The Wrestling Thread: WWE WrestleMania 31 [NSFW]

[Corazon de Leon]

I think that if I hadn't gone on the fritz between December-March, I would have been in with a shot of winning last night. As it was I needed someone to cock up big style just to get into third, something Mockmaster duly obliged on. I'm happy though, I've had fun playing this game and I'll get a fiver off whichever DVD boxset I buy next or a CD or something like that. It's good of Rog to give away the amount of prizes he has done.

[Rog]

I'm cutting down next year. No prizes for winning the PPVs. Instead the winner(s) will get points. So it will pay to go for the win in the long run. Means no tiebreaks too.

[Corazon de Leon]

Can't argue with that. I think I was the highest scoring player who didn't win a PPV this round.

[Mafro]

Virgin Media are refunding customers, so give them a ring.

They strawberry floated up again?!

Yep, in some places the stream didn't start until 12.45 and in other areas such as the North West it didn't get shown at all. That's why I had to leave the chat last night as my friend couldn't get it on Virgin and we had to all watch it round his laptop... which kept strawberry floating up so I either missed key moments in the matches or missed matches all together. We finally got a steady stream around the end of Edge/Jericho and the beginning of the abomination that was the Diva match.

So you weren't watching the stream that switched to Babestation when that came on?

[KK]

Virgin Media are refunding customers, so give them a ring.

They strawberry floated up again?!

Apparently so!

Pell was in here at the start of last night asking for a feed. I wonder what VM will blame it on this year...

[Psychic]

Cheers for running GRAPL Rog.

[Ginga]

Utter, utter, shite.

It might actually be worse than last year. Which I thought would be impossible. I called it ages ago - that Bret/Vince set-up and execution was horrific and the rest of the feuds are spunked away on a weekly basis with every conceivable finished used that, come WrestleMania, we've seen it all before.
People laughed at the Hogan/Flair face-off on iMPACT! but the 40 people in Orlando made more noise for that than 70,000 did for just about anything last night.

The MITB finish
The Tag Titles finish
The entire Vince/Bret match (not to mention that Hart fucked-up the whole 'surprise' by yelling the word "double cross" about 30 seconds into the back-and-forth as everyone involved pretended not to hear it, especially McMahon)

Taker v HBK was probably as good as you're going to get but...I wasn't blown away. These guys are too old for this gooseberry fool and they can't keep doing this to themselves. A few botched spots (like last year) and a drab post-match atmosphere, coupled with no Mania Recap, made the whole thing seem anything but epic.

Oh, well. At least we have Goldberg back...

[Pell]

Virgin Media are refunding customers, so give them a ring.

They ****** up again?!

Apparently so!

Pell was in here at the start of last night asking for a feed. I wonder what VM will blame it on this year...

Got my refund this morning. Our coverage started at 00:45 - half way through the MITB (when there were two horizontal ladders already poking out of an upright one). F'in shambles. Asked what the problem was on the phone and the guy way clueless. Mumbled something about 'broadcast issues' and saying it was the master supplier who was at fault. Yeah, right...

[KK]

This will be in the Bottom 10 manias.

I'd say bottom five, myself. Certainly better than 4, 9 & 11. WrestleMania 1 watched now is also terrible, but in the relevance of time I don't think it's fair to judge.

A universal mauling for Bret/Vince wherever you go. Really quite sad, to be honest.

[Corazon de Leon]

I think the important things here are thus: Jericho won, and therefore Mania was good.

[Drumstick]

This will be in the Bottom 10 manias.

I'd say bottom five, myself. Certainly better than 4, 9 & 11. WrestleMania 1 watched now is also terrible, but in the relevance of time I don't think it's fair to judge.

WM4 was great. Savage's defining moment IMO.

Here is an all encapsulating post I made after last year's event:

It is done. It took me a fair while but once I nailed out the order I figured I might as well go through with it. I based it all on a mixture of how good the events were at the time and how they'd stand up today (in my eyes). I've wrote a little about each one in case you get them mixed up, as someone last night did. Also spoilered because it really is far too long.

01) Wrestlemania X-Seven
Pretty sure there's no debating that this is easily the greatest event the WWE has ever, and at this rate, is likely to ever put on. Pretty much every match on the card delivered, despite some not looking up to much before the event. TLC, Angle vs. Benoit, Hardcore Triple Threat, and on top of that it boasts possibly the biggest 'mania match in history for its main event.

02) Wrestlemania XX
The only other 'mania to seriously give X-Seven a run for its money in my opinion. Packed to the brim with quality matches. Two Fatal Four Way tag matches, Christian and Jericho, Evolution going up against the Rock 'n' Sock, Eddie vs. Angle, Undertaker vs. Kane (again), the classic Triple Threat main event and the rather humourous spectacle that was Goldberg vs. Lesnar. Fantastic event.

03) Wrestlemania 2000
I remember in the past a certain KKLEIN has criticised this event for its lack of one-on-one matches, but I really don't think it's a detriment at all. Early in the card we have the very entertaining Hardcore Battle Royal, followed by TLC I, Angle, Jericho and Benoit battling for the two belts, and the huge Fatal Four Way main event with a McMahon in every corner.

04) Wrestlemania XIX
As I said earlier, it's perhaps not the strongest card on paper but it was a very solid event. The egomaniacal Chris Jericho going up against his idol Shawn Michaels, Hogan vs. McMahon in the Street Fight, Austin vs. Rock III, and the Angle/Lesnar main event which surpassed expectations.

05) Wrestlemania X
I certainly feel that out of the first ten events this is the best. It starts off which possibly the best pure wrestling match Wrestlemania has ever seen, when Bret Hart squares up with his brother Owen in a stone cold classic. It's followed up with a Falls Count Anywhere match between former friends Randy Savage and Crush, and Yokozuna in his first match of the evening facing Lex Luger with Mr Perfect acting as referee. This is capped off with Shawn Michaels showing his true potential with the iconic Ladder match against Razor Ramon, and Bret Hart finally exacting revenge for his defeat at the hands of Yokozuna a year earlier.

06) Wrestlemania X8
This is another event which I feel is very solid. There's only one match anyone cares remembers from it and it isn't the main event, but it has some very good matches along the way. It opens with RVD vs. Regal which is a short but sweet bout with some great counters, Christian vs. DDP, Edge vs. Booker T, and an ongoing Hardcore match with Undertaker demolishing Ric Flair along the way. It also features a surprisingly brilliant Fatal Four Way tag match for the titles. The main event was not well received but it is more than made up for when The Rock faced Hogan, earlier in the night.

07) Wrestlemania XIV
Another strong event although not as solid as the last entry. It opens with a nice tag team battle royal, and Owen Hart vs. HHH for the European Championship among others. It does however pick up a lot in the second half of the card, with The Rock going up against Shamrock in a repeat of their match at the Royal Rumble, the first Undertaker vs. Kane match, the Dumpster match between the Outlaws and Cactus/Funk, and the main event where the cocky champion Shawn Michaels finally got in to the ring with The Rattlesnake.

08) Wrestlemania IV
Weighing in with a whopping sixteen matches, this was the Macho Man's finest hour or four, winning four matches in one night to claim the then vacant WWF Championship. Considering that about 75% of the card is centred around the tournament for the title there isn't too much else to it. Warrior takes on Hercules, the Bulldogs go down to the Islanders and Demolition attempt to take the tag titles away from Strike Force. The focus is all on Savage though, and ultimately, your feelings towards him will decide how much you like this event.

09) Wrestlemania III
Often cited as one of the best 'manias, I think my placing is fair here. It includes the big main event between Hogan and Andre, and some shorter but nevertheless great matches. The Hart Foundation vs. The British Bulldogs in a great tag bout, Piper vs. Adonis in Hair vs. Hair, and The Dream Team vs. The Fabulous Rougeaus. Of course all of this pales into comparison to the Savage/Steamboat classic which is still frequently ranked among the top matches ever.

10) Wrestlemania VI
I'm going to assume that most people might not be too familiar with this event, but this was the first Wrestlemania I ever watched. So it holds a special place for me and I've probably ranked it higher than anyone else would. The main event is the Champion vs. Champion showdown between the Intercontinental title holder, The Ultimate Warrior, and the then reigning WWF Champion, and the biggest draw in the industry at the time, the Hulkster. Other notable matches include Demolition facing off against The Colossal Connection of Haku and Andre the Giant for the tag belts and The Orient Express battling with The Rockers.

11) Wrestlemania 22
This was a lot higher than I'd anticipated. I don't need to say too much about it, the highlights were MITB, HBK vs. Vince in the Street Fight, and the Hardcore match between Foley and Edge. Picks up a few points for Hunter's comical entrance too. Didn't think much of the main event although it created a great atmosphere.

12) Wrestlemania 21
Some good matches, the original MITB, Angle vs. Michaels, and The Undertaker vs. Randy Orton. A weak main event really counts against it though.

13) Wrestlemania XXIV
I remember quite liking this. The Belfast Brawl and the ever reliable MITB opened things up well, the retirement match was probably one of the matches of the year, and Orton surprised everyone by retaining his title. The Undertaker also finally got to be in the main event again at last after being robbed the year before, and put on a great match with Edge.

14) Wrestlemania 13
This one's pretty good. Decent tag team Fatal Four Way to start with, follow by The Rookie and The Sultan. The main event was pretty dull, but this is countered with the superb Submission match and the always entertaining Chicago Street Fight between The Nation and The Road Warriors/Ahmed.

15) Wrestlemania VIII
This event got something right, less matches which were given a decent amount of time to progress makes for a better show. It's big gimmick was a double main event: Savage coming for Flair's title, and Hogan against Sid. Both are fairly entertaining although it is quite obvious which is the better match. Also on the card is Shawn Michaels vs. Tito Santana with his "flying burrito" as Bobby Heenan puts it, and the great Hart/Piper match for the IC title.

16) Wrestlemania 23
Not bad, but the ECW match was too short and would have been far better as an "extreme rules" match and they had the wrong title bout on last. However both title matches were great which is somewhat rare these days. Elsewhere on the card, there's Money in the Bank and the Hair vs. Hair with Trump and McMahon.

17) Wrestlemania XV
I didn't realise just how weak this event was until I looked at the card, as I hold fond memories of it. It should've been so much better. Hell in a Cell was poor, and the rest of the matches were just plain boring and there was seemingly no chemistry anywhere besides the main event which practically saves it.

18) Wrestlemania VII
This again has some nice matches but is guilty of cramming too many in. The main attractions are the Blindfold match between Jake and The Model, Savage's retirement match with the Warrior which is way better than you'd expect, and the main event of Sgt. Slaughter defending his newly won title against Hogan (yawn).

19) Wrestlemania V
The Mega-Powers explode! This event could have been a lot better, but there's too many short matches which would've worked better if they were given the time needed to make them into proper matches. The best matches include Demolition looking to retain the titles they won the previous year against The Powers of Pain, the Brain Busters against a reforming Strike Force, Rick Rude vs. Ultimate Warrior, and the brilliant main event featuring Savage clashing with Hogan.

20) Wrestlemania XII
Even the Iron Man Match and the highly entertaining Hollywood Backlot Street Brawl can't save this event from being amongst the worst. Undertaker and Diesel is average, Steve Austin vs. Savio Vega is better than it should be, and Camp Cornette's battle against Yoko's crew isn't too bad.

21) Wrestlemania II
I don't the whole "emanating three separate arenas" thing with this event. Seems pointless. There is the Boxing match between Mr. T and Roddy Piper, the Battle Royal, Bulldogs vs. The Dream Team, Steamboat and Hernandez, plus the main event Cage battle between Bundy and Hogan. S'alright.

22) Wrestlemania IX
That's right. I even think the shitstorm that was this event was better than last night's shambolic effort. It starts with a really nice opener between Shawn Michaels and Tatanka and builds to the tag match which sees the Mega Maniacs square off against Money Inc. Undertaker vs. Gonzales was pretty fascinating at the time, and all that's left after that is Hart vs. Yoko... and Hogan again.

23) Wrestlemania XXV
I'm sure everyone remembers this. One good match and a couple of average ones all night is not acceptable. How disappointing.

24) Wrestlemania I
Good for its time perhaps but now it's fairly boring. Lots of naff matches all building up to the main event with Hogan and Mr. T taking on Mr. Wonderful and Piper. Andre and Studd's Body Slam challenge wasn't too bad either.

25) Wrestlemania XI
Proper terrible. There isn't an above average match on the card and not even the Submission match between Hart and Backlund can save it. Undertaker goes up again King Kong Bundy in a stinker, while Diesel and Shawn Michaels are booted out of the main event by Bam Bam Bigelow and an American Football player. Total shitfest.

[Skippy]

Sorry Drummy but this bit...

04) Wrestlemania XIX
As I said earlier, it's perhaps not the strongest card on paper but it was a very solid event.

is GOLD It's the best card ever put together in wrestling

[Cardinal Chunder]

Shat event really, and I completely missed the HHH/Sheamus match. HBK/Taker was the best of an average bunch.

DAT TOMBSTONE.

[Mafro]

Good list, Drummy.

Also, I think Cena's entrance deserves a few more

Oh, and what exactly happened at the end of MitB? Was it botched or something?

[Cardinal Chunder]

Good list, Drummy.

Also, I think Cena's entrance deserves a few more

Oh, and what exactly happened at the end of MitB? Was it botched or something?

Swagger was stood at the top of the ladder for ages trying to get the briefcase. It was awful to watch.

[Pell]

I think the important things here are thus: Jericho won, and therefore Mania was good.

[KK]

Interesting fact that this is the 3rd straight year the winner of the Royal Rumble has failed to win the title at Mania.

[blackoutHERO]

I thought the Batista Cena match was best all night. Kinda speaks for itself

[gaminglegend]

This will be in the Bottom 10 manias.

I'd say bottom five, myself. Certainly better than 4, 9 & 11. WrestleMania 1 watched now is also terrible, but in the relevance of time I don't think it's fair to judge.

A universal mauling for Bret/Vince wherever you go. Really quite sad, to be honest.

Really? I'd say still overall this years was much better than last years bar Taker HBK last year

[Mockmaster]

Not a great Mania but glad Jericho won and Sheamus looked strong despite defeat. A shame Batista's excellent turn as heel champ has come to an abrupt end.

Thanks for running GRAPL, Rog. Every match ended how I thought it would but I decided to give botched predictions in order to give new stars like Deadpool a push. Let's hope he runs with the ball and sells some tickets.