Sheamus 5:15

We've all come across Austin 3:16, haven't we? That's the phrase that got Austin to click with audiences, which in turn helped him crack the WWF main event and become a monstrous success. It sold him a bunch of T-shirts and various other lines of merch. Many of those have been parodied and used as inspiration by other wrestling promotions.

Sheamus 5:15 says "Match times, fella!"

Surprisingly, given how good they are at finding ways to both make money and drill any given idea or co Celt into the ground, WWE have never really used the 3:16 thing as inspiration. That changed on Monday's RAW. On that show three time WWE champion Sheamus bragged about how, because of his Money in the Bank cash-in, Roman Reigns' first ever title win resulted in a reign (the repetition of reign here is why "Roman Reigns" is not the best ring name Leati Anoa'i could have chosen) that lasted just five minutes, fifteen seconds.

It's a nice idea. It was used to set up an interesting scenario on RAW, Reigns getting a title shot but having to win in 5:15 or less, but it feels somewhat like WWE have missed the point. Austin's line worked not because it was numbers but because it was an off-the-cuff remark that fit with the promo he was giving at the time. It was a shot at Jake Roberts but it could be used without his inconvenient because it was, in essence, a quote from the fictitious Book of Austin.

Sheamus's version is a putdown related to Reigns and Reigns alone. It will make little sense outside of a programme with Reigns. Its success, measured in crowd heat, is largely dependent on people caring enough about Reigns to boo Shaymo's dastardly bragging. Some people will do that. Some people won't. Most won't care either way because Reigns is largely uninteresting and hard to sympathise with and Sheamus's biggest source of heat is a daft haircut.

This isn't a bad effort by any means. It's actually rather inspired. But this being the best WWE can come up with for the new champion and, presumably, top active heel demonstrates how creatively shallow things are right now.

The Steve Austin Show

For a long time after retiring from in-ring activity 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin struggled to find a new calling. He hung around in WWE for a few years in a variety of authority figure roles but it never felt quite right. As a wrestler one of his defining characteristics had been his anti-authority bent. Seeing him laying down the law felt odd. On top of that it was clear that Austin missed actually wrestling. He was fun in these roles but they were never truly Steve Austin.

Eventually he left those roles behind in favour of chasing acting work in Hollywood. The high point of that endeavour was his appearances as lead goon Paine in The Expendables. When it became clear that acting wasn't going to pan out for him as it did The Rock (or even Hulk Hogan), Austin took a sidestep into hosting. Specifically he headed up WWE's initial, pre-Network, revival of Tough Enough and Country Music Television's Redneck Island. When those were received well he launched a podcast and got himself another TV show, Broken Skull Challenge¹.

Austin looking massively unimpressed there. Great stuff.

A combination of Austin being a likeable host and having a mostly sensible, respectable view on the wrestling business made his podcast a success. That in turn lead to WWE offering Austin a slot on the Network to interview Vince McMahon on 1 December 2014. No official ratings are available for the Network but it's hard to imagine this didn't do well: it was Vince's first appearance on a podcast answering questions from someone he'd had a close working relationship with for a number of years. It clearly did well enough to make someone in WWE decide that it should be a frequent thing as Austin has since returned to interview Triple H, Paul Heyman, Paige, and Edge and Christian.

It's possible that reading that list one name stands out over the others. Paige is not the first person who springs to mind when you think of potential interviewees for 'The Rattlesnake'. The common belief is that she was an emergency replacement for Hulk Hogan, who had been revealed as a bit of a racist a week or so earlier. If we assume that Hogan was the initially scheduled guest² we end up with a list of top level talent who would have worked with Austin during his run as an active wrestler (with all but Heyman being around him at his peak).

With an impressive pedigree established for Austin's Network shows it will be interesting to see who else gets lined up as a guest. There are a number of names I'd like to see, with Eric Bischoff being at the top of the list. They have an interesting history together. An injured Austin was released from his WCW contract by a cost-cutting Bischoff and he went on, via some angry anti-WCW promos in ECW, to be the biggest star in wrestling. When Bischoff rocked up in WWE years later he would end up working closely with Austin. Any heat between them will have long since been resolved but it still be interesting to see the pair discuss Austin's WCW firing and their later working relationship.

Both Mick Foley and The Rock would also be good guests. They worked with Austin at his hottest. Foley was his first feud after winning the WWF championship at WrestleMania XIV and would go on to work as a transitional champion getting the strap from Austin to Triple H in summer 1999. These periods of work, along with the fact that Foley has known Austin since the early nineties, give Foley an insight into Austin's journey to the top and his behaviour while he was there that few others could have. It's unlikely Ausitn would bring up his difficult behaviour once he was established as a top star on his own show but Foley could allude to it. Even if he didn't they're two of the biggest stars of the Attitude Era who respect one another's work and it would be nice to see them reminiscing about their time on top.

This is podcast material right here.

The appeal with The Rock is slightly different. Both he and Austin have mentioned over the years that they didn't get on when they first met but they went on to have the defining rivalry of wrestling's hottest period. If their secret handshake-heavy appearances in recent years (see WrestleMania XXX) are anything to go by they're very good pals now. As with Foley a large part of the appeal is seeing the pair chatting about their work together, although it feels like there's more chance of Austin acknowledging his early dislike of 'The Great One' than of his '99 paranoia.

The Undertaker was also around Austin at the same time as Foley and Rock but as he's had a WWE career that's lasted for well over two decades it's safe to assume that, rather than his late nineties dealing with Austin, would be the focus. Austin's mentioned on previous shows, as well as his regular podcast, that he was unhappy that The Streak ended. Seeing him discuss that topic with 'The Phenom' could fill a substantial amount of time by itself, especially if they looked back on The Streak as a whole. Even leaving The Streak aside 'Taker's worked with such a wide variety of WWE names and had so many bizarre periods of his career (who doesn't want to see Austin discuss Ministry of Darkness era 'Taker or 'Big Evil' era 'Taker?) that he'd be a natural choice for guest. Though somehow I don't think we'll see this happen until 'The Dead Man' is ready to call it a day on his career. WWE are, rightfully, protective of the character's mystique and appearing on a podcast would be damaging to that.

As the breakout star of the last year or so Seth Rollins would be a cool interview. Even though he's only been on the main roster for less than three years 'The Future' has accomplished a lot. He participated in a revival of trios matches (which I'm convinced would prompt Austin to drop a Freebirds reference), had a cracking singles feud with Dean Ambrose in which they headlined a PPV over John Cena, and he won the WWE championship in a WrestleMania main event. He'll be on top of WWE for years to come and I'd like to see Austin passing on some pointers with that in mind.

Talk, Owens, talk.

A breakout star of lesser status right now is Kevin Owens. I think he'd be a good addition to the show's line-up because he's such a fan of Austin. He's spoken before about happening to run into Austin at an airport when he was first starting out as a wrestler, where Austin told him to never stop running his mouth. Anyone who's seen Owens wrestle knows that's advice he took on board and it's likely advice that ultimately helped him to get signed by WWE. Seeing the pair discuss that aspect of KO's act would be fun, as would Austin delving into Owens' other career influences and his status as one of WWE's hottest heels, and one of the few to have motives beyond being bad because they're bad. I'd also like to see Austin speak to someone who's been in NXT since it became the "hot brand" it currently is, and Owens fits the bill perfectly.

Perhaps a slightly odd choice would be Cesaro. Not because he doesn't have anything interesting to say (he does) but because he's not the big name that everyone else on this list is. Austin is an outspoken fan of 'The King of Swing' so it's easy to imagine him wanting to have him on the show to give him a platform to promote himself. On top of that Cesaro's had an interesting journey to WWE, winning a green card lottery and all, and always comes across as an affable, humble lad in interviews.

Finally, there's John Cena. He's one of only a handful of men to have ever been positioned as the centrepiece of WWE. Austin is one of the others. He's one of the few people who can understand the pressure of Cena's spot. He's a fan of Cena's work too, which seems to be the case for a lot of WWE veterans. I'd like to see him discuss Cena's ring work with Cena to see if his claims are genuine and, if they are, what it is he specifically enjoys. Plus the subject of the springboard Stunner could be fun.

***

¹ This sounds less painful than it is. Though, to be clear, it is still a very painful show for those who appear on it.

² For the record I think it's a real shame Hogan is now unlikely to ever appear on Austin's Network show. It would have been fascinating to see Austin and Hogan discuss Hogan's WCW politicking (which Austin believes held him down there), Austin's ECW parodies of Hogan, and which of them is the bigger, more important name in WWE history.

Rock Versus Triple H: 2015 Edition

The Rock is many things. He's a Hollywood movie star. He's a highly accomplished third generation wrestler. He's a former eight time WWE world champion. He's a future first ballot Hall of Famer. He's one of the two biggest babyfaces of the Attitude Era (the other, obviously, being 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin). Some may even go so far as to say he was the biggest star of that era but I'm not one of them.

Triple H is also many thanks. He is the current on-screen boss of the company. He too is a highly accomplished wrestler and future first ballot Hall of Fame inductee. He's also former eight time WWE champion. He's one of the two biggest heels of the Attitude Era (the other, obviously, being Vince McMahon). Some may even go so far as to say he was the biggest heel of that era but I'm not one of them.

Rock pretending to fly as he hits a Rock Bottom there.

Together they had one of the greatest rivalries of the Attitude Era. It started off over the Intercontinental title and gradually progressed to one for the world title. Somewhere along the way it became a defining feud for both men, one that didn't actually require the involvement of a title or a reason for a match to take place. It was simply one of those rivalries that had been going for so long that it was one of those rare ever-ready, ever-present disputes, the sort of thing that could flare up at any time. Sort of like Cena v Orton now, only good.

Despite the pair having separate feuds in 1998, 1999 and 2000 they never actually had a one-on-one match at WrestleMania. They completely deserved to but the closest they came was the closing portion of a four-way elimination main event, also involving Big Show and Mick Foley at WrestleMania 2000. Behind Austin versus McMahon and Austin versus The Rock it was one of the defining rivalries of the time. Behind that second programme it was the greatest rivalry of Rock's career. It was quite possibly the greatest of Triple H's, with only his work opposite the various guises of Mick Foley coming close to being both as good and as important to his career.

I mention all of this because there's been speculation since WrestleMania Play Button that Rock and Triple H will face one another at next year's WrestleMania Star in Texas. This has picked up again recently because of SummerSlam. With the event being stretched to four hours (the first WWE event not named WrestleMania to hit that mark) and being held in NYC it's fair to say that WWE will want to add something to the announced card to make it special. A showdown between the on-screen boss and his old movie-making rival would fit the bill nicely. If they came to blows to set up a future match that would be A Big Deal.

Of course, part of the previously mentioned speculative chatter regaining a Rock and Trips bout is that it would somehow involve Rhonda Rousey and Stephanie McMahon. This would make sense given the segment involving all four at 'Mania earlier this year. But while a mixed tag match at WM32 would certainly be memorable it would also feel a tiny but like a squandered opportunity.

In Rock v Triple H WWE has a perfect chance to revisit one of the company's defining rivalries and give them the only kind of match they've never had: a WrestleMania showdown. Were it to happen and Rhonda Rousey was still on the card (her ability to wrestle a match for WWE has been questioned since her UFC boss Dana White stated publicly that he wouldn't let her) then she and Steph could have a singles match. That would probably be more enjoyable anyway: a squash in which uber-heel Steph gets tapped out in a few minutes sounds like a good addition to a 'Mania card to me. Meanwhile if either Rock or Tripper were considering retiring at all in the next little while this is a match that could provide a fitting end to either career (although the assumption that Undertaker's retiring in Texas makes that unlikely, nobody wants to see two retirement matches in one night). It's the match I'd like to see WWE revisit more than any other. One final addition to the feud at a WrestleMania sounds pretty good to me.

Vince Russo's Greatest Triumph

I was initially going to make this a Top Five Shows Booked by Vince Russo post. Then I started looking back on his body of work and it quickly became clear that wouldn't work. Russo's strength as a writer was in long-term storytelling and having something for everyone on the roster to do. His weakness was letting the act of actual wrestling be the focus of a show. Which has basically left us with a situation where there aren't many particularly good single shows booked by him.

"Cos it's a deadly game! Deadly game! Deadly game!"

The one time Russo managed to perfectly apply his approach to a pay-per-view was at the 1998 Survivor Series. That's the one, in case your wrestling lore is rusty, that featured a one night tournament (dubbed the Deadly Game tournament) to crown a new WWF champion. It allowed Russo to cram in everything he was good at and enjoyed, namely pushing the mid-card, constructing satisfying arcs for main event talents, and swerve developments, into one show, perfectly built to over the preceding months.

Part of the reason the show worked as well as it did (and holds up better than practically anything else Russo booked) was the build it had. After SummerSlam in August he and his writing partner Ed Ferrara set about repositioning key players in preparation for the story they knew they'd be telling at Survivors. Mankind became a sympathetic, comedic good guy. The Rock dropped the Nation of Domination (an albatross around his neck by SummerSlam anyway) and officially went face, dubbing himself 'The People's Champion'. Undertaker and Kane, who had been at loggerheads since Kane's debut the previous October, formed the first of many alliances and began pursuing WWF champion Steve Austin. Really, Austin was the only man not recast after SummerSlam. He remained the top babyface with the same agenda he'd always had: having the title and being a thorn in the side of Vince McMahon.

Vince was central to all of this. He butted heads with The Rock, based on his own hatred of "the people". He began manipulating Mankind, promising to make him his new "corporate" champion but clearly having little but disdain for him and using him simply as a tool in his wider plans. Which he did with Undertaker and Kane, of course, only they were presented as being intelligent enough to understand his schemes, playing along because it tied into their desire to be the champion. And, of course, his hatred of Austin was undiminished.

Through a typically Russo-esque convoluted sequence best summed up here as a double pin from the Brothers of Destruction, Austin was stripped of the WWF championship. An attempt to crown a new champion in a 'Taker v Kane match didn't work out because Vince (stupidly) made Austin the guest referee, leading the match to end with Austin attacking both competitors and declaring himself the winner. Vince's next plan to crown a champion was the Deadly Game tournament, bringing us back around to Vinnie Ru's greatest triumph.

The show featured a ludicrous fourteen matches (plus another four before the broadcast began) but was paced and structured so well that it avoided feeling bloated. Practically every match contributed something to the larger story of the show and the handful that didn't were either enjoyable enough to be overlooked (Shamrock v Goldust) or were short enough for it not to be an issue (Snow v Jarrett). The main characters were all placed in matches that advanced their own plots. Mankind found himself pitted against blatant ringer Duane Gill in the opening match (amusingly hyped up so much by Vince so as to deliberately mislead people into believing they' be seeing the injured Shawn Michaels), setting him and the audience up to believe that he truly was Vince's chosen one. Rock found himself pitted against Team Corporate henchmen in his first two matches and against Undertaker in his third, making it clear McMahon was doing everything in his power to keep him away from the final, and that the audience were right to believe in him because he overcame Vince's stacked odds.

Austin was ever so slightly an afterthought, odd considering he was the clear cut top star. He trounced Big Boss Man in his opening round match, received a bye in the second when nobody advanced to face him, and was double crossed in his semi-final match against Mankind. But this was all done for a reason. It allowed Rock and Mankind to close the show, helping to raise their status in the process. The double cross aspect of his semi-final loss was done to reunite Vince and Shane McMahon after Shane had been demoted to, in Vince's words, a lowly referee. It created a reason to further protract the McMahon-Austin rivalry to and neatly took 'Stone Cold' out of the title picture until WrestleMania.

Of course it's the main event that this show is, rightly, most remembered for. Mankind versus The Rock was a competitive match (although not as good as the work they'd do together over the months that followed) that played out with McMahon and his entourage at ringside. It was set up to make viewers believe that Mankind was Vince's choice for champion and Rock was the underdog fighting against all the odds. Not only did it make sense in its own right but it was a framing device designed to call back to the main event of the previous year's show. For anyone unfamiliar with that (not that I'd expect many bothering to read this far to be unfamiliar) the '97 Survivor Series had seen WWF champion Bret Hart defending against on-screen and real life arch rival Shawn Michaels, with it being (fairly) common knowledge that Hart was on his way out of the company and refusing to lose the belt to Michaels. The match ended with Michaels applying the Sharpshooter, Hart's own finishing hold, to Hart and Vince, who was uncharacteristically at ringside for the match, demanding the bell be rung and Michaels announced as the new champion.

That sequence, by November 1998, had become known as the Montreal Screwjob (because it was a screw job that took place in Montreal, obvs). It's something that's been played on a lot since, both by the WWF and others, but in late '98 it wasn't something that the WWF seemed reluctant to acknowledge or dwell it. That changed when Rock placed Mankind in the Sharpshooter and McMahon had the bell rung.

A successful swerve.

Russo and the rest of the WWF's creative types had had the genius idea of ending the show with a swerve turn, a reveal that The Rock and Vince had been in cahoots all along, Mankind a mere patsy in the chairman's villainous machinations. Russo has rightly been accused of booking too many swerve turns in his career but this one made complete sense and provided a neat payoff. Of course it was The Rock, with his movie star good looks and third generation status, that was Vince's chosen one, not the affable, slightly out of shape Mankind. Rock's victories over Corporate henchmen in the earlier rounds immediately made sense. His only real challenge all night had been his match against 'The Dead Man', and he'd won that after interference from Kane.

The show provided a great climax to story threads that had been present since SummerSlam and set up fresh ones that ran the company through to WrestleMania XV the following March. It was a pivotal show for the promotion creatively and showed just how good the Russo approach could be with the right conditions. He would never again produce anything this good. Certainly not enough to concoct a top five list.

Samoa Joe's Career Crossroads

Last week Samoa Joe announced that, after nine and a half years, he'd left TNA. He experienced both good and bad there. The good: the greatest match in company, a year and a half winning streak, and a significant amount of time spent as the company's hottest prospect. The bad: a lacklustre TNA world title reign, years of meaningless mid-card action, and stupid gimmick changes (like the time he became the Green Hornet or the time he painted his face and threatened people with a knife). He's leaving it all behind to work elsewhere. Considering most of the bad points have come after the good points, and that his relevance has been low for years, it's an understandable decision.

We're almost spoilt for choice when thinking about where Joe may go next. He could fashion himself a busy worldwide schedule cruising the variety of prominent indies that exist. He may have spoken to a Japanese promotion while negotiating with TNA. New Japan would be the most likely but NOAH and All Japan are just about plausible too. He could return to his old stomping ground of Ring of Honor. Or, of course, he could sign with WWE.

Seeing Joe in WWE has always seemed unlikely to me. He doesn't have than athletic body type and he's got a shining reputation outside of the company. These are things that have historically counted against prospective WWE signings. But the last few years have proven that's not necessarily the case anymore. Both CM Punk and Daniel Bryan were given multiple WWE championship reigns and joined the elite main event club. Perhaps even more noteworthy is that the men's division in NXT currently revolves around guys who joined WWE after being very successful elsewhere.  This includes Kevin Owens, another man who doesn't have the usual WWE look.

Something else in Joe's favour is that Mick Foley and Steve Austin have spoken up in favour of hiring him. Those are some significant endorsements. If we're to believe a story Foley relayed on his blog last week then Triple H is a fan of 'The Samoan Submission Machine' too. As the man in charge of hiring and firing he's the right name to impress. So, in short, I don't think Joe moving to WWE is that unlikely.

Although it would be more accurate to say I could see Joe in NXT. Vince McMahon remains in charge of WWE proper and Joe does not seem the sort of guy who'd impress him. But with Triple H having stated he wants to make NXT its own brand, even going so far as to say they'll be close to that vision come the end of the year, we could see him sign Joe without having any intention of ever seeing him progress to the main roster.

This would be beneficial to both parties. Joe would get to be one of the star attractions of NXT and have a long-term goal of proving his detractors wrong by earning a promotion to the main roster. WWE would have a guy who can draw fans on the scale NXT currently operates on (and will likely continue to operate on even if expansion occurs) and who can help less experienced performers learn. Viewers would benefit from seeing a bunch of fresh matches featuring everyone from Adrian Neville to Tyler Breeze. Joe would be a big deal for the NXT roster.

Future NXT champion?

For this to happen WWE would have to offer Joe enough cash to match what he could make travelling the world as a true independent contractor. Obviously they could afford to do this, but would they want to? As a highly regarded name Joe can demand and receive a fair chunk of change per appearance. By working for WWN, PWG, ROH, and various British and North American promotions Joe could easily bring in more than he was getting in TNA (which is likely why he left). It's tough to imagine WWE would be willing to pay a six figure sum to someone unlikely to progress beyond what is still technically their developmental division.

Personally I'll be happy watching Joe anywhere that's not TNA. He'd been stagnating there for years. He'd won everything and wrestled everyone. He was going nowhere as one of MVP's many lackeys. Wherever he ends up will be fresh surroundings with fresh challenges and fresh opponents. He could help ROH to solidify their grasp on the number two spot. He could become the latest guy to join up with WWN, adding to their momentum. Or he could go to WWE for a guaranteed top spot on NXT and the glimmer of a hint of a hope of a chance that one day, if Vince McMahon feels like it (or steps down as the man at the helm), he'll get promoted.

The Steve Austin Show

Why does ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin not have a greater presence on the WWE Network?

To a certain demographic Austin is still a very appealing figure. That demographic forms a large part of the WWE Network’s subscriber numbers¹. There are people that would pay to listen to hear him talk. Maybe not $9.99 a month, but it could certainly be a contributing factor. He’s a good communicator, is passionate about the business in general and WWE in particular, and his status as one of the company’s biggest ever stars gives him all the credibility he could ever need.

He’s proven himself to be a pretty good interviewer too, mostly on his twice weekly podcast but also in his pair of Network specials. The first, a sit down with Vince McMahon in December, was well received, Austin showing himself to be an amiable, knowledgeable host. ‘The Rattlesnake’ pressed McMahon a fair amount (not as much as he could have done on some points, but more than I’d expected him to on others) and kept the conversation flowing freely, switching naturally between subjects, never getting a topic get exhausted but not burning through things too quickly either.

Vince could have been a little more open, but it was still one of the more intriguing interviews he’s ever given. I think that’s largely due to the fact that he was speaking to someone he had worked with closely and regularly for many years. There was a level of familiarity there that no other interviewer (including the likes of Goldberg, Roddy Piper and Chris Jericho) could have gotten. Yeah, he was still guarded and frustratingly vague on some topics but it was still a worthwhile listen and watch.

Roman Reigns on the screen there. Keeping him strong.

The Triple H interview after last Monday’s RAW was better yet. ‘The Game’ was more willing to try to explain his perspective as opposed to trying to explain why everyone else was wrong (the Vinnie Mac approach). When he did avoid questions, and he avoided a few, he made a smoother job of it, which made Austin’s lack of follow-up slightly more forgivable.

In terms of interviews with significant WWE personnel Austin has done the big two. Vince McMahon is the boss who worked closely with Austin when he was the biggest star in wrestling. Triple H is the rumoured heir who wrestled Austin when he was the biggest star in wrestling. There are no other people with a media profile in positions of authority in WWE that have worked with ‘The Bionic Redneck’ as McMahon and Trips have done. An argument could be made for a Stephanie McMahon interview and I’m sure it would be interesting (just as I’m sure she’ll be interview three for Austin). But it wouldn’t have quite the same impact as these first two. Which is, of course, the reason they were the first two.

My point here isn’t simply advocating a greater frequency of podcast specials on the Network. They’re great when they come but they’d soon lose their lustre if they became a regular thing. My point is that Austin could be of great benefit to the Network in a regular slot. An Austin chat show, say live on Fridays or Saturdays when WWE doesn’t have any new content on TV, would be a great vehicle for members of the roster to gain exposure. It could humanise them in a way that promos never can and provide them with a high profile platform to win viewers over. Obviously guys like Cesaro and Ziggler and Bryan need little help winning over the average Network subscriber, but it could be of enormous help to a Big E or Jack Swagger or Zack Ryder. A chat show, featuring all the associated skits and acts that term conjures up, fronted by Austin could be great. Said acts could easily be based on the sort of thing The JBL Show does well, giving more TV time to yet more people.

Would it really be too much trouble for WWE to knock up a basic set in LA or Texas for Austin’s convenience? I don’t think so, especially if it were only for a limited run of somewhere between six and thirteen episodes (because that’s what I think WWE and Austin would realistically produce at first). An Austin chat show would create more unique, original content for the Network and provide a platform for talent. Can something which does these things really be considered bad? I don’t think it can.

***

¹ I’m not plucking this out of thin air, I’m quoting from Triple H’s February 2 appearance on Austin’s podcast. He’d know, right?

On Confidence and The Streak

As you’ll probably know, Vince McMahon appeared on a special edition of The Steve Austin Show last month. Besides a comment about the locker room being unmotivated, which seemed intended to bait the locker room into “proving him wrong”, a particularly backward way of thinking in 2014, one of the most interesting comments Vince made pertained to his decision to end The Undertaker’s Streak. He defended the decision by saying that he looked at the roster and didn’t feel there would be anybody ready to convincingly end The Streak within a two year timeframe. He went with Lesnar, at least in part, because he felt he was the only choice available.

Poor old Undi'.

It’s an odd sentiment for Vince to express. Two years is a long time in professional wrestling, especially when it comes to establishing a top star. There are plenty of examples of guys who went from nothing out of the ordinary to huge stars within that time frame.

Most obviously there’s Hulk Hogan. He returned to the WWF in late 1983 after several years away. Previously he’d been an unspectacular mid-card guy. Less than a month after his return ‘The Hulkster’ won his first WWF championship. By the time the first WrestleMania rolled around in March 1985 he was the man the promotion revolved around.

Then there’s Steve Austin. His famed 3:16 speech at the King of the Ring 1996 captured people’s attention and started a chain of events that would see him become the hottest act in the company by the same time the following year. By late ’97 it was clear he was the main man in the company, his first world title win at WrestleMania XIV was merely his official inauguration.

That’s two of the most important names in the history of the company who went from being just a face in the crowd to the man the company revolved around within two years. The point is that WWE can turn the right guy into a star within that time if they put their minds to it. They have more than enough talented guys to be able to have had someone ready to defeat ‘Taker by WrestleMania 32.

Even if that weren’t the case, they still had John Cena (who, for the record, is another guy who was clearly the hottest act in the company within two years of the decision being made to get behind him). Cena could have convincingly ended The Streak. In fact before ‘Mania XXX I was sure if anyone was going to beat Undertaker at WrestleMania it would be Cena. He’s not only the top act but he’s a guy WWE loves giving accolades to. It just seemed natural, and for Vince to say Lesnar was his only real choice while Cena was still around is flat out incorrect.  

Things could have been different had the chairman had some faith in his roster, and his own ability to elevate people. Had Roman Reigns or Dean Ambrose been given a sustained push and protected from uninspired segments and feuds they could have been ready. The same goes for Bray Wyatt, especially if he’d beaten Cena at ‘Mania XXX instead of losing to him. Daniel would have been accepted as someone significant enough to end The Streak last year. The treatment Seth Rollins has actually had would have been ideal for prepping someone as a Streak-ender. And any of these guys would have benefited more from the accolade than Lesnar. They’d have stuck around longer too.

The Part Time Squad

WWE’s reliance on the stars of the past has been well documented over the last several years. The Rock’s return at WrestleMania XXVII and matches at XXVIII and XXIX drew scorn from some. Triple H and Undertaker taking an annual ‘Mania spot has also failed to go down well with everyone. And guys like Chris Jericho, Batista and Hulk Hogan have also returned in one form or another, to a variety of reactions.

There could be said to be broadly two views on this. The first would be that the returning stars help to attract viewers who wouldn’t otherwise be interested and that their participation helps give the events that extra special feeling they’re meant to have. The second would be that the returnees take away spots from the roster members who work a full schedule and deserve to participate at a show of WrestleMania’s significance.

My view lies somewhere in the middle of the two. The returning stars are necessary for shows like WrestleMania to be distinguishable from the rest of the PPV pack. I don’t think WWE could expect to fill more than one stadium for a ‘Mania using only their current roster, and they’d only manage one because tickets are sold so far in advance. But at the same time I don’t think the list of returning names would need to be as long as it generally gets if WWE did a better job of making guys like Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, Cesaro and Dolph Ziggler seem like they’re genuinely big stars. Part of WrestleMania absolutely should be about celebrating the past and integrating older stars, but it should also be about building for the future.

Something that could be done differently is how the returning names are used. Right now they tend to interact exclusively with one another. Jericho v Fandango and Triple H v Daniel Bryan aside all the names listed above have been involved with other stars from past eras at the last few WrestleManias. An argument could be made for CM Punk being raised up with his matches against The Undertaker and The Rock, but Punk was already pretty close to that level anyway. And, y’know, he lost both matches. By the time he left he was definitely on that level.

I’d be far more interested in a Triple H versus Dean Ambrose match than I would in a Triple H versus The Rock match. The former is a match that could easily take place at WM31, WWE having ample time to prepare it. The latter is a match the men themselves talked about on the SmackDown fifteenth anniversary show and while I don’t think it’s especially likely to happen it’s not an impossibility. That it was brought up on company programming indicates that WWE were interested in seeing how people reacted to talk of the bout.

For whatever reason WWE doesn’t seem interested in pitting the veteran performers against the younger batch of stars. Perhaps they feel the youngsters are beneath the vets. That will cause a problem in years to come if true because sooner or later it will bleed through into the televised product and the current roster could be viewed as second rate in terms of star power.

More likely, given the matchups we’ve had over the last few years, they feel the Dream Match™ route is the best one to take. Their idea of what constitutes such a match can at some times be questionable (Cena versus Rock headlining two ‘Manias in a row f’r’instance) but it’s a solid enough approach. With all of this in mind I thought I’d run through the various part-timers WWE does and could make use of and look at the possible opponents, both part- and full-time, they could be pitted against at the next few ‘Manias.

We’ll start with Mr Hulk Hogan. He’s a pretty big star, right? Well, yes and no. He was undoubtedly wrestling’s biggest star in the 1980s and for much of the 90s, but his status has been somewhat diminished by the likes of Rock, Austin and Cena. His stint in TNA didn’t help him either. That gave anyone who saw it the impression that he’s washed up. He obviously was washed up but that TNA really emphasised it. It wore off what mystique he was still clinging to and he’s only started getting it back since he started the sporadic appearances for WWE.

He says he's got one more leg drop left in him, brothers!

‘The Hulkster’ has dropped a number of unsubtle hints about wanting to wrestle a retirement match for WWE. I suspect there are a number of motives for this. One would be the hefty payday. Another would be the chance to get himself into the spotlight one more time, something he has adored throughout his career. Third would be the opportunity to go out on top. I mean, Hogan clearly hasn’t been on top of wrestling since 19-take-your-pick, but having a retirement match on the upper half, possibly even in the main event, of a ‘Mania card would do a lot to sate his legendary ego.

There’s only one man I think Hogan could or should come back to face. That’s John Cena. The reason is pretty obvious. It would be the biggest current star against one of the biggest stars of the past. They would not have an especially good match but it would be a spectacle, and there’s always a room for spectacle at WrestleMania. Cena’s capable (though he wouldn’t necessarily be willing) of bouncing around to make Hogan look good. Hogan could probably take an AA. It’s the only feasible match should a Hogan comeback occur.

Next is the man who Hogan made his initial ‘Mania comeback against back at X8, The Rock. I’ve already mentioned the tease WWE made of a Rock versus Triple H ‘Mania outing. It would be interesting from a historical point of view because they never wrestled in a singles match at the event, despite having a feud that lasted years and took them both from the mid-card to the main event. While doing the match now would allow them to tick off an accomplishment it wouldn’t live up to their past standards. Between 1998 and 2000 the pair had a number of memorable matches on TV and pay-per-view. They’re older now, and ‘The Great One’ is extra cautious of doing anything that could inflict an injury for fear of losing work in Hollywood, and they wouldn’t be able to match their previous high standards. It’s a match best left in the past.

Rock versus Brock Lesnar has a certain appeal to it: the Hollywood A-lister facing the former UFC champion. It’s the sort of thing WrestleMania has always been built around: mainstream, outside-wrestling appeal. But it’s unlikely to happen with Lesnar’s status as champ as it would need to be for the title and I don’t think either would be back before SummerSlam. Rock’s health and safety gimmick would probably make this match a no, too.

Rock versus Rusev is a potential match after their surprise interaction on the October 6 RAW. I think it could be a very good match. Rusev’s selling and psychology are good and constantly improving and he’s got a convincing, and over, set of moves. It would make sense to promote this match and there’s a reason for it happening. But I don’t think WWE will do it. The most I think we can expect is a second meeting on TV which ends with Rusev looking strong. That would help him, but not as much as a WrestleMania victory in an official match would.

Other than ‘The Bulgarian Brute’ no characters from the main roster jump out as a particularly good match for Rock. I think Cesaro would be a particularly nice fit match-wise, but not enough time has been invested in his character to make it seem a realistic possibility. Meanwhile I think there’s a natural story to be told between Rock and Roman Reigns, not least because they’re cousins, but the in-ring action would let them down. Reigns is not yet experienced enough as a singles wrestler to make this bout work. But if Rock’s still around for WrestleMania 33 in 2017 it might be a good idea.

Going back to Brock Lesnar there are a surprising number of options. Roman Reigns is top of the list as beating Lesnar for the WWE championship at ‘Mania 31 would be a nice crowning-of-the-heir-apparent moment. But even though it would make sense it’s not been announced as a thing yet. ‘The Beast’ could just as easily find himself working a rematch with The Undertaker or having his first main roster dalliance with Randy Orton. Had a better job been done of splitting Paul Heyman and Cesaro then there’d be a compelling, natural story to be told for Cesaro versus Lesnar. It could still be done, but the time for making it mean as much as it could has slipped through WWE’s fingers.

Since the loss of his Streak I’ve found myself less interested in the concept of further Undertaker appearances. It’s not because the Lesnar bout was bad (although it was), it’s because the main appeal of ‘The Dead Man’ for me had become seeing him increase The Streak’s length. It added an urgency to his bouts that just can’t be there now. I’d convinced myself that he’d go for another year or two, announce his final match before it took place, and have Cena as his opponent. Cena, more than Lesnar, would have been able to convince people before the match that he was going to end The Streak. Because he’s Cena. My logic was that if WWE were going to end The Streak for anyone it would be Cena.

But that all fell apart when Lesnar pinned ‘Big Evil’ at WrestleMania XXX. ‘The Phenom’ will still be able to have good matches (if his body permits it) but they just won’t be as suspenseful. He could have his rematch with Lesnar and win, but ultimately it wouldn’t matter. The blemish on his record would still be there.

A lot of people seem to want Sting v Undertaker. I’ve said before that I would have no interest in seeing that match. Sting as a performer does nothing for me and any analogies between his role in WCW and ‘Taker’s in WWE are lost on me. One went off the rails because he felt betrayed during an invasion of cool heels, the other’s a zombie biker who digs MMA. The most that can be said in favour of them being a particularly good pairing is that they are both synonymous with their respective promotions. But WCW closed down in 2001. At this point Sting v Undertaker would be as much TNA v WWE as WCW v WWE.

But a lot of people want to see it. There’s obviously something I’m missing. That people seem keen on it makes me think that Undertaker versus ‘The Stinger’ is the most sensible match for both men at ‘Mania 31. Personally I’d be more interested in either man in a singles match against Bray Wyatt. He’s a better fit for the characters of both veterans. But I doubt that will come to pass.

I suspect a lot of people would argue that Sting v Triple H would be a good match. It’s true that both are top tier performers, but something about their respective styles makes me think they wouldn’t gel well together. Neither strikes me as a significant enough name to make the match work. There’s no obvious story to tell between the pair either.

‘The Game’ is best off working against guys getting established. He’s a respected (within WWE TV Land at least) performer, a former multi-time world champion, and the on-screen boss. His status is why guys would want a match with him and his job allows him to be easily written into necessary stories. The Daniel Bryan story worked well. More along those lines would be fine. Dean Ambrose, Bray Wyatt and Cesaro would be my top choices for matches against Trips. In time there’s a very obvious Seth Rollins match waiting to be presented too.

One guy I’m not especially interested in seeing Tripper wrestle is Batista. Since leaving over the summer he’s mentioned in interviews that he’d be interested in returning for a retirement match against ‘The King of Kings’ at a WrestleMania. Which says a fair bit about how ‘The Animal’ sees his status within WWE history. In fairness Triple H v Batista would make sense as a retirement match, given their history as friends and opponents. It would be a neat ending to Big Dave’s career. It just doesn’t feel like a modern day ‘Mania match, partly because they faced off at a ‘Mania before and partly because I don’t think Batista quite deserves that level of send-off. To me it feels more like a SummerSlam idea.

I think Batista would be of more value facing an Ambrose or a Cesaro at future WrestleManias. But such matches are probably beneath his ego, even if he were to win them. A bout with Lesnar would likely satisfy him, with or without the title on the line, but the trouble there is the same as with The Rock: Batsy has to keep himself as healthy as possible for Hollywood duties and Lesnar is not conducive to that. It would be a fresh pairing though of established headliners though, and that counts for a lot with me.

A man it would be easy to overlook here is Goldberg. No, he’s never been on the best of terms with WWE. No, they don’t seem to regard him as any form of exceptional draw (and in fairness there’s little evidence that they should). But if Sting is going to get mentioned Goldberg should too. At his peak Goldberg was just as big a star for WCW as Sting.

Were The Streak still intact a decent story could have been built around ‘Taker pitting it against Goldberg’s mostly perfect win-loss record. WWE could have ignored ‘berg’s handful of jobs or acknowledged them and emphasised the screwiness of most of them, either approach would have done the job. A year and a half ago Goldberg would have been a good choice of opponent for Ryback. ‘The Big Guy’ was getting compared to Goldberg every week and it would have given him a boost to face and beat the former WCW champ. It may seem a peculiar thing to say now, given Ryback’s lower-card status, but had WWE handled him better during his rushed rivalry with CM Punk and into WrestleMania XXIX they could have made a headliner out of him.

Those are wasted opportunities. There’s no obvious scenario for Goldberg at a WrestleMania now. But he’s a big enough name to attract a few eyes, especially if he was given the Hall of Fame and retirement match package (not that WWE would deem him worthy of that). The Ryback match could still just about work, just not as well as it could have previously. Beyond that matches with Brock Lesnar, Cesaro or a more embedded Roman Reigns could work nicely.

One more year for Angle. But it probably won't be in WWE.

Goldberg is also one of the many names that could work as an opponent for Kurt Angle. WWE’s fledging roster split stopped it happening during Goldberg’s previous run, which was a pity as the pair seem like a natural fit: the powerhouse and the technician. The trouble is that Angle would likely be taken as the face and Goldberg the heel, and both do their best work in the opposite roles. The more significant trouble with doing this match nowadays is that Angle is falling to pieces and Goldberg isn’t exactly known for his safety.

The really obvious Angle match would be opposite Rusev. He’s a foreign heel who talks about his superiority to America whilst wearing a gold medal. It seems tailor made for Angle. The current leading hypothesis is that Rusev is destined for a ‘Mania showdown with Cena. That would work and work well, but the ultra-patriotic Angle would be just as good a fit, if not a better one.

At this point I should probably pause and acknowledge the fact that it doesn’t look like Angle will ever return to WWE for a match. He’s said he’ll wrestle one more year part-time and then retire. WWE are said to be sceptical about Angle’s ability to pass their health and endurance tests, and they’re almost certainly right to be. Angle was originally let go by WWE in 2006 because of health concerns and he’s visibly smaller now than he was then. As much as it would be great to see him return for one final run and matches against Rollins, Ambrose, Cesaro, Ziggler and Rusev (and basically everyone else on the roster) it doesn’t look as though it will happen. I suspect we won’t be seeing Angle back in WWE until he’s called it quits on his in-ring offerings and is ready to accept a (much deserved) spot in the company’s Hall of Fame.

The same isn’t necessarily true for Angle’s fellow TNA alums Bully Ray and Devon. The former Dudley Boyz have apparently cut ties with TNA and agreed to some sort of deal which will see them wrestle at New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom 9. It seems safe to assume Team 3D were added because the pay-per-view will be broadcast on PPV in the US (via Jeff Jarrett’s increasingly shady Global Force Wrestling “promotion”) and Bully and Devon are considered big enough names to help attract an audience.

While they’re far from being the biggest names in wrestling ever they are a known quantity. They have the Attitude Era rub that could attract lapsed fans and a very long list of accomplishments for longer term fans. I don’t personally feel that they are but I could understand an argument being made for them being the best tag team ever.

All of which could be used to argue in favour of bringing them into WWE on a part-time basis. Or it could if WWE had a healthier doubles division. I’m sure that the Dudleys versus Goldust and Stardust or the Usos would be good, but neither of the current WWE teams has the status of the Dudleys. To make the most of rehiring the Dudleys WWE would need a team (preferably several) with some history and status to pit them against. They’d need that Dream Match™ scenario, allowing the Dudleys to give the rub to a younger team. The only duo WWE has right now that look like they have the potential to become a significant team is The Ascension, and they’re still in developmental.

If WWE wanted to they could hire Bully and Devon as agents and use them as an occasional treat for house shows crowds. If they spent the time between WrestleManias 31 and 32 creating an interesting and worthwhile doubles division with The Ascension as the undisputed stars then a Dudleys match in 2016 could mean something. But we all know this isn’t something WWE will bother with.

Finally we come to the man whom I think would prove the most lucrative name on this list were he to return to the ring: ‘Stone Cold’ Steve Austin. He seems fine with his retirement, having publically exhibited no burning desire to have one final match. It’s completely understandable. He went out in an extremely satisfying match in the semi-main event spot of a WrestleMania, losing to one of his greatest rivals, and friends, at a WrestleMania. He faced everyone there was to face during his time and became a massive star doing so. It’s hard to imagine him having any regrets about his career accomplishments or his last match in particular. While he’s always been careful to avoid committing to anything he has said that he’d come back for the right opponent and the right scenario. But I think another match with Austin is unlikely.

But that’s not to say there aren’t options for him. Because there are. There are tonnes. Austin against Ambrose, Rollins, Ziggler, or Cesaro. He has spoken highly of all of them in interviews and on his podcast, which indicates that he’d work a competitive match with them. Austin v Bryan could be a very good match too, although there you’d have the thorny issue of Bryan having to play the heel. Any of the four guys above could be switched to the antagonist role for an outing against Austin, but for several years now a defining attribute of Bryan’s character has been that he’s the chosen one of fans. He’s the man we want to see on top and the man we want to cheer for.

Even less likely than any of those matches is Austin versus CM Punk. It’s a match that WWE teased in a backstage segment on the 27 June 2011 on the episode of RAW that ended with Punk’s celebrated “pipe bomb”. The appeal of the match is obvious: they’re characters that have both a lot in common and some very clear differences. Each elevated their status within the company as outspoken anti-heroes railing against the management system. Each won several WWE championships and became credible headline talents. It’s the specifics where they differ. Austin was the beer-guzzling redneck who would attack anyone over anything. Punk doesn’t touch alcohol and was never booked to be as aggressive a presence as ‘The Rattlesnake’. The promos and interactions the pair could have in the build-up to a WrestleMania match would be sensational. With both men healthy and capable of hitting their signature spots a match would almost certainly be well-received. 

The match that never was.

Then there’s Austin versus Brock Lesnar. The promos there would have a different feel to them because it would be Austin dealing with Paul Heyman. There’s a lot that could be brought up there without even mentioning Lesnar: Heyman managing Austin early on in his career, giving him the opportunity to do a rough cut of the ‘Stone Cold’ character in ECW in 1995, and their time together in the Alliance. Then of course there’d be the history between Lesnar and Austin. The Texan famously walked out on WWE in 2002 after he was told he was to lose to ‘The Next Big Thing’ on an episode of RAW with no build-up. Heyman could spin that as Austin being scared of Lesnar and go on to talk up Lesnar various shoot credentials and WWE accomplishments to add validity to his claim. There are a lot of topics that could be covered to create a very tense, very real atmosphere for the bout.

Would it happen? I don’t think it would. While Austin would probably be more willing to risk injury than Batista and The Rock because he’s not got as many acting commitments or opportunities he does have a more serious medical history than either man (which, were it to happen, could be another topic for Heyman). Austin’s neck and knees would take a pounding in a match with ‘The Beast’ and I don’t think it would be worth the risk to his health.

Austin versus Hogan is another match with a very obvious appeal to it but I don’t think it could ever happen. ‘The Hulkster’ would need an opponent who could carry him, and that wouldn’t necessarily by Austin after twelve-plus years away from the ring. Then, of course, there’d be the question of winning. Can you imagine either man agreeing to lie down for the other? I can’t. And in this day and age anything less than a clear winner would not go down well.

There’s also John Cena. He’s already faced The Rock twice, losing once and winning once. Their matches were not received well and it’s tough to see things being any different in a Cena v Austin match. Rock actually seemed like a better fit for the Cena character as he was always a little more family-friendly than Austin, and Cena’s always about being family friendly. Something about their characters just made the pairing a natural fit, just as Austin and Punk would fit well together.

Were the match to happen Cena would obviously find himself booed. Austin, more than anyone else from the late 90s and early 00s, embodies the spirit of the Attitude Era. He was the man that sparked that movement within the company. It would be tough to see the match outside of the frame of Attitude versus PG and that’s a scenario WWE should want to keep Cena away from at all costs. The match would probably be as good if not better than Cena’s collisions with The Rock but that’s not really saying much.

Were Austin to return for a match there’s one match I’d want to see more than any other. It’s a match that has never happened but was once advertised as a pay-per-view main event: Austin v Triple H v The Rock. A triple threat match between the three biggest stars of the Attitude Era.

The match was originally advertised as the main event of Survivor Series 1999, a lovely bit of deliberate false advertising by the WWF because they knew from the start that it would never take place. Early on in the show Austin was “run over” in a car park to write him out of the match and storylines, allowing him to head off for a neck surgery. He was replaced by Big Show, who left as the new WWF champion.

Even back then I don’t think the match would have been incredible but it would probably have been very good. But it’s a bout that goes beyond concerns over quality. It’s appeal lies in seeing the three biggest stars of a generation together at the same time. And of course in seeing who’d be booked to go over. Had it happened in ’99 with all three men healthy it would have been hard to call. There were reasons for each man to win: Austin had been the company’s leading man for over a year and a half, The Rock was set to step up and become just as big a star, and Triple H was the era’s lead heel who always found a way to escape with the title. If it were to happen now none of that would be a factor. Times have changed and each man has a Hall of Fame career behind him. But it would still be one of the hardest matches to predict a winner for. And I think it would be an incredibly satisfying watch.

WrestleMania XXX review

I realised a few hours before WrestleMania XXX that I was looking forward to the card as a whole more than I could remember looking forward to any WrestleMania card in years. There was the Triple H and Bryan match, the likelihood of Bryan advancing to the main event and winning the title, The Shield having their second united outing on the show, The Streak match I’d wanted to see since Brock Lesnar returned to WWE, and a battle royal I felt had a lot of potential for some fun nonsense.

There were a fair number of storylines with months of work behind them and one of the most passionate wrestling crowds there will be anywhere all year. There was, I thought, a real chance to could end up being one of the more memorable WrestleManias, perhaps even coming close to toppling WrestleMania X7 as my personal fave. Even if that didn’t happen, it could still be a significant event for WWE, a turning point for many.

The evening’s festivities kicked off with a live pre-show, broadcast on YouTube and (presumably) the WWE Network. It featured the four-way tag team title match. Jimmy and Jey Uso defended against RybAxel, Los Matadores and The Real Americans. Everyone was wearing new gear, and Ryback and Axel had new music. 'The Big Guy' was dressed in red and yellow. He must be a Hogan fan. Or maybe he was trying to get people talking about a match between him and 'The Hulkster'. If so it didn’t work. I think his time in the spotlight is done.

This would not be the most impressive part of Cesaro's evening.

The match was fast and wild. Everyone got their moment to shine, as predicted. Even El Torito, who performed a dive (that was only partially botched) from the turnbuckle to a gaggle of bodies outside the ring. A large portion of the match was dedicated to Cesaro and Swagger tangling with the Usos after the other teams had been eliminated. Ultimately 'The Swiss Superman' would fall to a double splash from the champs following an energetic sequence that the live crowd ate up.

After the match Swagger shouted at his teammate and briefly slapped on the ankle lock. Zeb broke that up and demanded the two shake handsa. Cesaro looked to the crowd, who chanted "No!", before taking Swagger down and giving him a Big Swing (something which had only been teased during the match. That got a good reaction, as did his use of the "We the people" pledge before leaving the ring. That's too good and too over to leave with heels or be abandoned altogether. Rejigging it as a Cesaro face thing would be a good call.

There was a pause of a few minutes between the pre-show ending and the event proper beginning. Old footage reworked into a street carnival. The event’s opening video package featured old WrestleMania footage spliced into a street carnival in a New Orleans street. Austin was shown celebrating a title win stood in a throng of people and Shawn Michaels ziplined across the street on a journey to nowhere in particular. It was well done but a bit peculiar. In fairness I don’t know what else they could have done.

After the obligatory nonsense intro from Cole (this year's tag line is “WrestleMania: then, now forever”) Hulk Hogan was introduced. Hogan reminded us he was at the first WrestleMania and that he and Mr T won the main event. He also referred to the Silverdome. Twice, then corrected himself and acknowledged he was actually in the Superdome. He was, he said, distracted thinking about body slamming Andre the Giant. I’ve lost count of the number of times he’s mentioned that since he came back. He seems to think about nothing else.

Ten years ago this could have been quite the draw.

As Hogan talked about WrestleMania Moments™ glass broke and 'Stone Cold' Steve Austin marched out to provide another one. The crowd went nuts for him. Austin started out by jokingly referring to the Silverdome before moving on to more serious business of giving the audience the chance to chant "What?" and putting Hogan over for everything he’d accomplished in and done for the business. It was a special moment., certainly one that qualifies as something uniquely “WrestleMania”.

And then The Rock joined them.

'The Great One' got in on the Silverdome gag too, then said that he was in the ring with not just two of the best ever but also his buddy and his childhood hero. Rock cut a decent-if-you-like-that-kinda-thing rhyming couplet promo about babies being conceived because of WrestleMania excitement before the three ran through their segment ending catchphrases and shared a beer. It was a great way to start the show and helped to distinguish WrestleMania as special as a WWE pay-per-view but also special among the ‘Mania pantheon.

Daniel Bryan versus Triple H was the first match of the supercard. The video package for the match focused not just on Bryan's rise to the top and problems with The Authoruty bit also his career-long drive to be the best, with footage from the beginning of his career (taken from an early stint working under a developmental contract) being used very effectively. It did an excellent job of explaining why Daniel Bryan is so well liked by fans. Which proves WWE do understand his appeal. It ended with footage of Bryan leading a "Yes!" chant on RAW as Triple H said there was no Yes Movement.

Is that Jillian Hall?

Stephanie McMahon provided an in-ring introduction for Triple H, who this year combined some of his previous entrances by sitting on a throne wearing a gold mask in front of Castle Grayskull. Three blondes were on hand to help remove his headgear (which Steph seemed fine with) as classical music played. Then he made his usual entrance to Motörhead. The crowd cheered him and chanted his name, respectful of his accomplishments presumably.

Bryan's entrance was less overblown. He simply came out in a T-shirt with a towel and yessed his way down the aisle. The crowd helped make it feel special though. They were really into him and a sea of Yes placards could be seen when he stepped into the ring.

After an electric flurry in the opening moments the pace slowed, Bryan taking the initiative and out wrestling 'The Game'. They headed out of the ring fairly quickly, D-Bry leaping off the top rope to take out the COO. Trips took control with an arm bar takedown on the announce desk, then working over the already injured arm. This included a crossface chicken wing and a Crippler crossface.

Daniel Bryan flies on to the WWE COO.

After absorbing punishment for several minutes Bryan made a comeback, hitting 'The King of Kings' with kicks, punches and a series of German suplexes. Tripper put a stop to that with a tiger suplex. A trip to the top rope resulted in Bryan hitting a sunset bomb. The multiple running drop kicks followed that, though it didn't last long as Tripper cut Bryan off with a lariat on the third. Bryan reversed a Pedigree attempt and scored with his KO kick. The flying headbutt was countered with a raised knee and then Triple H reapplied the Crippler crossface.

Bryan stayed in the hold for close to a minute before slipping out and applying the Yes lock to 'The Cerebral Assassin'. That was a lengthy application too, Triple H only escaping the hold when he reached the ropes. His decision to slip outside of the ring proved ill-advised as Bryan followed him out with a suicide dive. Back in the ring he hit a top rope drop kick and blasted a kneeling Triple H with a series of kicks.

Triple H countered the running knee with a spinebuster and immediately followed up with a Pedigree. That proved to be a convincing false finish as the audience erupted when Bryan kicked out. A sneaky small package wasn't enough to get Bryan a win. Trips tried a pedigree again but Bryan flipped into a pinning predicament and then dead weighted to avoid another attempt made at the move. Trips dropped knees on his foe then attempted his finish again but wound up taking a running knee for a clean Bryan victory.

After the match Triple H held his head in his hands at ringside as Bryan led a chant in the ring. Stephanie joined him and pummelled him with slaps, which he laughed off, and then Triple H hit him from behind. He wrapped Bryan's injured arm around a ring post and then left with Steph, promising there would be no happy ending as he posed at the top of the aisle.

The New Age Outlaws were the first men out for the second match. Road Dogg's shtick was interrupted by The Shield's entrance (which may have been a time constraint thing). Any hopes for another great 'Hounds of Justice' outing were disappointed as they made short work of their foes, defeating them in just under three minutes. They hit all their top spots (Reigns’ Superman punch and spear, Rollins’ crazy energetic flying, and Ambrose’s deliberately ugly take downs and punches) and won with a triple power bomb on both Outlaws at the same time.

The short length could be seen as disappointing but I think it was a good call. The Shield should be able to make short work of anyone at this point. There are other matches in their back catalogue for anyone who wants to watch them wrestle lengthy six mans. That wasn’t what this match was about. It was about showcasing what an excellent team they make.

Backstage Sergeant Slaughter, Jim Duggan and Ricky Steamboat had their toys taken away by Ted DiBiase. Then Ron Simmons entered and said damn. Someone somewhere found it hilarious. Probably Vince McMahon.

The battle royal went on third. There were more than thirty participants. It was basically the entire roster who didn’t have a match elsewhere, minus Bad News Barrett. Even David Otunga was in there. There were, however, no special guests. While that hadn’t been confirmed the fact that WWE had gone out of their way to state there would be thirty entrants and only announced twenty-seven made it same as if some significant names would appear. I wasn’t disappointed by the development. More surprised.

Yoshi Tatsu was the first man eliminated. Kofi Kingston got a Royal Rumble style spot when he was launched over a turnbuckle by Cesaro and landed on the steel steps, avoiding elimination by not letting his feet touch the floor. It was inventive but looked incredibly dangerous. When it happened I thought Kofi had been seriously injured.

The final four were Big Show, Cesaro, Sheamus and Alberto Del Rio. ‘Great White’ and ADR eliminated each other, leaving Cesaro along with ‘The Giant’. After avoiding a few elimination attempts Cesaro scooped him up and slammed him out of the ring for the victory. It was a simple idea but a stunning feat of strength from Cesaro. The trophy he was presented required five men to get it into the ring. Cesaro hoisted it up singlehanded. Like a boss.

The video package for Wyatt v Cena focused on Cena being a popular man who's considered a hero and Wyatt wanting to end his legacy (which could apparently be achieved by beating him in a match). It was good but not a patch on the Triple H and Bryan video.

Star entrance treatment?

Wyatt got star entrance treatment. First a woman performed what was probably a voodoo ritual (hey, New Orleans is about more than parties) and got played to the ring by Mark Crozer and his band. Members of the band were wearing seventeenth century plague masks, which were eerie and a beautiful fit for the Wyatt character. Wyatt himself was sporting a new black hat and a brown leather coat. He mostly heard cheers when he blew his lantern out and the music cut.

Cena got his regular entrance and heard boos. Which was fine. There's not a huge amount that can be done with his mad dash to the ring and he's had some distinct ones at ‘Mania over the years. Wyatt warranted the special treatment more and has a character that lends itself to something a bit different.

The story of the match was that Wyatt wanted to turn Cena into a monster and expose him as a fraud to people. That could have been made clearer in his promos leading up to the show but at least the commentary team did a decent job of getting it across. Cena began by refusing to attack a kneeling Wyatt and was driven to acts of excessive aggression during the course of the match, including wielding steel steps and chairs (he always chose not to use them against his opponent). Whenever Cena stopped to consider his actions 'The Eater of Worlds' regained control.

Air Cena.

There were several memorable moments during this match. Cena managing to set Wyatt up for a Five Knuckle Shuffle only to be freaked out by Wyatt’s crab walk; Wyatt countering Cena’s top rop leg drop into a power bomb; Wyatt performing a DDT on the apron; the audience signing He's Got the Whole World in His Hands; and Cena leaping off the top rope to the outside to wipe out Harper and Rowan were among my favourites. Wyatt was also permitted to kick out of an AA and survive an STF. In return Cena kicked out of Sister Abigail, but that was always going to happen.

The finish saw Wyatt hand Cena a chair and ask to be finished, telling him to be a monster. Cena did use the chair, but on Erick Rowan. Wyatt snuck in with a rollup, which felt like the finish, but Cena kicked out. The pair botched a Sister Abigail, which Cena slipped out of anyway, and then Wyatt got blasted with an AA for the Cena victory.

It was a decent match but the wrong result. Cena didn't need to win. Wyatt's career and momentum are not harmed by the loss but they could have been enhanced with a win. Beating Cena in his WrestleMania would have been a wonderful moment for Wyatt. His standing can still increase and he can still get a victory over Cena in a rematch, but WrestleMania was the show that meant more. It’s the company’s premier event, the one watched by more people, and was the first official encounter between the two men.

The Hall of Fame class was brought out onto the stage next. To my ears it sounded like Lita and Scott 'Razot Ramon' Hall got the loudest responses. They would have been the two I’d have cheered for most if I was there, so it’s possible I’m wrong. Maybe Carlos Colon got the biggest response.

Backstage we were shown Daniel Bryan being tended to by a doctor. He was in pain lifting his arm. Underdog, you say?

The Streak video first established that The Streak has been built up over decades and is an impressive feat. Then it switched to Heyman talking about how Lesnar will end it as footage of the handful of meetings between the combatants was shown. It did as good a job as it could it making Lesnar look like a contender but I can't imagine it convinced many people 'The Pain' would be winning.

Witch hunter Undertaker.

Footage of all of 'Taker's 'Mania outings preceded his entrance, accompanied by the familiar Chanting Monks volume 4 soundtrack. When the gong hit 'The Dead Man' ambled onto the stage and posed in the smoke. Then, because he's magic, he opened a casket with 22 written on it by turning his head. Halfway down the aisle he set said casket on fire with a lightning bolt. Again, magic. His outfit had a witch hunter vibe to it, which I dug.

The crowd was completely dead for the first several minutes of the bout. This was not through lack of effort from the competitors. While the action was not as polished or layered as recent Undie matches it was far from bad. The trouble was that people know Streak matches are going to be lengthy affairs and have been conditioned not to respond until the big moves start getting wheeled out.  

Even when it got going the action was far from quick but there as a logic behind it. Unfortunately it was hurt by too much time between signature spots.Lesnar kicked out of choke slam. Undertaker survived F5. Lesnar powered out of the Hell's Gate before 'Taker survived a kimura and then applied the move to Lesnar. Lesnar yanked ‘The Phenom’ down from an old school rope walk into a second F5, which was survived again. Undertaker countered some turnbuckle posing into a Last Ride. Lesnar kicked out of the match’s sole Tombstone (going by things said in other promotions the Louisiana State Athletic Commission was not fond of the piledriver or any variant of it).

And then it happened. Lesnar connected with a third F5 and went for a cover. The referee counted one, two… and three. Just like that, seemingly from out of the blue, The Streak was ended. The audience sat shocked as Lesnar and Heyman sneered at their accomplishment and headed to the back. Watching it live I originally thought the referee had botched the finish somehow. But the reactions of everyone involved told me that wasn’t the case. The decision had been taken to have The Undertaker suffer his first loss at a WrestleMania, twenty-three years after his debut at the event.

Undertaker stood in the ring for several minutes waiting for thank you chants that took an eternity to arrive. It wasn’t that the crowd was unappreciative, they were simply shocked that The Undertaker had lost. Very few people truly expected it to ever come and most of those who did didn’t think it would be this year against Brock Lesnar. There was a wonderful shot from high in the arena as The Undertaker walked to the back. By that point there was a standing ovation.

After an advert for next year’s WrestleMania Michael Cole and Jerry ‘The King’ Lawler moved on to jauntily shilling Kid Rock and next year’s spectacular. It rendered the sombre tones they’d employed during Undertaker’s post-match walk to the back utterly hollow.

The Divas had the difficult task of following the end of The Streak. Vickie Guerrero stood and watched the shambles that ensued from a podium at ringside (it may or may not have been Bad News Barrett’s regular podium redressed). With fourteen wrestlers involved it was never going to be pretty but it would have been better without the loud spot calling from Nikki Bella (she is Cena's girlfriend, I suppose). AJ won with the Black Widow and there was no descent between her and Tamina. The match was the complete filler everyone expected it to be.

Backstage ‘Mean’ Gene Okerlund was joined by Hulk Hogan. 'The Hulkster's' diatribe about WrestleMania XXX (which probably would have led to talk of how he pressed Andre the Giant over his head in 1987) was interrupted by Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff. 'Mr Wonderful', who was sporting a lovely handlebar moustache, claimed that people ask him on a weekly how it feels to be the man who lost the first main event. They don't. Mr T rocked up to provide backup but the four ended up shaking hands.

Hall of Famers Bruno Sammartino, Bret ‘The Hitman’ Hart, Dusty Rhodes, Bob Backlund and Harley Race were shown at ringside before the main event. Hart got the best reaction. Backlund looks the youngest. These are the sorts of things I pay attention to during segments like this.

WWE champions Randy Orton was played to the ring by Rev Theory for his main event title defence. He got very little reaction. The crowd still seemed very deflated about The Undertaker's loss. Batista did better: he brought genuine heat to the table. He didn't get a pyro though. For whatever reason it failed to go off. Batista’s response was to (ahem) deal with it. Bryan came out gingerly favouring his arm and managed to drag a "Yes!" chant from the fans. Even Bryan couldn’t fully lift the crowd’s spirits.

Bryan was kept on the sidelines selling for much of the match, encouraging fans to rally behind him when he did involve himself and casting him even more as the underdog of proceedings. When Orton and Batista were left to their own devices they provided the level of quality you'd expect. WWE, and fans, are very lucky Bryan got added to the match. Orton and Batista proved here that they would not have been capable of holding attention had they been in a singles match.

Around the halfway mark Bryan had Orton locked in a Yes lock until Triple H and Stephanie ran in through the crowd and yanked the referee from the ring. Batista planted Bryan with a Batista bomb as Scott Armstrong (the crooked referee who helped frame Bryan last September) showed up to count the fall. Despite being a crooked official he provided a fair count and then got knocked out of the ring by D-Bry. He huddled with Trips and Steph at ringside and absorbed a suicide dive. ‘The Game’ pulled out his sledge from under the ring but Bryan kicked him and grabbed it from him, then lamped him straight in the face with it, much to the approval of fans. A rollup on Batista was broken up by ‘The Apex Predator’ and then the two Evolution boys double teamed Bryan to get him out of the match.

Make them a tag team and give them this as a finish.

Trips was helped backstage as the announce tables were cleared by Orty and Batsy. The audience sang goodbye to him. Bryan was hoisted up onto one announce desk and hit with a picture perfect Batista bomb-RKO combo through another table by his opponents. 'The Animal' was the only man left standing after that. Medics showed up to carry out Bryan backstage as Batista and Orton started back up against one another. They didn't last long as Bryan fought his way off the stretcher and got back into the match, immediately getting pasted by 'The Viper'. An RKO got reversed into a Yes lock. That was broken by Batista. Seconds later Orton returned the favour when Batista found himself in the hold.

Bryan got wiped out by an awkward spear. Batista turned around into an RKO, but managed to kick out. Orton tried for a punt but got clocked with the running knee. Batista tossed Bryan out and tried to steal the pin but Orton kicked out (the first man to survive Bryan’s knee strike finisher). Seconds later the champ took a Batista bomb and rolled to the outside, leaving Bryan to scoot back in to nail the Royal Rumble winner with another running knee. Moments later Bootista tapped out to the Yes lock and Daniel Bryan became a three time WWE champion.

The beginning of Daniel Bryan's third WWE championship reign.

The celebration saw streamers and confetti showers pumped up into the air from strategically placed cannons. Bryan stood in the middle of it all, leading a “Yes!” chant and looking genuinely happy. It was the ending everybody wanted for the show: the underdog earning his way into the title match and proving that he belonged on top, overcoming months of storyline marginalisation.

The first and last matches of the main show did everything that could have been realistically asked of them. The Shield looked superb as they effortlessly squashed three veteran performers. The pre-show tag match was a lively tussle. Cesaro looked like a man to watch when he won the battle royal. There were, in short, things to enjoy at WrestleMania XXX.

It was one of the best entries in the show’s history. The best? I don’t think it was that good. The Divas match was a washout and the battle royal, despite a handful of dazzling moments, wasn’t much better. Cena v Wyatt was a good match marred by a depressing result. But it was the Lesnar versus Undertaker match that sealed the deal. After years of show stealing performances it was disappointing to see ‘The Dead Man’ stuck in such a sluggish, awkward outing here. That he lost only made it worse of course.

WrestleMania XXX got a lot right. There’s a chance it’s going to go down as The One Where ‘Taker Lost and Bryan Won. But I hope not. It deserves more because it did more.