Fantasy football strategy, rankings, and podcasts

Simply put, especially in the wrestling business, you can’t succeed in the future without appreciating the past.

 

With that in mind, every now and then I’d like to take look back and review a pay per view event from yesteryear to simply try and bring up some fond memories for those reading this piece. Or, in some instances, educate newer or younger watchers to let them know what they were missing out on. Since we’re in the heart of Survivor Series season, we’ll go back to the time that I, and I’m sure a lot of you reading, started watching professional wrestling. We’ll head to the Hartford Civic Center in Hartford, CT for the 1990 Survivor Series.

 

This show included Hulk Hogan appearing NOT as WWF Champion, a rarity in the late 80s-early 90s, the only year to have the “Grand Finale Match of Survival” where the survivors of all the matches came back for one last elimination tag match, and also gave us a, shall we say “phenom-enal” debut!

 

So let’s log on to the WWE Network (it’s only $9.99/month and free for the month of November for new subscribers…not sure if you’ve picked up on that from watching Raw) and take a look at this blast from the past!

 

1990 Survivor Series

 

The show kicks off with Vince’s old-school “You’re Fired!” voice introducing all of the participants and all of the teams. I’ll say this; I miss the days of the named teams! Team Authority vs Team Cena just doesn’t do it for me. In 1990, we didn’t have Team Hogan vs Team Earthquake! No! We had a lot more creativity! We had The Hulkamaniacs vs The Natural Disasters! You could even keep The Authority name, just not Team Authority. The Authority vs The Cenation or Doctors of Thuganomics. Is that so hard?

 

From there we are introduced to tonight’s commentary team of Gorilla Monsoon and Roddy Piper. I thought Piper was underrated as a commentator during his run from 1990-1991. Hard to sound bad when you have a great like Monsoon sitting next to you though! Not only are they introducing themselves, but they are also introducing that large egg that is sitting on the stage as well…oh boy!

 

The Perfect Team - Team Captain Mr. Perfect, Demolition (Ax, Smash and Crush)

Vs

The Warriors - Team Captain The Ultimate Warrior, Texas Tornado, Legion of Doom (Hawk and Animal)

 

There’s a whole lot of face paint in the ring right now! We quickly saw an elimination as The Warrior pinned Ax in what turned out to be Ax’s last appearance in the WWF. A few minutes later half of the match was eliminated as the LOD and the remaining members of Demolition were disqualified for their brawl outside of the ring. This added to what should have been the biggest tag team program of the time with LOD vs Demolition, but it never surfaced. I still think that the Road Warriors vs Demolition would have made a better tag title match at WrestleMania 7 than The Hart Foundation vs The Nasty Boys did.

 

Mr. Perfect ended up eliminating the Texas Tornado, who never really got the momentum back after this even that he had after beating Perfect for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam just a few months prior. The Warrior followed that up with the final elimination of Perfect to become the sole survivor and move on to the Match of Survival.

 

The Dream Team - Team Captain Dusty Rhodes, Koko B. Ware, The Hart Foundation (Bret Hart and Jim Neidhart)

Vs

The Million Dollar Team - Team Captain Ted DiBiase, Mystery Partner, Rhythm & Blues (Honky Tonk Man and Greg Valentine)

 

This turned out to be the moment that changed the WWF for the next couple decades. Ted DiBiase grabbed the mic and announced that his mystery partner would be led to the ring by his manager Brother Love (which still just confuses me). The man that Brother Love was leading? Why it was the ne superstar making his debut - The Phenom himself The Undertaker. Couple interesting somewhat unknown facts about the debut. First, did you know that he was actually introduced as “Cain – The Undertaker”? It seems like every bit of video calling him “Cain” had been scrubbed out. But, thanks to a little investigating, I found Taker’s TV debut a few weeks after Survivor Series…

 

 http://youtu.be/RSUOp5fGTEg

 

Another interesting tidbit is that, according to rumors heard and told by Mick Foley, The Undertaker was not the initial character idea that was made for Mean Mark after he left WCW. I’ll get into greater detail on that a little later.

 

The match itself was mostly an introduction as to just how dominating The Undertaker can be as he quickly eliminated Koko B. Ware and Dusty Rhodes only to be counted out after going after Rhodes to finish the job. The match ended with a wrestling clinic put on by Bret Hart and DiBiase. Hart showed great heart (sorry, I had to) as he put on a tremendous performance just a day of his brother Dean passed away. DiBiase rolled through a high-crossed body for the roll up and the final pin to move on to the night’s final elimination match.

 

The Vipers - Team Captain Jake “The Snake” Roberts, Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, The Rockers (Shawn Michaels, Marty Jannetty)

Vs

The Visionaries - Team Captain Rick “The Model” Martel, The Warlord, Power & Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma)

 

This match was pretty much built around Martel “blinding” Roberts with his cologne “Arrogance.” Roberts came out with odd white contact lens and all to help sell the injury. This all led up to the big Blindfold Match at WrestleMania 7. The evolution of production costs and values have since given us blindfolds that you can’t actually tell where the eye holes are.

 

Not really much to this match itself other than, for the first time ever, all members of one team survived as all of The Visionaries moved on to the Match of Survival.

 

The Hulkamaniacs – Team Captain Hulk Hogan, Big Boss Man, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Tugboat

Vs

The Natural Disasters – Team Captain Earthquake, Dino Bravo, The Barbarian, Haku

 

I still say that the program of Hulk Hogan vs Earthquake was very underrated. Earthquake’s finishing move was probably done so many times by me and my brother I don’t know how we still had rib cages. They didn’t have the “Don’t Try This At Home” disclaimers back then so it was ok to do :). But to see ‘quake hit the move so much that it took the Immortal Hulk Hogan out of action was just unheard up. It led to an entertaining one-on-one match at SummerSlam at the elimination match here.

 

This was a back and forth match that never saw a team have more than just a one man advantage. At the time, it was hard to predict how the match was going to end. Nowadays, of course you knew that Hogan was going to be a survivor! The only question was would anybody on his team join him.

 

The answer would be “no” as Hogan was the sole survivor who moved to the final match.

 

Macho King Randy Savage Interview

 

We take a break from the matches to see what is going on with the Macho King. As he had been doing for weeks, Savage simply made his case to take on The Ultimate Warrior for the WWF title. Nothing really else came of it this time – other than Savage, after being asked what would be next after winning the WWF title, saying that he might just go ahead and retire. Now we all know, that was a very subtle way to start the rivalry that gave us the great Retirement Match between Savage and the Warrior at WrestleMania 7.

 

Just a quick side note – it seems like I have been mentioning a lot about the following year’s WrestleMania here. Keep that in mind as you watch this year’s Survivor Series. We have seen WrestleMania storylines start around this time of year. Just something to keep in the back of your head.

 

The Alliance - Team Captain Nikolai Volkoff, Tito Santana, The Bushwackers (Luke and Butch)

Vs

The Mercenaries – Team Captain Sgt. Slaughter, Boris Zhukov, The Orient Express (Sato and Tanaka)

 

Ugh! This was just a slow moving match. It really seemed like the only purpose of this match was to have Slaughter give a promo attacking the US troops that were watching on the Armed Forces Network (this being the first PPV show that was sent to the troops). Some people had issues with Slaughter becoming the Iraqi sympathizer (to the point that death threats were made). I really didn’t have a problem with it. Of course I didn’t agree with what he was saying or doing, but it led to the most patriotic WrestleMania there was with the LA Sports Arena drenched in red white and blue as Hulk Hogan finally beat Slaughter. Business wise, well the storyline led to the most pay-per-view buys that the WWF had to that point.

 

As for this match, Slaughter ended up attacking Santana with the Iraqi flag to get disqualified and made Tito the sole survivor who moved on. The finish also helped Slaughter look ruthless and saved the inevitable confrontation between Slaughter and Hogan.

 

The Hatching of the Egg

 

For weeks the WWF had been advertising this giant egg that would be ready to hatch at the Survivor Series. Speculation ran roughshod as to what was in there. As he introduced the egg, Mean Gene Okerlund suggested that some of the possibilities included a dinosaur, ballons, and the playmate of the month. Well, after a few cheesy egg cracking jokes, the egg finally exploded and we were introduced to ….

 

… The Gobbeldy Gooker …

 

… a giant turkey suit that was work by a member of one of the most famous wrestling families of all time, Hector Guerrero. Thank goodness Eddie (and to a much lesser extent Chavo) didn’t let THAT be the way the Guerrero family will be remembered in the WWF.

 

A few years ago, Mick Foley was on the Legends of Wrestling show with the topic being “Worst Characters.” Obviously the Gooker came up and Foley brought up a rumor he had heard that could have had GRAVE effect on the WWF (you’ll see what I did there in a little bit).

 

When Mark Calaway signed with the WWF, Foley heard that the initial idea for him would be to debut as “The Egg Man” and HE would be the one to come out of the egg. Foley went on to say that he could only think they took one look at the man and realized that “The Egg Man” would be a horrible horrible mistake and decided to go in a different path and the Gooker may have just been a late throw-in since the egg had already been so heavily advertised. If you haven’t figured it out yet, instead of The Egg Man, Mark Calaway became the conscience of the WWF, The Undertaker. Just take a moment to think about that one …

 

Grand Finale Match of Survival

The Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, Tito Santana

Vs

Ted DiBiase, Rick “The Model” Martel, The Warlord, Power & Glory (Hercules and Paul Roma)

 

Not exactly the most exciting of ways to end a pay-per-view. The match started off as a back and forth bout, but quickly turned into nothing more than The Warrior and Hogan can take on anything as, after The Warlord and Tito were eliminated within the first two minutes, the rest of the match was the two biggest stars of the year dominating the remaining four members of the opposing team.

 

While I’m sure it was nice for guys like The Warlord, Paul Roma and Hercules to walk around saying they were in a WWF pay-per-view main event, the match left a lot on the table. It was the expected finish of the early 90’s.

 

While the finish of the show may not have been that memorable, the show as a whole was. To get yourself in the Survivor Series spirit, I recommend giving it a look.

 

What do you think of the show? What other shows would you like to have reviewed? Follow me @Tadigity24 and let me know what you think!

We’re getting closer folks!

 

The Bay Area is getting ready to be taken over for WrestleMania week!

 

Some can say that the show is only as good as its main event. Some will also say that some of the “main events” weren’t the real main event of the show (i.e. WrestleMania 18).

 

As we get ready to see Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns close out this year’s version of The Granddaddy of Them All, let’s take a look back and find out what was the best main event (last match of the night) out of the first 30 WrestleMania’s.

 

#30

MATCH – Lawrence Taylor vs Bam Bam Bigelow

TITLE/STIPULATION – None

WRESTLEMANIA – XI

LOCATION – Hartford Civic Center – Hartford, Connecticut

 

For those of you that are relatively new to the wrestling world – yes, I am referring to THAT Lawrence Taylor!

 

The countdown starts with the worst main event on what many (including me) consider to be the worst WrestleMania.

 

Credit where credit is due though. The match itself was not all that bad. The fact that THIS match was the main event of the show was bad though. Diesel and Shawn Michaels put on a great WWF title match earlier in the night – simply having that match last would have made this show look a little better.

 

Having an outsider in the main event of the biggest show of the year is just wrong.

 

#29

MATCH – Hulk Hogan & Mr. T vs Rowdy Roddy Piper & Paul Orndorff

TITLE/STIPULATION – None

WRESTLEMANIA – I

LOCATION – Madison Square Garden – New York, New York

 

For the same reasons as the previous match, the inaugural main event finds itself towards the bottom of the pack. The fact that this was the main event in the very first WrestleMania give it a leg up on the LT/Bam Bam match. Having Muhammad Ali on the outside is a big help as well.

 

#28

MATCH – Bret Hart vs Yokozuna/Yokozuna vs Hulk Hogan

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship (both times)

WRESTLEMANIA – IX

LOCATION – Caesars Palace – Las Vegas, Nevada

 

This probably would have been a little higher had the event ended with the Bret Hart/Yokozuna match. However, they decided to continue the show and make people realize that the WWF wasn’t ready just yet to move on from the 80s and randomly give the belt to Hogan.

 

One year later WrestleMania ended with Bret Hart lifted up in a ring full of new stars as the WWF started what they called “The New Generation.” Much smarter move.

 

#27

MATCH – Hulk Hogan vs King Kong Bundy

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship/Steel Cage Match

WRESTLEMANIA – II

LOCATION – LA Sports Arena – Los Angeles, California

 

The main event of an event that technically had three main events – one for every city the event was held in. The event itself was on part with the aforementioned WrestleMania 11. Three times the cities and about one third of the excitement.

 

#26

MATCH – The Miz vs John Cena

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWE Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXVII

LOCATION – Georgia Dome – Atlanta, Georgia

 

The Miz was in the main event of WrestleMania…that’s really all that needs to be said for this one.

 

If it wasn’t for The Rock’s involvement this match would be a lot closer to the bottom - more so than it already is.

 

#25

MATCH – Hulk Hogan vs Sid Justice

TITLE/STIPULATION – None

WRESTLEMANIA – VIII

LOCATION – Hoosier Dome – Indianapolis, Indiana

 

A few “why”’s come out from this event.

 

1 – After nearly a decade of debating who is the biggest star in the industry, Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair were FINALY in the same organization. Why not make that the main event for WrestleMania?

 

2 – It ended up being Flair/Randy Savage for the title – why not have THAT be the main event?

 

#24

MATCH – The Rock vs John Cena

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWE Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXIX

LOCATION – MetLife Stadium – East Rutherford, New Jersey

 

Do you remember the movie Airheads with Adam Sandler and Brenden Fraser? One of the running jokes was that the band’s name was The Lone Rangers – how can you plural The Lone Ranger? Well, on that note, the biggest reason that this match is this low on the list is the fact that it was a rematch for a yearlong match labeled as “Once in a Lifetime.”

 

#23

MATCH – Triple H vs Shawn Michaels vs Chris Benoit

TITLE/STIPULATION – World Heavyweight Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XX

LOCATION – Madison Square Garden – New York, New York

 

This match was great! A whole lot of back and forth…and forth…action from start to finish ending with the culmination of a man’s long journey to the top of the industry. How could a match with all of that find its way this low on the countdown?

 

…

 

…oh yeah…

 

#22

MATCH – Triple H vs Big Show vs Mick Foley vs The Rock

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XVI

LOCATION – Anaheim Pond – Anaheim, California

 

Nothing really worthwhile to say about this match. The match had plenty of star power plus the additional element of “A McMahon in Every Corner” but really didn’t provide a memorable moment. The best takeaway from this one was The Rock hosting Saturday Night Live and the other three competitors making cameos a few weeks prior to the event.

 

#21

MATCH – John Cena vs Shawn Michaels

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWE Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXIII

LOCATION – Ford Field – Detroit, Michigan

 

Same situation here. Cena and Michaels put together a solid match but it was on a show that had too many other memorable moments.

 

#20

MATCH – Yokozuna vs Bret Hart

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – X

LOCATION – Madison Square Garden – New York, New York

 

The second of two title matches on the show, WWF basically righted the wrong it made the year before at WrestleMania IX. So much so that Vince himself was quick to exclaim that THIS was the start of “The New Generation” as Razor Ramon and Tatanka hoisted Hart on their shoulders.

 

#19

MATCH – Sycho Sid vs The Undertaker

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XIII

LOCATION – Rosemont Horizon – Chicago, Illinois

 

Bret Hart’s involvement aiding his heel transition added some intrigue to this one. Really though, the main, and possibly only, reason this match is remembered is the image of The Undertaker with the belt to close a WrestleMania. LONG overdue!

 

#18

MATCH – Triple H vs Randy Orton

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWE Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXV

LOCATION – Reliant Stadium – Houston, Texas

 

Decent match but really The Game and The Viper had no chance. The two had the unenviable task of following what many, including me, consider to be the greatest match in WrestleMania history with The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels. They tried, but the crowd was just too blown up.

 

#17

MATCH – Chris Jericho vs Triple H

TITLE/STIPULATION – Undisputed WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XVIII

LOCATION – SkyDome – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Same exact situation here. The Toronto crowd was electric for The Rock and Hulk Hogan earlier in the night. Both Triple H and Jericho has said that The Great One and the returning legend should have ended the show knowing how worn out the crowd would be. They were right, and it showed.

 

#16

MATCH – Randy Savage vs Ted DiBiase

TITLE/STIPULATION – Finals of WWF Championship Tournament

WRESTLEMANIA – IV

LOCATION – Trump Plaza – Atlantic City, New Jersey

 

This was a solid way to end the first ever WWF Championship tournament as Savage won his fourth match of the night to become the champ. If anything, it was nice to see a change after Hulk Hogan’s four year run with the belt. A change indeed … even if Hogan was in the ring to help Savage celebrate … and then win the belt back at the next WrestleMania. Gotta love change!

 

#15

MATCH – Sgt. Slaughter vs Hulk Hogan

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – VII

LOCATION – LA Sports Arena – Los Angeles, California

 

For a guy that had been back with the company for less than a year after a seven year absence, Slaughter held his own. A bloody Hogan, very taboo for the time, added a lot to this match that ended what was built as the most patriotic WrestleMania. And go figure – the American hero beat the Iraqi sympathizer.

 

#14

MATCH – Triple H vs Batista

TITLE/STIPULATION – World Heavyweight Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXI

LOCATION – Staples Center – Los Angeles, California

 

The beast was indeed unleashed. The classic student vs teacher battle was fantastic way to end a jam packed card. The first title win for Batista ended up being the start of a spring full of great matches between the two.

 

#13

MATCH – John Cena vs Triple H

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWE Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXII

LOCATION – AllState Arena – Chicago, Illinois

 

This may be a little local bias. The match was good, don’t get me wrong. But what made this match fun to watch was the atmosphere created by the Chicago crowd. I credit this event as being the start of all of the Cena hate. On behalf of the Windy City…you’re welcome!

 

#12

MATCH – Edge vs The Undertaker

TITLE/STIPULATION – World Heavyweight Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXIV

LOCATION – Citrus Bowl – Orlando, Florida

 

Just like WrestleMania 13, it is always a plus to have WrestleMania end with the image of the conscience of the WWE in the middle of the ring with the belt. I think that this was one of the more underrated WrestleMania’s and it was capped with a very entertaining way to keep The Undertaker’s streak alive.

 

#11

MATCH – Kurt Angle vs Brock Lesnar

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWE Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XIX

LOCATION – Safeco Field – Seattle, Washington

 

A great match from two of the best ring generals in the business. This match had plenty of action in it. It says a lot to how entertaining this match was when the memorable moment involves Lesnar nearly breaking his neck on a botched shooting star press.

 

#10

MATCH – The Rock vs John Cena

TITLE/STIPULATION – None

WRESTLEMANIA – XXVIII

LOCATION – Sun Life Stadium – Miami, Florida

 

Once in a Lifetime…when we thought it would be seen once in a lifetime. The match was set the night after the previous WrestleMania and the match lived up to the hype. The crowd was intense and the two icons of their respective eras kept everyone on the edge of their seat from bell to bell.

 

#9

MATCH – Shawn Michaels vs The Undertaker

TITLE/STIPULATION – Career vs Streak

WRESTLEMANIA – XXVI

LOCATION – University of Phoenix Stadium – Glendale, Arizona

 

These two had a lot to live up to in the rematch of their instant class a year before. It didn’t quite make it to that level, but the added intrigue from a possible Shawn Michaels retirement added to the excitement. It was odd to see a WrestleMania end on such a somber tone, but it worked.

 

#8

MATCH – Randy Orton vs Batista vs Daniel Bryan

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWE World Heavyweight Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XXX

LOCATION – Silver SuperDome – New Orleans, Louisiana

 

(Any chance I can get to bring up Hogan calling it the SilverDome I am going to take!)

 

I have mentioned before about matches that had to deal with going on after phenomenal matches/moments. These three had to follow what many consider to be the most shocking moment in WrestleMania history when The Undertaker’s streak came to an end. The match was really good but the reason that the crowd stayed as with it as they did was the fact that there guy, Daniel Bryan, was finally getting his due! YES! YES! YES!

 

#7

MATCH – The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XV

LOCATION – First Union Center – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

 

The two biggest stars of arguably the biggest era in the industry collided for the first time with the top prize on the line. The match kept everyone on the edge of their seats until Austin reclaimed his title. If it weren’t for a lackluster rest of the card this match may have even been higher.

 

#6

MATCH – Randy Savage vs Hulk Hogan

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – V

LOCATION – Trump Plaza – Atlantic City, New Jersey

 

The Mega-Powers exploded a year after the two celebrated Savage’s WWF Championship tournament win. The two biggest names in the WWF in the 80s created a really intense back and forth match that really had you guessing who would win. At least at the time you would be guessing. Looking back, hard to think Hogan would lose.

 

#5

MATCH – Shawn Michaels vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XIV

LOCATION – Fleet Center – Boston, Massachusetts

 

“The Austin Era Has Begun!” Jim Ross at it again to help create the atmosphere surrounding this match. The build-up itself was memorable with Mike Tyson getting involved as the special guest enforcer. Above all, the fact that Michaels put on this match with a back that forced him out of the ring for over four years is just inspiring!

 

#4

MATCH – Hulk Hogan vs The Ultimate Warrior

TITLE/STIPULATION – Title for Title

WRESTLEMANIA – VI

LOCATION – SkyDome – Toronto, Ontario, Canada

 

Two guys that would never really be considered the best in-ring performers put on a match that fans still talk about as one of the best. This was the first time that two fan-favorites locked up in such a high profile match up. Some thought that it would create a negative split in the crowd. Well it created a split, but that split just helped egg each side on to outdo to other side.

 

#3

MATCH – Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – III

LOCATION – SilverDome – Pontiac, Michigan

 

Most say that the success of the WWF was based on the first WrestleMania – I say it was due to this match. The first WrestleMania planted the seed and Hogan/Andre was the blooming flower. An indoor attendance record of 93,173 people was set which was just unheard of for that time! They all came to see that match.

 

#2

MATCH – Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship/Iron Man Match

WRESTLEMANIA – XII

LOCATION – Anaheim Pond – Anaheim, California

 

Hour long matches were really a thing of the south. You hear more about NWA title matches that went an hour, but not in the WWF. Pat Patterson came up with the idea of putting Bret and Shawn in an hour long match and was flat out told it would never happen – especially at WrestleMania. “It would be impossible to keep the crowd’s attention for that long” was the reason given.

 

Something changed Vince’s mind and, in my humble opinion, I think it worked out pretty well. Not only did this turn out to be one of the most talked about matches in WrestleMania history, but it is so without a fall until an impromptu overtime period. Hard to think of two other stars in that era that could have pulled that off.

 

#1

MATCH – The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

TITLE/STIPULATION – WWF Championship

WRESTLEMANIA – XVII

LOCATION – Astrodome – Houston, Texas

 

Many consider this to be the best WrestleMania in the event’s 31 year history so it would need to top notch main event. Add together two of the biggest stars of the company’s history (both as fan favorits), the action starting before the bell rang, 68,000+ people going crazy, a very underrated commentary team of Jim Ross and Paul Heyman on the call and the unlikeliest of unlikely association of Stone Cold and Mr. McMahon and you have pure entertainment in your hands.

 

So there you have it! What do you think of the list? Should a match be higher? Lower? Where do you think this year’s probable main event of Brock Lesnar vs Roman Reigns fall? Let me know what you think on Twitter @Tadigity24 .

Boy am I glad I waited until now to write this!

 

First off, and I’ve said this before, I am not the type of fan that seems to be the norm for people my age. By that, I mean I don’t just hate everything that happens. I like to let things play out before I make my decision.

 

Well I have let the WrestleMania buildup season play out…and it was just bad! Aside from a few moments scattered here and there, Raw’s have failed to produce moments that I would deem worthy of a WrestleMania build.

 

The last two days have actually produced moments that got me more excited for the Granddaddy of the All more than almost anything that we’ve seen on Monday nights. Roman Reigns was a guest on ESPN’s SportsNation and was interrupted by Paul Heyman…who went on to give a typical Paul Heyman type promo.

 

This came after WWE World Heavyweight Champion Brock Lesnar went on SportsCenter in prime time to announce that he was done with MMA and had officially signed a new deal with WWE. This was a HUGE announcement for WWE and HUGE for the Showcase of the Immortals. So much so that I am starting to get that WrestleMania fever that I am so used to this time of year.

 

So let’s take a look at the card this year and make some predictions. Looking at the card, yeah, I’ve seen better. But like I said before, let’s let things play out.

 

Pre-Show

Tag Team Championship

Cesaro & Tyson Kidd (c) vs The Usos vs The New Day vs Los Matadores

 

Just like last year, the pre-show gets a four-way tag title match to get the crowd ready for the main show. And once again, based on the teams involved, this should get the crowd going. This match is eight solid performers that I am sure will take it up an extra notch since their match got bumped to the pre-show.

 

With the recent injury to one of the Usos, I was holding out hope that they would be removed from the match. Nothing against Jimmy and Jey, but ever since the surprise we got at the Royal Rumble, I have been very anxiously awaiting the return of the Dudley Boyz! The tag team division needs a boost…or a 3D!

 

Until then, I see Cesaro and Kidd walking out still the champs.

 

AJ Lee & Paige vs The Bella Twins

 

In a perfect wrestling world, this match could create one of the biggest moments in WrestleMania history. Imagine it – after the match, all four are still going at it. John Cena and Daniel Bryan come down to help separate and hold back their respective significant other. While doing this, they shove away AJ – nothing too hard, just a nudge. That’s when Living Colour hits the speakers and AJ’s significant other comes down to her rescue. We have the return of CM Punk!

 

Well, that won’t happen, but this match will. We’ll give the nod to The Bellas in this one.

 

But if this match is what ends the show on Sunday…well…

 

Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship

Bad News Barrett (c) vs Dean Ambrose vs R-Truth

Vs Dolph Ziggler vs Luke Harper vs Stardust vs Daniel Bryan

 

A lot of people have had a problem with how this match has been built. I disagree – I like what they’ve done. Over the last month we have seen nothing but chaos from these seven competitors and the belt itself.

 

That’s what this match is going to be – chaos! From WrestleMania 21-26 the money in the bank ladder match was consistently the most chaotic and exciting match on the card. Expect more of the same with this match.

 

I really don’t have a problem with any of the competitors wining this match as long as their name doesn’t rhyme with scar-ruth. With the way they he has been made a bit of a fool, I can see Bad News grabbing his belt back here.

 

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

 

This is the match that should have been the launch to a great career last year. Well that didn’t happen. So let’s try this again.

 

Based on the entrant list, there really aren’t too many names that would make sense winning. Kane and Big Show dominated the Royal Rumble in January…WWE better not make that mistake again!

 

This one is simple. Based on the crowd reactions over the last few months and the eruptions at the face turn teases, its time to finally light the fuse and watch Damian Mizdow explode!

 

Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins

 

This has the potential to steal the show. Orton and Rollins have done a great job building this match up (something you can’t really say too much this year). Rollins showed us at the Royal Rumble that he is ready to put on amazing matches with the top tier talent

 

We should see an exciting back and forth match here. But after a few years of doing jobs on the grandest stage of them all,

 

I can see Orton come out on top here.

 

US Championship

Rusev (c) vs John Cena

 

I would have nothing but praise for the buildup for this match…had the buildup not included a match at Fastlane. I still don’t agree with the fact that this is a rematch. The Fastlane match should not have happened.

 

With that being said, this still should a good match. The obvious logic is that Cena wins since Rusev won at Fastlane.

 

That can’t happen!

 

The fact that Rusev is still undefeated should mean something. Beating Rusev should be something that is done by someone that is ready for a career boost, not someone who has already had one of the biggest careers in history. It doesn’t make sense. While it would give the US Championship a much needed shot of credibility, Rusev needs to walk out with the title.

 

Bray Wyatt vs The Undertaker

 

By far the best build up this year…and it was ALL done by one man!

 

Bray Wyatt is a legit star. He is ready and needs to be placed firmly at the top of the card. No better way to take that place than by beating the Deadman at WrestleMania – worked pretty well for Brock!

 

But can that really happen? After 21 straight wins, could the Undertaker lose two years in a row? I can see it happening which would actually lead to the dream matchup we have all waited for next year with The Undertaker vs Sting.

 

So can it happen? Sure it can. WILL it happen? … yep! Bray Wyatt wins!

 

Triple H vs Sting

 

I just got a a little giddy typing Sting when talking about WrestleMania.

 

I started watching Survivor Series a little late and was lying in bed watching the end on my computer about 85% asleep. When the lights went out and the crow sounded, I shot up! FINALLY! The biggest name to never enter a WWE ring was entering a WWE ring!

 

All that being said, this won’t be the five-star technical wrestling match that it could have been when WCW was bought in 2001…but it will still be an entertaining match to see.

 

The end won’t be a surprise at all – Sting wins.

 

WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns

 

When Roman Reigns won the 2015 Royal Rumble, the immediate crowd reaction showed that WWE had to spend the next two months doing nothing but building Reigns up to being the badass needed to beat the Beast.

 

Yeah…that didn’t happen.

 

It started off solid. A win over Daniel Bryan at Fastlane and a few solid Raw performances. But the fact that the WrestleMania title match participants weren’t in the same ring until the Raw before WrestleMania was a head-scratcher. Hopefully you had stopped the head scratching before the face to face meeting last Monday because the tug of war that ensued probably would have made you dig to your skull.

 

But oh what a difference a day or two makes.

 

On Tuesday, Brock Lesnar went on SportsCenter and announced that he signed a new contract with WWE. If not for that announcement, the end of the match was a foregone conclusion. Obviously Vince would not have someone not under contract hold the title…just ask Bret Hart!

 

But that simple announcement has added the intrigue needed to aid this match. But that alone may not be enough.

 

(To take a page out of my confidence pool posts) Here is my BOLD PREDICTION for WrestleMania. To give us the WrestleMania moment that this show needs – we will see a double-turn. Paul Heyman, upset that Brock seemingly held his job up, aligns himself and helps Roman Reigns win the title. Reigns goes heel with Paul Heyman in a much needed boost for him. And Brock becomes a face, which has we saw during the Royal Rumble build, the fans are more than ready for. Do you remember the reaction when Brock came out and beat the holy hell out of Seth Rollins? Electric!

 

If that happens, the lack of solid build for the match will be forgiven.

 

It’s WrestleMania! What do you think will happen at the Show of Shows? Let me know on Twitter @Tadigity24.

We are now pretty much at the midway point!

 

We are just over six months removed from the 31^st installment of The Showcase of the Immortals and, coincidently, six months away from the 32^nd. With recent incidents within the WWE like injuries, returns, LOA’s, it seems like a lot of creative ideas have been shuffled…and possibly shuffled again. This could mean that the writing staff could start the process of building angles for this year’s WrestleMania.

 

I’ve noticed over the years and some top angles have started at, or around, November’s Survivor Series so it’s not too farfetched to think about now. It would also make sense to start building solid angles for another major reason.

 

We all have the immortal words of “Mean” Gene Okerlund etched in our minds as he announced the “brand new indoor attendance record of 93,173” back in 1987 at WrestleMania III. With WrestleMania 32 being held in “Jerry World,” AT&T Stadium in Dallas, Texas, reaching a six digit attendance number is not an impossibility.

 

To do so, Vince McMahon needs to put together an all-hands-on-deck card. From top to bottom, the matches on this year’s show need to be enough to attract a record amount of people to make the trip down to the Lone Star State.

 

Can it be done? Oh absolutely! With the right combination of solid young talent and established veteran stars, expect good ol’ “Mean Gene” to make a similar record setting announcement.

 

There are several ways that the writing staff can go. Based on some rumors I have been hearing and, well, my expert opinion, here is how I can see the card shaping up.

 

Intercontinental Title – Ladder Match

Ryback vs Neville vs Stardust vs Tyler Breeze vs Rusev vs King Barrett vs Dolph Ziggler vs Baron Corbin

 

Sticking with the good ol' “if it worked once” method here. Just like last year, the show opens by killing two WrestleMania birds with one stone – an exciting match to start the show to get the crowd going and a multi-man match to get as many superstars on the show as possible.

 

I had Hideo Itami in this match, but thinking about it, with his injury I can see him spending a little extra time down in NXT before coming to the main roster. If he does make the jump, he would probably take the place of King Barrett since WWE never seems to want to do anything with him. I still feel that Breeze and Corbin can provide a solid infusion of youth from the current NXT roster though. It’s exciting to think that Dolph Ziggler would be the veteran in this match.

 

This match provides a solid combination of strength (Ryback, Rusev, Corbin) technical skill (Stardust, Barrett) and high-flying ability (Neville, Breeze) to get the crowd ready for what should be built as the biggest WrestleMania of all time.

 

Randy Orton vs Kevin Owens

 

Once again Randy Orton is tasked with putting on a great match with an up and coming star. Last year, Orton and Seth Rollins had one some considered to be the match of WrestleMania 31 – capped off with the most “outta nowhere” RKO I personally had ever seen! Rollins obviously did not need to win that match though, as we found out just hours later and he cashed in and became the world heavyweight champion.

 

Owens, on the other hand, DOES need to win this match. After a strong three-PPV program with John Cena, the love for Owens has seemed to die down drastically. Owens thrives in high-level matches and has the personality and charisma to be one of the most entertaining superstars on the mic. He needs a boost and a win at WrestleMania over a future hall of famer would be a big one for him. The seeds were laid for this one a few months ago when Orton threw out his “are you losing weight?” crack at Owens. It was subtle but still could be used as a starting point.

 

Roman Reigns vs Dean Ambrose

 

The former Shield-mates have spent most of 2015 as a couple of good buddies who would just do whatever they could when the other is in need! Wrestling 101 – they’re gonna hate each other soon! The heel turn for this one will inevitably come from Reigns as he is overdue for a turn. The foundation on how this turn will come about (in my opinion) will be laid out as I take a look at another match on my card.

 

The two have had solid chemistry as a team it makes sense that they would have solid chemistry as opponents. This would have potential to steal the show and possibly set the two up for a huge 2016.

 

Divas Championship

Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Becky Lynch vs Bayley

 

The Divas Revolution has hit a HUGE road block. After an enormous initial reaction, the Divas division has returned to those that have actual in-ring talent jobbing to those that have a look and have a more marketable character.

 

Charlotte winning the Divas title (hopefully a part of the revolution is the return of the Women's Championship) is an obvious big step in that process but she is still going up against the likes of the Bellas and Alicia Fox. The revolution came about with how Charlotte, Becky Lynch, Sasha Banks and Bayley have performed in NXT. To create maintainable credibility to the Divas division, this needs to be the WrestleMania match.

 

Tag Team Championship – TLC Match

Dudley Boyz vs New Day vs (Insert NXT team here) vs Hardy Boyz

 

I am, much like I’m sure the writing staff is, hesitant to have multiple ladder based matches on the same card. BUT, hard to pass this opportunity up. The Dudley’s are back where they belong. As soon as the pyro hit the night after SummerSlam, the thought of another TLC matchup started dancing around the heads of the WWE Universe. Their first program has been with The New Day of have seemed to have gotten over with the over-the-top celebration style. So much so that they might have enough momentum to take them to WrestleMania – something that is a little hard to imagine for anyone in the tag team division.

 

NXT has a few options at this point that would work well in this situation – Blake & Murphy, Enzo Amore & Big Cass and current champs The Vaudevillians. Take your pick, they could all put on a good show! Then we come to a bit of a bold prediction with that fourth team listed. Call it a hunch, but with Bubba Ray and D-Von back in the WWE, I can see Matt and Jeff following suit soon. Just like the Dudley’s, if the Hardy’s do come back, how could you not do something like a TLC?

 

Bray Wyatt vs Finn Balor

 

Just take a second now and think about the build-up that could come from this one. The New Face of Fear against The Demon! I mentioned in my WrestleMania 31 piece that the build-up for Wyatt vs The Undertaker was so well done…and it was all done by Wyatt! Imagine that kind creepy Halloweeny feeling but with TWO superstars engaged.

 

Another amazing aspect of this matchup – the WrestleMania introduction of The Demon character! Balor wowed us all when his Demon alter-ego made its debut at NXT’s TakeOver : R-Evolution in December with a simply jaw dropping entrance. My friends and I would also have a small pool every WrestleMania based on different things that would happen. One part of the pool every year was an over/under guess on The Undertaker’s entrance – I think Balor may be taking The Deadman’s place in the next generation.

 

US Title

John Cena vs Sami Zayn

 

If you are reading this, there is a very good chance that you remember Sami Zayn answering John Cena’s open challenge for the US title earlier this year. Unfortunately Zayn jacked his shoulder up right before the match which has sidelined him since. But before he hit the sidelines, he STILL managed to put on an amazing match with Cena.

 

More than that, do you remember the reaction that Zayn’s introduction got? That Montreal crowd is very similar to the crowd that will likely fill most of Jerry’s Playground. Cena has done an amazing job raising the credibility of the US title this year by giving title shots to any and all comers and then having five-star matches with the likes of Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and even an injured Zayn. The crowd would be enthralled in this match and a Zayn win would blow the roof off the building.

 

The Undertaker vs Sting

 

Is there really a reason to explain this one? It’s the matchup that we have been waiting for since Sting decided to go Crow on us in 1996. While the technical aspect of the match may not be as sharp as it would be if it were still the late 90s…it’s still The Undertaker and Sting…it HAS to be seen!

 

Daniel Bryan vs Shawn Michaels

 

Student vs teacher in its most exciting form! Something tells me that Daniel Bryan will be making his return as a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble match in January. I’m starting to think that all of the hype about WWE doctors not clearing Bryan but other doctors are is just a work – I have no doubt that he’ll be back. The biggest challenge in this one would be to convince HBK to get back into the ring. When he left in 2010, he still looked like he had a few years left in him.

 

And what a way to come back!

 

When Bryan started his battles against Triple H and The Authority, one of the biggest blows came when Shawn Michaels, the guest referee for a Daniel Bryan vs Randy Orton title match and man who ran the wrestling school that Bryan attended, hit Bryan with the SuperKick to cost him the match. Other than an entertaining exchange the next night, that was pretty much forgotten. But now it could be used as the jump-off of what could have potential to be a top 5 match in WrestleMania history!

 

Brock Lesnar vs Stone Cold Steve Austin

 

This is one that is simply based on the rumors that are going around. A lot of people were saying that the likelihood of this match happening would be made clearer with what would happen with Lesnar’s recent appearance on Austin’s Podcast. Well the podcast came and went with no real altercation happening let alone something like the way Austin’s Podcast with Lesnar’s manager Paul Heyman ended a few months ago.

 

I’m not buying it though.

 

I have a hunch (there’s that word again) that a friendly discussion between the two was WWE’s response to the internet determining that something happening between the two was inevitable. It is hard to imagine the biggest WrestleMania being held in Texas without a major appearance from Stone Cold.

 

The Rock vs Triple H

 

Simply put – The Rock NEEDS to have a match on this show! The foundation has been laid over the last year. First, we had the comical face to face altercation backstage at a SmackDown taping this time last year. Next, Triple H comes out at the end of this year’s Royal Rumble showing his displeasure at The Rock helping Roman Reigns with the Rumble match. Finally, we had the surprise appearance of The Rock at WrestleMania 31 confronting Triple H and Stephanie McMahon…with the help of Ronda Rousey.

 

I will say that I am SO glad that it doesn’t look like they will be doing the mix tag match rumored between the four. Luckily Dana White is…well…Dana White and can’t stand the fact that his little promotion will never be on WWE’s level and is blocking Rousey from a match. That and movie commitments Rousey now has as well. You can’t put two of the biggest names of the last 20 years in a gimmick mixed tag on this show. The final showdown between these two longtime rivals should attract a lot of mainstream attention and additional ticket sales.

 

WWE World Heavyweight Championship

Seth Rollins vs Cesaro

 

Obviously this is probably the most far-fetched possibility. Hear me out though – if this happens, and done in the right way, it could give us a memorable WrestleMania moment to end the show of shows.

 

The main event matchup last year was a bit of a flop because the WWE Universe was told who they had to think was the best, it didn’t just naturally happen. It did happen the year before though. The end of WrestleMania XXX was electric because it was the culmination of the man the crowd wanted to be given a chance finally had his chance, and made it count. Sound like someone on the roster now? (ok, I know Daniel Bryan is still on the roster, but you know what I mean!)

 

Here is Cesaro’s path to relevance…

 

First, a tournament is held to determine a #1 contender to Seth Rollins at Survivor Series. Cesaro wins the tournament but loses the title match to Rollins in an all-time classic – which both Rollins and Cesaro can provide. Cesaro then goes on to the Royal Rumble having the crowd firmly behind him only to be the last one eliminated after a 5-7 minute solid fight with the man who eliminates him and wins…Roman Reigns. Reigns is booed out of the building as the crowd is upset that Reigns wins the Rumble twice in a row and he finally snaps and turns heel. Cesaro keeps hinting that Reigns has no business in the main event until Reigns puts the title match on the line at February’s FastLane show. Cesaro wins that match and goes on to the main event of the biggest Granddady of the All!

 

Yes I may be stretching it a bit there, but if it happens, the crowd would give it the reaction that it would deserve. I strongly believe that if you give Cesaro the ball, he will run with it. And with his international appeal, he will literally run all over the world with it.

 

So there you have it. That card, thrown in with appearances by several other legends and Hall of Famers throughout the night, would sell the necessary tickets. We still have a way to go. But we are now in the car and getting ready to leave the neighborhood. Before you know it, we will all be on the Road to WrestleMania!

 

So what do you think? What matches excite you? What matches do you think we will see to help draw the expected 100,000+ crowd. Let me know on Twitter @Tadigity24