THE ‘MANIA MUSINGS EDITION
We are fresh off the heels (pun intended) of WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas, and WWE have just announced it as the most lucrative event in their history. TKO have ramped up ticket prices and exploited every opportunity to make money from the loyal WWE fanbase. This strategy is paying dividends for them. Crowds flocked to the Allegiant Stadium over two nights, bringing energy and passion to once again light up this magnificent showpiece. But did the show itself deliver?
Welcome to another dose of Kyro’s Midweek Musings, the Mania Musings Edition. Before we discuss any further, let’s look at my match ratings and overall WrestleMania 41 ratings:
WRESTLEMANIA 41 MATCH RATINGS
NIGHT ONE
Jey Uso vs Gunther –
7
War Raider vs New Day –
6
Jade Cargill vs Naomi –
7
LA Knight vs Jacob Fatu –
7.5
Rey Fenix vs El Grande Americano –
6
Tiffany Stratton vs Charlotte Flair –
6.5
Roman Reigns vs Seth Rollins vs CM Punk –
9
NIGHT TWO
Bianca Belair vs Iyo Sky vs Rhea Ripley –
9
Damian Priest vs Drew McIntyre –
7
Bron Breakker vs Penta vs Finn Balor vs Dom Mysterio –
7.5
Randy Orton vs Joe Hendry –
5
AJ Styles vs Logan Paul –
6.5
Liv Morgan & Raquel Rodrigues vs Lyra Valkyria & Becky Lynch –
6
John Cena vs Cody Rhodes –
6.5
FINAL WRESTLEMANIA 41 RATING: 6.8 out of 10
A final score of 6.8 agrees with my initial gut reaction when the final credits began to roll, that this was a good, but not great, year for the Showcase of the Immortals. As has been discussed by fans and pundits before the show, the lack of build for some matches hurt the final product and then the controversial booking for John Cena vs Cody Rhodes left a sour taste in the mouths of many. Was this fair?
Let’s delve a little deeper into a few of the main talking points that have consumed my mind over WrestleMania Weekend...
17 TIMES, ‘THAT’ ENDING AND THE ROCK
There are certain moments in Pro Wrestling that are too monumental to ignore. The Undertaker’s WrestleMania streak comes to mind. Some believed it should have never been broken. But the thought of what a huge moment it would be for someone to end the streak, and get ‘the rub’, was simply too enticing as a great WWE moment. Whether they delivered on that moment is a topic that has been widely debated.
Another one of those moments that has fallen at the writer’s feet is John Cena and Ric Flair tied on 16 World Titles, with Cena now in his retirement year. WWE simply had to pull the trigger on Cena winning title 17 to give us another memorable moment. A moment big enough to close a WrestleMania. Moments this big in magnitude do not come around very often. The decision was bold...but the execution was UNDERWHELMING. Cena has 17, and maybe time will be kinder to the moment, but there is a sense that this will be remembered in the same vein as the decision to have Brock Lesnar end ‘The Streak’ - Constantly debated with a lot of ‘what if’.
Having Travis Scott appear without The Final Boss was misguided and overestimated the fans interest in seeing Scott. It begs the question as to who booked this? According to online reports, and The Rock’s recent interview with Pat McAfee, this was a Triple H led decision. However, you cannot help but feel WWE Creative was left in the lurch with The Rock withdrawing himself from the build up and not appearing in Las Vegas. People were 100% expecting to see The Rock and it made continuity sense for the storyline. They were even selling Rock merchandise hinting at him appearing. Something does not seem right about this whole situation, perhaps a power struggle breaking out between Rock and Triple H led creative?
Could the finish have been handled better? Those ref bumps looked weak, and Cody never gave Scott a proper receipt for the black eye he received at Elimination Chamber, opting instead to hit him with the Cross Rhodes. Cody also looked foolish not to hit Cena with the belt and instead receive ANOTHER kick to the groin. Not a good evening for the American Nightmare but he will recharge and come back to chase Cena. I’d put my money on Cody learning to do what is necessary to win and stop Cena retiring with the Championship come December.
TRIPLE THREAT HEAVEN
Both Triple Threat Matches at ‘Mania, the men’s and the women’s, delivered some and more. Absolute CREDIT must go to Roman Reigns, CM Punk, Seth Rollins, Bianca Belair, Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley for producing arguably two of the best three-ways in Company history. It is ironic, considering there was an underwhelming feel amongst a section of the fanbase who wanted singles matches instead for both feuds.
Certainly, for the women, this must go down as an all timer and the standard bearer going forward. It is clear WWE are trying to elevate Iyo Sky to top tier level, and with this victory, and her positive crowd responses as of late, they may have just accomplished this. She is fantastic in the ring, and her lack of promo skills are countered by her charisma and extremely likeable personality. Well done to all three women for this banger!
As for the men’s side of the fence, they told an INCREDIBLE story, and it is clear to see why Reigns, Punk and Rollins are at the top of the profession. The timing, the nuances, the skill they displayed to engage the crowd and draw us in is what sets them apart. The finish was a masterpiece, with Rollins getting his big Mania moment. Whilst I initially had reservations about seeing Heyman and Rollins aligned, any fears I had were gone once I saw the following episode of Monday Night Raw...
RAW AFTER MANIA
WWE countered the negative press received for WrestleMania with a brilliant follow up episode of RAW. We instantly veered into John Cena vs Randy Orton for Backlash, which should be a fascinating role reversal from their previous encounters. We also had the re-debut of Rusev, saw Becky Lynch turn heel and Liv & Raquel regain their tag titles. Add in a dream match between Iyo Sky and Stephanie Vaquer and a hot main event angle and you had the formula for one of the best Raw after Mania shows in recent memory.
And about that main event angle...The new alliance of Seth Rollins, Paul Heyman and now BRON BREAKKER has the potential to dominate the main event scene for the rest of the year. I was initially sceptical of the Rollins and Heyman heel turn. We have seen them both turn numerous times before, but adding a younger member to their group certainly spices up the dynamic. What an opportunity for Bron to learn from two masterminds of the Wrestling business and further increase his stock. He has been a revelation since coming up to the main roster, and having someone like Heyman hype him will be worth its weight in gold. That spear to Roman through the barricade was AWESOME. Rollins and Breakker vs Punk and Roman has potential to be a great match, and it begs the question if Heyman is finished recruiting for his new faction. Could we see another member cost Punk and Roman the match? Something to keep an eye on...
SUMMERSLAM TO BE A BIT ‘UCEY’?
Who else spotted the tease on Raw? Jey Uso celebrating with his title on the turnbuckle and Sami Zayn in the middle of the ring, enviously looking up at Jey for a couple of seconds, hinting at an attack. Could we be getting Jey Uso vs Sami Zayn for the World Heavyweight Championship? It seems logical, and they have a great history to build an emotional story from.
I believe Sami missed WrestleMania because he is primed to get his big moment later in the year, possibly at SummerSlam. It would add a further feather to the cap of the Bloodline storyline to see Sami Zayn get his first World Title by beating Jey Uso. Does Sami need to turn heel for this? Or could we have a face vs face situation where the fans can decide?
SAY HIS NAME....
Joe Hendry got his big moment at WrestleMania 41 by being revealed as Randy Orton’s mystery opponent. This is a great story personally for Joe, who continues to gather a mass swell of support in his pro wrestling career. It is hard not to feel sympathy for some of the talent that missed out ‘Mania, the likes of Karrion Kross, Sheamus, Ludwig Kaiser to name a few, but WWE clearly sees something in the singing Scotsman and will likely sign him up to a full contract when his current TNA one expires in a year.
There has been debate about whether Joe was ‘buried’ by Orton, and this writer believes this was not the case. The fact Joe was CHOSEN ahead of many other potential candidates, and chosen by Orton himself, is a massive testament to his current standing and getting the chance to showcase himself for five minutes by going back and forth with a legend like Orton will only further enhance his profile, and the profile of TNA.
One thing I would CAUTION is that wrestling moves on quick. Joe’s act will need tweaking if he comes to WWE full-time. The novelty of the song, and the entrance, will wear off quickly and Joe could quickly move into ‘goofy’ territory if he doesn’t adjust. Joe is a big guy, but he looked small stood up against Orton. He will need to adapt and show more ‘Ruthless Aggression’ if he is to thrive in WWE. It will be an interesting challenge for Joe, and one I am looking forward to following when he does inevitably make the move.
Well, WrestleMania week has been exhausting and whilst I always enjoy the ride, it will be nice to get back to some ‘normality’. Let me know your thoughts on the whole weekend, or on anything I have written above.
Until next time, take care all and stay positive
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Email - kyrowrestlingx@outlook.com
