Wrestlemania XXIX Feedback/Review Thread *KEEP IT ALL IN HERE*

I also have to point out that because Wrestlemania is now held in stadiums consistently since WM 23, I feel like we aren't getting a good crowd experience because its hard to get chants going with over 80,000 people. When it's held in an arena it feels more personal and intimate and the matches come off better because you can hear the crowd and what they are chanting. The stadium drowns most of the chants out. Now I'm not saying they should change and go back to arenas because that would be stupid on WWEs part. I'm just pointing it out.
 
I usually leave Wrestle Mania with some kind of excitement for what's next, but this year just left me flat. There really isn't much good to say about it ... But I'll try.

The Shield looked really good in their Mania debut, and the WWE continues to push these guys appropriately. While the WWE typically trades victories among the wrestlers, the Shield angle has managed to maintain its steam because they keep winning. Well done. Also enjoyed the Big Show angle to the match, watching him look on as Orton got pinned provided a tremendous shot.

Daniel Bryan got his Wrestle Mania moment. I was certain the WWE was going to break up Kane and Bryan- or at least have them drop the belts and tease a breakup that would occur next month. But the WWE let them go over tonight, and it allowed Bryan and Kane to have the moment of the night - the crowd chanting Yes in unison.

Undertaker vs Punk. It was easy to predict the winners of the three main events, but while the other two fell flat for me, this match came through. I won't go as far to say it was better than HBK/Taker I or HHH/Taker II, but I'd say it was a top-5 Mania match for Taker and easily Punk's best match at the big event.

Now some people call what Punk does "bad heat," but I'm in the group that thinks it works. His arrogance on the mic and in the ring - performing Old School, etc - made it so that people wanted to see him get his ass kicked. And that's exactly what happened. In old school fashion, The Undertaker got his satisfaction and Punk got what was coming to him.

--------------

And now for everything I disliked -

This pay-per view featured no National Anthem - no America the Beautiful - and no pyro to kick off the show. Perhaps they did all this in the pre-show. I couldn't tell you. Which brings me to another problem I had. I paid $70 to watch this show in HD on a big LED TV. Why does that not afford me the chance to watch the pre-show in the same capacity? Why do I have to turn to a 13-inch computer screen to watch it? I understand the WWE makes money from the social media networks carrying the pre-show, but it's absurd to ask me to watch something on a 13-inch monitor when I've committed $70 to watching the product on a larger screen.

P-Diddy got 20 minutes tonight. By comparison - Jericho/Fandago got 15. The IC Title match was pushed to the pre-show because of time contraints. Four full-time wrestlers were pushed completely off the card because of time constraints. Hell, Jack Swagger, the challenger in the WHC match didn't even get an entrance! But hey - don't worry about that one because those people in attendance that paid hundreds of dollars to watch a wrestling show - and the people at home that paid $70 to do the same - got to see Puff Daddy sing a few songs from 1997.

Triple H vs Lesnar was an absolute wreck. The match had no pacing - no psychology - and seemed to trip over itself multiple times. And the crowd reacted accordingly. I noticed multiple times how dead the place was during this bout. I'm sure the WWE will call it a classic - and that some WWE marks will follow suit - but this match was almost as bad as Lesnar/Goldberg.

Rock vs John Cena. I appreciated the four promos (25 minutes in total) that were aired during the pay-per view, though I found it completely odd that the WWE was forcing me to watch video packages that promoted a match I'd already paid to see --- I mean, it was like going to a movie, and 15 minutes into it, the movie paused and a trailer for the movie I was already watching played. Surely, the WWE could've found better ways to use that time - like perhaps, they could've had ALL the matches they advertised ---- or perhaps they could've had actual Wrestle Mania caliber entrances for the main event performers.

As for the match, for the second-straight year, it was lackluster. I love The Rock, and I'm glad he came back because he's still one of the most entertaining guys in the world, but the fact is that this guy gets gassed after 10-15 minutes these days. His name can carry a card - and people will buy it, as I'm sure millions of people did - but his ability can no longer live up to the hype. That's not a knock on him; it would be unfair to expect him to be the same guy he was at 30 when wrestling was his only job, but that doesn't mean I wasn't disappointed by the totality of the match. As for the finish, it should've ended when Cena faked the People's Elbow. The AA he hit there should've ended it, and it would've been much more satisfying than the sudden - no build whatsoever - finish we got.
 
Anyway, I just find the whole build to Rock - cena all night with the little promo packages really annoying, I was expecting something big and then it just fizzled out
 
I also have to point out that because Wrestlemania is now held in stadiums consistently since WM 23, I feel like we aren't getting a good crowd experience because its hard to get chants going with over 80,000 people. When it's held in an arena it feels more personal and intimate and the matches come off better because you can hear the crowd and what they are chanting. The stadium drowns most of the chants out. Now I'm not saying they should change and go back to arenas because that would be stupid on WWEs part. I'm just pointing it out.

I think it's more the open air stadiums than anything. The crowds at 25 and 27 were pretty in sync.

You're a wiser man than me, though, so what do I know?

I enjoyed the entire show, even if I didn't agree with the HHH/Lesnar finish and Cena/Rock bored me to tears. It was a very entertaining show, IMO. I wish Tons of Funk and The Rhodes Scholars didn't get hosed, but there was very little about that show to complain about for me.
 
There was really nothing wrong with any of the matches. The problem was the pacing of the show. Whoever decided to not put filler right after Punk/Taker should be fired. The streak match was great. HHH vs Lesnar was a great match, but the crowd was gassed. They needed a break. If you're going to SNL it up with a musical guest, put that after Punk/Taker. The biggest issue with the two being back to back is that it killed the effect that Heyman's brilliance as a manager can have. The two matches back to back inundated the crowd in Heyman.

I'd have thrown Puffy after Punk, and put Ryback after HHH/Lesnar. Get a big pop out of the Ryback strength spot and take tat energy into te main.
 
I rarely post on here but I just had to on this thread. Honest opinion, worst Mania since WrestleMania 2000. Where is our WrestleMania moment? What unforgettable moment will we take away from tonight and remember for years to come? They missed a huge opportunity by not having Ziggler cash in money in the bank. Also, when are we going to get a Cena heel turn. I am not one of those guys who hates or bags on Cena. I don't think he sucks or anything like that. I respect the man for what he does in the squared circle and outside of it. But for crying out loud it really is time for a change! A very lackluster night in my opinion. Felt like a regular PPV to me. And was it just me, or did the New York crowd seem dead most of the night? I love the WWE when they go to New York but it sure did sound silent there tonight. I could be wrong, it could've been because it was outdoors, but that's the way it came off to me.
 
I think at this stage of my WWE fandem I kind of know what I'm getting into and judge accordingly. If it was up to me some of matches that included talented performers that could steal the show like groups like the Shield and wrestlers like Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler would have went longer. I feel Punk Taker should have been second last on the card and was the best match of the night, it wasn't as good as Taker's match with HHH last year, but still a very good match. I felt HHH/Brock and Cena/Rock had compelling spots in both matches but both matches suffered from having lost direction in building the match at the ends and finishing them. That was a little odd for me even with WWE standuards.

I do enjoy WWE and their current crop of talent, so for seeing them in the ring in even sub par matches is ok. For me seeing all these stars on one card felt cool and even though some of the matches weren't EPIC they were still not bad to pretty good, and as funny as it sounds I got what I expected. The matches still managed to capture my imagination and want to know what happens with everything on Raw tomorrow.

If you want 5/5 star match quality, with good length match and a variety of cutting edge new moves watch ROH. But I think deep down we know what we're getting into when we order a WWE show. Enjoy it for what it I say.
 
seems like a good reasoning, I just dont believe wwe had this one planned out at all, I mean up until last monday i would have bet my house on AJ winning the divas title
 
I think it's more the open air stadiums than anything. The crowds at 25 and 27 were pretty in sync.

You're a wiser man than me, though, so what do I know?

I enjoyed the entire show, even if I didn't agree with the HHH/Lesnar finish and Cena/Rock bored me to tears. It was a very entertaining show, IMO. I wish Tons of Funk and The Rhodes Scholars didn't get hosed, but there was very little about that show to complain about for me.

If they put on a bad show like this it's hard for the crowd to get going really. Daniel Bryan had over 80,000 fans doing the YES chants in sync and it was a great sight. If WWE had done it right certainly the crowd would be louder.
 
I usually leave Wrestle Mania with some kind of excitement for what's next, but this year just left me flat. There really isn't much good to say about it ... But I'll try.

The Shield looked really good in their Mania debut, and the WWE continues to push these guys appropriately. While the WWE typically trades victories among the wrestlers, the Shield angle has managed to maintain its steam because they keep winning. Well done. Also enjoyed the Big Show angle to the match, watching him look on as Orton got pinned provided a tremendous shot.

Daniel Bryan got his Wrestle Mania moment. I was certain the WWE was going to break up Kane and Bryan- or at least have them drop the belts and tease a breakup that would occur next month. But the WWE let them go over tonight, and it allowed Bryan and Kane to have the moment of the night - the crowd chanting Yes in unison.

Undertaker vs Punk. It was easy to predict the winners of the three main events, but while the other two fell flat for me, this match came through. I won't go as far to say it was better than HBK/Taker I or HHH/Taker II, but I'd say it was a top-5 Mania match for Taker and easily Punk's best match at the big event.

Now some people call what Punk does "bad heat," but I'm in the group that thinks it works. His arrogance on the mic and in the ring - performing Old School, etc - made it so that people wanted to see him get his ass kicked. And that's exactly what happened. In old school fashion, The Undertaker got his satisfaction and Punk got what was coming to him.

--------------

And now for everything I disliked -

This pay-per view featured no National Anthem - no America the Beautiful - and no pyro to kick off the show. Perhaps they did all this in the pre-show. I couldn't tell you. Which brings me to another problem I had. I paid $70 to watch this show in HD on a big LED TV. Why does that not afford me the chance to watch the pre-show in the same capacity? Why do I have to turn to a 13-inch computer screen to watch it? I understand the WWE makes money from the social media networks carrying the pre-show, but it's absurd to ask me to watch something on a 13-inch monitor when I've committed $70 to watching the product on a larger screen.

P-Diddy got 20 minutes tonight. By comparison - Jericho/Fandago got 15. The IC Title match was pushed to the pre-show because of time contraints. Four full-time wrestlers were pushed completely off the card because of time constraints. Hell, Jack Swagger, the challenger in the WHC match didn't even get an entrance! But hey - don't worry about that one because those people in attendance that paid hundreds of dollars to watch a wrestling show - and the people at home that paid $70 to do the same - got to see Puff Daddy sing a few songs from 1997.

Triple H vs Lesnar was an absolute wreck. The match had no pacing - no psychology - and seemed to trip over itself multiple times. And the crowd reacted accordingly. I noticed multiple times how dead the place was during this bout. I'm sure the WWE will call it a classic - and that some WWE marks will follow suit - but this match was almost as bad as Lesnar/Goldberg.

Rock vs John Cena. I appreciated the four promos (25 minutes in total) that were aired during the pay-per view, though I found it completely odd that the WWE was forcing me to watch video packages that promoted a match I'd already paid to see --- I mean, it was like going to a movie, and 15 minutes into it, the movie paused and a trailer for the movie I was already watching played. Surely, the WWE could've found better ways to use that time - like perhaps, they could've had ALL the matches they advertised ---- or perhaps they could've had actual Wrestle Mania caliber entrances for the main event performers.

As for the match, for the second-straight year, it was lackluster. I love The Rock, and I'm glad he came back because he's still one of the most entertaining guys in the world, but the fact is that this guy gets gassed after 10-15 minutes these days. His name can carry a card - and people will buy it, as I'm sure millions of people did - but his ability can no longer live up to the hype. That's not a knock on him; it would be unfair to expect him to be the same guy he was at 30 when wrestling was his only job, but that doesn't mean I wasn't disappointed by the totality of the match. As for the finish, it should've ended when Cena faked the People's Elbow. The AA he hit there should've ended it, and it would've been much more satisfying than the sudden - no build whatsoever - finish we got.
HHH/Lesnar had no psychology? You mean like Lesnar not really being affected by pain and fighting through getting thrown on his head and beaten on. Lesnar's animalistic rage punishing HHH with brutal German duplexes and floor bumps? HHH turning the tables and trying to get Lesnar to submit with the Kimora but like a machine Lesnar kept coming. So HHH went for the head to knock out Lesnar because that's the only way to beat him?


I really think most of you throw words out like "psychology" without knowing what the hell you're talking about.


Good Mania. The undercard was a lot of solid matches. Didn't like the booking of Henry/Ryback but you have no idea where it's going so it'd be premature to judge.

Punk/Taker was really good. Call back Mania spots and Punk nearly breaking his leg.

Already explained the obvious psychology of HHH/Lesnar.

Del Rio/Swagger wasn't amazing but it wasn't awful.

Cena/Rock was finisher heavy but the crowd wouldn't have bought it otherwise and the revenge spot on Cena knowing the Rock would get up during the People's Elbow was genius and beautiful.
 
Honestly a predictable card. Even though Punks match was very good, the rest had me trying not to fall sleep. I didn't even notice the missing match until after Mania. Not worth $70. All I have to say is, Vince its time to hand hunter the keys to the company and you PLEASE SHUT THE HELL UP! :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:
 
If they put on a bad show like this it's hard for the crowd to get going really. Daniel Bryan had over 80,000 fans doing the YES chants in sync and it was a great sight. If WWE had done it right certainly the crowd would be louder.

It wasn't a bad show by any means, but you're entitled to your opinion. The "Yes!" chant is easy to coordinate, thanks in part to the hand motion and Daniel Bryan leading the chant. I was referring more to dueling chants like "Let's go Cena!/Cena sucks!" or "Un-der-ta-ker!/C-M-Punk!" Those are hard to coordinate even in smaller venues. Getting them going in an open air stadium with 80,000 people is nigh-impossible thanks to the sound escaping. People are responding to echoes.

I imagine all of that went over your head. Don't reply.
 
@Dr. Thanks for honoring your word with the friendly bet we had. I hardly remember wm27 because I thought it was one of the worst in years and wm25 I didn't like either except of course the hbk/taker match. The problem with this mania as well besides for me the crowd was the fact we didn't have a true WM defining moment and no match really ran off with being the show stealer where I said wow this is amazing and could be match of the year. I honestly think I might have enjoyed the Cena/punk match on raw then his taker match at mania. That's not saying it was a bad match I just expected it to come close to hbk/taker at 25 and HHH/Taker at 28 and I didn't feel like it did. Also like someone else pointed out I'm not looking forward to raw at all. Ziggler could have definitely cashed in at WM and not have been overshadowed because not much was very impressive or memorable.
 
Another thing, how does the challenger in the WORLD TITLE MATCH not get an entrance? Yet Rock/Cena got 3 videos, one of which we've seen on Raw FOR THE PAST 4 WEEKS..... and Diddy got a good 10 minutes of NO ONE IN THE AUDIENCE CARING. Seriously. No one looked excited. No one sang along. Also, why was a trailer shown for a movie that WWE I NOT EVEN PRODUCING? Is this in the Rock's contract? Constantly plug his movies?
 
Also, I predicted most of the card. Don't care. The falsies made me question it and its about the journey and not the destination. If you are upset because you knew the ending, you might want to try MMA where hyped matches end in 2 second upsets.
 
Well i am gonna be a lot nicer than some people on here! While it wasnt the best WM ever it certainly wasnt the worse.

1. Randy Orton,Sheamus,and Big Show vs The Shield. Very decent Opening match of the night. The Shield continue to have amazing chemistry together in the ring and it showed tonight. As far as Randy Sheamus and Show go,just because you have three amazing superstars on the same team it doesnt necessarily translate to chemistry. Randy cost the team the win and i look forward to a Big Show and Randy Feud (Fingers Crossed)

2. Team Hell No vs Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston. I was surprised at how well Big E can actually wrestle. He has got skills for someone of his build and clearly it shows he has been training his ass off to look impressive. He was the star in the match. Dolph and DB have amazing technical ability and I look forward to more encounters between these two in the near future. A pretty good match could have been better but eh whatever.

3. Mark Henry vs Ryback. Now this is the match that is getting shitted on the most. These two monsters have never been confused with ring wizards not much really you could have done pitting these two together. When Ryback first attempted Shell shock and Henry held on to the top rope,i think ryback drove his head into the mat knocking himself out legit. Weird ending no doubt but IMO Ryback looked groggy and really out of it for a min or two. Plus it looked like he hurt his ribs. Im sure this is not the ending that was planned but if indeed ryback got hurt what do you expect?

4. Fahnnn Dahnnn Go vs Jericho. A so-so match mr johnny curtis looked good tonight in the ring he did. He has got some skills and Y2J is just there to put over talent he doesnt need the wins anymore he is there to give back to the company that is his job. A very solid win for Fahnn Dahnn Go over a sure fire 1st ballot HOF in jericho will do wonders for his confidence and career.

5. ADR vs Jack Swagger. I knew ADR was gonna win at some point we all knew that Swags was gonna be punished for his DUI arrest and what better time to do that,then at WM. A good solid match though back and fourth and ADR has as much ability if not more so than Swags. A very credible effort on both counts and ADR won cleanly. But the one major disappointment in this match is,Swags should have jumped ADR beat him down and allowed Ziggler to come in and cash in! Ziggler didnt take a beating and really he should have cashed in tonight of all nights.

6. Punk Vs Taker. A good match best of the night IMO. Yes Taker is past his prime he is old and really is a step slower. Its a damn shame our heroes have got to get old isnt it? But still an incredible effort on both accounts. Counter hold after counter hold. I never really thought takers streak was in jeopardy tonight and he was gonna win but still Punk brought it tonight. A A-plus match hats off to both superstars. See you next year Deadman in your farewell mania match and Punk needs the much needed time off to heal up and recharge. Dude has been going hard for almost three years straight very hard to do.

7. HHH Vs Brock. Just an all-out slugfest and a true brawl. HHH also looked old tonight and really Brock carried the match IMO. I was somewhat surprised at the headshots that were allowed via the steel steps i thought that was a no-no but it is WM season and special circumstances allowed this. WE all knew HHH was gonna win and for some odd reason people are not really behind Brock. I think really and this is just my rambling that the younger kids out there dont realize how much of a bad-ass brock really is. They didnt see his first stint in the E. Very good match on both these guys part i thoroughly enjoyed the match a lot. I still think HHH has mileage left in his body and maybe a short title run is not out of the question. As far as Brock goes,well he is 1-2 since his return last year and i just dont know. I know Brock only wants big names to feud with but losing really hurts him.

8. Cena Vs Rock. Probably the most predictable match of the night. But better than last years mania IMO. Like it or not yes these two have never been confused with ring masters but you know something,they have been involved in some pretty incredible matches in their career. They have good chemistry together and this match IMO was a solid 3 out of 5. Good buildup and great counter hold out of each others finishers. Overall yes this PPV wasnt great but not bad either! Nothing ever could be as bad as WM11
 
I agree with potentially changing the order of the matches. Creative really is slacking... HHH/Lesnar should of been in first hour... Punk taker in second... Followed by diddly.... Rock/Cena last, but a heel turn after he won would of been nice... Send Rock packing injured!!! Like whip him with a chain under the ring...lol. Like a government mule! .....shield could of helped Lesnar. That would be nice... Build up more heat retiring HHH. It's justice... Or shield help out punk after ref bump... Some kind of wow moment it lacked! Raw sure doesn't wow me, so I guess why should WM anymore.
 
@Dr. Thanks for honoring your word with the friendly bet we had. I hardly remember wm27 because I thought it was one of the worst in years and wm25 I didn't like either except of course the hbk/taker match. The problem with this mania as well besides for me the crowd was the fact we didn't have a true WM defining moment and no match really ran off with being the show stealer where I said wow this is amazing and could be match of the year. I honestly think I might have enjoyed the Cena/punk match on raw then his taker match at mania. That's not saying it was a bad match I just expected it to come close to hbk/taker at 25 and HHH/Taker at 28 and I didn't feel like it did. Also like someone else pointed out I'm not looking forward to raw at all. Ziggler could have definitely cashed in at WM and not have been overshadowed because not much was very impressive or memorable.

I'm a man of my word, just as you are indeed the wisest poster WrestleZone Forums has ever or will ever have. WrestleMania 27 was bad, I agree. Very forgettable. But the chants were together. 25 was underwhelming, but I'm partial to it because I was in attendance. I thought Taker/Punk was better than either of the last 2 Triple H matches. I was hoping for a Ziggler cash-in, but I'm guessing that's being saved for tonight's Raw. No real WrestleMania moments, I agree, but it was entertaining.

And remember people, HBK/RKO is truly a good and wise man.
 
@Dr. Thanks for honoring your word with the friendly bet we had. I hardly remember wm27 because I thought it was one of the worst in years and wm25 I didn't like either except of course the hbk/taker match. The problem with this mania as well besides for me the crowd was the fact we didn't have a true WM defining moment and no match really ran off with being the show stealer where I said wow this is amazing and could be match of the year. I honestly think I might have enjoyed the Cena/punk match on raw then his taker match at mania. That's not saying it was a bad match I just expected it to come close to hbk/taker at 25 and HHH/Taker at 28 and I didn't feel like it did. Also like someone else pointed out I'm not looking forward to raw at all. Ziggler could have definitely cashed in at WM and not have been overshadowed because not much was very impressive or memorable.

Well Rock's expression at the end made me look forward to Raw as he looked like he could be contemplating retirement. Really don't want that to happen. But yeah none of the matches were show stealers, lots of solid matches but the random finishes just prevented it from taking to the next step. Even Punk vs Taker could use a better finish than just a random Tombstone.
 
Oh yeah, one final note, what the heck was the white stuff on Triple H's chest during his entrance!? Is THAT what he had to do to get Bruno in the HoF!?
 
One of the issues with the match placements, as well as what I mentioned before was that the last three matches were the ones for which everyone knew the outcome. Punk/Taker was just so damned good that no one cared how predictable. By throwing the Ryback/Henry 'upset/heat redemption' later, it would have added predictability. I'd have thrown HHH/Lesnar in early, to then have Taker, while walking back through the smoke be greeted by Brock when he got to the cleared area.
 
I just came back from Metlife myself and the whole PPV was just bad after Punk vs Taker. The crowd did not care. There were boring chants in my section for brock vs hhh and Rock vs Cena. Rock vs Cena was just horrible in everyway. The whole arena hated the result. I honestly dont think I will go to another Mania live.

Everything felt rushed. Everyone went for a bathroom break after HHH vs Lesner cuz we were expected a tag team match, then out of nowhere, Cenas music plays and he comes out. It just felt rushed.

The script and pacing of the show was bad. Traffic out of Metlife was even worse.

5 out of 10 for me.

It did not even feel special being there. The pyro was not even that good.
 
Oh yeah, one final note, what the heck was the white stuff on Triple H's chest during his entrance!? Is THAT what he had to do to get Bruno in the HoF!?

I was wondering the same thing. At first I thought it was weight lifting chalk, but than it looked like the glow in the dark gimmick Jeff Hardy used in his entrances.
 
I thought Wrestlemania delivered overall. Rock/Cena and Punk/Taker were MOTN. HHH/Lesnar was entertaining and the Undercard delivered some good Matches as well. Also are people really complaining about no America The Beautiful and the Pyro? Im sorry Im pretty sure I saw Pyro all throughout the night. As for America The Beautiful,who knows.
 
I pretty much agree with anyone, OK but nothing special...

Shield match was OK(expected greater ending and Orton heel turn but prob that would come after Mania), Henry- Ryback didnt deliver in a bit(thought Ryback shoukd have his Wrestlemania moment and not bad ending like this with satisfying payback moment later), tag match was OK(would be cool if Bryan did ti Ziggler what Sheamus did to him last year :lmao: ), Fandango was OK, Whc has delivered, Taker once again had match of the night, HHH-Brock was suprisingly very good match and Cena- Rock was predictable in any way but OK match.
 

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