Wrestlemania 31 vs 32: And the year in between

[The Samoan Heritage]

To keep it simple I wanted to know how do everyone feel about this year's Wrestlemania card vs Wrestlemania 31's card last year? And has anything improved between these two events over the year?

Wrestlemania 31 card:
1. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (c) defeated The New Day, Los Matadores, and The Usos Fatal 4-Way tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
2. 30-man Battle Royal for the André the Giant Memorial Trophy- Won by Big Show
3 Daniel Bryan defeated Bad News Barrett (c), R-Truth, Dean Ambrose, Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler, and Stardust Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
4 Triple H defeated Sting
5 AJ Lee and Paige defeated The Bella Twins
6 Randy Orton defeated Seth Rollins
7 John Cena defeated Rusev (c) (with Lana)WWE United States Championship
8 The Undertaker defeated Bray Wyatt
9 Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns WWE Worldheavyweight championship. (MITB cash in by Seth Rollins mid match)

Wrestlemania 32:
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
2 The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz
3 The Total Divas vs. B.A.D. & Blonde 10-Diva tag team match[55]
4 Kalisto (c) vs. Ryback for the WWE United States Championship
5 Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
6 Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker Hell in a Cell match
7 Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar No Holds Barred Street Fight
8 Charlotte (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks Triple Threat match for the WWE Divas Championship
9 The New Day vs. The League of Nations
10 Kevin Owens (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara vs. The Miz vs. Stardust Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
11 AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

The Wrestlemania with the better card/results imo will be WM 32.
-Taker vs Shane has more interest than Sting vs HHH ever did.
-Comparing the divas triple threat match this year to the divas tag match last year will be laughable.
-Reigns vs Triple H has had almost a year long build, while many people question if Reigns vs Lesnar's build to Wrestlemania ever started.
-And Jericho vs Styles will be a greater match than Taker vs Wyatt was.

I feel like guys like Wyatt and Rusev were in big matches last year and were being pushed as the future. Now Rusev is in a group of world champions losing to a group he was destroying last year by himself(I also think the fact that LON has the size, power, and numbers advantage and are still losing should not be overlooked). While Bray isn't even on the card and has basically been in obscurity since the Royal Rumble. Looking at the card and the position they were in last year you would think that they would be fighting Brock Lesnar(or each other) in some sort of battle of the titans.

The one improvement I do see...is Dean Ambrose. After spending more than half the year being treated as Roman Reign's sidekick, he is finally starting to receive attention by wwe. I personally don't think Ambrose is main event material and I have a hard time taking him seriously, but I do feel like he's slowly becoming someone the fans should look out for. (I would also add the New Day to this "list". They haven't moved up from the tag scene but they've improved greatly since last year.)

So enough with me. What do you feel that wwe has done to improve? Who has improved/worsen since Wm 31? And which Wrestlemania card do you prefer? Also do you see any of the rumored events such as the brand split and Bullet club having any impacts on WM 32 and WM 33 next year?

 

[FromGlasgow]

In my opinion I would call last years Wrestlemania the better card. After reading your opinions I have to say I disagree with nearly all of them, Firstly I believe the Sting Triple H match had a lot of interest last year and had been building up for nearly 6 months when Sting first debuted he went after Triple H and was the one match I had really been looking forward to for a while, Secondly claiming the divas tag match last year was laughable is fair enough if thats your opinion but your comparing what hasn't happened yet to the results of last years laughable match, For all we know it could for whatever reason like time constraints or whatever end up a bad match unless you have a time machine and you already know they had a great match then my argument is invalid and I would still prefer to see a Reigns vs Lesnar match than a Reigns vs Triple H match.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

Just the Sting vs Triple H match last year had more steam behind it than half the card has this year. This seasons WM has a massive problem and it all boils down to injuries. Bravo for even trying to gain interest in the card when you have so many of your wrestlers unavailable. But last year wins pretty easy in comparison.

 

[MERPER]

Last year's is head and shoulders better. Here's my quick examination:

Tag team championships aren't being defended this year. Instead we have 2 different tag-team matches, neither one with any meaning to make it matter.

U.S. championship went from Cena/Rusev in a long-lasting, personal feud to.... Kalisto vs Ryback (PUKE!!!)

Lesnar/Ambrose were in meaningful matches last year. While their match could be entertaining, it means nothing this year.

Undertaker had a real opponent instead of Shane.

Triple H was not in the main event like he is this year.

And obviously the lack of star power this year is terrible. No Cena, Rollins, Orton, Cesaro. Wyatt family is not involved in anything (though maybe that's a blessing in disguise).

Wrestlemania 32 is shaping up to be awful.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

This year's Wrestlemania has the best card it could get. Some people say that the card is weak, but I'd say it's pretty strong given the circumstances WWE is under. No Cena, Rollis, Sting or Orton, people who were there at last year's Wrestlemania.

I believe however that Wrestlemania 31 had a stronger card, but of course it would. You had Cena, Sting, Orton, Rollins, Wyatt and Bryan there, people you don't have this year.

On the other hand, this year had a better build-up. I remember last year that the IC ladder match was carrying the shows with the build-up. Reigns vs Lesnar had almost no build-up, Sting-HHH was just staredowns and promo, Bray-Taker was only Bray cutting promos. And you also had Cena bullying Rusev in order to get a match at Wrestlemania that clearly he did not deserve.
So I'll give the build-up award to this year's Wrestlemania, WM 32.

As far as improvement goes, I see huge improvement in Dean Ambrose, just like you and I don't need to explain why.
Other improvements I see are:
1) Divas division and tag division. It's a shame that the tag team championships won't be on the line, but you can't argue that all 3 members of the New Day deserve to compete at Wrestlemania, so I don't really have a problem with LON vs New Day.
2) IC title scene. Last year, Wade Barrett was irrelevant as a champ heading into the event. This year, Owens has done a remarkable job as a heel champion, which really gives props to the belt.

Despite these improvements, I also see many things that hasn't improve or has gotten worse.
1) Roster strength. In an one-year span, nobody in the roster was able to make a significant difference, to really step up. That's why Shane is competing against Undertaker, because there was noone else for that spot.
2) Bray Wyatt. Bray goes from the Undertaker to not having a match at Wrestlemania. I don't get that. Still they might have planned something big for Wyatt at the event, but I don't get why he is not competing at Wrestlemania. Him vs Big Show let's say would be excellent and could give Bray a strong needed victory at Wrestlemania. It could be some sort of stipulation match, so that fans wouldn't get bored. I think WWE really got lazy here. They could also have made a family turning on him angle. Anything. So much potentiaol gone to waste.
3) The US Championship. They were riding a wave with John Cena as the champion and they failed to capitalize on that wave.

To sum up, WM 31 was a solid card. This year's card seems messy. However, WM 32 has the better build-up. But, despite the better build-up, WM 32 also has many flaws that I can't look away from. So my vote, as the better card/build-up goes to WM 31.

Which one will be the better event? We'll find out Sunday, but WM 31 won't be easy to be topped. Just my two cents. I expect a lot of people shiting all over it, when Reigns beats HHH for the belt "to send the fans home happy". As a result, I see this bitching watering down the event. I'll go into Wrestlemania without high expectations, so that I won't be dissapointed.

 

[The Samoan Heritage]

Wrestlemania 32 is shaping up to be awful.

This is the reason I made this thread. This is what was commonly said last year about Wrestlemania 31 as well, and now many people say it was better than it was build up to be. This year's card has a pretty similar feel to last years, which is a reasons I tried to compare a match from WM 31 with a match from WM 32 each.
Even though the product has gotten worse(injuries, retirements, etc), I personally think the build has been a little better this year and feel the matches could be as well even with the lack of talent and "big time main eventers".

 

[Jack-Hammer]

From an overall perspective, I'm much more excited about this year's show than last year. As of right now, the card is set up like this, though I've no way of knowing if this is the right order or not:

WrestleMania XXXII Kickoff Show
1. WWE United States Championship: Kalisto (c) vs. Ryback
2. Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
3. The Total Divas vs. Team BAD & Blonde
4. The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz

WrestleMania XXXII Main Card
1. WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match
2. The New Day vs. The League of Nations
3. WWE Divas Championship: Charlotte (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks
4. AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho
5. No Holds Barred Street Fight: Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar
6. Hell In A Cell: The Undertaker vs. Shane McMahon
7. WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns

The only match on the main card that even comes close to striking me as filler would be New Day vs. the League of Nations, but it's not filler, nor will most see it as filler, because of the New Day's involvement. Every match that I have absolutely no interest in, apart from slight interest in Kalisto vs. Ryback, will be on the kickoff show and that's EXACTLY how it should be for WrestleMania.

The build for WrestleMania XXXII hasn't been mind blowing, but it has been compared to the build for WrestleMania XXXI; last year's build for WrestleMania was atrocious, maybe the worst of all time, but the show was hailed as one of the best WrestleMania events ever. Not many of us had high hopes, especially for the WWE Championship match, but it turned out to be great overall. There are a lot of fresh faces involved in WrestleMania this year with an opportunity to make a big impression; after all, whenever WrestleMania has been packed with established or part time talent in recent years, look at how many people have bitched because not enough young talent is given a chance to show their stuff and make an impact. For me, there's a much fresher feel to this card than most of last year's card and the one possible exception to that is Triple H vs. Roman Reigns; we all know that it's all but guaranteed that Reigns wins and has his big WrestleMania moment but, at the very least, it's not a bout that we've take place on television or other ppvs half a dozen times already.

 

[BestSportsEntertainer]

I prefer last years card because this years card is just awful. Here are my reasons.

1 - Injuries - Cena, Orton, Rollins, Sting, Bryan, Cesaro, Kidd, Neville, and Harper.

2 - Reigns vs HHH instead of Ambrose vs HHH.

3 - We can't get Owens vs. Zayn but we can get KALISTO VS. RYBACK

4 - Shane is out of shape and not credible enough to face Taker. The storyline makes no sense.

5 - Ambrose is going to lose.

6 - The Wyatts don't have a match.

 

[Rhodes2TheFuture3313]

I'm the biggest Ambrose mark there is not named LaBar. I don't think Ambrose needs to win, but he needs to look strong in losing. Like Austin at WM 13. Seeing Ambrose be endorsed by Foley and Funk helps his future prospects for sure. I see a BIG year from WM 32-33 for Dean. I can easily see him win the Royal Rumble next year. Best thing they could do if Reigns turns heel is to keep Ambrose and Reigns away from each other. Have Ambrose & Lesnar team against the Wyatt Family at Extreme Rules and Payback. Have Ambrose have a strong showing in the MITB ladder match only to have him cost by someone. Have Ambrose be the sole Survivor at Survivor Series and start his push toward WM 33.

 

[TheYoungEra]

I think last year's Mania was better, and even that's a stretch for me. What really gets me is that, even with all the injuries, they absolutely could've booked a better card than this. There are a lot of illogical head-scratchers on this card. Personally, I think the IC title match should have been just KO vs Sami Zayn, preferably in either an outright Singles Match or maybe a 2-Out-Of-3 Falls Match. Those other five guys and the Ladder Match stipulation should've been added to the US title match instead. It actually kinda pissed me off when I saw that maybe they might have been building towards the ultimate confrontation between these two - Generico and Steen finally getting to put it all on the line and put on a clinic as only they can at the Grand-daddy Of'Em All...only for WWE to turn around and cram a bunch of guys that creative forgot into it at the last possible second and make it a Ladder Match. It's almost insulting. And yet, Kalisto vs Ryback - a match I'm pretty sure NOBODY cares about - goes on without a hitch. Something smells fishy here...

I won't go into the rest of the card, but suffice it to say...it could've been so much better than this - even with all the injuries.

 

[kadroan]

To keep it simple I wanted to know how do everyone feel about this year's Wrestlemania card vs Wrestlemania 31's card last year? And has anything improved between these two events over the year?

Wrestlemania 31 card:
1. Tyson Kidd and Cesaro (c) defeated The New Day, Los Matadores, and The Usos Fatal 4-Way tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship
2. 30-man Battle Royal for the André the Giant Memorial Trophy- Won by Big Show
3 Daniel Bryan defeated Bad News Barrett (c), R-Truth, Dean Ambrose, Luke Harper, Dolph Ziggler, and Stardust Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
4 Triple H defeated Sting
5 AJ Lee and Paige defeated The Bella Twins
6 Randy Orton defeated Seth Rollins
7 John Cena defeated Rusev (c) (with Lana)WWE United States Championship
8 The Undertaker defeated Bray Wyatt
9 Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns WWE Worldheavyweight championship. (MITB cash in by Seth Rollins mid match)

Wrestlemania 32:
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
2 The Usos vs. The Dudley Boyz
3 The Total Divas vs. B.A.D. & Blonde 10-Diva tag team match[55]
4 Kalisto (c) vs. Ryback for the WWE United States Championship
5 Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
6 Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker Hell in a Cell match
7 Dean Ambrose vs. Brock Lesnar No Holds Barred Street Fight
8 Charlotte (c) vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks Triple Threat match for the WWE Divas Championship
9 The New Day vs. The League of Nations
10 Kevin Owens (c) vs. Sami Zayn vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Zack Ryder vs. Sin Cara vs. The Miz vs. Stardust Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
11 AJ Styles vs. Chris Jericho

The Wrestlemania with the better card/results imo will be WM 32.
-Taker vs Shane has more interest than Sting vs HHH ever did.
-Comparing the divas triple threat match this year to the divas tag match last year will be laughable.
-Reigns vs Triple H has had almost a year long build, while many people question if Reigns vs Lesnar's build to Wrestlemania ever started.
-And Jericho vs Styles will be a greater match than Taker vs Wyatt was.

I feel like guys like Wyatt and Rusev were in big matches last year and were being pushed as the future. Now Rusev is in a group of world champions losing to a group he was destroying last year by himself(I also think the fact that LON has the size, power, and numbers advantage and are still losing should not be overlooked). While Bray isn't even on the card and has basically been in obscurity since the Royal Rumble. Looking at the card and the position they were in last year you would think that they would be fighting Brock Lesnar(or each other) in some sort of battle of the titans.

The one improvement I do see...is Dean Ambrose. After spending more than half the year being treated as Roman Reign's sidekick, he is finally starting to receive attention by wwe. I personally don't think Ambrose is main event material and I have a hard time taking him seriously, but I do feel like he's slowly becoming someone the fans should look out for. (I would also add the New Day to this "list". They haven't moved up from the tag scene but they've improved greatly since last year.)

So enough with me. What do you feel that wwe has done to improve? Who has improved/worsen since Wm 31? And which Wrestlemania card do you prefer? Also do you see any of the rumored events such as the brand split and Bullet club having any impacts on WM 32 and WM 33 next year?

WM 32

Tag division
Their seems to be more of a focus on the tag division this year since they're having two tag team matches with actual feuds this year instead of cramming 4 teams in one match.

Divas division
There's an actual Diva's title match instead of a tag team match.

US title at WM 31 had a better storyline. I guess I'll take Ryback vs. Kalisto over seeing ADR vs. Kalisto again.

I'm not a fan of an older Shane wrestling an older Taker but this match is intriguing over Bray/Taker because of what's at stake.

Brock/Reigns had a better buildup. That snowed in RAW definitely helped and Brock resigning before WM 31.