Written (and assembled) by Ryan Frye, Josh Rushinock, Charlie Groenewegan & Kevin Berge
Questionable Critics takes pride in treating our readers not as if they're the lowest common denominator but as intelligent human beings.
Therefore, we're introducing The Questionnaire series where we ask a panel of writers a series of thought-provoking questions that are designed to require more than simple answers. This is an effort to create a discussion among ourselves as well as among our readers.
This edition will delve into WrestleMania weekend—the bests, the most disappointing, and the most head scratching.
Questionable Critics takes pride in treating our readers not as if they're the lowest common denominator but as intelligent human beings.
Therefore, we're introducing The Questionnaire series where we ask a panel of writers a series of thought-provoking questions that are designed to require more than simple answers. This is an effort to create a discussion among ourselves as well as among our readers.
This edition will delve into WrestleMania weekend—the bests, the most disappointing, and the most head scratching.
Best Match of WrestleMania Week?
Ryan: The best match of the week was Shinsuke Nakamura versus Sami Zayn, and I'm honestly not sure if any other match comes close.
It was a bit of a strange dynamic. Zayn, the heart and soul of NXT, entered the match as almost an afterthought. This was all about the grandiose in-ring debut of Shinsuke Nakamura—who, by the way, might be the most charismatic person in WWE already. Zayn, though, wrestled as if that offended him. He wrestled with an anger that we rarely have witnessed from him.
Everything about this match was absolutely perfect. Despite it being face versus face, it told a tremendous story. It possessed incredible physicality and had the crowd wishing they could "fight forever."
It might just be the greatest match in NXT's short but storied history. I'm sure this was a popular answer, so I won't continue harping on it. If you somehow missed it, though, I can't recommend it enough.
Josh: I don't think there's a strong argument against Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn anywhere in this weekend's batch of matches.
Rarely have so many perfect elements come together to form such a superb match, one that was absolutely worthy of every bit of its hype. One could have guessed this match would have been at least good, considering these two wrestled a lot of the same people as each other on the independent circuit but never locked up one on one, but no one could have seen the instant chemistry that these two had coming.
Everything from the entrances, which were superbly done, giving Sami time to soak in the crowd in what is likely his final NXT match, and giving Nakamura, who has already had quite the intricate entrance set up in New Japan over the years, just a dash of pizzazz to add to it that suited his character better than anyone could have hoped.
The match itself was fascinating to watch unfold from the games played to toy with each other at the start, to the matches of strength, to the daft combination of strong style countering and Zayn's unique offense, that matched perfectly with Nakamura's own unique offense via its concentration on the knees. Every spot had a counter, every move and ode to another move, every step a reason, and nothing went wrong at any point in the match, and that's how you tell what a true five star performance is.
In the end, this was a perfect encapsulation of everything these two men, and NXT, are. Sami Zayn got his moment in the spotlight after three years of being NXT's flag-bearer shown in a complete arc. Shinsuke Nakamura got a match that is in his time five of all time, and that's saying something considering the calibre of talent the man has faced before and the stages he faced them on. Everyone walked away looking like perfection.
Near the end of the match, the crowd gave a chant of 'fight forever', and never before have I wished that was humanly possible until this moment.
Charlie: Much of the wrestling world gathered in Dallas, Texas this past weekend in preparation for this year's WrestleMania, but the WWE's grandest spectacle was far from being the only ticket in town.
There was Ring of Honor, there was Evolve, Shimmer, CZW, and many more that occupied this weekend wrestling hotspot. Despite that, the only matches I watched were ones that took place under the WWE banner, either at NXT Takeover: Dallas, WrestleMania, or Monday Night RAW, but I'm sure someone will have those indies covered either here or in response to any of the other questions (ahem, Josh).
I'm willing to bet that Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn at Takeover: Dallas will be the most popular answer to this question, but I'm going to go with the Women's Championship triple threat match between Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch from WrestleMania. I'd say that match was unbelievable, but we've seen what all three women are capable of which made it not-at-all hard to believe that these women stole the show of shows in front of 100,000+.
These three have set the bar very high for this revamped women's division in the WWE, and, if their previous work in NXT is any indication, they'll have no problem maintaining that high quality of wrestling.
Kevin: While I thought there were a few memorable bouts this Mania weekend, there was only one five star match on the weekend that I got the chance to see, and that was Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn. The physical, intense bout was quite near perfect as the two built the tension and the drama with each minute. The storytelling was fantastic as the two continuously made every second matter.
It was full on Japanese strong style physicality which was a joy to watch particularly since it was condensed to 20 minutes which was the perfect length. If there is a better match wrestled this year, it will need to be able to trump the three minute exchange of rights that Zayn and Nak had which was the point where the match went from great to perfect.
It was a bit of a strange dynamic. Zayn, the heart and soul of NXT, entered the match as almost an afterthought. This was all about the grandiose in-ring debut of Shinsuke Nakamura—who, by the way, might be the most charismatic person in WWE already. Zayn, though, wrestled as if that offended him. He wrestled with an anger that we rarely have witnessed from him.
Everything about this match was absolutely perfect. Despite it being face versus face, it told a tremendous story. It possessed incredible physicality and had the crowd wishing they could "fight forever."
It might just be the greatest match in NXT's short but storied history. I'm sure this was a popular answer, so I won't continue harping on it. If you somehow missed it, though, I can't recommend it enough.
Josh: I don't think there's a strong argument against Shinsuke Nakamura vs Sami Zayn anywhere in this weekend's batch of matches.
Rarely have so many perfect elements come together to form such a superb match, one that was absolutely worthy of every bit of its hype. One could have guessed this match would have been at least good, considering these two wrestled a lot of the same people as each other on the independent circuit but never locked up one on one, but no one could have seen the instant chemistry that these two had coming.
Everything from the entrances, which were superbly done, giving Sami time to soak in the crowd in what is likely his final NXT match, and giving Nakamura, who has already had quite the intricate entrance set up in New Japan over the years, just a dash of pizzazz to add to it that suited his character better than anyone could have hoped.
The match itself was fascinating to watch unfold from the games played to toy with each other at the start, to the matches of strength, to the daft combination of strong style countering and Zayn's unique offense, that matched perfectly with Nakamura's own unique offense via its concentration on the knees. Every spot had a counter, every move and ode to another move, every step a reason, and nothing went wrong at any point in the match, and that's how you tell what a true five star performance is.
In the end, this was a perfect encapsulation of everything these two men, and NXT, are. Sami Zayn got his moment in the spotlight after three years of being NXT's flag-bearer shown in a complete arc. Shinsuke Nakamura got a match that is in his time five of all time, and that's saying something considering the calibre of talent the man has faced before and the stages he faced them on. Everyone walked away looking like perfection.
Near the end of the match, the crowd gave a chant of 'fight forever', and never before have I wished that was humanly possible until this moment.
Charlie: Much of the wrestling world gathered in Dallas, Texas this past weekend in preparation for this year's WrestleMania, but the WWE's grandest spectacle was far from being the only ticket in town.
There was Ring of Honor, there was Evolve, Shimmer, CZW, and many more that occupied this weekend wrestling hotspot. Despite that, the only matches I watched were ones that took place under the WWE banner, either at NXT Takeover: Dallas, WrestleMania, or Monday Night RAW, but I'm sure someone will have those indies covered either here or in response to any of the other questions (ahem, Josh).
I'm willing to bet that Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn at Takeover: Dallas will be the most popular answer to this question, but I'm going to go with the Women's Championship triple threat match between Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch from WrestleMania. I'd say that match was unbelievable, but we've seen what all three women are capable of which made it not-at-all hard to believe that these women stole the show of shows in front of 100,000+.
These three have set the bar very high for this revamped women's division in the WWE, and, if their previous work in NXT is any indication, they'll have no problem maintaining that high quality of wrestling.
Kevin: While I thought there were a few memorable bouts this Mania weekend, there was only one five star match on the weekend that I got the chance to see, and that was Shinsuke Nakamura vs. Sami Zayn. The physical, intense bout was quite near perfect as the two built the tension and the drama with each minute. The storytelling was fantastic as the two continuously made every second matter.
It was full on Japanese strong style physicality which was a joy to watch particularly since it was condensed to 20 minutes which was the perfect length. If there is a better match wrestled this year, it will need to be able to trump the three minute exchange of rights that Zayn and Nak had which was the point where the match went from great to perfect.
Best Show of WrestleMania Week?
Ryan: First of all, I don't feel its even right to compare WrestleMania to any other shows, just due to the length of it. I mean, of course a two hour show will fly by in comparison to an over six-hour long marathon of wrestling.
NXT Takeover: Dallas, however, was one of the best shows in recent memory from any company.
In the previous question, I raved about Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, which was not only the match of the night but serves as the match of the year thus far. But this was far from a one match show. Every match on the card was given ample time to deliver, and I believe each of them did.
American Alpha vs. The Revival was a terrific, fast-paced opener with a clear, precise story. The Revival's "no flips, just fists" motto is the perfect foil to American Alpha's thrilling offensive arsenal that has quickly made them into NXT fan favorites. And American Alpha prevailing victorious was a nice feel good moment to energize the crowd with.
Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin was probably the weakest match of the night, but it was a nice in-ring introduction of what Aries is capable of and showcased Baron Corbin's heeldom in all its magnificent glory.
Asuka vs. Bayley was a match that flew under the radar coming in, but it was as good as you'd expect a match between these two to be. Again, their characters are great foils to each other, despite both being babyfaces. And the finish was the most effective way to protect Bayley's character while making Asuka look like a lethal threat for any upcoming challengers.
Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe was a bit of a unique spectacle with Joe being busted open literally seconds into the match. Joe couldn't have cared less, though, and remained on the offensive throughout most of the match before the babyface persevered and left Dallas still champion. I would have preferred Joe win here, but that's just my personal preference.
Josh: To me, there are only three options to go with; NXT TakeOver: Dallas, EVOLVE 59, and SHIMMER 80.
EVOLVE 59 featured some of the best technical wrestling of the entire weekend, and, on paper, it should have the right to steal this spot. Problem is, it was barely able to be seen live, and the video on demand version suffers from the issues the show had streaming. So that automatically knocks it out of the running.
SHIMMER 80 held a tournament to crown the first ever HEART of SHIMMER Champion, a title that is meant to be of equal stature to the companies SHIMMER title. Every match on the card delivered, either as a solid technical bout, or a terrific brawl, as several of these matches were near uncomfortable to watch due to the phenomenally stiff work of its competitors.
Matches such as rising star Nicole Lavoy against LuFisto and Nicole Mathews vs Mary Dobson offering a very European flavor to the strikes and limb work offered in the match with a very strong style addition causing it to be absolutely brutal. You also can't beat the story of the relative unknown looking to prove herself in Lavoy going all the way to the top in her first legitimate chance at any singles title.
With how great SHIMMER was, however, this has to go to TakeOver: Dallas for me, simply because of the calibre of work put into the show. With the possible exception of the main event, which was hampered by unneeded interruptions, this easily could have been the most packed and best wrestled show in TakeOver history from top to bottom, and that's saying a lot considering the young but vaunted history of the event.
From the crowning of American Alpha and the realization of Jason Jordan's four year journey, to the arrival of Austin Aries and Shinsuke Nakamura, to the five star classic between Sami and Shinsuke, to the realization of the next league of the women's revolution in Asuka's win versus Bayley, the fan favorite who will now go on to add a new element to the save revolution on the main roster, you cannot beat the perfect storm of elements that happened in this show. Even when something went wrong, you could still honestly say it was unlike anything you'd seen before.
In the end, you can say Dallas housed the best wrestling show of the weekend, but it certainly was not WrestleMania.
Charlie: Having to decide between NXT Takeover: Dallas and WrestleMania is tougher than I originally thought. I was leaning towards Takeover quite easily, but, thinking back on 'Mania, it did feature some great matches such as the Intercontinental Championship ladder match, Styles vs. Jericho, Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker, and the aforementioned Women's Championship match.
But, at the same time, we are talking about a 4+ hour show which almost sounds like a chore to watch in its entirety, and it did feature lulls like the Dudleys vs. The Usos, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and a main event that very few people cared for in Roman Reigns vs. Triple H (You're probably wondering about the whole Team Total Divas vs. Team BAD & Blonde match, aren't you? Well I actually enjoyed that, so go ahead and hate me. By the way, will WWE have to rebrand the Total Divas television show? Ah, who cares).
So yeah, I'm sticking with NXT Takeover: Dallas as my final answer. It wasn't a four-hour visual marathon like WrestleMania, and every match more or less delivered (I say that because of Joe vs. Balor and, to a lesser extent, Aries vs. Corbin) one after the other.
Kevin: The general consensus seemed to be pretty down on WrestleMania 32 as a whole, but it was far from a terrible show. It was just marred with weird booking decisions. That said, Mania couldn't possibly stand up to NXT Takeover: Dallas which was the best Takeover yet by a solid margin. Every match was great, and it was all capped by a perfect five star match at the center.
What added to the event was the emotion of watching the show's landscape change slowly but surely. This was the show where Nakamura and Asuka took over NXT, and we saw the likely departure of Bayley and Zayn who have been linchpins of the promotion the past year. Surprisingly, it was even likely the last night for Baron Corbin making this somewhat of an end of an era show. It will take a while for any NXT show to get back to this level.
NXT Takeover: Dallas, however, was one of the best shows in recent memory from any company.
In the previous question, I raved about Sami Zayn vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, which was not only the match of the night but serves as the match of the year thus far. But this was far from a one match show. Every match on the card was given ample time to deliver, and I believe each of them did.
American Alpha vs. The Revival was a terrific, fast-paced opener with a clear, precise story. The Revival's "no flips, just fists" motto is the perfect foil to American Alpha's thrilling offensive arsenal that has quickly made them into NXT fan favorites. And American Alpha prevailing victorious was a nice feel good moment to energize the crowd with.
Austin Aries vs. Baron Corbin was probably the weakest match of the night, but it was a nice in-ring introduction of what Aries is capable of and showcased Baron Corbin's heeldom in all its magnificent glory.
Asuka vs. Bayley was a match that flew under the radar coming in, but it was as good as you'd expect a match between these two to be. Again, their characters are great foils to each other, despite both being babyfaces. And the finish was the most effective way to protect Bayley's character while making Asuka look like a lethal threat for any upcoming challengers.
Finn Balor vs. Samoa Joe was a bit of a unique spectacle with Joe being busted open literally seconds into the match. Joe couldn't have cared less, though, and remained on the offensive throughout most of the match before the babyface persevered and left Dallas still champion. I would have preferred Joe win here, but that's just my personal preference.
Josh: To me, there are only three options to go with; NXT TakeOver: Dallas, EVOLVE 59, and SHIMMER 80.
EVOLVE 59 featured some of the best technical wrestling of the entire weekend, and, on paper, it should have the right to steal this spot. Problem is, it was barely able to be seen live, and the video on demand version suffers from the issues the show had streaming. So that automatically knocks it out of the running.
SHIMMER 80 held a tournament to crown the first ever HEART of SHIMMER Champion, a title that is meant to be of equal stature to the companies SHIMMER title. Every match on the card delivered, either as a solid technical bout, or a terrific brawl, as several of these matches were near uncomfortable to watch due to the phenomenally stiff work of its competitors.
Matches such as rising star Nicole Lavoy against LuFisto and Nicole Mathews vs Mary Dobson offering a very European flavor to the strikes and limb work offered in the match with a very strong style addition causing it to be absolutely brutal. You also can't beat the story of the relative unknown looking to prove herself in Lavoy going all the way to the top in her first legitimate chance at any singles title.
With how great SHIMMER was, however, this has to go to TakeOver: Dallas for me, simply because of the calibre of work put into the show. With the possible exception of the main event, which was hampered by unneeded interruptions, this easily could have been the most packed and best wrestled show in TakeOver history from top to bottom, and that's saying a lot considering the young but vaunted history of the event.
From the crowning of American Alpha and the realization of Jason Jordan's four year journey, to the arrival of Austin Aries and Shinsuke Nakamura, to the five star classic between Sami and Shinsuke, to the realization of the next league of the women's revolution in Asuka's win versus Bayley, the fan favorite who will now go on to add a new element to the save revolution on the main roster, you cannot beat the perfect storm of elements that happened in this show. Even when something went wrong, you could still honestly say it was unlike anything you'd seen before.
In the end, you can say Dallas housed the best wrestling show of the weekend, but it certainly was not WrestleMania.
Charlie: Having to decide between NXT Takeover: Dallas and WrestleMania is tougher than I originally thought. I was leaning towards Takeover quite easily, but, thinking back on 'Mania, it did feature some great matches such as the Intercontinental Championship ladder match, Styles vs. Jericho, Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker, and the aforementioned Women's Championship match.
But, at the same time, we are talking about a 4+ hour show which almost sounds like a chore to watch in its entirety, and it did feature lulls like the Dudleys vs. The Usos, the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, and a main event that very few people cared for in Roman Reigns vs. Triple H (You're probably wondering about the whole Team Total Divas vs. Team BAD & Blonde match, aren't you? Well I actually enjoyed that, so go ahead and hate me. By the way, will WWE have to rebrand the Total Divas television show? Ah, who cares).
So yeah, I'm sticking with NXT Takeover: Dallas as my final answer. It wasn't a four-hour visual marathon like WrestleMania, and every match more or less delivered (I say that because of Joe vs. Balor and, to a lesser extent, Aries vs. Corbin) one after the other.
Kevin: The general consensus seemed to be pretty down on WrestleMania 32 as a whole, but it was far from a terrible show. It was just marred with weird booking decisions. That said, Mania couldn't possibly stand up to NXT Takeover: Dallas which was the best Takeover yet by a solid margin. Every match was great, and it was all capped by a perfect five star match at the center.
What added to the event was the emotion of watching the show's landscape change slowly but surely. This was the show where Nakamura and Asuka took over NXT, and we saw the likely departure of Bayley and Zayn who have been linchpins of the promotion the past year. Surprisingly, it was even likely the last night for Baron Corbin making this somewhat of an end of an era show. It will take a while for any NXT show to get back to this level.
Best Moment of WrestleMania Week?
Ryan: Enzo and Cass' debut would be the best moment of WrestleMania week, in my opinion. It's a moment fans have been anxiously awaiting for quite sometime and did a perfect job encapsulating the incredible charisma and mic skills of Enzo Amore.
The Dudleys feel like great first opponents for them too. First of all, Bubba and Devon are grizzled veterans who can help the younger team out, and secondly, the promos should be nothing short of terrific. Now, the matches aren't likely to be terribly memorable, but that's not how either team is making their money at this point anyway.
I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Roman Reigns' segment on RAW, where he showed a new smug arrogance that he seemed much more comfortable with than his previous character traits. That will soon be an entirely different article, though.
Josh: For my money, the best moment of WrestleMania weekend was the return of the women's title proper, and the attention that that brought to what was easily the best women's match-up at WrestleMania and this year's show-stealer.
It simply meant so much to not only WWE, or only the industry, but to women in general to finally put their sports and entertainment counterparts on equal footing as the men, even if this is a temporary push that we don't get to see fulfilled into what it should be.
For the moment, the women are what all of the fans, not just the hardcore ones, are talking about, and it's not about their looks but instead their ability, and frankly, that's been a long time coming. For that, I am proud of WWE.
Charlie: There were quite a few moments that stick out, but I'm gonna have to say Zack Ryder winning the Intercontinental Championship, even though we saw how short-lived that title reign was this past Monday. Ryder's the guy that went out and got over with the crowd all on his own without ever having to appear on Monday Night RAW or SmackDown way back in 2011/2012 because of his YouTube show, Z! True Long Island Story.
Even then, Ryder's success was short-lived, and he was once again placed at the bottom of the card, rarely appearing on RAW or Smackdown, and it really felt like that was it for him. He'd find a place in NXT beside Mojo Rawley as the Hype Bros, and then maybe he'd have another chance at reaching the main roster. But at WrestleMania 32, nine years into his WWE career, Zack Ryder finally achieved his very own WrestleMania Moment by winning the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in a total surprise victory.
Ryder immediately basked in the glory with his father, who he later thanked for taking him to all the WWE events he did as a kid - WrestleMania X being one of them, where Razor Ramon beat Shawn Michaels to win the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match ironically enough. But there he was once again having overcome all adversity, only this time on the grandest stage of them all.
Kevin: There were some great moments throughout the weekend, but the one that I think will stand the test of time more than anything else was WWE's fundamental change in presentation for women's wrestling. It's been almost eight years since WWE decided to rebrand women in WWE as Divas. The term was likely meant to differentiate them so that they could stand out. Instead though, it typecast the division.
When the "Divas Revolution" began, it was a showcase that the female wrestlers in WWE were finally beginning to break down the giant wall that had been placed in their way by a largely male run company. Paige, Emma, and all members of the Four Horsewomen each helped bring to the forefront what women could do similar to their male counterparts. Finally, the proof of their accomplishment is set in stone.
Lita officially introduced the WWE Women's Championship (made clearly to look like the WWE World Heavyweight Championship), and the women were then allowed to wrestle with their peers as superstars. It still needs to sink in for me that WrestleMania's best wrestled match by a solid margin was a triple threat between the women, but I can't deny that at all. It was the perfect night for women's wrestling.
The Dudleys feel like great first opponents for them too. First of all, Bubba and Devon are grizzled veterans who can help the younger team out, and secondly, the promos should be nothing short of terrific. Now, the matches aren't likely to be terribly memorable, but that's not how either team is making their money at this point anyway.
I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention Roman Reigns' segment on RAW, where he showed a new smug arrogance that he seemed much more comfortable with than his previous character traits. That will soon be an entirely different article, though.
Josh: For my money, the best moment of WrestleMania weekend was the return of the women's title proper, and the attention that that brought to what was easily the best women's match-up at WrestleMania and this year's show-stealer.
It simply meant so much to not only WWE, or only the industry, but to women in general to finally put their sports and entertainment counterparts on equal footing as the men, even if this is a temporary push that we don't get to see fulfilled into what it should be.
For the moment, the women are what all of the fans, not just the hardcore ones, are talking about, and it's not about their looks but instead their ability, and frankly, that's been a long time coming. For that, I am proud of WWE.
Charlie: There were quite a few moments that stick out, but I'm gonna have to say Zack Ryder winning the Intercontinental Championship, even though we saw how short-lived that title reign was this past Monday. Ryder's the guy that went out and got over with the crowd all on his own without ever having to appear on Monday Night RAW or SmackDown way back in 2011/2012 because of his YouTube show, Z! True Long Island Story.
Even then, Ryder's success was short-lived, and he was once again placed at the bottom of the card, rarely appearing on RAW or Smackdown, and it really felt like that was it for him. He'd find a place in NXT beside Mojo Rawley as the Hype Bros, and then maybe he'd have another chance at reaching the main roster. But at WrestleMania 32, nine years into his WWE career, Zack Ryder finally achieved his very own WrestleMania Moment by winning the Intercontinental Championship for the first time in a total surprise victory.
Ryder immediately basked in the glory with his father, who he later thanked for taking him to all the WWE events he did as a kid - WrestleMania X being one of them, where Razor Ramon beat Shawn Michaels to win the Intercontinental Championship in a ladder match ironically enough. But there he was once again having overcome all adversity, only this time on the grandest stage of them all.
Kevin: There were some great moments throughout the weekend, but the one that I think will stand the test of time more than anything else was WWE's fundamental change in presentation for women's wrestling. It's been almost eight years since WWE decided to rebrand women in WWE as Divas. The term was likely meant to differentiate them so that they could stand out. Instead though, it typecast the division.
When the "Divas Revolution" began, it was a showcase that the female wrestlers in WWE were finally beginning to break down the giant wall that had been placed in their way by a largely male run company. Paige, Emma, and all members of the Four Horsewomen each helped bring to the forefront what women could do similar to their male counterparts. Finally, the proof of their accomplishment is set in stone.
Lita officially introduced the WWE Women's Championship (made clearly to look like the WWE World Heavyweight Championship), and the women were then allowed to wrestle with their peers as superstars. It still needs to sink in for me that WrestleMania's best wrestled match by a solid margin was a triple threat between the women, but I can't deny that at all. It was the perfect night for women's wrestling.
Biggest Disappointment of WrestleMania Week?
Ryan: Dean Ambrose versus Brock Lesnar seemed like an opportunity to tell a story comparable to the one Bret Hart and Steve Austin told at WrestleMania 13, perhaps sans the same historical significance.
I thought these two were probably the front-runners to steal the show, and, while they had a good match, it didn't meet my expectations coming in.
The biggest problem with this was the length. WrestleMania—including the Kickoff Show—was over six hours, yet they somehow managed to cut one of the the three biggest matches well short in time.
Just as they began telling the story of the underdog Ambrose's resilience, he got F5ed onto a pile of steel chairs, and the match was over.
Josh: The way WWE treated the main event of TakeOver.
Look, I understand that the referee's and the medical staff were not only looking out for the best health of Samoa Joe, but also of Finn Balor, but this just crossed a line for me that I'm not comfortable with. For years since the implementation of protecting workers against blood loss, the biggest central rule has been that if something goes wrong, attempt to fix it, but it's always been done with a daft enough hand that it doesn't get away with the enjoyment of the match.
Now, suddenly, the guy that's supposed to be the biggest badass in NXT, and that is a veteran of the sport, is being hampered in his performance because of constant interruptions to stop the bleeding, and you can see how frustrated Joe is throughout. I mean, I don't blame him. If Drake Younger tried to give me a hard time about being busted open and not continuing the match, I would be too. (No offense to CZW Hall of Famer and all around terrific guy Drake Yonger.)
What all of this comes down to is simply this: Yes, we should be protecting our guys in the ring, whether that be being busted open or getting hurt. Yes, it's a PG product and blood is a no no, even though you can get away with it on your own Network. Do all of this, protect your guys the way the last generation of wrestlers, and all the generations before that, weren't protected.
But when there's a non-serious issue going on in the ring that creates a bit of a stir and you can't physically handle it without stopping the match, a decision needs to be made to let it go on. Joe's life was not in danger, especially after the wound was steri-stripped, just let it go.
There's no way you're going to stop the bloodflow completely, so you're now hurting the value of both your talent's gimmicks and the main event and even the title prestige by heavily interfering with the match to a point of hindering it. This was an easy fix that just went terribly, terribly wrong.
Charlie: Before I get to what I think was the biggest disappointment from WrestleMania, I have two smaller disappointments: 1.) Ryback vs. Kalisto should've took place on the actual main card for WrestleMania and 2.) I expected more from Lesnar vs. Ambrose.
Anyway, as far as biggest disappointment goes in my book, it's definitely the fact that Chris Jericho beat AJ Styles at WrestleMania. I don't get it. Here's AJ Styles, arguably the best wrestler in the world today competing at his very first WrestleMania and yet he loses. The match itself was great but the end result was just plain dumb.
Especially when you take in consideration the events that took place on Monday Night RAW. Yeah, you know, how AJ Styles is now the number one contender to Roman Reigns' WWE World Heavyweight Championship. So why couldn't Styles just win at WrestleMania then keep momentum by winning on RAW?
It's similar to Sting vs. Triple H from last year's WrestleMania; the wrong guy won for seemingly no reason at all besides maybe because of their background in TNA? Who knows but AJ Styles losing at WrestleMania - for whatever reason - was definitely a disappointment.
Kevin: I wasn't all that hyped going into WrestleMania this year. The card looked fine, but there was just an air that WWE wasn't quite taking chances. That said, I was 100% on board for Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar in a Street Fight. The story of Ambrose, the resilient underdog, against the most lethal force in WWE today, Brock Lesnar, was so perfectly told all the way to WrestleMania.
Then the match happened. While I thought everything in the match was well done, it was all about 5-10 minutes too short which really disappointed me. Looking back, the way it all went down, far too quick, made the whole entire feud feel a bit like a farce, like Ambrose was just some crazy kid with weapons that he didn't know how to use and was just there to throw them at Brock to swat down.
I have no problem with the result. Ambrose didn't need the win, and Brock really should not lose to anyone until he's close to done with his contract. However, I really wanted this match to feel more like a two sided war, and it lost that edge with its sudden ending.
I thought these two were probably the front-runners to steal the show, and, while they had a good match, it didn't meet my expectations coming in.
The biggest problem with this was the length. WrestleMania—including the Kickoff Show—was over six hours, yet they somehow managed to cut one of the the three biggest matches well short in time.
Just as they began telling the story of the underdog Ambrose's resilience, he got F5ed onto a pile of steel chairs, and the match was over.
Josh: The way WWE treated the main event of TakeOver.
Look, I understand that the referee's and the medical staff were not only looking out for the best health of Samoa Joe, but also of Finn Balor, but this just crossed a line for me that I'm not comfortable with. For years since the implementation of protecting workers against blood loss, the biggest central rule has been that if something goes wrong, attempt to fix it, but it's always been done with a daft enough hand that it doesn't get away with the enjoyment of the match.
Now, suddenly, the guy that's supposed to be the biggest badass in NXT, and that is a veteran of the sport, is being hampered in his performance because of constant interruptions to stop the bleeding, and you can see how frustrated Joe is throughout. I mean, I don't blame him. If Drake Younger tried to give me a hard time about being busted open and not continuing the match, I would be too. (No offense to CZW Hall of Famer and all around terrific guy Drake Yonger.)
What all of this comes down to is simply this: Yes, we should be protecting our guys in the ring, whether that be being busted open or getting hurt. Yes, it's a PG product and blood is a no no, even though you can get away with it on your own Network. Do all of this, protect your guys the way the last generation of wrestlers, and all the generations before that, weren't protected.
But when there's a non-serious issue going on in the ring that creates a bit of a stir and you can't physically handle it without stopping the match, a decision needs to be made to let it go on. Joe's life was not in danger, especially after the wound was steri-stripped, just let it go.
There's no way you're going to stop the bloodflow completely, so you're now hurting the value of both your talent's gimmicks and the main event and even the title prestige by heavily interfering with the match to a point of hindering it. This was an easy fix that just went terribly, terribly wrong.
Charlie: Before I get to what I think was the biggest disappointment from WrestleMania, I have two smaller disappointments: 1.) Ryback vs. Kalisto should've took place on the actual main card for WrestleMania and 2.) I expected more from Lesnar vs. Ambrose.
Anyway, as far as biggest disappointment goes in my book, it's definitely the fact that Chris Jericho beat AJ Styles at WrestleMania. I don't get it. Here's AJ Styles, arguably the best wrestler in the world today competing at his very first WrestleMania and yet he loses. The match itself was great but the end result was just plain dumb.
Especially when you take in consideration the events that took place on Monday Night RAW. Yeah, you know, how AJ Styles is now the number one contender to Roman Reigns' WWE World Heavyweight Championship. So why couldn't Styles just win at WrestleMania then keep momentum by winning on RAW?
It's similar to Sting vs. Triple H from last year's WrestleMania; the wrong guy won for seemingly no reason at all besides maybe because of their background in TNA? Who knows but AJ Styles losing at WrestleMania - for whatever reason - was definitely a disappointment.
Kevin: I wasn't all that hyped going into WrestleMania this year. The card looked fine, but there was just an air that WWE wasn't quite taking chances. That said, I was 100% on board for Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar in a Street Fight. The story of Ambrose, the resilient underdog, against the most lethal force in WWE today, Brock Lesnar, was so perfectly told all the way to WrestleMania.
Then the match happened. While I thought everything in the match was well done, it was all about 5-10 minutes too short which really disappointed me. Looking back, the way it all went down, far too quick, made the whole entire feud feel a bit like a farce, like Ambrose was just some crazy kid with weapons that he didn't know how to use and was just there to throw them at Brock to swat down.
I have no problem with the result. Ambrose didn't need the win, and Brock really should not lose to anyone until he's close to done with his contract. However, I really wanted this match to feel more like a two sided war, and it lost that edge with its sudden ending.
Biggest Head Scratcher of WrestleMania Week?
Ryan: Apollo Crews, physically, is an absolute freak of nature. He's terrific inside the ring. But he's still quite lacking in the personality, talking, and charisma departments. Yet, unless it's just a one off, he made his main roster debut on Monday night.
I don't understand how anyone could believe Crews is ready. He had kind of gotten lost in the shuffle recently on NXT, so I shudder to think what is going to happen with him on the much less kind main roster. Just ask his RAW opponent Tyler Breeze about that.
Josh: Why was Tatanka, a man fifty-three years of age who hasn't wrestled more than a couple matches a year since 2012, and has been out of his prime since a decade before that, put in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal?
Seriously, this didn't make any sense. I hadn't slept in over eighty hours at that point in the show and I had to stop the show and check with those I was talking to just to make sure he was actually there, and even worse, Michael Cole at the commentary table had to do the same, and rightfully so, because it was just a really idiotic decision.
First of all, they had Tommy Dreamer backstage, who's still in ring shape for his age, so you can't even say they didn't have the talent to fall back on. Secondly, what's the purpose of sending any surprise appearance like that out there without a word and just expecting the crowd to not notice?
It was a jarring transition and completely took me out of the match because, instead of marking out for Shaquille O'Neil or Baron Corbin debuting with a win, I was staring at a very out of shape Tatanka and wondering, "How did this happen? How did someone backstage look at this, at him, and say, 'Yeah. It'll do.' HOW?"
If someone has an answer for me, please, I beg of you to give it, because I get the feeling I'll be asking the question for quite a few years to come.
Charlie: Allow me to stick with my WWE-TNA related conspiracies here by saying that Bobby Roode's appearance at Takeover: Dallas is among the biggest head scratchers for me. Why, you ask? Because Bobby Roode should be at your Monday Night RAWs, SmackDowns, and WrestleManias. Bobby Roode should be bigger than NXT. Bobby Roode should be treated as another AJ Styles and remember when I said Styles is arguably the best in the world? Well he's the counter argument: Bobby Roode.
I was under the impression that NXT is a developmental territory, supposedly grooming the upcoming Superstars that'll be seen on your RAWs and SmackDowns like Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, and so on, but clearly I'm mistaken because somewhere along the way NXT has evolved into WWE's own hotbed of internet-favorites.
And it's producing some great wrestling, don't get me wrong, but the whole slogan of, "The Future is Now" ought to be changed to, "The Future is on Temporary Hold" because NXT's most featured main event stars are near or over the age of 35 and have already made and established a name elsewhere - TNA, ROH, NJPW, etc. - that they're now upholding and showcasing to larger audiences on a larger stage - but not the largest stage, that being Monday Night RAW and monthly pay-per-view.
So the signing of Bobby Roode to an NXT contract - and the likes of Austin Aries, Nakamura, and such, really - is a head scratcher because they deserve to perform on the biggest stage the WWE has to offer. Go ahead and argue against that.
And the only reason why I believe Bobby Roode is not being treated the same as AJ Styles is because all of Roode's fame and accomplishments is derived from TNA, the company WWE will never talk about, therefore they never happened, whereas AJ Styles achieved success overseas in Japan with NJPW by becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion - that's a title Brock Lesnar held!
... Believe it or not, that was only intended to be a minor complaint, but I got carried away there. My other head scratcher - and I'll try to keep this short, I promise - was the Wyatt Family's involvement at WrestleMania. Okay, they interrupt The Rock at WrestleMania. That's a pretty big deal. Very cool. But then The Rock beats Erick Rowan in 6 seconds, and, when the Wyatts go to attack him, John Cena runs in and then both Cena and Rock beat down the Wyatt Family and send them running up the ramp. It's stuff like that which makes me lose interest and credibility in the Wyatt Family, granted there wasn't much interest or credibility there in the first place.
Final head scratcher then I'm done: What was the deal with New Day at WrestleMania? You had every wrestling website out there reporting some bullshit about how WWE has plans that'll get New Day massively over as babyfaces and then A.) They lose to the League of Nations in a very forgettable match, B.) Then get shown up by Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Stone Cold Steve Austin who quickly dispose of the entire League of Nations, C.) Dance with these legends and finally, D.) Steve Austin hits Xavier Woods with a Stone Cold Stunner.
Yup, all of those things are guaranteed to get anyone massively over. Another quality job of reporting by these websites out there.
Kevin: WrestleMania had a number of weird moments throughout its run time, but I really can't get over the show's overuse of legends. WWE has always tried to be a strong promotion where the writing can make any storyline exciting and create stars from potential. Yet when WWE needed to write the biggest show of the year, they went blank. They couldn't come up with compelling ways to write their top matches.
Instead of allowing the talent fresh angles to deliver, they threw Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Steve Austin in a segment that hurt both the New Day and League of Nations. They then had The Rock go 20 minutes talking nothing lines and beating up The Wyatt Family. While I thought Taker vs. Shane was really good, I also can't get over the 46 year old getting the only memorable match spot on the entire show.
This was probably the main reason I couldn't enjoy WrestleMania. In an era where the roster is so stacked and you're supposed to be only getting better at writing and booking, why is Mania just written as a hodgepodge of legends beating up young kids while they slave away in matches not given enough time or the right energy to deliver?
I don't understand how anyone could believe Crews is ready. He had kind of gotten lost in the shuffle recently on NXT, so I shudder to think what is going to happen with him on the much less kind main roster. Just ask his RAW opponent Tyler Breeze about that.
Josh: Why was Tatanka, a man fifty-three years of age who hasn't wrestled more than a couple matches a year since 2012, and has been out of his prime since a decade before that, put in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal?
Seriously, this didn't make any sense. I hadn't slept in over eighty hours at that point in the show and I had to stop the show and check with those I was talking to just to make sure he was actually there, and even worse, Michael Cole at the commentary table had to do the same, and rightfully so, because it was just a really idiotic decision.
First of all, they had Tommy Dreamer backstage, who's still in ring shape for his age, so you can't even say they didn't have the talent to fall back on. Secondly, what's the purpose of sending any surprise appearance like that out there without a word and just expecting the crowd to not notice?
It was a jarring transition and completely took me out of the match because, instead of marking out for Shaquille O'Neil or Baron Corbin debuting with a win, I was staring at a very out of shape Tatanka and wondering, "How did this happen? How did someone backstage look at this, at him, and say, 'Yeah. It'll do.' HOW?"
If someone has an answer for me, please, I beg of you to give it, because I get the feeling I'll be asking the question for quite a few years to come.
Charlie: Allow me to stick with my WWE-TNA related conspiracies here by saying that Bobby Roode's appearance at Takeover: Dallas is among the biggest head scratchers for me. Why, you ask? Because Bobby Roode should be at your Monday Night RAWs, SmackDowns, and WrestleManias. Bobby Roode should be bigger than NXT. Bobby Roode should be treated as another AJ Styles and remember when I said Styles is arguably the best in the world? Well he's the counter argument: Bobby Roode.
I was under the impression that NXT is a developmental territory, supposedly grooming the upcoming Superstars that'll be seen on your RAWs and SmackDowns like Baron Corbin, Apollo Crews, and so on, but clearly I'm mistaken because somewhere along the way NXT has evolved into WWE's own hotbed of internet-favorites.
And it's producing some great wrestling, don't get me wrong, but the whole slogan of, "The Future is Now" ought to be changed to, "The Future is on Temporary Hold" because NXT's most featured main event stars are near or over the age of 35 and have already made and established a name elsewhere - TNA, ROH, NJPW, etc. - that they're now upholding and showcasing to larger audiences on a larger stage - but not the largest stage, that being Monday Night RAW and monthly pay-per-view.
So the signing of Bobby Roode to an NXT contract - and the likes of Austin Aries, Nakamura, and such, really - is a head scratcher because they deserve to perform on the biggest stage the WWE has to offer. Go ahead and argue against that.
And the only reason why I believe Bobby Roode is not being treated the same as AJ Styles is because all of Roode's fame and accomplishments is derived from TNA, the company WWE will never talk about, therefore they never happened, whereas AJ Styles achieved success overseas in Japan with NJPW by becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion - that's a title Brock Lesnar held!
... Believe it or not, that was only intended to be a minor complaint, but I got carried away there. My other head scratcher - and I'll try to keep this short, I promise - was the Wyatt Family's involvement at WrestleMania. Okay, they interrupt The Rock at WrestleMania. That's a pretty big deal. Very cool. But then The Rock beats Erick Rowan in 6 seconds, and, when the Wyatts go to attack him, John Cena runs in and then both Cena and Rock beat down the Wyatt Family and send them running up the ramp. It's stuff like that which makes me lose interest and credibility in the Wyatt Family, granted there wasn't much interest or credibility there in the first place.
Final head scratcher then I'm done: What was the deal with New Day at WrestleMania? You had every wrestling website out there reporting some bullshit about how WWE has plans that'll get New Day massively over as babyfaces and then A.) They lose to the League of Nations in a very forgettable match, B.) Then get shown up by Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Stone Cold Steve Austin who quickly dispose of the entire League of Nations, C.) Dance with these legends and finally, D.) Steve Austin hits Xavier Woods with a Stone Cold Stunner.
Yup, all of those things are guaranteed to get anyone massively over. Another quality job of reporting by these websites out there.
Kevin: WrestleMania had a number of weird moments throughout its run time, but I really can't get over the show's overuse of legends. WWE has always tried to be a strong promotion where the writing can make any storyline exciting and create stars from potential. Yet when WWE needed to write the biggest show of the year, they went blank. They couldn't come up with compelling ways to write their top matches.
Instead of allowing the talent fresh angles to deliver, they threw Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Steve Austin in a segment that hurt both the New Day and League of Nations. They then had The Rock go 20 minutes talking nothing lines and beating up The Wyatt Family. While I thought Taker vs. Shane was really good, I also can't get over the 46 year old getting the only memorable match spot on the entire show.
This was probably the main reason I couldn't enjoy WrestleMania. In an era where the roster is so stacked and you're supposed to be only getting better at writing and booking, why is Mania just written as a hodgepodge of legends beating up young kids while they slave away in matches not given enough time or the right energy to deliver?
Favorite Part of the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony?
Ryan: There's two things about the Hall of Fame that stood out to me.
First of all, Michael Hayes had way too much fun. He danced, he sung... I don't know exactly how long he spoke for, but it was certainly a nice length of time. He had to wait far too long for this induction, though, so good on him for soaking in every second of it. This, combined with his Legends With JBL appearance, have actually made me like the guy. I can't say that was ever previously the case.
Secondly, Ric Flair's induction of Sting was as off the rails as you'd expect Flair to be, and I enjoyed every second of it. It kind of failed to serve its actual purpose, sure, but Sting himself asked for the Nature Boy, and he got it. From he and Ricky Steamboat's marriage failures, to Stan Hansen doing jobs for Rick Martel but not him, it was probably the highlight of the night for me.
Josh: To me, I think it was something that I might get a lot of hate over, and that was Snoop Dogg's speech.
Yeah, yeah, I know. I know what you're thinking already. "Snoop Dogg shouldn't be in the WWE Hall Of Fame", and yes, I agree with you. He shouldn't.
But there was a moment, a genuine moment on stage when he looked down on his cousin in Sasha Banks and reflected on her life long love of the business and his introductions of her to the wrestlers at WrestleMania 24 where he just lost it for a moment. You'd never see it with the sunglasses, but his voice cracked and he was just so proud, nearly on the edge of tears. It came as quickly as it went, certainly, but that kind of genuine, familial bond is something I am always happy and proud to see.
Charlie: I tuned in a little late - about the time Michael Hayes was giving his speech - but the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is always a great event to watch. It's the culmination of these men and women's life work and a celebration of their respective legacy that everyone - WWE Superstar or WWE Universe (but not Brock Lesnar) - attends in honor and out of respect of them.
I personally enjoyed Snoop Dogg and Sting's inductions the most, Cena's set-up for Snoop was funny and Flair going off on wild tangent after tangent and speaking directly to Steve Austin at times was unintentionally funny, and Michael Hayes was inspiring in his speech.
Kevin: I didn't get to see all of the WWE Hall of Fame this year, but one speech I couldn't miss was Stan Hansen's. Hansen is one of those wrestling legends that people never talk enough about yet could never speak anything less than utmost respect about if they did. In his speech, he perfectly exemplified his legacy by spending his entire speech putting over those who made him great.
The show this year was wacky all around, but it's hard not to just be touched by that kind of humble acknowledgement on a show that is supposed to be about the wrestler's accomplishment. Hansen will always be one of wrestling's greatest hosses, and it was wonderful to know he's a humble one.
First of all, Michael Hayes had way too much fun. He danced, he sung... I don't know exactly how long he spoke for, but it was certainly a nice length of time. He had to wait far too long for this induction, though, so good on him for soaking in every second of it. This, combined with his Legends With JBL appearance, have actually made me like the guy. I can't say that was ever previously the case.
Secondly, Ric Flair's induction of Sting was as off the rails as you'd expect Flair to be, and I enjoyed every second of it. It kind of failed to serve its actual purpose, sure, but Sting himself asked for the Nature Boy, and he got it. From he and Ricky Steamboat's marriage failures, to Stan Hansen doing jobs for Rick Martel but not him, it was probably the highlight of the night for me.
Josh: To me, I think it was something that I might get a lot of hate over, and that was Snoop Dogg's speech.
Yeah, yeah, I know. I know what you're thinking already. "Snoop Dogg shouldn't be in the WWE Hall Of Fame", and yes, I agree with you. He shouldn't.
But there was a moment, a genuine moment on stage when he looked down on his cousin in Sasha Banks and reflected on her life long love of the business and his introductions of her to the wrestlers at WrestleMania 24 where he just lost it for a moment. You'd never see it with the sunglasses, but his voice cracked and he was just so proud, nearly on the edge of tears. It came as quickly as it went, certainly, but that kind of genuine, familial bond is something I am always happy and proud to see.
Charlie: I tuned in a little late - about the time Michael Hayes was giving his speech - but the Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony is always a great event to watch. It's the culmination of these men and women's life work and a celebration of their respective legacy that everyone - WWE Superstar or WWE Universe (but not Brock Lesnar) - attends in honor and out of respect of them.
I personally enjoyed Snoop Dogg and Sting's inductions the most, Cena's set-up for Snoop was funny and Flair going off on wild tangent after tangent and speaking directly to Steve Austin at times was unintentionally funny, and Michael Hayes was inspiring in his speech.
Kevin: I didn't get to see all of the WWE Hall of Fame this year, but one speech I couldn't miss was Stan Hansen's. Hansen is one of those wrestling legends that people never talk enough about yet could never speak anything less than utmost respect about if they did. In his speech, he perfectly exemplified his legacy by spending his entire speech putting over those who made him great.
The show this year was wacky all around, but it's hard not to just be touched by that kind of humble acknowledgement on a show that is supposed to be about the wrestler's accomplishment. Hansen will always be one of wrestling's greatest hosses, and it was wonderful to know he's a humble one.
