Wrestlemania

Top 10 Best Pro Wrestling Matches of 2018

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

This year, we have had a chance to witness great professional wrestling matches that were highly praised by pro wrestling journalists Dave Meltzer and Wade Keller and fans alike. The match quality of these ten matches were very rare ten years ago or even further and in today’s age of pro wrestling, it is common to get a great match at least once or twice per month. There are many that I have seen that were from various promotions such as WWE, Impact Wrestling, Ring of Honor, and New Japan Pro Wrestling and I will rank them all in my personal top 10 matches of 2018.

10. Seth Rollins vs. Dolph Ziggler (Summerslam)

I was in the crowd for this match at Summerslam and It was a great opener for this long Pay Per View. Rollins and Ziggler has had many matches throughout the year, but this match is their best match of every match they have had this year. There was a mix of everything in this match from the drama, to the athleticism between these two, and the energy of the crowd. There was a few points during this match where I was convinced that the match was over and that Ziggler would retain the Intercontenential Championship but Seth regained the championship in this awesome match.

9. Undisputed Era vs. Ricochet, Pete Dunn, and War Raiders “WarGames” Match (NXT Takeover: WarGames)

Last year, the WarGames match has finally made its way to WWE after many years where the fans would wonder when it would happen and it has finally arrived on WWE’s developmental brand NXT. Last year, it was three teams in this match but that changed this year when the rules reverted to the classic two teams of four. The feud between these two teams has been building up since the summer and the payoff was this excellent match as it was nonstop action from the start of the match to the finish. The War Raiders also showed off how fast these two can move despite being larger than all of the other men in the ring. There was also a camera shot during the match where the two teams are on opposite sides facing each other in the style of Captain America: Civil War. There were also weapons used during this match such as tables, trash cans, chairs, and kendo sticks and the most memorable spot of the match was when Ricochet did a reverse 450° senton from the top of the cage to everyone in the ring. Ricochet’s team got the victory after he pinned Adam Cole of the Undisputed Era to end this fantastic War Games match which is far better than last year’s version of the match.

8. Randy Orton vs. Jeff Hardy “Hell in a Cell” Match (Hell in a Cell)

It has been a long while since I can say that I liked a Randy Orton match and this is one of them. I have been a fan of both Orton and Hardy for a long time, but they both did not have a good match at all this year before this match. This is Jeff Hardy’s first match inside the Cell and it did not disappoint at all. There were a few moments during the match where it turned into a psychological horror movie such as when Orton proceeded to place a screwdriver right through his open earlobe and twisted it. That was very gruesome to watch as it took me a few minutes to resonate what I have just witnessed. The match ended as Jeff climbed to the top of the inner part of the cell with a ladder, used his hands to go to the middle of the cell like it is a monkey bar, and proceeded to do a body splash to Orton while he is laid on the table but as Jeff fell, Orton moved out of the way and Jeff’s head came crashing through the table as Orton then got the pin fall for the victory.

7. Johnny Gargano vs. Andrade “Cien” Almas (NXT Takeover: Philadelphia)

This match is the first WWE five star rated match by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter since John Cena vs CM Punk back in Money in the Bank 2011 and this match delivered in every aspect. Not only that it convinced me that Gargano can headline a WWE event one day, but it also proved the critics wrong about Almas at the time since his run as NXT Champion has gotten mixed opinions. Johnny did everything that he could to win this match and the crowd was behind him as well. In fact, there were many times during this match that there was a standing ovation to both of them due to their performances and they were very deserved. Almas got the win, but before the show ended, Tommaso Ciampa returned from his knee injury to attack Johnny thus resuming their feud which was delayed due to Tommaso needing knee surgery.

6. Kenny Omega vs. Kazuchika Okada (NJPW Dominion)

This match has been building up ever since their WrestleKingdom match from last year and the slow build has been worth it. These two has had matches on that show along with the G1 Climax as well and every match they have had, outperformed their previous one. It is the modern day Ric Flair vs. Ricky Steamboat with these two as they tore the house down at Dominion this year. This match was a two out of three falls with no time limit and these two went all out during the one hour and four minutes of this classic. During this match, Omega has attempted to use his signature move “one winged angel” many times as Okada has found a way to counter it each time. The only time the move went through is during the final fall of the match as Kenny Omega not only won the match, but also became the new IWGP Heavyweight Champion as well. This match is as brutal as it comes and you will not find a hard hitting match like this anywhere else other than New Japan Pro Wrestling.

5. Buddy Murphy vs. Mustafa Ali (205 Live 7/03/2018)

205 Live from the beginning until the summer of 2018 has been a long afterthought as well as it’s division. Enzo Amore was the best superstar of the division for a while as well until his release and since then, 205 Live has been rebuilding itself and the first match to do that was this one. Mustafa Ali and Buddy Murphy had a no-disqualification match and it was awesome. From the high flying spots, to the innovative ways to preform high flying moves off of the table and even steel steps, and much more spots that has kept my attention to the screen as I was watching it and the fans in that arena as well loved it too and this was the beginning of the relaunch of the Crusierweight division from this point on.

4. Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs. Triple H and Stephanie McMahon (WrestleMania 34)

This match is my favorite WrestleMania match this year and many peope whether if it is inside the wrestling bubble or outside of it (You know, the casual fans and the MMA fans) was curious to see how Ronda Rousey would do in her first ever match in WWE and she delivered in this awesome tag team match in which she teamed with Kurt Angle to go against Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a mixed tag team match. Kurt and Triple H had control for most of the match as this was also Kurt’s first WrestleMania match in 12 years and once Ronda got tagged in, she did not hesitate to charge right at Stephanie and also Triple H with a fury of strikes and judo throws. The match finished once Ronda made Stephanie tap out to the arm lock as both Ronda and Kurt celebrated after the match finished.

3. Charlotte vs. Becky Lynch “Last Woman Standing” Match (Evolution)

What WWE had done with the women for the last few years has been incredible. Starting way back in NXT when the women’s matches started to be taken more seriously, to WrestleMania 32 when the Divas Championship has been retired for a new Women’s Championship. Now we are at the stage that women are now on the main event of Raw, Smackdown, and even select Pay Per Views and this all lead to the first WWE all women’s Pay Per View, Evolution. Charlotte and Becky Lynch has been feuding since the summer when Becky turned heel at Summerslam. They both had a last woman standing match on this show and it was spectacular to see these two go to war in this match and not hold anything back. My favorite spot during the match is when Charlotte applied the Figure-8 leg lock on Becky as the ladder was also in between both of them. These two gave it their all and I believe this is the best women’s match I have seen this year.

2. Chris Jericho vs. Kenny Omega (NJPW WrestleKingdom 12)

The idea of this match came from Jericho as he wanted to make pro wrestling’s version of Mayweather vs. McGreggor and once it was announced that Kenny Omega accepted the challenge, the anticipation has blew up very high. Jericho and Omega is a dream match that we did not know that we wanted and it delivered. It was also great to see Jericho wrestle a completely different style since he is used to the WWE style for the last 19 years and this was also his return to New Japan Pro Wrestling. Everything with this match from the brutal table spots, to Jericho picking up a camera and started flipping the crowd and the referee with the finger, to Omega’s brutal V-Trigger knee strikes, and with Omega’s high flying arsenal. These two had the match of the night that night as the drama and the story of the match has not slowed down at all from the start to the finish. It also gave Jericho his first ever five star rated match by Dave Meltzer.

1. Johnny Gargano vs. Tommaso Ciampa “Unsanctioned” Match (NXT Takeover: NOLA)

The match in the year in my opinion and one of the best matches in WWE in the last five years. This match felt like an old school NWA “Lights Out” match from 1980 as the vibe of those matches from that time were transferred to this match. Just like those matches in the past, The referee is only there to make the three count and the other rules are out the window as the referee is not allowed to stop it. Johnny and Ciampa’s feud started way back in Chicago in 2017 and their first match was very crazy. The ring mat was also exposed during this match for the wood to be shown and other than that, there were more dangerous visuals that happened during the match inside and outside the ring and these two put their bodies through war during the match. Johnny did not want to give up at all or hurt Ciampa at all and even his wife did a run in and tried to convince Johnny to end the match. This is also the longest match in NXT history clocking in at 37 minutes. Johnny won this match by submission, but that was only the beginning of their great rivalry.

For more content, follow me on Twitter and Instagram @julianexcalibur

Also, subscribe to The Wrestling Court via this link as we cover the latest in the world of wrestling and pop culture and comics every week. It is also live on Mixlr as well at 8pm EST every Wednesday via this link

My Thoughts on Triple H’s World Title run from 2002-2003

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

There are a couple of “internet wrestling community myths” that have been passed on from generation to generation.

Ultimate Warrior died years ago

Macho Man and Stephanie McMahon – enough said

The ECW/WCW Invasion in 2001 bombed

Vince McMahon hates certain wrestlers

The list goes on and on. All of them are just pure fiction that people make up,believe, and then pass on as fact. They are just ridiculous and laughable claims. The worst part is that fans actually believe them. To a certain extent, you see it EVERY SINGLE DAY with all of the news reports that come out. Most are flat out false, yet certain fans continue to buy into ANYTHING that is posted online. Today’s topic is just like the previous mentioned myths.

Did Triple H “bury” the roster in 2003?

For those who read my work, they know that the term “buried” means nothing. Nobody is ever truly buried in WWE. The term is baseless, and I do not use it whatsoever. However, the topic has come up time and time again. As most remember, Triple H won the World Title in late 2002 and held it until September 2003. Throughout the year, he dominated the Red Brand and kept the gold through thick or thin. Let me just go through the year as it went…

Just to stall time before WrestleMania XIX, we saw the rematch at No Way Out in February between the two men( Triple H and Scott Steiner). At this point, the steam from their feud was all but over with. Evolution was formed, and Triple H was not going to drop the title a month before the biggest show of the year. On top of ALL that, Steiner was hurt. Again, nobody can convince me Steiner should have won here.

Okay, this is the biggest controversy.

I have said it before, and I will say it again.

My entire “WrestleMania party” had picked Booker T to win the World Title. Seeing as I thought that wasn’t happening, I bet with each and every friend/family member a couple of dollars each. Needless to say, I collected after the match.

The argument is that Triple H winning proved that “racism is right.”

As usual, that is not true.

Booker dominated their feud. He owns a few victories over The Game, and the record books show that. When it came time to decide who should win, the decision came down to two things:

A) Have Booker win the title

B) Build up Triple H even more

The answer was simple.

Bill Goldberg had just signed on with WWE. In order for his run to be worthwhile, he needed to become World Champion. He was bigger and more well known than Steiner. Thus, WWE had to have a big, bad heel for him to crush down the line. Instead of going right to the big Triple H vs. Goldberg showdown, they waited a few months. Booker getting the title would have only thrown a wrench in the long-term payoff.

Sorry folks, King Booker won the World Title a few years later, and the moment was well worth the wait.

fter that, Triple H was in a huge six man tag team match at Backlash. Obviously, the gold was not on the line. The Game, Ric Flair, and Chris Jericho ended up getting the win over Kevin Nash, Booker T, and Shawn Michaels. It was a great match that many fans forget.

For May, Triple H took on Nash for the World Title. The big man had recently returned from injury and was looking to take out HHH. It was the classic “best friends, better enemies” story line. At Judgment Day, they ran a DQ finish with Nash just destroying Triple H. As in most cases, this was done to set up a FINAL grudge match.

We saw that at Badd Blood in June.

Mick Foley was the special guest referee. With Nash ready to take some time off and go film a movie, the decision was another easy one. Triple H had to retain. I am sure he would have been more than happy to give his friend a nice title reign, but it just wasn’t going to happen. Fans were NOT behind Nash as the top face on Raw. He was “over” but not nearly enough. Thus, the feud came to a close, Nash teased a heel turn shortly thereafter and left with his new hair cut a few months later.

Summerslam was set to be the HUGE battle beween Triple H and Goldberg for the World Title!

Dream match.

One on one.

World Title.

HHH vs. Goldberg.

Then Triple H got injured. As World Champion, he decided to work through the pain and try to continue on. That is very admirable, but his big showdown with Goldberg was now in doubt. You can’t push your limits too much. That would just cause even WORSE pain. Thus, WWE had to switch things up a little bit in August.

The main event was Triple H vs. Goldberg vs. Nash vs. Jericho vs. HBK vs. Randy Orton in an Elimination Chamber match for the World Title. it would give a few guys some shine in the main event, as well as let HHH heal up. Also, it brought back the big steel structure in grand fashion for WWE.

I understand some folks did not like the ending of the match.

Triple H wrestled about a minute long and pinned Goldberg, after he had ran through just about everybody else before that.

That is fine. I am not going to argue that point. Goldberg was on FIRE and ready to become World Champion. That was (probably) his best night in a WWE ring. However, there is one reason that WWE didn’t do the title switch at Summerslam:

Tradition.

Call in old school. Call it predictable. Call it whatever you want. The fact of the matter is that a lot of people believe that a title switch should ONLY happen in one on one matches.

Not wild tag matches with stipulations.

Not an Elimination Chamber match.

Not a ladder match, where nobody is pinned.

None of that!

Simply a one on one match with two men wrestling where the better man wins.

That time was Unforgiven 2003.

Triple H vs. Goldberg for the World Title with EVERYTHING on the line: If HHH wins, Goldberg had to retire. If Goldberg wins, the long, long, long title reign of HHH was over.

Those were huge stakes!

Something had to give. Either fans were guaranteed a new champion (finally!) or Goldberg was going to retire.

I don’t know about you, but that sounds like a great selling point for a pay-per-view.

They did the match. Triple H lost the gold (and multiple rematches), and Goldberg was “the man” on Raw. The Game took some time off and even returned to lose again at Survivor Series 2003. Fans got their “moment” with Goldberg on top. He had his World Title, and all of the sides had won.

Without that lengthy title reign, Goldberg winning wouldn’t have meant much. There was no reason for Kane to win the title in 2002.  There was no reason for anybody to defeat HHH in 2003, except Goldberg.

Look at Honky Tonk Man’s IC title reign.

Look at HHH in 2000.

Look at JBL in 2004.

Look at CM Punk now.

The longer these reigns go, the more fans want a new champion. The more they groan every time the heel wins. The more fans cheer for the next challenger. The more intensity it adds to the match. The more and more and more and more it adds to the eventual World Title switch.

When HHH finally lost, it was HUGE!

When JBL finally lost, it was HUGE!

When Punk lost, it was HUGE!

follow me @julianexcalibur

best and worst wrestlemania matches part 1 (2000-2012)

Julian Cannon Leave a Comment

Best and Worst wrestlemania main events part 1 (2000-2012)

Hello every one Julian cannon is here again for another article ..this will be a 3 part post of the best and worst main events in wrestlemania history. This will be part 1 and it will be from the years 2000-2012

also email me @ juliancannon70@yahoo.com for your feedback

Here are some of the best

1.the rock vs Steve Austin (wrestlemania 19)

The 3 matches they had at wrestlemania were epic but their final match I considered the best of the 3. In 2002, Steve Austin left the wwe due to creative differences and the rock was part of the smackdown brand until his loss at summerslam. 8 months later Steve Austin returned and feuded with Eric bischoff and around this time also,the rock returned to feud with hulk Hogan..there was an amount of time left for these two active wrestlers to clash one final time..the rock was a heel this time due to the heat he started to get from the fans for him choosing hollywood over wwe.going into the match, Austin was already hurt and his neck injury got to him again and many thought that he wouldn’t be able to compete. But the “rattle snake” pulled it off and him and the rock had a battle. From the rock using the stunner and to Austin using the rock bottom, and the amount of kickouts, from start to finish this match had great story telling and the fans and me brought it..the attitude era finished 2 years before this match but many fans believe that this was the real closure. The rock picked up the win on this one and this would be the last time we would see Steve Austin in a match…or is it…

2.Hardy boys vs Dudley boys vs edge and Christian (tlc II,wrestlemania 17)

I was in the 5th grade in 2001 and the whole month me and my friends were talking about this match..and the week before it,I predicted that edge and Christian would win..there was so much anticipation for this match and it delivered..every one in that match including lita, rhyno and spike Dudley were made huge stars in this match and we have seen some of the most dangerous “spots” since the closure of ecw one month before..the moat infamous spot that is often shown in wwe videos or YouTube, is when while Jeff Hardy was hanging on to the belts in the air,edge did a spear which would have both of them crashing down into the ring from 15 feet in the air..the fans roared with “holy shit” chants like it was an ecw event..after we seen Bubba ray and Matt Hardy go through 4 tables,I knew edge and Christian would get the win..this match would steal the show of the event and it got te match of the year award from the pro wrestling illustrated magazine.

Triple h vs Batista (wrestlemania 21)

In 2002, the ruthless aggression era in the wwe was born..everyone in this era wanted to make an impact and stand out with the rest..guys like Randy orton, rvd, Christian, Chris beniot and many others burst into the scene but no body other than Batista and john cena would become the biggest stars of the 2000-2010 decade.. Batista was already on smackdown in his first year but quickly moved to raw to join the newly formed evolution stable that dominated wwe raw for 2 years..Ric flair was the best of the past,triple h was the best of that time and orton and Batista was going to be the future ..in 2005,Batista became the royal rumble winner and choose to stay on raw to go against triple h for the world heavyweight championship ..I expected Batista to win but this match was an absolute war..triple h tried all that he could to take Batista down but he wouldn’t give up..even with the help of ric flair,it still didn’t help at all. Batista gave triple h a beating I wanted to see for a while and I got it. After a Batista bomb the war was over between the student and the teacher and Batista would be world heavyweight champion for the next 9 months..john cena also won the wwe championship..this ppv was the peak of the ruthless aggression era because nobody thought that these two would become champions but they proved every body wrong.

4.Chris beniot vs Shawn Michaels vs triple h (wrestlemania 20)

To me out of every wrestling promotion before styles vs Joe vs Daniels match in 2005,I considered this to be the best triple threat match of all time..beniot won the royal rumble in 2004 and he moved from smackdown to raw to face triple h and Shawn Michaels at wrestlemania ..for the first time at wrestlemania, the world championship would be on the line in a triple threat match..triple h is a ring general with brawlers antics ..Shawn michaels mixes high flying with technical mat wrestling ..and Chris beniot is a mix of 3 of those styles along with his submission style so this match was a clash of 3 worlds in one ring..beniot and Shawn had the upper hand in the beginning then triple h kept fighting back..then beniot had the fighting spirit that we knew he had..well along with those concussions he had with those diving headbutts..after Shawn hit sweet chin music I really thought the match was over..until beniot hit the crossface forcing triple h to tap out. Beniot gets the victory and celebrates with Eddie Guerrero ..those two deserved it because they came a very long way since the early 90’s

5.cm punk vs Rey mysterio (wrestlemania 26)

In 2010,the straightedge society took in full effect on smackdown..cm punk along with Luke gallows and Serena feuded with Rey mysterio.. to add insult to injury, on an episode of smackdown, Rey brought out his family and it was his daughters birthday..then the straightedge society made their way to the ring and sang the happy birthday song while the group got Rey to not attack punk..some fans thought it was disturbing but hey that is what heels do.this was pink’s first singles match at wrestlemania and these two did not disappointed anybody ..Rey came out with an avatar themed attire while cm punk came out with an GIJOE Themed attire as well.
But now to the match, punk took most of the offense until Rey made a few counters but punk came back with more counters as well..when punk was going for the GTS I thought it was over until Rey countered it..Rey went for the win for this one and Rey stated in a 2012 edition of the wwe magazine that this was his favorite match of that year.

6.undertaker vs Shawn michaels (wrestlemania 25).

Of all the undertaker’s opponents at wrestlemania, nobody has ever came close or got in the head of taker than Shawn michaels. Shawn defeated Vladimir kozlof in a match to determine who will face the undertaker at wrestlemania. The promos from Shawn michaels were the best I have ever seen..Shawn is also known as the Showstopper and Mr. Wrestlemania and since 2002 ,the undertaker’s streak has become very important..for Shawn michaels entrance, he had on a white suit and white hat,coming from the heaven, while undertaker entrance rises from hell..from the start of the match, those two went back and fourth with the usual punches and reverse moves.Shawn attempted a sweet chin music while undertaker attempted a tombstone early on through the midway of the match..then undertaker did a dive from the ring to Shawn but Shawn pushed the camera man into undertaker..the action goes back into the ring and Shawn hits the super kick but taker ticked out..the emotion begins here and I was staring into the screen..taker goes for the tombstone…1…2… kickout!!! This had everyone in the arena and home gasping at that kickout and undertaker looked shocked as well..taker goes for hells gate and hbk gets out,taker goes for tombstone again to end the match..I felt the story telling and the atmosphere of the match..and as soon as it finished, I knew it would get the match of the year vote

7.edge vs Mick Foley (hardcore match,wrestlemania 22)

When this match was building up to wrestlemania, I had no clue to who to choose for the win..at the time of 2006,edge was on a roll..he also brought up the fact that he has never lost at wrestlemania. Mick Foley the hardcore icon has had matches at wrestlemania but he stated that he has never had a wrestlemania moment.. this was the stage for him to have a moment. These two went back and fourth in the beginning of the match until the bared wire baseball bat came into play..then edge took a numb on thumbtacks, not as bad as orton took thumbtacks 2 years earlier when you saw the look on his face like he got stabbed. Lita got in the match as well and Mick used the sock wrapped in barbed wire and she was hardcore for taking it..the final spot took place where hedge speared Foley through a flaming table,which led Joey styles to shout out his famous “ohh myy God!!!!” Line back in ecw on commentary ..fans then stood up for the “holy shit” chant and edge went for the 3 count..this was clearly the best match of the show and Mick Foley finally has a wrestlemania moment.

7.Kurt angle vs Brock lesnar (wrestlemania 19).

The winner of the 2003 royal rumble was Brock lesnar and from right there, the best feud of 2003 started to kick off ..Kurt Angle was the wwe champion and these two former amateur wrestlers that turned pro, would clash in the ring for the first time..I had a gut feeling that this match would close the show and it did..match started with chain wrestling and Matt takedowns..after Brock pulled off a German suplex, the match got physical right there. Angle made sure he gave lesnar all he got..including the angle slam and moonsault..as soon ss he went for the ankle lock and lesnar reversed it,angle was trying to sell the reverse but he got injured on his neck..lesnar goes for the f-5 but angle kicks out..then lesnar goes for the shooting star press but Kurt moved out the way even though the distance was too far,which resulted in Brock landing on his head and he gets injured as well..so we have 2 injured wrestlers trying to finish the match now as lesnar hits the f-5 a.d gets the 3 count..great sportsmanship for these two and they went all out for the fans to see the conclusion even though they both got hurt very badly

Trish Stratus vs Mickey James (wrestlemania 22)

I rank this as the best divas match in wrestlemania history ..but the best divas match in history was lita vs Trish in a November 2004 episode of raw(also the only time ever on raw that the main event was for the women’s championship) . Mickey James only debuted a few months earlier, got the attention of many fans. Including Trish Stratus herself. 5 minutes into the match the crowd was not dead at all because these two women were going all out with an array of moves..looking back at this match, it was like a mirror match because they clicked too well that it was like they both wrestled eachother for years even though it was their first match. The match itself is self explanatory because they both pulled it off and when Mickey got the pin,the fans were all shocked including me because nobody would have thought that a divas match at wrestlemania would be a 5 star quality match

Honorable mentions

Triple h vs the undertaker hell in a cell match (wrestlemania 28)

The rock vs hulk Hogan (wrestlemania 18)

Team angle vs Chris beniot and rhyno vs Los Guerreros(wrestlemania 19)

Ric flair vs Shawn michaels (wrestlemania 24)

John cena vs Shawn michaels (wrestlemania 23)

Kurt angle vs Chris beniot (wrestlemania 17)

Shawn Michaels vs Chris Jericho (wrestlemania 19)

 

now lets go through the worst now. bear with me readers lol

1.Daniel Bryan vs shaemus (wrestlemania 28)

This match from last year’s wrestlemania that opened the show with an 18 second win outraged the fans at the arenas and home .. people paid good money for tickets and ppv to not get ripped off..these 2 wrestlers Daniel Bryan and shaemus are two world class athletes with different styles so the match would have been very interesting..what makes this worse is that throughout the year of 2012,shaemus would use the 18 seconds on a lot of his promos for a cheap pop..Daniel did not deserve to drop the belt in that way..the crowd was entirely behind him at wrestlemania and this was a slap in the face to everyone who saw it.

Rey mysterio vs Eddie Guerrero (wrestlemania 21)

I wouldn’t say that this match was bad but it could have been a lot better ..for these two, you would expected a lot more in this match..the beginning was solid up until when Rey mysterio’s mask was out of place 7 minutes into the match..from there on,it just got sloppy Like it was two unprofessional high school kids doing backyard wrestling..kudos for at least trying but it failed to meet expectations..

The rock vs triple h vs big show vs mankind (wrestlemania 16/2000)

This has to be the most odd wrestlemania main event in the attitude era..here is the story..the rock wins the royal rumble, big show shows footage of both the rocks feet touching the ground first..then triple h defeats cactus Jack..in no way out, the big show defeated the rock with the help of Shane McMahon to get the rock’s spot at wrestlemania ..at the same ppv,triple h defeated Mick Foley inside hell in a cell to end Foley’s career..the rock then earned his spot back by defeating big show on raw with the help of Vince McMahon .so now at mania, its a triple threat match..however, Linda McMahon brought in Mic Foley to make it a fatal 4 way.. along with every McMahon on ringside. On paper it sounds like a good idea since there is a 75% chance that the title will change hands..but to me the match didn’t work at all..for some reason every body did not click in with eachother at this match with too many messed spots and big show should have not been in this match in the first place. Triple h got the win on this match but it didn’t matter because the triangle ladder match stole the show earlier that night and this main event was rarely ever mentioned on wwe television again

Bret Hart vs Mr.McMahon (Wrestlemania 26)

10 years later we get another great rivalry but another horrible match..Bret Hart made his wwe return in 2010 to bury the hatchet with Shawn michaels and to start his rivalry with Vince McMahon ..it was built on the Montreal screwjob back at survivor series 1997.as soon as Bert’s music played and he entered the ring with his t-shirt band blue shorts,every body was thinking, “where in the hell is the pink and black attack “..it was like he just finished drinking coffee and was told his match is next..but anyways,other than Vince trying to get Hart’s family to turn on him, Bret repeatedly his Vince with the crowbar and then he went for the sharpshooter forcing McMahon to submit …I had the mindset to go over there to Arizona to punch both of them in the face..no disrespect to the legendary Bret Hart who is one of my favorites..but this match was booked like it was a Wcw show and I understand that he had a stroke years ago,but be should have not done this match in the first place.

John cena vs the miz(wrestlemania 27)

I can say that 2010-2011 was the year of the miz. He has improve a lot since teaming with john Morrison..him becoming wwe champion in the end of 2010 got me more interested in this Guy.. now for his match at wrestlemania against arguably the biggest star of the wrestling world today john cena had me puzzled about who would win..the match started very slow and the fans were not buying that the miz were to beat cena. A few botches threw me off for this match And the spot where the match ended in a double count out was not well received by everyone ..so the rock..oh wait Dwayne Johnson who was the host of the show cones out and says that the match will be restarted .. Dwayne then gives cena the rock bottom and miz goes for the pin..this was the weakest finish in wrestlemania since wrestlemania 9 and Dwayne making that run in just didn’t make the cut at all

Goldberg vs Brock lesnar (wrestlemania 20)

I cannot lie..the moment when Brock and Goldberg had that face to face standoff, I knew something big was going to happen..the feud leading into this match was great and adding in Steve Austin as the referee made the match huge..the week before wrestlemania, it was leaked from wrestling websites that Brock lesnar is leaving after wrestlemania to go to the NFL..a few days later,it was also leaked that Goldberg is leaving too..this angered the fans and when the match started, both Brock lesnar and Goldberg were heavily booed in the Madison square garden arena, then the “you sold out” chants began ..anyways, the match started by them two stalling in the ring with no moves whatsoever for about 4-6 minutes ..the most we saw was a few holds and throws and that was it..the next 20 minutes the fans were already tired of them two and chanted for Steve Austin and started the “boring ” chants as well..the match didn’t really pick up until the last 6 minutes with Goldberg going for the spear and jackhammer and going for the 3 count but that still didn’t satisfied the fans..so stone cold did the stunner to both lesnar and Goldberg for the fans to finally give a huge reaction .. to tell you the truth, both lesnar and Goldberg deserved that angry crowd reaction and I’m happy that they did

Divas battle royal (wrestlemania 25)

Where do I start with this one..this battle royal took the spot for the tag team title unification match and I was sure the fans wanted to see it than seeing kid rock’s performance along with this very sloppy botchamania written match. This also features the divas from the past and present and the divas from the past could not keep up with the ones right now ..from the silly falls to the forgettable missed spots,this match was very un watchable..did I mention that santino marella win with the gimmick of santina marella. That’s enough said for this match..if you would like to see this kind of mess, either watch this match or watch the male version of it..its called the XFL.

Honorable mentions:

Big show vs Floyd mayweither (wrestlemania 24)

Triple h vs Randy orton (wrestlemania 25)

Test vs Eddie Guerrero (wrestlemania 17)

Undertaker vs Kane(wrestlemania 20)

Scott hall vs Steve Austin ( wrestlemania 18)

Kane vs the great khali (wrestlemania 23)

Operation Retroshock – Episode 45 (Wrestlemania Special)

Rob Leave a Comment

It’s Wrestlemania Season once again!

Last year you were taken on fantastic trip through everyone’s favourite Wrestlemania memories, courtesy of ourselves and the guys over at The Total Wrestling Show. This year things are a wee bit different. Instead of 5 people on the show you have 1, yes this is another solo episode folks and your host is our very own Allan. Not to worry though, there is plenty to be discussed and….well Allan is known for rambling!

First on the agenda is the WWE Hall of Fame, your host has a look at who the WWE has awarded its greatest honour to this year. With the likes of Edge, Ron Simmons and The Four Horsemen on the list it’s sure to be a winner.

Allan then takes you through this year’s Wrestlemania matches, going from the match he is least interested in, right up to the one he is most excited by and of course along the way he will make predictions for this year’s show! We will also have Chris’ picks on hand. So which host will come out with the big ‘W’ this year? In our First ever ‘Mania Special it was a tie, last year Allan was victorious…So could this be Chris’ year? You will have to listen and then watch Wrestlemania to find out!

So sit back, grab your Lite-Brite Jacket, your Shades or even a can of Pepsi…..turn that son bi….. sideways and enjoy the fun that is Wrestlemania!