Ronda is here to once again ask, as nicely as she can for her reinstatement. She wants her rematch but feels desperate for any match. Unfortunately for her, Adam Pearce is having none of it (which I do appreciate) and has her escorted out of the building by police (which I appreciated much less).
Toxic Attraction vs Natalya and Sonya Deville
I like the Toxic Attraction's vibe from their entrance on. They remind me of Shotzi and Nox except the gimmick is consistent between members. We have Bayley and crew in the crowd, and quite frankly I expected more shenanigans from them. Overall, with the exception of a minor botch early on from Sonya, this was a good showcase of what the newcomers could do. Toxic Attraction gets the win. Poor Nattie gets one show in her home country and can't even get a win there.
Roman Reigns and Sami Zayn Backstage Segment
Sami finally gets his time to talk to Roman directly, as we find out the Usos stuck at the border. I like the idea that either the Usos are threatened and stopping Sami from Roman for their own reasons OR Roman is gaslighting him trying to send him to his death as many times as he can for the Bloodline's sake.
Maximum Male Model’s Promo
MMM appear in the ring for their weekly "look at us we're not" segment, but is overruled by Hit Row. Admittedly I have not watched NXT in a very long time so I did not know that Hit Row actually rapped/made music so I thought for a moment they were trying to be the Acclaimed. Thank you to some wonderful folks on here for letting me know that's not the case. However…I still didn't like it. It was not a good rap. Actually correction - the rap was fine and had some funny little moments. The rapping was bad. I did not enjoy that.
Ricochet vs. Madcap Moss vs. Sheamus vs. Happy Corbin vs. Sami Zayn
The pop for Sami was beautiful. Montreal goes absolutely nuts for their own. Honestly, I hope he enjoyed that because he deserved it. With five people, it was inevitable that there'd be so much going on it was hard to remember or even follow at the time. I was however able to pick up the El Generico reference on commentary, which was very VERY nice.
Sheamus kills most of the participants for the bulk of the match and Ricochet continues to sell like no one's business. Sami is ushered out with some sort of arm injury while the rest of the participants are tossing each other around.
After multiple quick pin attempts, Sami's back! The high is unfortunately short-lived as Shamus continues his domination and picks up the win
Liv Morgan vs Shotzi
Shotzi starts off with a cheeky test of strength attempt on Liv's injured arm, which I found very funny. Otherwise, this was a pretty simple match, but more than expected for these women having a limited story with each other recently.
Roman Reigns and Drew McIntyre Promo
The ole chants melt my heart. We're removed from the match, but Montreal loves and will protect Sami's place in the Bloodline with everything they have.
Otherwise, Drew was attempting to really get in Roman's head. There is such hateful energy between these two that I hope when they get to Clash at the Castle, they are actually able to rip into each other.
Focusing back on the segment, Drew is able to get the upper hand in a relatively short skirmish. Drew gets his typical wind-up, but Sami takes the claymore for Roman. I do not mind if this is just who Sami is now, at least for a little while. He gets into Roman's good graces by being his very charismatic, pale meat shield.
If anyone interested in being a writer for WWE. 😂😂 I wouldn't suggest linking your tumblr account if you down the rabbit hole of fanfiction. Good luck to anyone that decides to do this. ❤️
WWE is looking for a new creative team member.
On Friday, WWE posted this new job opening for a writer/producer.
You can check out the official job description below:
Key Responsibilities:
* Develop clearly defined, yet emotionally sophisticated, characters for a diverse group of WWE Talent.
* Script descriptive, thought-provoking, captivating, and creative storylines for RAW, SmackDown, and select programming on the WWE Network
* Collaborate with a team of writers to build compelling stories that capture a global audience fitting multiple demographics
* Provide punch-up for specific scripted segments as well as review the totality of entire episodes for continuity and flow
* Incorporate consumer insights and social media to deliver impactful storylines that are consistent with the WWE brand and each Talent’s skills and history
* Weekly travel to our shows (RAW or Smackdown) & rotating travel to PPV’s (Pay-Per-View’s)
* Attend and contribute in creative writing team meetings every week at our Stamford, CT HQ
Qualifications:
* 5+ years of writing for TV, film or social media
* Producing and Directing experience a plus
* Professional TV staff experience in drama and comedy a plus
* Experience in Live TV production a plus
* Plugged into social media trends
* Previous experience working with On-Screen Talent, Creative Writers, and Producers
* Understanding of WWE’s audience (demographic and psychographic) a plus but not required
* BA/BS in Film, TV, Drama, Media Studies, Communications or similar field of study or validated experience in lieu of a degree
Wrestlemania Main Event Reviews - Wrestlemania XXVII
The Miz (c) w/ Alex Riley def. John Cena for the WWE Championship in 15:04
Fun Fact: This is the first Wrestlemania I was a fan of wrestling for! I was watching excitedly in the build up to this one, and when I wasn’t I was playing Smackdown vs. Raw 2011! I watched The Rock return on TV with my dad who loved The Rock and he told me all about him, and I was so hyped for Wrestlemania. Singing “Written in the Stars” all the time and praying Rey Mysterio would beat Cody Rhodes are some great memories of the time! But onto this match!
The Miz was the champion when I started watching Raw so this one is right in my introduction to wrestling! This takes me back! Miz gets a great hype package with his entrance and then the inflatable letters! Fun stuff! He’s out first with Alex Riley, everyone’s favourite Alex Riley. Miz is such a contemptible little weasel here! He’s getting to that next level he would find around 2016. Cena gets a choir singing him to the ring and this was such a forgotten memory! I remember seeing this after the event! Cena gets an emotional video package for his entrance and it’s very religion-based. We get a gospel rendition of My Time is Now and then it hits for real and John Cena heads to the ring! This has been the most grand set of entrances in any of these main events, which is weird considering everything about it. Justin Roberts announces John as only he can, and we’re ready to go.
They lock up and Cena uses his power. Miz knocks Cena down with a shoulder block but Cena soon hits a hip toss as they stand off again. They lock up again and Cena takes control. Miz attacks in the corner and hits a big Irish whip on Cena followed by his corner clothesline which is always cool. Miz tries to stay on top but Cena is able to hit a gutwrench slam to take Miz down. Miz hits a Side Effect with lovely height and goes for another corner clothesline but Cena dodges. Cena goes up top and hits a leg drop to the back of the head. Miz dodges a charging Cena and hits a big kick off the ropes. Lines up with a big boot but can’t keep Cena down! Miz trips Cena as he comes off the ropes and it looks really weird. Basement dropkick from the Miz sends Cena off the apron and he hits a knee lift after putting him back on the apron. He puts Cena back in the ring and but Cena mounts a comeback with two shoulder tackles, body drop, Five-Knuckle Shuffle, attempts the Attitude Adjustment but Miz hits his DDT. Cena kicks out at 2, tries to lock in the STF but Miz resists and hits his neckbreaker. Miz takes off the turnbuckle pad as Riley distracts referee Mike Chioda, he gets caught but as Chioda sorts out the turnbuckle, Cena rolls Miz up. He turns around but only gets 2, and the turnbuckle is still exposed. They fight around it until Cena locks in the STF! Miz gets the ropes, and while Cena takes a step back, Riley smashes him into it and Miz hits the Skull-Crushing Finale but Cena kicks out! The crowd just about decided they hate Miz more than Cena! Miz tries another Skull-Crushing Finale but Cena reverses, which knocks down Chioda. Attitude Adjustment but the referee is down! Riley hits Cena with the briefcase but Cena kicks out! The crowd liked it! Riley distracts Chioda but Cena dodges a Miz briefcase shot and Riley is downed! Attitude Adjustment and Miz kicks out! The crowd can’t believe it. Cena hits a charging clothesline over the barricade to Miz. He goes to break the count as Miz tries to escape, but Cena charges again to knock Miz down. They both get counted out and the crowd are kinda upset, but also seem to not really care.
The Rock, the host of Wrestlemania, comes out and the Anonymous Raw GM announcement sounds. Rock goes over to read the message in full Michael Cole style which did make me laugh after seeing it every week on Raw. He begins “and I quote “I think…”” before telling the laptop he doesn’t care what it thinks! He restarts the match as a No DQ match. Cena rushes in with Miz, struggles to get Miz up for the Attitude Adjustment, but Rock hits a Rock Bottom on Cena! Miz covers and wins! Miz celebrates while completely out of it as Rock looks on. You can really tell how Miz had his bell rung for real here. Miz and Rock lock eyes, he storms the ring, avoids a belt shot from Miz, wails on him, spinebuster, People’s Elbow, and Rock stands tall.
Pros: The crowd like The Rock, he was very good at his role, false finishes
Cons: Boring, length, story, finish
This match didn’t have much to it. Some so-so action, some pretty good near falls where Miz actually got to kick out of the AA, and then a weird restarting shenanigan that ended two seconds later with the spotlight taken from the actual champion. On the one hand, the actual match was unpopular and boring, but also they shouldn’t have made it in the first place. Just felt unnecessary and didn’t help a pretty lacklustre match with the odd bright spot.
Hi!! If you don't mind me asking how did you get into wrestling/how do you keep up with it? Every time I see you post about it I'm reminded of my interest in it but severe lack of knowledge
hi!! i don't mind at all!! so, my answer here may not be too helpful, because i didn't decide to get into wrestling myself.
i've been watching since the day i was born (like no joke, i got here, forty minutes later smackdown came on and my parents had it on in the hospital room). for my entire life, i've been watching WWE with my parents. some of my earliest memories involve it, having it on in the background, asking questions, connecting with my mum and dad through their excitement at getting to give me answers.
the past few months have been the first time in my twenty-two years of existence that i've ever had to watch raw/sd without them, and that's only bc my parents' schedules have changed, and they aren't home in the evenings. (but even now, i'm still not watching alone, bc i accidentally got my best friend tiana @heartbreakfeelsogood into it, too, and we're having the time of our LIVES.)
but, even though i didn't get into it, the interest was just Given To Me, i do still have some advice for you if you wanna start watching (and i'm using WWE as my general example here, bc it's the biggest wrestling promotion in the world, and it's the one i watch most):
• wrestling isn't actually wrestling:
the match outcomes in pro wrestling are pre-determined, because it's not meant to be a legitimate competition; it's a vehicle for storytelling. it's a tv show about a wrestling show, closer to live theatre or a soap opera. it is still a sport, and the wrestlers are incredibly skilled athletes, and if something looks like it hurt really bad, It Fucking Did. but, they're fictional characters that exist halfway in their own universe and halfway in ours, who experience time at the same speed we do. you can watch them learn, grow, and change, in real time, for years, even decades.
wrestling is fake, and that causes people to brush it off as stupid. but wrestling being fake is exactly why it's good.
• there is no beginning, and there is no end:
wrestling never ends. ever. literally ever. monday night raw has aired every single week, without fail, since january of 1993. like it just never fucking stops.
because of that, there's no good place to start as a new fan. you just gotta dive in headfirst. WWE programming/commentary is very accommodating to new viewers, they take time to replay important segments you may have missed, and explain past events so you have context for what you're watching. anything else, google and youtube. if you wanna dig into wrestling history, there are some great video essayists on youtube who delve into it; my personal favourite is wrestling bios.
in the US, raw's on mondays @ 8pm EST on USA, and smackdown's on fridays @ 8pm EST on FOX. there's other wwe programming on thru the week, too, and all of it is also available on peacock. in canada, i have sportsnet for watching live, and the wwe network as well. if you're in another country, look it up and check. (i can give you my streaming site if you DM me, too, if you're respectably interested in 🏴☠️, but bear in mind that ripping WWE shit is Weirdly Fucking Tricky sometimes, bc capitalism is a prison.)
• pick one promotion, go from there:
there is so much fucking wrestling, it's super overwhelming, you genuinely cannot watch it all. WWE, AEW, NJPW, Impact, WOW, the list goes on and on and on and on. pick one company to start, branch out later if it piques your interest.
if you want sparknotes on shows you missed/shows from promotions you don't keep up with, there are a million review channels on youtube to recap them. i do that personally to know what's happening in AEW, bc i don't watch their stuff week-to-week. i like whatculture wrestling's ups and downs series, the host simon is incredibly positive and fun-loving, and it's great.
• remember it is not that serious, and a lot of the internet wrestling community doesn't know what fun is:
wrestling makes people mad sometimes. fans who are really deep into it/the backstage stuff, called marks/smarks, are the most fickle, bitchy group of people on the fucking planet. if you wanna interact with other wrestling fans, on any social media, just remember that you're allowed to have your opinions and they're allowed to have theirs, and just because they say a match/story/whatever is shitty doesn't mean it actually is. wrestling fans love complaining more than they love wrestling itself.
it's just like any other fandom; step in, look around, find your friends, hang out with them and don't bother with the bullshit. if wrestling's pissing you off more than it is entertaining you, you can take a break from it. it's just a show!
if you wanna watch, just start. you'll pick it all up as you go. i think it's the coolest form of storytelling there is, and i think you'll have fun. BE FREE!
An impressive start. The Bloodline and Solo especially could easily run over anyone and call that a storyline. Instead, they are letting Shaemus and the Brawling Brutes get airtime and show that they are in fact skilled fighters. Sheamus kicks out multiple times, and even lands a White Noise with an injured shoulder. It’s even implied that if he had not tried to get revenge for the Usos burying the Brutes under the announce table, he may not have lost. I also like how even though they aren't in a full feud, they can put on a convincing fight. I prefer my storylines not to be in a vacuum.
Bray Wyatt Backstage
I need to talk to the audio manager because the music was way too loud. I could not hear his first few sentences properly. However, I could hear the gravel in his voice, which was enough to at least keep trying. In short, he expresses that he is ready and willing to cause pain.
"I'm just a servant now. I go where the circle takes me."
A servant to who exactly? I’m guessing the masked man, who many have penned Mr. Howdy. I really hope that’s not his name, but it had been copyrighted, so it’s someone’s name. We also have a QR code later in the night which leads to a psychology report for Bray, implying psychopathic/antisocial tendencies. So, I’m guessing we’re either going for a psychopath/D.I.D. angle with the Wyatt 6. I’m wary that they can do that right, based on previous angles (Eugene and AJ Lee, for example) dealing with mental health conditions, but for now, I’m going to put my faith in HHH to do this right.
Other Backstage Segments
Imperium and Rey meet up and decide to set up a match between Rey and Ludwig for later that night. It’s not a terrible way to set something up, but not what I expected
We get a glimpse of the Bloodline, sans Roman, with Sami wisely advising the Usos to “not engage Logan Paul”, which is simply the best life advice anyone can give.
Ronda is backstage, and establishes herself as a full heel. The fans do not like her, despite her “talent”, so she will no longer try to please them. A great heel motivation, if she did in fact have championship-level skill. She establishes an open challenge for the title next week “when (she) wants”.
Drew McIntyre is interviewed and reveals that he is challenging Karrion Kross to a Steel Cage Match at Crown Jewel for the first match on that card I’m actually excited for.
Lastly, LDF y la Reina! Zelina looks straight out of Queen of the Damned, and that’s frankly all that needs to be paid attention to. They establish themselves as a threat, specifically, as they continue to go after Hit Row.
Liv Morgan vs Sonya Deville
This seemed like a match set up almost exclusively to ease Liv more into her “losing her mind” angle. She goes ballistic with slaps to the point where she’s able to knock Sonya to the ground. The fight spills out of the ring and ends rather quickly with a double count-out. Here, I think she’s making it clear that it's not about winning anymore. She’s just angry and wants to use that to hit people. Her ring gear is even reminiscent of Suicide Squad Harley Quinn for added effect. She even continues after the match to Superplex Sonya onto a set of chairs. Mixed with Bray’s promo from earlier in the night, I’m believing that she will be a member of his stable even more. She’s already showing the exact same motivations and spirit.
Braun Strowman Promo
Braun calls out Omos to challenge him but is met with MVP. MVP still accepts the challenge, which felt unnecessary. Yes, Omos is supposed to be this literal “larger than everyone” force, but I still don’t see why he needs someone to speak for him.
Damage CTRL vs Raquel Rodriquez and Shotzi
Shotzi is still getting better! The Sin Cara curse is lifting! Dakota sold like a champ and could’ve convinced me she was knocked unconscious by one of Shotzi’s bumps. Later in the match, Iyo flips Raquel on her head with a DDT from the top rope which was physically painful to watch in the best way. As tag team matches like to do, all participants end up fighting, and Raquel drops Dakota on a pin, breaking it up. It was a cool idea, but not the best execution. Dakota seemed confused for just a little too long on what she was supposed to be doing, rather than the landing itself breaking the pin, which I think would have looked much smoother. Iyo hits a Moonsault to end it. Commentary, seemingly unintentionally, gives Damage CTRL the perfect catchphrase: “...might be illegal, but the ref didn't see it”.
Ludwig vs Rey Mysterio
I had to rewatch this match because shortly before we got ANOTHER QR CODE (which I mentioned earlier) and that took all my focus into decoding. Ludwig immediately puts Rey in a headlock, but quickly moves into interchanging offense. There are multiple pin attempts and Eddie Guerrero references, popping the crowd. I feel the references are sweet and meaningful, but I’m getting a little less affected by them when Rey is pulling them out in every match recently.
Logan Paul Promo
Logan Paul shows up and I, once again, do not care. He talks about how brave and great he is for a little while, and Jey appears to beat the shit out of him. At this point, I began to care, if for no other reason than to watch Logan get jumped. Logan is able to land a punch on Jey, immediately knocking him out. Commentary described it as “lucky”, but I would describe it as “bad”.
And with that yesterday, all 43 matches have been watched, rated, and reviewed! I hope you all enjoyed this series and be sure to check out the tag if you missed any!
But there's one thing left to do before Wrestlemania XL tonight, and that's to rank all of these matches from worst to best! Here's my rankings! Let me know where your favourite finished.
43. Wrestlemania VIII: Hulk Hogan vs. Sid Justice
42. Wrestlemania IX: Yokozuna w/ Mr. Fuji vs. Bret Hart (c) for the WWF World Championship/Hulk Hogan vs. Yokozuna (c) w/ Mr. Fuji for the WWF World Championship
41. Wrestlemania VII: Hulk Hogan vs. Sgt. Slaughter (c) w/ General Adnan for the WWF World Championship
40. Wrestlemania X: Bret Hart vs. Yokozuna (c) w/ Mr. Fuji & Jim Cornette for the WWF World Championship with special guest referee “Rowdy” Roddy Piper
39. Wrestlemania II: King Kong Bundy w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Hulk Hogan (c) in a steel cage match for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
38. Wrestlemania XXVII: John Cena vs. The Miz (c) w/ Alex Riley for the WWE Championship
37. Wrestlemania XXXII: Roman Reigns vs. Triple H (c) w/ Stephanie McMahon for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
36. Wrestlemania I: “Rowdy” Roddy Piper and “Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff w/ “Cowboy” Bob Orton vs. Hulk Hogan and Mr. T w/ Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka
35. Wrestlemania XI: Bam Bam Bigelow vs. Lawrence Taylor with special guest referee Pat Patterson
34. Wrestlemania XXXVIII, Sunday: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns w/ Jey Uso, Jimmy Uso, & Paul Heyman for the WWE Championship & the WWE Universal Championship
33. Wrestlemania 25: Randy Orton vs. Triple H (c) for the WWE Championship
32. Wrestlemania XXXIV: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman for the WWE Universal Championship
31. Wrestlemania 13: The Undertaker vs. Sycho Sid (c) in a No Disqualification Match for the WWF World Championship
30. Wrestlemania X8: Triple H vs. Chris Jericho (c) w/ Stephanie McMahon for the WWF Undisputed Championship
29. Wrestlemania XXXIII: Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker in a No Holds Barred Match
28. Wrestlemania III: Andre the Giant w/ Bobby Heenan vs. Hulk Hogan (c) for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
27. Wrestlemania IV: “Macho Man” Randy Savage w/ Miss Elizabeth vs. “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase w/ Andre the Giant in a tournament final for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
26. Wrestlemania XXXVIII, Saturday: "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. Kevin Owens in a No Holds Barred Match
25. Wrestlemania V: Hulk Hogan vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage (c) for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship
24. Wrestlemania 21: Batista vs. Triple H (c) w/ Ric Flair for the World Heavyweight Championship
23. Wrestlemania XXXVI, Sunday: Drew McIntyre vs. Brock Lesnar (c) for the WWE World Championship
22. Wrestlemania XXXVII, Sunday: Edge vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Roman Reigns (c) w/ Jey Uso & Paul Heyman for the WWE Universal Championship
21. Wrestlemania XXXI: Roman Reigns (vs. Seth Rollins) vs. Brock Lesnar (c) w/ Paul Heyman for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
20. Wrestlemania 22: Triple H vs. John Cena (c) for the WWE Championship
19. Wrestlemania 2000: The Rock w/ Vince McMahon vs. Big Show w/ Shane McMahon vs. Mick Foley w/ Linda McMahon vs. Triple H (c) w/ Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley in an elimination match for the WWF World Championship
18. Wrestlemania XXXIX, Sunday: Cody Rhodes vs. Roman Reigns (c) w/ Solo Sikoa & Paul Heyman for the Undisputed WWE Universal Championship
17. Wrestlemania XXVIII: John Cena vs. The Rock
16. Wrestlemania VI: Ultimate Warrior vs. Hulk Hogan for the WWF World Heavyweight Championship and WWF Intercontinental Championship
15. Wrestlemania XXXV: Becky Lynch vs. Ronda Rousey (c) vs. Charlotte Flair (c) for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship and WWE Smackdown Women’s Championship
14. Wrestlemania XXIX: John Cena vs. The Rock (c) for the WWE Championship
13. Wrestlemania XV: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Rock (c) in a No Disqualifications match for the WWF World Championship
12. Wrestlemania XII: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart (c) in a 60-Minute Iron Man Match for the WWF World Championship
11. Wrestlemania XIV: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. Shawn Michaels (c) for the WWF World Championship with special guest enforcer Mike Tyson
10. Wrestlemania XXXIX, Saturday: Kevin Owens & Sami Zayn vs. The Usos (Jimmy Uso & Jey Uso) (c) for the WWE Undisputed Tag Team Championships
9. Wrestlemania XXIII: Shawn Michaels vs. John Cena (c) for the WWE Championship
8. Wrestlemania XXX: Daniel Bryan vs. Batista vs. Randy Orton (c) for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
7. Wrestlemania XXXVI, Saturday: AJ Styles w/ Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson vs. The Undertaker in a Boneyard Match
6. Wrestlemania XIX: Brock Lesnar vs. Kurt Angle (c) for the WWE Championship
5. Wrestlemania XXIV: The Undertaker vs. Edge (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship
4. Wrestlemania XX: Chris Benoit vs. Shawn Michaels vs. Triple H (c) for the World Heavyweight Championship
3. Wrestlemania X-Seven: “Stone Cold” Steve Austin vs. The Rock (c) in a No Disqualifications Match for the WWF World Championship
2. Wrestlemania XXXVII, Saturday: Bianca Belair vs. Sasha Banks (c) for the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship
1. Wrestlemania XXVI: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker in a No Disqualifications, Streak vs. Career Match
So there's my rankings. I think about 31 out of the 43 are at least decent, which is not a terrible track record! Now, let's see how #44 and #45 are this weekend!