WWE: How would you rank the WrestleManias shows?

[TNT87]

Not to mention Brock's botched SSP.

I still cringe watching that. Watching it live I gasped thinking he was seriously injured.

 

[ColePens]

What that one really comes down to is that Austin didn't want any of that fanfare for it. So talent didn't want it built like that. And when it's Austin-Rock, it's hard to argue with them.

Yeah if I remember correctly, Austin wanted to go out quietly.

I didn't know that. I wonder if he regrets it at all. It was just so weird to see the two top guys leave and they were in an important match... but think of what that match could have been with all the entertainment and story behind it.

3 big things bug me about 19 that keeps it from the top. Taker's match (at least they did finally keep Nathan Jones out of it, but still), the ending of the HHH/Booker match, and the botched SSP.

If Booker wins and Brock nails that SSP it likely bumps it up my list.

Just because I'm in 1996 in my viewing right now to, WM 12 is middle of the road as it's literally a two match card, but watching around that time (from about SummerSlam 1995 until Diesel and Ramon leave) the WWF was really a 4-man promotion. The RAW and PPVs still have all the WWF Store commercial and all they are pimping is the same shirt with either Bret, Diesel, Shawn or Taker on it.

Fair assessment, but damn.. how do they not move the card around a little? It went - meh matches to like insane workrate all in a row. That's a tough tough tough thing for fans to sit through. That's why I freaking LOVE 17. 17 is like up/down and all around. The card couldn't have been put together better.

 

[Loosie]

Fair assessment, but damn.. how do they not move the card around a little? It went - meh matches to like insane workrate all in a row. That's a tough tough tough thing for fans to sit through. That's why I freaking LOVE 17. 17 is like up/down and all around. The card couldn't have been put together better.

It a bit of hindsight though to talk about match placement. Some matches might be drawn up well in theory but in practice just didn't work out.

That's one of the reason why the crowd was so flat for Jericho/HHH at WM 18. We were all spent after Rock/Hogan. Hindsight dictates that should have ended the show, but without hindsight I don't think there's a case that could be made to change the order.

 

[BonMorrison]

It a bit of hindsight though to talk about match placement. Some matches might be drawn up well in theory but in practice just didn't work out.

That's one of the reason why the crowd was so flat for Jericho/HHH at WM 18. We were all spent after Rock/Hogan. Hindsight dictates that should have ended the show, but without hindsight I don't think there's a case that could be made to change the order.

Agreed.

Whilst people were excited for Rock/Hogan, I don't think anyone imagined the reaction it got from the Toronto crowd. IIRC, people were still a mad that they weren't getting Hogan/Austin going into the show. Also no one anticipated the crowd turning on Rock that hard.

 

[Loosie]

Agreed.

Whilst people were excited for Rock/Hogan, I don't think anyone imagined the reaction it got from the Toronto crowd. IIRC, people were still a mad that they weren't getting Hogan/Austin going into the show. Also no one anticipated the crowd turning on Rock that hard.

I was shocked by it, but it also just carried through the crowd too. Rock played it up great though, and the reaction exploded when he used the sharpshooter (you might see me giving him the finger when he applies the Sharpshooter)

 

[BonMorrison]

Need that screencap.

 

[Engebretson]

That's one of the reason why the crowd was so flat for Jericho/HHH at WM 18. We were all spent after Rock/Hogan. Hindsight dictates that should have ended the show, but without hindsight I don't think there's a case that could be made to change the order.

Allegedly, HHH and Jericho both petitioned for Rock/Hogan to go on last and were vetoed by (probably) Vince because they were told the title needed to go on last. They have both said in interviews that they felt Rock/Hogan was the real main event and they didn't want to have to follow it.

WrestleMania 18 feels like it should have been better and I think that was partially due to the World Title Match. Fans were kind of behind Jericho as a heel, but they made him the typical chicken**** heel that cheated to get all of his wins and they never saw him as a true champion. Add in Jericho's head-scratching alliance with Stephanie McMahon whom he had just ****-shamed for most of the previous summer and I don't think the build to the HHH/Jericho match was as intriguing as WWE wanted it to be. I think they over-estimated HHH's drawing power as a babyface which was why they turned him back to heel a few months later. A lot of the undercard on WM18 wasn't fantastic either, but the title match specifically was a let down, IMO.

 

[BonMorrison]

The problem with Jericho/HHH is that Jericho was playing third wheel to the feud between Stephanie/HHH. It's the exact same thing that happened to The Miz before his main event with Cena. Played third wheel to the Rock/Cena feud; he still hasn't fully recovered.

Anyway - as said in my OP, I don't understand the praise X8 gets, tbh. One match card.

 

[Loosie]

The build for all of 18 was pretty poor and late for most of it. Edge and Booker T were thrown into a last minute match....over a shampoo commercial.

Really the only matches that had any sort of decent build were the Rock/Hogan match, the Taker/Flair match (where Taker goes to the training ground and beats the ever loving **** out of David Flair) and the IC (RVD vs. Regal) and Euro (Christian vs. DDP) title mathcs

 

[BonMorrison]

One of the most underrated promos of X8 was Booker's promo before his match with Edge:

"I'm smart! I got glasses!"
"Einstein's Theory of Relatives."

 

[SladeWilson23]

Agreed.

Whilst people were excited for Rock/Hogan, I don't think anyone imagined the reaction it got from the Toronto crowd. IIRC, people were still a mad that they weren't getting Hogan/Austin going into the show. Also no one anticipated the crowd turning on Rock that hard.

Was Hogan's face turn planned the entire time, or was it completely improvised? I also wonder why Hogan was willing to lose to the Rock, but not Austin.

 

[Pinkfloyd]

Was Hogan's face turn planned the entire time, or was it completely improvised? I also wonder why Hogan was willing to lose to the Rock, but not Austin.

Probably as simple as he liked Rock and at the time I don't think he liked Austin.

 

[bruins309]

Agreed.

Whilst people were excited for Rock/Hogan, I don't think anyone imagined the reaction it got from the Toronto crowd. IIRC, people were still a mad that they weren't getting Hogan/Austin going into the show. Also no one anticipated the crowd turning on Rock that hard.

What's funny is that this was the THIRD time the crowd turned on the Rock at WM: the goofy babyface Rocky at 13, then at 17 against Austin when crowd was totally against Rock.

At 18 he was a victim of circumstance: Toronto was generally regarded at the #1 Hogan town in the world for a very long time. That's why they could have The Big Event in 1986 there and draw over 65,000 people.

 

[BonMorrison]

I wouldn't say the crowd turned on him at X-Seven. It was in Texas; Rock knew he was going in as de facto heel.