It is Wrestlemania season. Can't you tell? No? Well, that's understandable because neither could I. This year, we get the 32nd Mania and unfortunately, I'm not excited. A lot of us aren't. Let's take a look at Mania this year and you'll see why.
The main event or should I say the big title match is with Triple H as champion(yes Triple H is champion In 2016) taking on the most forced wrestler in the last 11 years in Roman Reigns. Reigns last year was unfairly put into a position he wasn't ready for against Brock Lesnar and now here he is again in another main event at Wrestlemania. It's almost as if WWE didn't learn from their mistakes. Triple H, a guy who doesn't need to be wrestling frequently is currently the WWE Champion and the face in this boring and dry feud. Reigns is not competent on the mic, he's not that good in the ring and he can't remain over with the crowd for over a few weeks straight consistently. While some will say the booking is the issue, it isn't. It's Reigns. He isn't ready and he isn't THE guy. WWE defies what their fans actually want so we unfortunately get another Mania main event with Reigns in it that we aren't happy about. Some idiotic fans will just say we are whining because we didn't get what we want, but that's just stupidity and smarky trolling because nothing justifies Reigns being in this position. Is he the most popular? No. Best wrestler? No. Is he exciting? Not really. Is he the top merch seller? No. Is he being forced over and over when the crowd clearly wants other wrestlers at the top? Yes. Reigns is the biggest issue we have for Mania. Stop pushing the guy. He doesn't have IT. Stop forcing this shit. The WWE is so out of touch with their audience that they refuse to push the guys organically over and who can draw. Now, the main event is the biggest issue, but is it the only issue? No. Not at all.
The New Day are currently tweeners and they're completely over. They sell a ton of merch, have been tag team champions for months and beaten a ton of great teams. So, why should they face the bland, weak, and insignificant League of Nations and likely drop the titles? It makes no sense and New Day should have been involved in a fatal 4 way TLC match for the titles against Sheamus and Barrett, The Usos and Dudleys. It would have been much more exciting for Mania. Speaking of which, the Usos and Dudleys have a tag match. And no one cares. A complete waste. Two insignificant tag team matches that really don't have an upside unless the New Day wins and move on to Enzo and Cass.
A lot of folks are excited about AJ Styles and Chris Jericho. I'm not. Why? Mania should be the show that gives us fresh matches, exciting bouts and things to make us jump out of our seats. Will AJ vs Jericho be a good match? No doubt, but this is wrestling. Zack Ryder and Fandango could put on a good match if they wanted, but if it's not something I or others want to see, do you really care? No. I think AJ should have faced Kalisto for the US Title instead of this or even been involved in the IC Title feud with Owens and Zayn, which I'll get to later. Zayn vs Owens vs AJ for the IC Title at Mania could have been the most exciting IC Title match since HBK vs Razor at WM 10. Instead we get the fourth AJ vs Jericho match and I was personally done with this feud at Fastlane. No reason to extend it to Mania. There's no true animosity and buildup. It's just there as their 4th match. It fell flat. Once again, it'll be a great match, but I just don't have interest in it.
There's a big tag team match for the divas. And it is unnecessary. Don't believe me? Eva Marie is in it. Brie Bella. Lana is wrestling. Do we care? No. We don't. It's just a waste of time. Eva fucking Marie. Are you kidding me? On Wrestlemania??? Of all the people? Lord, Vince is an idiot. The bright side? There is a triple threat Divas title match that should entertain us all. It's one of the few things that WWE got right for Mania. Sasha Banks. Becky Lynch. Charlotte. Triple Threat. 3 of the 4 Horsewomen on the biggest stage of them all. Great match and it could steal the show if given enough time. WWE scared us for a moment by teasing a Brie Bella vs Charlotte feud, but it ended quickly. Hopefully Sasha gets the win at Mania and begins the first of many title reigns.
Is there anything else that WWE got wrong for Mania? Yes. And it all revolves around the ass backwards nature of the IC Title and US Title matches. Okay, say WWE wanted to do AJ vs Jericho, cool. Then why not do Owens vs Zayn for the IC Title at Mania? It's a built in feud, your audience would love it and it will be over huge at Mania. No. Instead we get a multi man ladder match like last year, but we didn't really need this one. No one wanted this one. No one was excited it about it really. Owens and Zayn should be fighting one on one. Where would Ziggler, Miz, Stardust, Ryder, and company be? In the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, or maybe, just maybe you put them into a multi man ladder match, but for the US Title. Instead, we get the boring and struggling Ryback attempting to bully Kalisto in a one on one match for the US Title. Why? No one wants a Ryback push for the 23rd time. No one really wants to see a Kalisto singles match at Mania unless he has a great opponent. This seems obvious to make it a multi man ladder match and just switch it around. Simple solution and it makes people intrigued about the US Title again, because most of us no longer give a shit.
Now, there's the pointless Andre the Giant Battle Royal, the directionless Wyatt Family(Bray doesn't even have a match after fighting Cena and Taker the last 2 years), and the most annoying part of this year's Mania promotion: The Rock appearing. Why do I give a damn? I love The Rock and he's a legend forever, but he serves no purpose anymore if he's not wrestling someone we want to see him fight. I'd like Rock vs Owens feuding. Rock vs Brock one last time. Rock vs Ambrose. Rock vs Rollins. Hell, I'd even take Rock vs Taker if it came down to it. But, Rock vs someone is the point. Promoting a simple ass appearance for 3 months and it means nothing? Come the fuck on. The Rock appeared at Mania 30 and 31 and had two different experiences there. He had a classic segment at WM 30 with Hogan and Austin and a middle of the road segment that ran too long with Ronda Rousey and Triple H/Stephanie. He's likely due for another pointless segment this year just so he can spew catchphrases to the fans and hit a Rock Bottom. Move on Rock or actually contribute to the show in a way that matters. If anything, besides HHH vs Reigns, this is the biggest disappointment on the show because Rock has very little significance and where could he fit in here anyways? To help Reigns win over Triple H to set up a match with him and HHH later? Eh. To help The New Day? Eh. To help Ambrose beat Brock and set up a match with Brock later on at WM33? Hmm... but doubt it. There's nothing that really seems like it could work, but perhaps Rock has a segment with the Wyatt Family since there's literally nothing else going on for either one of them. Another misstep by WWE for Mania.
The biggest highlight and most exciting thing purely on the card? Dean Ambrose, the most popular wrestler in WWE, takes on Brock Lesnar, the biggest name in WWE. This match should have been the main event and for the title. Hands down. HHH vs Reigns could have happened and been a smaller main event and had no title and most of us would have been like "well cool". If Brock as champion went into main event this year against Dean, this would be so much better. This match will be brutal, steal the show and could make Dean even bigger than what he has been. It's a huge match for both men, as Dean could help Brock achieve his first Wrestlemania classic since his classic bout with Angle at WM 19. Brock has missed the mark with his HHH, Taker and Reigns matches at Mania, but I believe Dean vs Brock will be amazing and steal the show from a main event standpoint. It's one of the few things WWE got right this year.
What about the final thing that WWE gave us? Taker. Shane. Does it make sense? No. Is it an exciting prospect? No. Will the match likely be some crazy shit? Hell yes. Will it entertain? Yes. And there's the issue. This match is middle of the road. It has a terrible story. No true aggression. No true purpose and to put Shane over against Taker at Mania would almost be more criminal than ending the streak. Brock beating Taker made some sense. Shane beating him? Makes no sense. Regardless, nostalgia aside, this match doesn't intrigue me. I'd like to have seen Taker fight Sting or Cena for a bigger marquee match or work with a younger heel such as an Owens or even someone like an Ambrose for a huge battle. Regardless, we got Shane vs Taker and while I'm not happy about this actually happening (remember we all thought this was a set up for Cena to return early or Sting, but no this is really happening). It's an interesting match, and I know wrestling doesn't always make sense, but this match REALLY doesn't make sense. However, for mindless entertainment, this should be fun. Or a disaster. Still entertaining either way.
So there you have it. Does this feel at all like a Wrestlemania? No. But don't worry. EOTR will continue talking great Manias during Wrestlemania week so stay tuned and hope for the best for this weekend's Mania. At least we have NXT Takeover.
-True
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