Dolfan Watches Every Wrestlemania On Lockdown

[DJ Hero Morganti]

KO and Sami were working DBry really light from my recollection.  He slowly got stuff snugged back up once he started down the road of being the NEW Daniel Bryan.

[Dolfan in NYC]

One thing I really don't like about tag teams breaking up, is that it has always become BEST FRIENDS BETRAYAL.  So, when Alexa Bliss won the Raw Women's Title - being one of the smallest women on the roster - she needed some muscle to back her up. She found it in Nia Jax.  Nia gets sweet talked into believing they're friends, but soon enough, the ruse is up and Alexa reveals (on camera, because she's stupid) to Mickie James, that she is just using Nia.  Nia's of course upset about this and is awarded a title match at WrestleMania - because that was the next PPV on the calendar.   (Seriously, this could have happened at any PPV because the build up was just atrocious.)

Oh Corey Graves is also super horny for Alexa Bliss.  

I'm not going to pretend that this match was good, by any stretch.  It was a weird Sting vs. Vader match, but if Sting was the heel. It did have some good moments though.  Notably, Nia immediately taking care of Alexa's second, Mickie, by destroying her ringside before the match even started.  But overall, these two cannot carry the pathos of what this story is supposed to be.  

Alexa is running as chickenshit heel, terrified of Nia, but oddly controlling a good portion of the match... something that, being half the size of Nia, is just comical in appearance. And not in a good way either.  Nia is "standing up for bullied people", but just really isn't a great babyface here.  I'm sure they can eventually find that kind of role for her, but this just wasn't it.  

By the end, Alexa has kicked out of Nia's finisher(!), Corey's having an orgasm about how tough she is, and Nia decides to go big.  A Super Samoan Drop (kudos to Alexa for taking that bump) is enough to give Nia Jax her first Women's Championship. She's very emotional and celebrates to the crowd. 

There were apparently(?) backstage issues between these two and some actual hurt feelings and maybe even a true falling out during the build. I put the question mark there because I don't know if that was just fodder fed to the sheets.  But frankly, they didn't look comfortable there with each other and the match suffered badly for it.  

This Mania is going downhill fast.    Let's see if the world title match can turn things around.  

End of Day 112, Ride 2. 

 

[NikoBaltimore]

24 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

There were apparently(?) backstage issues between these two and some actual hurt feelings and maybe even a true falling out during the build. I put the question mark there because I don't know if that was just fodder fed to the sheets.  But frankly, they didn't look comfortable there with each other and the match suffered badly for it.  

I know they seemed to be good friends when they were on Total Divas but granted that was a reality show.  I heard bits and pieces of real issues going on but honestly never paid much attention to it.  I can say that this was my piss break match and not because it was a women's match.  The build just didn't feel like a must-watch match to sit through.

But going back to the Daniel Bryan tag it was so perplexing to watch live.  We were happy as could be to see him back but whoever laid out that match should have been fired.

[Curt McGirt]

48 minutes ago, Dolfan in NYC said:

Oh Corey Graves is also super horny for Alexa Bliss.  

Ooof, I remember. How long has he done that/is he still doing that? 

Wait, he's on Smackdown now right? 

Edited January 22, 2021 by Curt McGirt

[NikoBaltimore]

31 minutes ago, Curt McGirt said:

Ooof, I remember. How long has he done that/is he still doing that? 

Wait, he's on Smackdown now right? 

He did stop that when she went face for a bit.  But he hasn't really done that for anybody recently though maybe a bit for Carmella at times.  Considering they're dating that doesn't surprise me.

[SirSmUgly]

Wait, wait, hold on. So, I've never seen this WM or really even known anything about it, but you are telling me that they ran Cena vs. Undertaker as a throwaway squash match AFTER the Streak was dead instead of running a competitive epic before the Streak was dead that EVERYONE in the crowd would have bought into, especially on every 2.9 from Cena?

This match in which the WWE-style overwrought epic would have worked was, um, replaced with a throwaway squash? 

I...what?!

[John from Cincinnati]

Considering how wrecked Taker's body was, a squash was the right move for this show.

The right time for Taker-Cena was probably Mania 23-25. Cena hatred is arguably at its peak and Taker's into some of the best work he'd do during that period. I'd have even taken that match over either of the matches vs Hunter, but that's when Rock was available so there's really no space for it there. 

Cena getting paired with Bray at 30 feels like such a meh booking in hindsight. 

Edited January 22, 2021 by Andy in Kansas

[NikoBaltimore]

14 minutes ago, Smelly McUgly said:

Wait, wait, hold on. So, I've never seen this WM or really even known anything about it, but you are telling me that they ran Cena vs. Undertaker as a throwaway squash match AFTER the Streak was dead instead of running a competitive epic before the Streak was dead that EVERYONE in the crowd would have bought into, especially on every 2.9 from Cena?

This match in which the WWE-style overwrought epic would have worked was, um, replaced with a throwaway squash? 

I...what?!

It is pretty dumb when you put it that way.  But I got to see 'Taker do his full-on entrance and do his greatest hits so I'm not complaining.

[Eivion]

3 hours ago, NikoBaltimore said:

He did stop that when she went face for a bit.  But he hasn't really done that for anybody recently though maybe a bit for Carmella at times.  Considering they're dating that doesn't surprise me.

He has toned it down in general and  focused it squarely on his Carmella. I doubt he loved doing it in the first place, but I suspect its better for him that its actually focused on his girlfriend now.

17 minutes ago, Smelly McUgly said:

Wait, wait, hold on. So, I've never seen this WM or really even known anything about it, but you are telling me that they ran Cena vs. Undertaker as a throwaway squash match AFTER the Streak was dead instead of running a competitive epic before the Streak was dead that EVERYONE in the crowd would have bought into, especially on every 2.9 from Cena?

This match in which the WWE-style overwrought epic would have worked was, um, replaced with a throwaway squash? 

I...what?!

The two were on different shows for the most part and busy with their own feuds. By the time it made any sense to do Taker had already started to break down.

[John from Cincinnati]

3 minutes ago, Eivion said:

The two were on different shows for the most part and busy with their own feuds. By the time it made any sense to do Taker had already started to break down.

There were flimsy excuses for interpromotional matches or for people to switch brands for what basically amounted to a single feud all over the place during the period when the match should have been done. Them being on different shows wouldn't have made a difference if they really wanted to do it. 

[SirSmUgly]

@NikoBaltimoreOh yeah, seeing that entrance live is great on its own, definitely.

@Andy in Kansasand @Eivion: I see the latter's point, but as the former noted, they broke their cross-brand rules all the time for marquee matchups. 

I went to Wikipedia to look and I'm feeling like the best bet would have been that they ran Cena/Rock at WM once and then that they ran it back at SummerSlam rather than WM 29 in order to squeeze in Cena/'Taker at 29. First, because those Cena/Rock matches were just okay, and second, because no offense to CM Punk, but Cena/Taker would have been the way, way, WAY bigger match. 

They also could have just run that at 27 instead of setting up two Cena/Rock matches with a bullshit finish in a Cena/Miz match. Did we need three Taker/HHH matches at WM anyway? No, no we did not. Coulda just run that at 28 once and been fine. 

Hindsight is always 20/20, but even affording for that, not running Cena/Taker before Brock breaks the streak should be a criminal offense. 

Edited January 22, 2021 by Smelly McUgly

[John from Cincinnati]

I know this steps on either the Edge match or the first Michaels match and those are well-regarded, but parking peak Cena in forgettable triple threats at back-to-back Mania shows just how little clue this company has at times. 

[Eivion]

The two basically were the aces of their respective brands for the longest time. It made sense to keep them separate even with the occasional flimsy crossovers occurring. It was a Wrestlemania level match. I think @Smelly McUglyhas the right idea about when they could have squeezed it in, but that also would have needed them acknowledging the Rock/Cena feud was kind of failure as fa as a multi-Wrestlemanias storyline goes. You also never know the Rock's schedule. He may have been busy filming that summer.

Edited January 22, 2021 by Eivion

[John from Cincinnati]

13 minutes ago, Eivion said:

The two basically were the aces of their respective brands for the longest time. It made sense to keep them separate even with the occasional flimsy crossovers occurring.

All of which can be applied to Angle vs Michaels. I don't think that excuses not doing it. 

Edited January 22, 2021 by Andy in Kansas

[NikoBaltimore]

What pains me is considering I loved their match when Cena was in Word Life mode it would have been one of the all time great WM matches. If only there was a time machine to slap some sense into Vince and make this happen. 

[Eivion]

2 hours ago, Andy in Kansas said:

All of which can be applied to Angle vs Michaels. I don't think that excuses not doing it. 

They weren't the aces of their brands when their match went down. I also never defended Cena/Taker not happening when Taker was still healthy. I'm just saying I can see how it never came to be.

Edited January 23, 2021 by Eivion

[John from Cincinnati]

I feel like the only place to go from here is split hairs over differing definitions of ace-hood. Which I will graciously spare everyone of. You're welcome!

[DreamBroken]

I loved both Cena/Michaels and Taker/Batista, but no doubt the match would've been incredible had it happened here. 

[Brian Fowler]

I remember in Twitter during the show, Dylan Hales made a pretty convincing argument in favor of it being a squash (which, for the record, I enjoyed immensely)

His argument was it put the main event over even stronger. "Undertaker just destroyed the 'Greatest of All Time' in under five minutes. Later tonight, the only two men to ever best the Undertaker at WrestleMania go one on one for the Universal Championship!"

Of course, then that match happened, and...

[DJ Hero Morganti]

Yeah. The story they were trying to tell us actually w good one all told.  The execution of said story though was horrible.

[Dolfan in NYC]

DAY 113

So, back in 2014, I was having a conversation with a friend over drinks.  We were talking wrestling, and I remember telling him, there's a guy you need to start looking out for... he's a Japanese guy who dresses like Thriller-era Michael Jackson and just screams charisma.  I remember, since I was about 4 drinks in at that point, I called him Nakatomi.  

Not one of my finer moments. 

Well, Shinsuke Nakamura has made the jump from Japan to the WWE and had a very nice little run in NXT but he's gotten the call up to the big leagues now.  He won the 2018 Royal Rumble much to the shock and delight of the Philadelphia crowd (which I was lucky enough to be at).  So his choice was his NJPW rival, the WWE Champion AJ Styles.  

AJ is such an interesting case study.  You have to wonder if JR or Ace (whichever was in charge of recruitment at the time) hadn't passed on him, if it would have been AJ becoming the John Cena-level ace of the staff.  Definitely would have been a multiple-time world champ, probably well into double digits, but sliding doors and all that.  

Now this match is pretty good. AJ especially seems to be putting some extra mustard on his shots.  Seems like he's out to prove something.  Nakamura is doing pretty well as well.  The crowd is definitely into the match, which is good considering this is well into hour 5 of the show.  

For me though, the match never really hits that top gear that these level of matches should have. It's perfectly serviceable, but it feels like it just needed that final HUGE memorable spot.  That being said, turning the Kinshasa into a Styles Clash was a delightful little spot.  I guess, what it was -- and I loathe this analogy -- is the difference between a 4 star match, and a 5 star match.   It's a very good match, which I encourage you to watch if you haven't seen it... but it lacked that certain je n'ais ce quoi.  I've been racking my brain about it, but can't come up with anything.  

The most famous moment comes after the conclusion.  AJ congratulates Nakamura on a very well fought match.  Nak takes the belt from the referee and gets on a knee to present the belt to the champ.  AJ very stupidly takes it and Nakamura gives Styles a MASSIVE low blow.  Like, I'm seriously hoping Styles was wearing a cup for that spot because otherwise, that series of tattoos of his kids' dates of birth is extremely over.  And because of the promise* of heel Nakamura, I'd say 3/4 of the crowd is shocked and approves vociferously.  The other 1/4 is shocked and boos (they are nerds).  

* - The promise really didn't amount to much.  Oh well.  Hopefully 2021 and his turn back to facedom will achieve better results. 

All this being said, this is a beautiful island in a  vast sea of disappointment that surrounds it on all sides. 

[Eivion]

I still wish Nakamura won the belt, but I actually enjoyed his turn and weird focus on hitting AJ in the balls. It was overdone to the point of being dumb but amusing due to Nakamura's reactions.

[MoeCristyV.1.6]

It is like they never watched a "Road To" show in NJPW. Half assing Nakamura was always there.

[Dolfan in NYC]

It could have been Samoa Joe.  

It should have been Samoa Joe.  

It was the kid of a referee.  

Fuck this match.  

 

End of Day 113. 

[Eivion]

I don't think Joe was ever even in the conversation for that one.