BWOTWend: WrestleMania in Orlando

Hello there BWOTW faithful, and welcome to this edition of 'Noah's Best Wrestling of the Week' AKA 'Orlando Magic'. WrestleMania descended upon Orlando, FL this past weekend, bringing it with it fans and promotions from all over the world. I haven't been able to get my mitts on all the weekend's events, but I got the big ones. For you here, I have WrestleMania, TakeOver Orlando and ROH's Supercard of Honour. Let's not waste any time getting into it, we're not gonna cover any news for this special mini entry, let's get jiggy! 

Beautiful

ROH: Supercard of Honour XI

Best Match on SOH XI: The Hardys (Matt & Jeff Hardy) vs The Young Bucks (Matt & Nick Jackson) - ROH World Tag Team Championship Ladder Match
Honourable Mention(s): Marty Scurll vs Adam Cole - ROH World Television Championship Match

Taking us to Lakeland for Ring of Honour's Supercard of Honour XI, we have the main event claiming the prize of being the best match on the show, seeing the ROH Tag Team Championships being defended in a ladder match. Its The Young Bucks challenging The Hardys, its Too Sweet or DELETE.

They might as well have gone ahead and called this Ladder War 7 because that's what this was. We had a whole goddamn bunch of ladders coming into play in a whole host of structures and spots. We had the see-saw thing that broke Joey Mercury's nose that time make an appearance, Nick got wheelbarrow-ed through a ladder and a metric fuck load of tables were broken, with everyone going through one at some point. With the Bucks and Hardys, they continue to innovate with ladders, just one example here;

Whilst a fair chunk of this match was dedicated to spots using ladders and tables, we had a good share of tag offence and sequences thrown in there too, evening it out a bit. Had some playing on the Too Sweet/DELETE tagline, with pairings of the teams getting in exchanges either on the floor or atop the ladders with the fans chanting along. This was the biggest crowd in ROH history, and everyone in attendance was invested in this, making every moment, every spot that much more dramatic.

I loved this match, Hardys/Bucks has been a dream match for years, and although we've had it here and there over the past few years or so, I believe that this has been the best incarnation of it yet. WONDERFUL.

SUPERKICK COUNTER: 10

NXT: TakeOver Orlando

Best Match on TakeOver Orlando: The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) vs The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) vs #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) - NXT Tag Team Championship Match


Coming to WWE territory now, its NXT's TakeOver event at the Amway Centre. As has been the trend the past year more or less in NXT, the tag team division takes the cake in becoming the best match on the card. This time around, we have the new champions, the formidable Authors of Pain defending against two of, if not the best teams ever to grace an NXT ring, The Revival and #DIY.

This match had it all. We had some awesome high spots and an incredible story being told in the ring. There were two main aspects to the tale they laid out for us; the longstanding rivalry between Revival and DIY, plus the need for them to join forces to take on AoP. My favourite was the former of the two, though the latter did make some awesome moments;

There were melees that occurred when Revival and DIY occupied the ring, staring each other down and the animosity that exists between them making the pot boil over, but there were subtleties that made it for me, with prior viewing allowing a deeper story to be told. When Gargano saw the submission that ruined his knee be applied to one of the Authors, hesitating before ultimately applying another submission on top.

However, my absolute favourite moment was when a mix up of pairings led to unlikely finisher tandems. 

Whilst those four gave this match its highest points, AoP played a key role. They were the ever present big bastards that brought the power and some devastation that rocked the ring. They were there to cut down the others, getting some deep heat lathered on. AoP would eventually win, the causation of both pinfalls that took place.

This match was awesome through and through. It felt like the NXT booking committee sat back and thought 'How can we make our tag matches better than they already are?' and it appears the answer was; throw more tag teams into the match.

WrestleMania 33

Best Match on WM33: AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon
Honourable Mention(s): The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) vs Enzo & Cass vs Sheamus & Cesaro vs The Hardy Boyz (Matt & Jeff Hardy) - RAW Tag Team Championship Match
Neville vs Austin Aries - WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match

This match was exponentially better than it had any right to be. I voiced my concerns and displeasure at the fact WWE didn't have AJ in a more prominent role on the card. I felt after such an incredible year, a WWE World Championship match would have been great, whoever the opponent. Shane, although I love the guy and his matches, kinda figured he wouldn't be up to snuff. Boy was I wrong.

The opening few minutes, though fairly simple in respect to the moves performed in comparison to what came later on, saw the story unfold beautifully. Styles started off wrestling circles around Shane, tying him up, misdirecting him, all over him basically. Then he hit that big overhand right to hammer home the disrespect. Shane coming back with the Muay Thai, taking Styles down, launching him overhead was killer, showing that he could fucking go. He fired up with all those punches we've known to expect from him, and he threw in a poppin' elbow right upside AJ's head. Nasty.

That MMA ground game also came into play, making for one memorable moment. AJ hit those ropes like he's done thousands of times, done that rotation he's done thousands of times, but then got a big shock;

Now, this is a Shane McMahon match, so inevitably, he's gonna take some tumbles. We got his jump from the corner to the announce table, the coast to coast, and I was going into this thinking there was a good chance we'd see those. But then, fuck me sideways down the Mississippi River, I did not sit down that night expecting to see the 47-year-old Shane McMahon climb that turnbuckle and do a fucking Shooting Star Press;

I mean, he did miss, but still. Jesus. And the knees! Good lord above that looked sore on those patellas. That then led to Styles finally managing to put the heir to the McMahon empire down for good.

Sweet and sour balls that was amazing. Like I said, much better than I had anticipated. The ring work and story telling was immense, let alone the spots. It delivered and then some, like you just clicked checkout and there's an immediate knock on the door, that's how much it delivered. Faaaantastic.

The Verdict

Best Match of the Weekend: The Authors of Pain (Akam & Rezar) vs The Revival (Dash Wilder & Scott Dawson) vs #DIY (Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa) - NXT Tag Team Championship Match - Takeover: Orlando

Ah yessir, NXT takes the top spot with the #TOPGUYS claiming yet another such prize. All three teams played their role expertly;

AoP - The monsters champions that don't know anything other than bulldoze.
#DIY - The determined fan favourites that never say die.
The Revival - The smash mouthed opportunists, dangerous to trust but even worse to face.

Everything flowed wonderfully, each beat hit, and they each made sense. At any one point, nothing felt out of place, whether that be who was in the ring, the moves being done down to the idle actions of those on the apron. A joy to watch.

With that said, here's how the leaderboard now looks after this li'l bo-bo episode.

The whole TakeOver card was amazing. Supercard of Honour had more great matches to it, and I think overall, 'Mania was one of the better ones in the past decade or so, and although I haven't managed to properly watch much else that's been on, I have no doubt there was some fucking barn burners this weekend.

This past weekend has been glorious, Hall of Fame was a lot of fun, TakeOver was insane and WrestleMania, despite a bump here and there, was the spectacle that has yet to fail me. Life may have me a bit down lately, but this weekend has put smile after smile after wide eyed smile on my face. I fucking love wrestling, me, and I hope you do too.

The Fuck's Going On?: WrestleMania 33

Hey there folks and welcome to the second ever 'The Fuck's Going On?', this time zeroing on this year's WWE spectacular, WrestleMania 33. 'Mania tends to be the time of year where the more casual, the lapsed, and sometimes even the non-fans give wrestling a little acknowledgement. For anyone unfamiliar with WrestleMania as a whole, I did a little introductory post t'other day. With that in mind, there's one thing to consider, the fuck's going on?

The Pre-Show

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal



It's the fourth annual ARMBAR (Andre Roussimoff Memorial BAttle Royal), at least that's what I call it anyway. Usually, WWE likes to make sure as many people as possible get a WrestleMania payday, and this has tended to take the form of such a battle royal. That typically means that those taking part are those who otherwise don't have anything going on, generally the lower card members of the rosters. 

This year, there seems to be a certain few that have had advertised interest in the trophy. Braun Strowman has made his intents of victory known, Sami Zayn has expressed his desire to win it for the recently fired Mick Foley, Dolph Ziggler and Mojo Rawley have had a bit of a back and forth about it too. NXT roster member Tian Bing is set to appear (the word being to appeal to WrestleMania's new Chinese audience this year), plus, last year had a couple surprise entrants; 90s wrestler Tatanka, an inductee in this year's Hall of Fame class, Diamond Dallas Page, and even fucking Shaquille O'Neal. 

So, I'd say expect just a big ol' brawl. I should imagine Strowman is gonna be the King Kong on this Skull Island, throwing people every which way, and I'd probably say he's my pick.

Neville (c) vs Austin Aries - WWE Cruiserweight Championship

Fuck me why is this on the pre-show? This was, and still is, my most anticipated match on this card. Neville returned at the Roadblock: End of the Line event in December, staking his claim as the new big bad of the Cruiserweight division. With a new mean streak and holier-than-thou attitude, becoming the self proclaimed 'King of the Cruiserweights'. In just over a month after returning, he destroyed Rich Swann to become the champion and has decimated every challenger since.On March 6th, Austin Aries officially became an active member of the cruiserweight division, attacking Neville. This quickly turned into a full fledged rivalry, with harsh exchanges of words, Aries proclaiming that whilst Neville is a fantastic competitor, he is not on his level (the A-Double level). 

What I love about this is that these two have not faced each other in any capacity in the lead up to this, and both these guys have been putting on really good matches in the time being. So, I am hopeful that we are gonna get an absolute top dollar match up here. Since debuting on the main roster, Aries hasn't had much opportunity to show his full in-ring capabilities, so I'm hoping we get to see him really shine in this one. All I'm expecting is a great match.

The Main Show

Alexa Bliss (c) vs Mickie James vs Natalya vs Becky Lynch vs Carmella vs Naomi - SmackDown! Women's Championship Match

It went from the main card to the pre-show then back to main show because Twitter complained or something. In my opinion, the build to this hasn't been great. Naomi had won the title at February's Elimination Chamber event, but then had to vacate it due to injury, followed by Alexa Bliss becoming champion again. Then we pretty much got told that all available women were going to compete for the title at WrestleMania. Not the most dramatic of builds, with the past few weeks being a bunch of all these women beating each other up in and out of the ring. Naomi returned on SmackDown! this past week bumping up this match to having 5 competitors. As far as I'm aware, there isn't a stipulation to this match, so I'm assuming its one fall to a finish. Don't really know what to make of this, it should be good, SmackDown!'s women's roster is superior to the RAW counterpart in my opinion, so I hope they put on a nice match.

The Club (Luke Gallows & Karl Anderson) (c) vs Enzo & Cass vs Sheamus & Cesaro - RAW Tag Team Championship - Ladder Match

I've just noticed Karl Anderson has a guitar tattooed on his arm. Cool.

Looking at the RAW Tag Team Championship Match now, and we've got what the continuation of the recent trend of having a big ol' ladder match at 'Mania. The Club have been champions since the Royal Rumble in January, having defeated Sheamus and Cesaro on the pre-show. In the build to this, Enzo and Cass initially were the lone challengers, but the story led to the former champions being inserted in the match after earning their way in. The past few RAWs have seen some attacks to everyone involved, with The Club being on the offensive more than anyone. Sheamus got a deep cut after being clattered by a ladder requiring stitches, in the process.

In this, I imagine this to be a pretty thick and fast match up with some sore looking moments with ladders and flesh combining in sick poetry. I feel like Sheamus and Cesaro are going to be key in helping this match flow lovingly. I can't really remember big men having a good hand in keeping things together in these multi-man ladder matches, so Gallows and Cass might feel more cumbersome than usual. Enzo is probably going to take some spills in this, so be sure to keep him in your prayers. Regardless, I love big ladder matches, so this is likely to entertain me greatly.

Bayley (c) vs Charlotte vs Sasha Banks vs Nia Jax - RAW Women's Championship - Elimination Match

Jesus what has been going on with this title picture?

So, as a general recap, after 'hot potato'-ing the title with Sasha for what seemed forever, Charlotte was established as the top woman on RAW. Then Bayley won it on some RAW in February, then went on to end Charlotte's Pay-Per-View undefeated streak by retaining it at Fastlane, both times with Sasha helping her win. As it panned out, it was going to be Charlotte and Bayley at 'Mania, then Sasha beat Charlotte to earn a spot, then Nia moaned about being left out and beat Bayley to earn her spot. So its a fatal-four-way, later being made into an elimination stipulation.

I'm not massively hyped for this, which is a shame considering the high note the Women's Championship had at last year's show. The potential of Sasha reverting to the bad side could be interesting. Nia's 'HOLY SHIT SHE'S BIG' shtick will be in full effect I presume, and Charlotte is always reliable to put on a great performance on these calibre stages. I can't really think what way they're going with this. A Bayley retention could be in the cards for a nice feel good moment, or a heel turning Sasha Banks could mark a pivotal change in the division going forward, who knows. Just gonna have to watch and see.

Dean Ambrose (c) vs Baron Corbin - WWE Intercontinental Championship

The Intercontinental Championship is on the line with the reigning champion Dean Ambrose defending against 'The Lone Wolf' Baron Corbin. 

Corbin debuted on the main roster at last year's WrestleMania, winning the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Since then he's worked on cementing himself into a key role, especially since the brand split last summer. He's challenged for the belt before, and has even challenged for the WWE World Championship, being portrayed as a serious contender to that. With an impressive display at the Royal Rumble, he's been picking up speed in 2017. 

Dean Ambrose has held the championship since January, winning it on the first SmackDown! of the year, prior to that being involved in the WWE World Championship picture. Being one of the big names SmackDown! has, only behind John Cena and AJ Styles I'd say, Dean is prominent member of the roster.

These two have started butting heads lately, with Corbin setting his sights on the championship around Dean's waist. Having attacked him backstage and with a forklift of all things, this rivalry quickly became very physical. From this match, I expect both these wrestlers to go out their looking to prove a point. Corbin wants to stake his claim as a top guy on SmackDown!, and Ambrose is surely looking to prove himself as a top guy in all of WWE. I expect these two to go hard in this, with a card crammed with matches looking to set themselves apart and prove their worth, I hope these this match is one we'll be talking about.

John Cena & Nikki Bella vs The Miz & Maryse

I'd say the most personal and hottest rivalry on the show, John Cena teams with his girlfriend Nikki Bella to take on the husband and wife duo of The Miz and Maryse. Over the past few weeks, shots have been fired back and forth, with the separation of reality and story becoming incredibly blurred. Talking Smack has seen so many incredible promos from The Miz, and he is doing some of his best work in this current run. Cena has also been having some of the best work of his career happen in recent years, both on the mic and in the ring.

 As for the match itself, I have no idea how it will play out, I'm just interested to see how they go about it. I'm not expecting a show-stealer or anything like that, but with such a dramatic and volatile story, I'm invested.

Chris Jericho (c) vs Kevin Owens - WWE United States Championship

Oh my God the most tragic story of all. JeriKO was formed many months ago, with the two announcing themselves as best friends. This relationship bloomed in full effect once Owens became the WWE Universal Champion shortly after SummerSlam. For the next few months, he and Jericho would do whatever they could to ensure that belt remained in his possession, with underhanded tactics used to defeat the challengers of Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns over that run. Jericho would claim Reigns' United States title as his own and in consequence, completing his list of WWE championships. Every title that Jericho could win, he has, with this US title rounding it all off. 

Tension started to run high once Goldberg started gunning for the Universal Championship. Jericho accepted the challenge without Owens' consent, and over the weeks, things would hit some bumps in the road. On February 13th, Jericho looked to bolster their friendship, hosting the 'Festival of Friendship' to honour Kevin. Gifts were given, grand displays of love made, it was beautiful. It was then that Owens struck. Disguising hatred as a gift, Owens mauled Jericho, unrelenting and merciless. In early March, Owens faced Goldberg at Fastlane. Jericho distracted Owens as the bell rang and cost him the match. Looking for revenge, Owens now challenges Jericho for his United States Title.

I am really looking forward to this match. It's Owens' first one-on-one WrestleMania match and I expect him to be going balls to the wall. Jericho can still pull out some great performances (thanks to his good friends at DDPYoga). This should be a great watch, when these guys have got such a rich story to use and call upon, I wouldn't be surprised if this steals the show.

Seth Rollins vs Triple H - Unsanctioned Match

In the process of Owens winning the Universal Title, Seth Rollins was cheated out of it by his opponent, Triple H. This is quite a lengthy story, so please, bare with me.

After taking Rollins under his wing, getting him to join The Authority and turn his back on The Shield in 2014, Triple H guided Rollins to becoming WWE World Champion at WrestleMania 31, and enabled him to have a lengthy reign. Rollins injured his knee in November of 2015, and wouldn't return until May 2016. As mentioned, Rollins was on the cusp of winning the WWE Universal Championship in August, only for Triple H to Pedigree him and lay him out for the count. Between then and the past couple of months, Seth had little chance to get back at Triple H, until he started interfering with his life once more. 

Rollins lost the chance to compete in the Royal Rumble due to a distraction of Trip's iconic 'The Game' theme blaring, as if an appearance imminent. In retaliation, Rollins invaded his creative baby; NXT. At TakeOver: San Antonio, Rollins interrupted the show and called out Triple H. The two would finally be in the same place one again, only for security to be sent to remove Rollins. The following RAW, Triple H would appear and address Rollins, calling him a failure, having failed him in injury and that without him he'd be nothing. Just when Seth looked to finally step toe-to-toe with the man, he would be assaulted by a debuting Samoa Joe, and re-injuring his knee in the process.

It was up in the air whether he would be fit to compete at 'Mania, but he was adamant he was to face Triple H at the event. Despite seemingly recovering, Triple H has been attacking Rollins repeatedly, targeting the bad knee. A 'Hold Harmless Agreement' was signed on RAW, basically saying that Triple H/WWE couldn't be held liable for any injuries and damage sustained by Rollins at 'Mania, making this an Unsanctioned Match - essentially No Holds Barred type of deal.

What I expect from this is a big ol' slugfest, an all out melee. It's gonna be a match with Trips and Rollins making full use of the unsanctioned nature. Expect weapons aplenty and lots and lots of brutality. 

Shane McMahon vs AJ Styles

Between WrestleMania 32 and now, AJ Styles has had hands down the best year in the WWE. Beating John Cena at SummerSlam, becoming WWE World Champion at Backlash and being the SmackDown! LIVE flag-bearer, he has had a lot of success. After losing the belt at the Royal Rumble and being unsuccessful in winning back in the Elimination Chamber, he became increasingly frustrated that he had yet to receive a fair rematch. Then as we got closer to WrestleMania and Styles had yet to have a match scheduled for the biggest show of the year, these feelings developed. Frustrations would be directed at management, frustration directed at Shane McMahon, frustration that would turn to violence.

Styles assaulted Shane in the parking lot, irate at his lack of opportunity, and would consequently be fired by General Manager, Daniel Bryan. However, Shane would reinstate him, insisting that he now had a WrestleMania opponent; Shane McMahon. These two have thrown fists over the weeks, putting each other through announce tables, but they did manage to keep a contract signing to just words. 

In terms of what to expect, I wholeheartedly believe AJ Styles is the very best wrestler in the world. I am sure he can make up for whatever shortcomings Shane may have. That's not to say that Shane can't go, because he can. Its a safe bet that he will again be trying to self destruct, either diving off something, through something or being willing to take murderous moves. Whatever it is, I'm sure this will be an exciting watch.

The Undertaker vs Roman Reigns

Whose yard is it?

At the Royal Rumble, The Undertaker was eliminated by Roman Reigns, who said to him 'This is my yard now' or something to that effect. Then in March, Braun Strowman calls out Reigns, The Undertaker answers. Strowman leaves then Roman appears, who would then be chokeslammed. This match was announced, with Roman later spearing 'Taker. 

That's pretty much it. I don't know what to expect. Rumour has it this might be Taker's last 'Mania, and whilst I'd want him to come out on top, I can see WWE giving Reigns the victory. Undertaker didn't look to be in the best of shapes at the Rumble, hopefully he's in good shape for Sunday. In the end, its an Undertaker WrestleMania match, it has to be good at least, no?

Goldberg (c) vs Brock Lesnar - WWE Universal Championship

Universal Championship up for grabs here. This started at Survivor Series, when WWE couldn't help themselves but tell you 'FANTASY WARFARE BECOMES REAL' as Goldberg was set to face Brock Lesnar. In less than a minute, The Beast fell to the WCW icon, embarrassing him. 

Next stop was the Royal Rumble, with both of these men having a spot in the marquee match. Lesnar was in the ring waiting for Goldberg, and once again, Lesnar was defeated as Goldberg pretty much instantly eliminated him. On RAW, Goldberg was issued a challenge by Lesnar; one more time, one-on-one at 'Mania. Goldberg accepted. Meanwhile, Golderg challenged for the Universal Championship at Fastlane. Again, he won the match in a matter of seconds. Thus, this match is now for the championship. Then its pretty much been a war of words, and Goldberg speared Lesnar on RAW.

I'm going into this expecting spectacle over substance. That said, I'm gonna say its goes a few minutes at least. I am looking forward to Goldberg's entrance though, think of all the pyro he's gonna walk through.

Bray Wyatt (c) vs Randy Orton - WWE World Championship

It's the big kahuna now, WWE World Championship match between the reigning champ, Bray Wyatt and the 2017 Royal Rumble winner, Randy Orton.

This goes back to August, where after Randy's match with Lesnar at SummerSlam, he was targeted by Wyatt. After Wyatt defeated him at No Mercy as well as costing him matches on SmackDown!, Orton decided to align himself with Bray, citing the old proverb 'if you can't beat 'em, join 'em'. As a pair, the two would be the deciding victors in the 'SmackDown! vs RAW' Survivor Series match, and would also claim the tag team championships. The later loss of these belts was the beginning of the dissolution of the Wyatt family. 

Harper was disowned by Bray, urged by Randy, in the lead to the Royal Rumble. As said, Randy won the Rumble, and at the Elimination Chamber, Bray Wyatt won the WWE World Championship. Although this set up Orton/Wyatt at 'Mania, Randy refused to fight Bray, declaring undying loyalty. Things seemed all happy and dandy between the two, until Orton interrupted one of Bray's promos, appearing on the tron from the Wyatt compound. He stated that this was not his home and set it ablaze with the intent to burn the soul of Sister Abigail, then saying that he will face Wyatt at 'Mania. In defeating AJ Styles in a Number 1 Contender's Match, it was confirmed.

This match has had probably the most intriguing story to set this up, really playing the long con with the telling of it. Should be great match too, a lot they could play with. Harper doesn't have anything going on at 'Mania as far as I'm aware, so perhaps he might play a role. Either way, I'm looking forward to this.




Right, well, I hope that's cleared things up for anyone who wanted some background on WrestleMania 33. I also hope that it has spurred on those with no/minor/mild interest to watch to do so. If so, time to put on my corporate shill coat and proclaim that you can start your free month of the WWE Network following this link. Sunday night is when this bad boy takes place, but it will be on-demand immediately afterwards for anyone looking to not disturb their sleep cycle too much. For those that do watch any of it, let me know what you think, I'd love to hear your opinions!

I know I'm looking forward to this, no matter the flaws and discrepancies I have. Why? Because its Wrestle-Fucking-Mania after all. Its the most wonderful time of the year, for me at least.

Wrestlintroduction: WrestleMania

Hey there readers and welcome to this newest edition of 'Wrestlintroduction', this time taking a very special look at one of the big days in the pro wrestling calendar, WrestleMania.

The Show of Shows, The Showcase of the Immortals, The Grandest Stage of them All

What exactly is 'WrestleMania'?

WrestleMania is WWE's biggest show of the year, in theory, designed to showcase the company's best talent, with pageantry and spectacle turned up to fucking 99,000. Drawing some of their biggest crowds and highest broadcast numbers, WrestleMania, in terms of grandeur is second to none. Starting in 1985 in Madison Square Garden with an attendance of 19,000, to the 32nd 'Mania reporting a crowd of over 100,000 in the AT&T Stadium, WrestleMania has grown into a beast, with a few snags in the progression here and there. Throughout the years, WrestleMania has provided a stage for some of the biggest names in wrestling history; Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, 'Macho Man' Randy Savage, The Undertaker, Shawn Michaels, 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin, The Rock, Triple H and more.

A big part of WrestleMania is what have come to be known as 'WrestleMania Moments', ranging from unbelievable spots in a match, monumental surprises, or just the sheer joy created from a win. Possibly the most iconic of these comes from the third 'Mania, where the immortal Hulk Hogan harnessed the power of Hulkamania to slam the colossal Andre the Giant;

However, in my living memory, the one that stands out most to me comes from 2014, at the 30th WrestleMania 

A big part of WrestleMania that I mentioned was the pageantry. Those lucky few given a big spot on The Grandest Stage tend to get some big money thrown at their entrances, particularly in the last decade or so. This could be anything from some especially jazzy gear and clothing, props, extras, or like how at WrestleMania 31 Rusev rode in on a fucking tank.

In theory, WrestleMania lays witness to some of the biggest matches in the calendar year, WWE or otherwise. Behemoth clashes the likes of Rock/Austin, The Undertaker's legendary streak, and absolute classics have taken place at 'Manias. Luckily WWE's YouTube have been uploading some old 'Mania matches, and one such was the show-stealer of WrestleMania XIX that was Chris Jericho versus Shawn Michaels.

Another thing that has become tradition around this time of year is that before the main event, there is the annual WWE Hall of Fame Ceremony, each year honouring the elite of the wrestling business. We get to see some of WWE's best achieve the highest honour they can, with some heartwarming/heartbreaking/touching speeches that have made me misty-eyed year after year. 

Also, WWE's developmental brand, NXT, has begun to hold a TakeOver the same week as WrestleMania in the area. Last year in Dallas, we saw the barnburner of Sami Zayn taking on the debuting Shinsuke Nakamura, plus the first WWE appearance of Bobby Roode, and all round, in my opinion, producing a show that was of better quality than WrestleMania 32. 

Another event that is a key part of this whole deal would be the RAW (and SmackDown! this year) after 'Mania. Said to be the best episode of the year, and I would agree. It's a night of 'Mania fallout where we get to see what's coming in the next year in the form of debuts, shifts in rankings and positions, and surprises out the wazoo. The crowd is the hottest of any episode, with the international crowd still hanging around and being hands down the most vocal and passionate of the year. The reactions make everything that more memorable. Speaking of such things, here are two of the best moments in recent years that never fail to give me goosebumps. First, Dolph Ziggler cashes in;

Fucking thunderous. The other I wanted to include was following WrestleMania 28 when John Cena called for his previous night's opponent, The Rock, but instead, encountered a returning beast;

An note that I think is important in the grand scheme of things. WrestleMania isn't just beneficial to WWE, it is to wrestling as a whole. The past decade or so, a whole host of independent companies and the like descend upon 'Mania's host city and put on their own shows, drawing in big crowds of those in the area for WWE, creating a Mecca of professional wrestling. Ring of Honour puts on their 'Supercard of Honour', WrestleCon brings together masses of fans and wrestlers past and present, EVOLVE teams up with partners to perform the WWN Supershow, and this year we have the British PROGRESS Wrestling staking their claim. Not only is it a nice bonus for their pre-existing fans, those who might have otherwise overlooked them can get a taste on their trip, allowing these smaller companies to grow. Though I'm no economist, I would imagine that profits for those feds putting on shows, and wrestling in general, makes some nice profits. 

In all, WrestleMania marks the high spot for pro wrestling, for fans, workers and companies alike. Wrestling for a brief glimmer become relevant in culture once more. I know my friends who know little of my love are aware, ask about it and show interest. For me, there are 3 main high points of my year; birthday, Christmas, WrestleMania. The days of 'Mania mark a period where I can forget my woes, leave my troubles behind and delve into my passion. As we speak, I have an essay to write, studying to do for exams and some bumps in the road that is life. But my spirits are high. I'm gonna get to indulge in my fandom of wrestling history at the Hall of Fame, TakeOver and all the indies will show me the variety and quality wrestling can produce, RAW and SmackDown! will clue me in on the future, and 'Mania itself will provide me with an experience of the pinnacle of pro wrestling. It doesn't get much better than this. 

That just about wraps up this edition of 'Wrestlintroduction', I hope those of you who might have been in the dark about WrestleMania are in brighter sights. If you have any requests or ideas for what aspect of pro wrestling you'd like to be discussed in this series, please do let me know, free of charge. Until next time, I've been Noah, have a good day, have a great 'Mania.

Wrestlintroduction: The Royal Rumble

Hello and welcome to this newest 'Wrestlintroduction', in which we will take a look at one of the highlights of the year, for me at least. 

Every January, WWE hosts the Royal Rumble event, one of what is considered The Big Four (WrestleMania, SummerSlam, Survivor Series and The Royal Rumble) and it features a marquee match of the same name. This is a pivotal point on the 'Road to WrestleMania', with people beginning to look forward to The Show of Shows as we approach the Rumble. 

So what exactly is the Royal Rumble?

Well, dear reader, let me tell you.

The Royal Rumble is an elimination match that consists of 30 wrestlers, but once it was 40 in 2011. The match begins with 2 wrestlers in the ring and at regular intervals (supposedly) another one enters the match. Eliminations can only occur by throwing an opponent over the top rope and both their feet touching the floor. This process continues until just one man is left in the ring and is declared the winner. As a prize, the winner receives a world championship match at WrestleMania, more often that not, in the main event. 

It does sound kinda convoluted, but it is really fun once things get going. One element that I love about the Royal Rumble is the unknowing and surprise it can bring. Sometimes they'll reveal ahead of time who might be entrant #1, #2 or #30, but other than that, you never know who is coming out when. 

This leads to a lot more excitement, and when that countdown for the next entry pops up, and the whole crowd are counting down with it, its a very special moment. It could be a first appearance, it could be a return, it could be a fan favourite, it could be legend, all of them make the crowd electric.

I vividly remember being sat watching that live and me and my brother flipping shit at AJ Styles's debut. Magic is real, and wrestling can create it. 

With the high stakes of a world title match at WrestleMania, this match gives you the chance to cheer on your favourites as they look to achieve something they have yet had chance to. I always root hard for my guys who haven't been given much opportunity at world championship gold. Then as the numbers grow and grow, and they're still in the ring, fucking hell its a rush. There's no better relief than when a guy you're cheering to win just escapes elimination, and no greater drain than when they don't. 

It is possibly the most emotionally charged match in wrestling, taking you through a series of highs and lows in great succession. For example, here's an exert of my experience last year;

Kevin Owens enters [Excited]

Kevin Owens faces off with AJ Styles [Super Excited]

Kevin Owens eliminated AJ Styles [WHAT THE FUCK]

Countdown pops up [Still a bit pissed, getting more excited again]

Sami Zayn enters [FUCKIN' YES]

Zayn and Owens brawl [Awesome!]

Zayn eliminates Owens [FUCKIN' A, MATE]

Zayn is later eliminated [PISSING JESUS NO!]

Y'see? Lots of shit can go down in the matter of just a handful of minutes.

The Royal Rumble is also interesting in how it can make set up some awesome situations. Like I said above, you can get dream pairings pop up, like Owens/Styles and last year there was also a great Triple H/Wyatt face-off which got some big cheers. There can be nostalgic moments, with either old rivals or old teams interacting one more time. 

Another note on the significance of this event, in WWE when someone has their accomplishments listed, the list is comprised of 4 main things; championships, Money in the Bank wins (I'll get to them at another time), Hall of Fame entry and Royal Rumble wins. The Rumble is held in such high regard that it can define a career, making superstars. When you look at the illustrious list of winners, that fact becomes apparent; Stone Cold Steve Austin, The Rock, The Undertaker, Hulk Hogan, Triple H, John Cena, Edge, Ric Flair, Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart and it goes on and on and on, creating history.


My one last point I wanna make about why I love the Royal Rumble is less about what it physically is or its significance, but the effect it has. My friends and family are well aware of my love for pro wrestling, and its always nice when they embrace this. The Royal Rumble has such a magnitude that it sticks with people, even former or non-fans. Around Rumble season or when it gets mentioned, I'm always met with 'Is that the one with everyone in the ring?' or similar questions. Whenever I say there's a big show coming up, my Dad will forever ask if its the Royal Rumble, and then ask if The Big Show still wrestles. This makes the whole event feel even more important to watch, an importance second only to WrestleMania. 

So, in summary, The Royal Rumble; 30 men, 1 winner, world championship match at WrestleMania, emotions run high, shit ton of tension, surprises, cool shit, face-offs, importance, one awesome night which I may or may not skip school on the Monday after for depending on my level of persuasion. 

That's about it for this edition of 'Wrestlintroduction', hope you enjoyed, hope you learnt something and I hope this makes my love for this wacky world of wrestling seem less fucking weird. Seeya next time (if I haven't pushed you away so far please love me its very lonely over here)