Poll: Merry Wrestlemania Everyone!

[DudeistBelieve]

"Tonight, the arena is sold out. A dozen shades of gray will square off in a pageantry of war. The opponents are unlikely in the real world, but in the amphitheater of our imagination, they're well matched. The punk rockers will battle the mountain men. The black separatists will fight the post-apocalyptic warriors. The gang-banger will rumble with the aristocrat. The future will struggle with the past, and the living will duel with the dead. In the end, just like a good Soap Opera, no issues will be resolved; the story is "To Be Continued". The combatants will live to fight another night, in another town. Is wrestling fake? Absolutely. It's as fake as your imagination, as phony as your daydreams. Are we celebrating violence when we enjoy a wrestling match? Definitely. Does this mean we're a society in decay? Maybe, but don't forget that, unlike the Romans, we're not throwing Christians to the lions here. Maybe we should sit back, relax, enjoy the show, and take comfort in the knowledge that we live in a society that prefers its mayhem to be make-believe. Sure, wrestling's fake; we wouldn't have it any other way."
~ Steve Allen, The Unreal Story of Professional Wrestling

"To those who believe in the beauty of professional wrestling, nothing needs to be said. For those who don't appreciate wrestling, nothing could be said to change their minds."
~ Vince McMahon

So what match is everyone looking forward to this year? I really don't think theres a bad match on the card, but I personally am looking forward to the CM Punk/Chris Jericho. Punk's been the main guy I've been tuning in to see every week and I'd really like to have him and Jericho steal the show.

However I expect the crowd reaction during Rock/Cena is going to top Hogan/Rock if provided the crowd isn't burnt out by the end. I'm calling it now, CENA TURNS HEEL. It will be like when Stone Cold had to align himself with Vince McMahon to win the title against Rock years ago, and it will be AWESOME.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I'm most looking forward to Cm Punk vs Chris Jericho, should be a great match.

Over all though, this Wrestlemania is going to be a little disappointing in terms of predictability. The main card results have been set in stone for ages. It might have been a little less predicable with CM Punk vs Jericho if we didn't know Jericho was leaving to go on tour with Fozzy after Wrestlemania.

I'm also pissed that Christian got injured again right before his Wrestlemania match, it looked pretty certain that he was going straight back into the world title scene after Wrestlemania.

Ya know the last time I saw Christian as a world title guy was back in 2006 right before he jumped to TNA. Think Vince made a mistake shoving him on ECW brand but *shrug*

 

[Skops]

If the card wasn't so predictable I would watch it. Really, apart from the Diva Tag Team match (lol?), and the Show/Rhodes match you know who is gunna win.

But even with the Show/Rhodes match, not too long ago I saw a injury report saying "Despite his injury Cody is still set to go over Big Show at Wrestlemania XXVIII". I hope it's true, cause fuck am I sick of Big Show never losing clean.

 

[Aris Khandr]

I really don't think theres a bad match on the card

Oh really? [http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/kelly-kelly-maria-menounos-beth-phoenix-eve] Beth is great, but there is no way she is going to carry them to anything even approaching decent.

This will be the first year in quite a while that I haven't ordered the show. There are a lot of great matches on the card, but very few surprises. I don't need to spend $60 or whatever they're charging to know that Undertaker, Punk, Sheamus, and Rhodes are going over. I'll save my money, and pick up the DVD when it comes out in a few weeks.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I really don't think theres a bad match on the card

Oh really? [http://www.wwe.com/shows/wrestlemania/28/kelly-kelly-maria-menounos-beth-phoenix-eve] Beth is great, but there is no way she is going to carry them to anything even approaching decent.

This will be the first year in quite a while that I haven't ordered the show. There are a lot of great matches on the card, but very few surprises. I don't need to spend $60 or whatever they're charging to know that Undertaker, Punk, Sheamus, and Rhodes are going over. I'll save my money, and pick up the DVD when it comes out in a few weeks.

That match serves a purpose, to be a cool-down spot for the fans between the last two main-events and a much needed bathroom break.

I really wasn't ever thinking about predictability... There are like four matches, outcome or not, I want to see because I know they will be great. And there are bound to be a surprise or two.... I didn't order last years wrestlemania because there was nothing on the card I wanted to see outside of Trips/Taker.

 

[Aris Khandr]

It serves a purpose, yes. But it is still going to be a bad match, and it is still on the card.

 

[Aris Khandr]

I would shed exactly no tears if the Miz was gone tomorrow. But do they really need to be running two heels on losing streaks at the same time? Of the two McIntyre is far better. I'd really like to see him go somewhere this year.

And the only reason WWE hasn't had a good women's match at WrestleMania is because they don't want one. They have the talent. Beth and Nattie could tear the house down. There hasn't been a WrestleMania in ages where WWE couldn't easily put together a better match.

 

[Chasing-The-Light]

I don't much watch WWE anymore, but I sort of wish I did, just for Wrestlemania. I love watching it every year. And while I have no preference towards any of the matches (obviously) I voted for the Undertaker one. Because, come on. Who doesn't love a good Undertaker match!?

 

[DudeistBelieve]

I'm also really curious to see where they're actually going with Mike Mizanin, because their booking with him has been pretty terrible as well. It's no secret that he's become really unpopular backstage with the company seemingly losing faith in him with each show. From failing to draw at Survivor Series to almost killing Ron Killings, he just can't seem to do right these days.

I've always said that promotions need to be very careful when booking heels with losing streaks, there usually just isn't a lot to gain from it. It makes sense to book losing streaks with faces you want to turn heel, give them some motivation to start playing dirty to gain an edge, a believable heel turn. But where do heels go from all of this? It just makes them look weak by losing constantly despite playing dirty all the time.

The way they booked Mike's entry into the match was also kind of baffling, you don't book a heel as a spectacular failure, while blatantly pointing out to the viewers how badly he's failing, and then finally give him his match at the last moment. It would have made more sense to keep him out of Wrestlemania where afterwards we could see the proper development of the story arc.

I think they're just phasing him out, they're cutting their losses and getting rid of him.

EDIT:

Also the divas matches are always bad, I don't think there's been a good female match at Wrestlemania in well over a decade.

They really have no one to blame for Miz's loss of overness but themselves, they just plain didn't use him right post-wrestlemania last year. I don't think they're going to get rid of though, Miz is pretty talented and when he's not the focus of the company you can alway tell that puts a fire in him to steal the show. Survivor Series didn't draw plainly because they didn't build Miz-Truth right.

The diva division itself is shits... but the whole point of that match isn't for it to be good, it's to lower the crowd mood down so they don't get burned out, from a booking stand point it always does it's desired effect... Plus with that ET girl they get the standard free ink.

Last good Diva match was... what? Trish Stratus vs Mickie James or Stratus vs Christy Hemme. Can't remember.

 

[Rednog]

The only match I'm interested in is the CM Punk vs Jericho because Jericho has been my favorite wrestler since I started watching way back when, and I've liked Punk since he dropped the straight edge society and that stupid feud with Jeff Hardy.
Otherwise nothing else really interests me.
Rock vs Cena...woopdie doo, nice to see Rock in a match but you know he is never going to be "back"; Cena is well Cena. And Cena will never turn heel or at least full heel for more than like a day because he is the WWE's cash cow that can only sell if he is a baby face hero to the kiddies.
Taker vs HHH, meh I don't like this pattern of match, rematch, match, rematch with HHH and Sean Michaels; seriously this is the 4th year the guys have been involved with Taker at Wrestlemania. Yes they put on a good match but change it up. And you know that Take is going to win in the end and retire with 20-0 because honestly if he loses and HHH makes him 19-1 it essentially shits on the whole Undertaker character and HHH will forever be accused of screwing Taker like Vince did Heart.
I don't know I just can't get interested in wrestling that much anymore I'll go like two months without tuning into the WWE and it doesn't feel like I missed anything. I miss the days when they went over the top to give entertainment. Now its all oh let's chat in the ring oh well that's over. What happened to the insane antics guys like Austin went through, or DX?

 

[Antitonic]

Teddy Long is fighting himself? Epic! (Poll says Teddy vs Long)

This is the first Wrestlemania in years I won't be watching. I don't feel drawn into the angles enough. The only matches I'm really interested in are Team Johnny vs Team Teddy and Punk/Jericho, and even then I'll just get some play-by-play from SA. Their reactions can be pretty funny...

 

[Aris Khandr]

Basically, he worked his ass off, made it to WrestleMania, and decided he didn't need to work that hard anymore. Where he was always trying to step up and improve, he now thought he was "good enough". But he wasn't good enough, even with the win at Mania. They were banking on him to continue working hard, continuing to improve. And he didn't. He stagnated, then got frustrated when his stagnation didn't see him at the top of the show.

I admit to being biased against him. He was awful when he showed up on Smackdown, and clearly had no clue what he was doing. He was a weight around Morrison's neck the entire time they were a tag team, and when they split up, it seemed Morrison was finally going to move on to bigger things, and they kept having the Miz squash that. When he won the WWE Title, the mods on another forum I go to changed my avatar to that girl with the death glare, because that's about how I felt. But he worked hard, and seemed to be trying to get better. And I was slowly coming around to respect that, if not him. Then... he just stopped caring. So the hell with him. There are dozens of people with far more talent who would love to have his spot.

 

[DudeistBelieve]

Basically, he worked his ass off, made it to WrestleMania, and decided he didn't need to work that hard anymore. Where he was always trying to step up and improve, he now thought he was "good enough". But he wasn't good enough, even with the win at Mania. They were banking on him to continue working hard, continuing to improve. And he didn't. He stagnated, then got frustrated when his stagnation didn't see him at the top of the show.

I admit to being biased against him. He was awful when he showed up on Smackdown, and clearly had no clue what he was doing. He was a weight around Morrison's neck the entire time they were a tag team, and when they split up, it seemed Morrison was finally going to move on to bigger things, and they kept having the Miz squash that. When he won the WWE Title, the mods on another forum I go to changed my avatar to that girl with the death glare, because that's about how I felt. But he worked hard, and seemed to be trying to get better. And I was slowly coming around to respect that, if not him. Then... he just stopped caring. So the hell with him. There are dozens of people with far more talent who would love to have his spot.

I didn't see a drop in his attitude till post survivor series. He just sorta floundered around.

I really think the heat he got over the botched R-Truth spot was over played. Like yeah he got chewed out but I don't think thats the reason for his lack of push as of late, I think he's just getting lost in the current shuffle what with all the attitude guys coming back these past few months. Hell if it wasn't for Jericho and Rock, Dolph Ziggler and Zack Ryder would probably have legit matches on the card.

 

[Rooster893]

I can't wait to see the Hell in a Cell match, and CM Punk vs Chris Jericho.

Despite who we all know is going to win though; it will still be fun to watch Rock vs Cena.

 

[Aris Khandr]

Well, it's a good thing no one was looking forward to Sheamus/Bryan...

 

[Antitonic]

Spoiler

A Divas match got more air time than a World Championship match. Stay classy, WWE. Glad I didn't put some money on this, judging by the reports I read...

 

[Rawne1980]

Well, it's a good thing no one was looking forward to Sheamus/Bryan...

What, you mean 18 seconds isn't a long enough championship match?

I found it highly amusing that they managed to turn a championship into a joke in a few seconds.....

TNA did the same with the whole Sting/Hardy thing (although Hardy was doped up to his tits so I can see why they did that).

 

[Aris Khandr]

Yeah, I hear the first hour was a steaming pile. After that, I am told it improved drastically, with a Match of the Year performance from Triple H/Undertaker, and great matches from Jericho/Punk and Rock/Cena as well. But that first hour was just... really, really bad.

 

[DeManix]

It was a good show this year, better than the last 3 Manias, but only because of the top 3 matches. Besides Punk/Jericho, Taker/HHH and Rock/Cena, everything was terrible. Way too much filler and advertising, and some really poor matches in the first hour. Luckily WrestleManias are judged on their main events and here, all 3 matches really delivered. Also Rocky winning was a real bonus to that match, I couldn't stand Cena standing tall to end a PPV again.

 

[DanteLives]

Was expecting the Taker/HHH match to be even closer than last year. Too much action confined in the cell. Was expecting a move off the cell or through the top of it.