Wrestlemania 33 (spoilers aplenty)

After another 5 hours, 10 minutes epic (pre-show added another 2 hours...), Wrestlemania 33 is done.

Match of the Night:
AJ vs Shane was better than it had any right to be, even without the usual Shane stupid stunt, the tag ladder match as great, but for me, it was Brock vs Goldberg. Short, yet strangely action-packed and epic, Goldberg went to suplex city 10 times and then lost. Brock took four spears, showed he can leapfrog like a cruiserweight, and won. Great match that on any other night should have filled the main event slot.

Disappointment of the night (number 1):
Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton. Slow, predictable, and ended on an RKO. Noteworthy only for the images of maggots and worms being projected onto the match. Questionable 'Mania stat of the night: Mojo Fawley has now won more matches than Bray Wyatt.

Disappointment of the night (number 2):
Some of the entrants in the Andre battle royal deserved so much better, and were victims of the lack of an IC ladder match. Not that long ago, we were talking about Luke Harper as a possible third in the SD world title match, or Braun Strowman as a 'Taker or Lesnar opponent, Big Show has stated this is his last Mania. All deserved better than losing to Mojo Rawley in a battle royal.

Disappointment of the night (number 3):
Miz should have won. Simple as that.

The 'Yeah, I Fell for That!' moment:
New Day coming out in wrestling gear to announce the ladder match was now a fatal four way. Any ladder match is better when Kofi is in it. I knew the Hardys would re-sign. I didn't expect them to go straight into that match, with what was probably the pop of the night. One of the few genuine Wrestlemania moments of the show. Without face-paint, Jeff Hardy hasn't aged at all.

Highlight 1:
Steph going through the table. Very nicely done.

Highlight 2:
The right guys winning, for the most part. Owens over Jericho, Rollins over Trips, I'm counting Lesnar over Goldberg, AJ over Shane. Shame Miz and Bray didn't.

Highlight 3:
Jim Ross being back.

Highlight 4:
Kurt Angle's grin at the show, and the sound of 70,000 screaming 'You suck!' again. Joyous.

The Undertaker.
All I can say is that I'm glad I didn't watch live. Seeing him bow out at ten past five in the morning without sleep would have had me crying my eyes out. My childhood is now officially over, I aw his debut, now 26 years later, I've seen his last match. My absolute hero, the reason I watched wrestling for a long time, the benchmark for all wrestling careers from here on in. At the same time, I'm glad he's going on his terms. He'd noticeably slowed down over the last couple of years, his match with Shane last year was shit, this year's wasn't a great effort compared to some stuff he's done, so I'm glad he's stepped away whilst he's remembered fondly. I'm not sure I want him in the HoF either, he's protected his gimmick for so long, seeing him break that for the HoF wouldn't be right.
Goodbye, Dead Man. I'll miss you.

The 'What the actual Fuck...? bits:

The 'Roman is a Holocaust Denier' sign. Technically, the SD woman's match was the SD main event of the show, given it's placement. Where was Samoa Joe? No backstage skits. Cena's proposal, the camera looking for people crying in the crowd with emotion, and failing to find anyone.

Overall, it was okay. First half of it was great, second half got a bit crap in places, but it was much, much better than 32. I think that will be the last we see of Goldberg as well as Taker, and asks the question of which other names WWE have left to bring back to boost the buy-rates, but if it means WWE actually try to elevate the likes of Owens, Rollins and Aj to the point where they can main event over the part-timers, that can only be a good thing.

I really enjoyed wrestlemania but the pitbull concert absolutely drained the life out of the crowd. Then after that, as you said, it wasn't the greatest. I'm pleased they gave undertaker the closing shot of mania. He knew he couldn't do it anymore. Going out on his own terms is great.

It wasn't the greatest match but I thought roman done ok (apart from reversal tombstone). Reigns played his part perfectly, leaving the ring upset after the match too was a nice touch. We'll see where this leads for roman - rumoured he is facing lesnar.

Speaking of lesnar, he had a good match with golsberg. I feel it was goldbergs last match as he put everything he had into it. I hope lesnar sticks around.

Now a few of the big names are leaving (for good or for a short while) I hope they build up the full time talent. Owens, AJ, Rollins are the main ones. Then we have Joe, Nakamara and Balor. 6 top guys to build company around. Not forgetting Reigns, The Miz, Ambrose, Corbin and Wyatt to support them.

The weekend isn't over as far as they are concerned so I'm guessing they will save Joe for something on Raw. As well as some more cool moments to get the wrestling year to a new start. And with SD on Tuesday it really is a four day wrestling weekend.

For me the HHH, Rollins match was done in such a way that any run ins would have ruined it. They had enough to work with and it was better to be left as the two men and a and a tad of Steph. Rollins with Flu too haha. That gets him props.

I was basically buzzing for the first like 5 or 6 hours worth even the shit bits I lived with, although come on, Miz deserved his moment to be at Mania not SD.

I didn't analyse anything too much, so the Bray match I was fine with. But it won't be going down as a classic. Shame it was the Rumble winners match I suppose, but still Maggots. lol

Although Undertaker deserved the end, the fact it was after 7 hours of fans sitting in 25 plus centigrade heat, on top of queue time and travel. Maybe not the best planned send off possible. I still don't get Roman's character, so whatever he does doesn't matter to me still. His potato face just doesn't sell emotion, but I am an Edge mark, and to me he was at his greatest when the camera pulled in close to show what he was thinking. Roman just looked fed up to be there. To retire the greatest. Come on lad show something. It's the biggest thing you will ever do.


Thoroughly entertaining Mania, but with a few dips in either atmosphere, importance or pure advancement of a talent. Match wise, I wouldn't like to rate it,, there was definitely enough without it being a pure wrestling extravaganza (Jericho voice) of the highest quality. I really enjoyed the show overall, but there was soooo much happening. The stuff that I will remember for longest, not sure really. For the weekend, to me standing out right now I have the NXT tag match, the NXT womens match from Saturday, Shinsuke taking DDT's on his neck sideways... Roode being one of the best heels, after Miz and Joe probably. Austin Aries landing on his head and that match up going the way I prefered with Neville keeping the belt. He will be over as another one of the top heels right now if he steps up into the other title scenes after this feud ends. Or if they just keep improving the Cruiserweight division from now on. Thennn there's a bit of a blur atm haha apart from the stuff you have mentioned, like the Brock match that was pretty much exactly what I wanted to see and then so much more. AJ and Shane (I thought beforehand it would be a little like Benoit vs Angle in the way AJ would be the one to resort to fight tactics first after wanting to outwrestle Shane- imagine a similar thing with HBK though, that would have been something really really special)

the Mania Highlight in terms of pure joyous moments has to be the Raw tag match, which I was overly down on a few days ago (even though in their own way every team has some top quality) just the year of tag wrestling seeming not important, and current New Day zombified over scripted stuff. But wow The Hardy's flipped the WM switch for that one. Timeless performance, enough good workers in the division overall for them to fit in right away.

I don't know how we are supposed to process another two shows though haha. Plenty of cool stuff still to go down I'd guess.