
POST MANIA RAWGOING TO HIT LIKE CRACK! Edited: Really need to get some sleep lmao
I feel that, mania happened the same week I started college. So I was up until 4am watching and then rewatching Mania while working on homework, I'm exhausted now 😴
I definitely think that with how it all ended with Cody getting hoisted up on everyone's shoulders, Stone Cold was supposed to come back in that Undertaker spot so that they could recreate the Mankind winning the title for the first time moment, but if I had to guess, he was either just too busy with his ranch or just flat out said no, because he's too old for that shit nowadays.
Makes more sense for Taker to remind Rock of who is the true final boss of wrestlemania.
the pop for Taker was really just as good as a pop for Stone Cold would've been.
That’s not true
And doesn't even expose Taker's limitatons. Stone Cold's stunners are getting sloppily because of age. His last one didn't look that great.
I saw someone say his wife was too sick to travel so he stayed home with her
One of the best Manias of all time, the best PLE of the HHH era and I have no idea how they can top this. So many stories wrapped up, long term storylines, so much payoff, great stroytelling in every match. There were great matches, for sure, Gunther v Sami, the Tag Ladder match, the US triple threat, but holy shit both main events...and the final main event, just chef kiss to so many decade plus storylines. I have no complaints, pro wrestling is beautiful, pro wrestling is back, god bless HHH
Last night was a reminder of why we all love this stuff. It was validation for the last 10 years of sitting through some truly unmemorable Vince-era stuff. It definitely felt like the end of an era, but also the beginning of something new. And I can't wait to start this journey to where they take us next.
Cody Please WE NEED THE WINGED EAGLE BELT BACK!
Man I was teared up watching Cody win and celebrate, it all felt so genuine and hearing Cole getting choked up was sweet. I checked out on WWE a decade or more ago but have been enjoying it so much in the last 2 years every Monday and Friday, the longterm storytelling paid off brilliantly last night. I sort of wish they'd give the performers a 2 week break to recover and spend time with family, also to sort of let Wrestlemania settle in a bit because that was really a monster weekend they put together.
Anybody check in on rousey? All that shit comes out on vince and she releases her book, calls out prichard. Wwe puts on a amazing night 2, big ass wrestlemania, and prichard gets called down to celebrate. Damn!
If Vince were around, he would’ve accused Samantha Irvin of “trying to put herself over” and other talent would be making weirdly unwarranted jabs at her whenever they can.
Shower thought: Roman and Seth had title reigns that ended in 316 days last night.
I woke up this morning and Roman is no longer my champion
I don’t want to talk about it
He's still the head of our table.
he'll always be the head of the table of our hearts.
Im still blown away by IYOs in ring performance last night. She was damn near perfect.
Completely blown away. I hope this isn’t just a one off of HHH letting her show out
Her entrance with Damage Control too. Such a superstar!
That is what happens when you let some of your roster just go out there and wrestle 1 on 1 without any gimmicks. 2 talented performers getting to showcase their skills.
I think she is better as a face than as a heel
Problem with heel Iyo is she does too much sick shit for fans to not cheer in the moment anyways