As the eagle-eyed among you will have no doubt noticed, SLTD has a bit of a WrestleMania theme going on as the long and winding road to the biggest PPV in the wrestling calendar continues.
Last week, I got all trendy by having a go at WWE, Triple H, and the fact he sees himself on par with the Undertaker when it comes to WrestleMania. This week I would like to concentrate on the positives of WrestleMania – the things WWE have got right.
The one thing that has been a constant at WrestleMania for the last five years is big names wanting to have a go at the Streak. The Streak has now, for obvious reasons, reached mythical proportions. To go 21-0 at anything is a big deal, but to do it at an event where apparently no-one else has ever won more than 5 in a row, at an event that is widely regarded as the biggest deal in wrestling is pretty unbelievable.
So how did this come about? There’s no way that Vince thought all the way back at WrestleMania VII that he would be sitting almost a quarter of a century later with a Streak to sell his PPV. Obviously Undertaker has changed his character slightly. He’s done the Ministry and the American Bad-Ass/Biker gimmicks. He’s been the inspiration for gimmick matches like the Casket Match and Buried Alive, and those have helped, but 21-0?
When you look at other PPVs, Taker has a record which would probably compare to the best. He wins some, he loses some. So what happened at Mania?
I’m guessing that a lot of it is down to luck. The Undertaker just happened to be in the right place at the right time. He just happened to be in storylines where he was the winner, at least for the first few, but even then, say by the time he had won 5, Vince was never thinking 21-0 surely?
For his first WrestleMania, it would seem natural that he would win – he’s a new talent and needs the push. It happens all the time…or used to happen when talent was actually pushed.
But from that debut, until maybe WrestleMania XIV, Undertaker had managed a 6-0 streak without really setting the heather alight. He took on mid to upper card guys, and essentially his stock was rising, or his influence was better, and apart from his disqualification win against Giant Gonzalez, WrestleMania was pretty much run of the mill for the Undertaker.
His match with Kane changed that for me. Despite winning the title the year before, that was really the first Undertaker match at Mania I can really remember. Since that match, The Undertaker kicked on a bit. The first of his three matches with HHH at Mania was the best, and his match with Flair delivered, the way a match between two greats should.
But then, until the match with Edge at XXIV, again, Undertaker was hardly stealing the show. That was the first real memory I had of the Streak and it’s the first time I remember anyone mentioning it. Maybe nobody had noticed til then. Obviously since then, it’s been all about the Streak. It works well and gives wrestlers a reason to want the match. With Undertaker obviously getting older, it eliminates the need to invent a feud before Mania.
Since then, the last HHH match aside, Taker has pretty much been in the best match on the card. His two matches with HBK were pretty awesome. Last year against CM Punk was the highlight for me, and even his second match with HHH was pretty good.
This year, Taker faces a bigger challenge with Brock Lesnar – how can these two big men deliver another classic?
The other thing WWE have done right has been the big talking point of the week. The thing that, to be honest, annoyed me more than anything else.
After sitting up till 3am writing an article where I stated that Daniel Bryan would absolutely not be main-eventing Mania this year, WWE dangled that carrot on a show that was broadcasting as I was writing. A show I didn’t see til the next day – the day my article went live…
But, putting having to edit my article aside, WWE have finally given the fans what they wanted, or might do, depending on the outcome of another match. WWE would want you to believe this was their plan all along, and let’s be fair, judging by the slow build for the event, that might be true.
However, Cynical Grant thinks that maybe early sales of the Network weren’t as high as was first forecast. Maybe the promise of Hogan and some salt in the eyes wasn’t enough to get you to sign up.
If you go back to about six weeks ago to an article I wrote, in which I declared Vince a genius, the following paragraph won’t be new to you, but I think it’s worth repeating – if for no other reason than to help with the word count and to make me look good:
“Let’s face it, the best way to build Bryan, or any face, is to knock him down first and make the odds insurmountable. So keep Bryan out of the Rumble, generate as much heat as you can, then give the people what they want, but let them know you don’t really agree, and you’re doing them a big favour.”
I may also have suggested that Bryan would win at Elimination Chamber, but that’s just detail. How Bryan eventually got to this point is totally irrelevant, and I’m brilliant. Got it?!?!
Here’s where I get really cynical. What if the Network suddenly picks up a ton of new subscribers in the next three weeks because of this, and HHH just beats Bryan anyway? No win means no title shot, and by the way, you’re locked into the network for six months now, thanks for coming. Given that we’ve already established my genius, there’s no way for us to rule that scenario out is there?
But back to the positives. I actually quite like this slower build to Mania. So far, we have Wyatt/Cena, Taker/Brock, Triple H/Bryan and the main-event of Batista/Orton, where there’s a possibility of Bryan being added to the match.
Once again, I’m writing this as Raw airs, so something could happen live which changes things, and I’m not going to do another rewrite, so we’ll assume nothing will happen to contradict what I’ve written.
I’m not going to do a full preview, but let’s take a quick look at those matches.
It’s not often I can say that I’m looking forward to a John Cena match, but he does seem to raise his game when he’s in there against better wrestlers, and I’m hoping to see a good match. Bray Wyatt has been a breath of fresh air in the WWE since he arrive and honestly, he delivers the promo that Willow wants to. Bray has a similar character, but keeps it on the right side of credible. He gets to debut at Mania against the top man in the company, and although I fully expect him to lose, I expect him to look good doing it.
Undertaker vs Brock is one that I’m slightly worried about. They’re both pretty big guys and Taker isn’t getting any younger. Brock has a fairly unique style, so this will be different to the last five or six matches Taker’s had at WrestleMania. I can’t see past a Taker victory, and if it’s done well, this could steal the show again. I just worry about the possibility of a bit of ‘lumbering’ going on.
Bryan vs HHH should be another great match, regardless of the outcome. Bryan does well as the small guy in with a powerhouse, and hopefully a victory will see him go on to save the main-event. If he loses to HHH, I may not even watch Batista/Orton, and I don’t think I’ll be the only one.
So, all in all, I’m back to my positive self again, with a side order of cynical just to keep it real. That might change next week, depending on how this long road to WrestleMania goes and whether or not Raw made me look stupid by changing the card.
As always, before I go, I’d like to remind everyone about the fantastic MFX Podcast, which is available twice a week right here on SLTD. Hosted by Duckman and Sir Ian, it’s the only NSFW, twice weekly wrestling podcast that I listen to, and I’d highly recommend you all have a listen.
Also recommended are my fellow writers here on SLTD, who keep you (and me) informed on all the latest goings on in the world of pro-wrestling, and combined with SLTD Radio, make this your one-stop shop for all your wrestling needs.
Anyone wishing to agree with my declaration of my genius can do so below, or follow me on twitter @GrantCookDFC
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