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No Stips/Gimmicks in Major Mania Singles Matches?


Hi, Scott.  Are you surprised that none of the four (five, if you assume Rollins-Orton gets added) major singles matches at Wrestlemania currently have either a gimmick (e.g. no DQ for Cena-Rusev) or a stipulation (e.g. Rollins' briefcase is on the line)?  All of them have a plausible argument for some sort of no DQ/extreme rules match, whether for story (Cena-Rusev and Orton-Rollins) or to provide some smoke and mirrors for a potentially poor match (the other three).  

I know most recent Mania singles matches have just been wrestling matches, but could adding something to one or two of the matches give at least a little juice to the card, or is it simply too late with only two weeks to go?

​I wish I could give you a less cynical answer to this question, but there's really only two factors behind it, I'm pretty sure:

1)  They don't give a shit about actually booking the show in a way people care about.

2)  They want to save all of the rematches for whatever show is after Wrestlemania (Extreme Rules again?) and thus do 8 million stip matches there.  

It is what it is.  ​

Comments

  1. Marking the fuck out. Its funny that Danny kicks ass at retro games because he kinda sucks on anything made in the 21st century. No joke knocking Iron Mike, I've never done it, probably never will

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  2. I was thinking that the tag match could desperately need some pizzazz. Four team matches are going to be a clusterfuck anyway, I'd say go all out and make it a tornado rules match and let all four managers (cause each team has one) interfere, not only can they all bump, they've all wrestled matches.

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  3. I'm usually for straight up 1v1 matches for the big Mania matches but no one is giving a shit from a fan or booking standpoint, so they really should jazz up one of these suckers

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  4. Virgil's Gimmick TableMarch 15, 2015 at 1:45 AM

    The crazy part is that this was one of their first let's plays together after JonTron left and Danny joined. And he JUST NOW beat him. That's how crazy hard he had to practice to beat this game.

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  5. No DQ could really help several of the matches. I am looking forward to Brock keeping his title by countout.

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  6. Adam "Colorado" CurryMarch 15, 2015 at 2:00 AM

    I don't really give a shit about stipulations and what not, as long as the build is interesting, but...

    Brock/Reigns: boring.
    Taker/Wyatt: boring
    HHH/Sting: SUPER boring
    IC title: it's the IC title, bring all the ladders you want, it's still the IC title and I still don't give a shit
    Orton/Rollins: now we're talking! Easy simple build, and easy promise of MOTN.
    Women's match/whatever else: don't care.

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  7. I mean, that's pretty impressive, but Giant Bomb TKO'd Tyson in about 9 tries, with an epic celebration. http://www.giantbomb.com/videos/eye-of-the-ryckert/2300-9953/

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  8. Is anyone else bothered that 3 of the top matches for WM (hell, probably the 3 main events) are headed by part-timers?


    Has any other Mania been that ridiculous?

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  9. until you said 29 was the same way, I didn't even think about it. That, I guess, goes to show how unhappy I am with the card (& current state of WWE) because I've started nitpicking everything

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  10. The one bright spot is that two of the three part timer matches features a new guy on the other side. Roman and Bray are in two of the top 3 matches.

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  11. Pinning Great Puma in under two minutes:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4s9UreTp4lw

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  12. Beating Tyson as a kid in wasnt hard. I never knew you could get a decision win over anyone after the first circuit. Was weird seeing someone beating Tyson that way.

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  13. I hate fourway tag matches. I'd rather a gauntlet/tag team turmoil, but I doubt they'd give them time for that. I expect this match to be played out in total silence. Nobody cares about the tag division or the tag belts. Makes me sad. They need a hugely popular babyface team to get the division back on track

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  14. At one point they had two, in the Dusty Boyz and the Uso's. They blew up one team and almost did the same to the other.

    Maybe if the Ascension had done something villainous to them, we'd have our super over babyface team.

    I'm still annoyed they screwed up the Ascension. Seemed pretty easy.

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  15. YankeesHoganTripleHFanMarch 15, 2015 at 5:36 AM

    Nope

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  16. YankeesHoganTripleHFanMarch 15, 2015 at 5:37 AM

    Sting vs Hunter has become personal to me, (and I liked sting)

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  17. I agree, except Orton/Rollins is also boring.

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  18. Wrestlemania 2000 had a lot of this. The show goes tag match, hardcore battle royal, tag match, triangle tag team ladder match, women's match, six-person intergender tag, triple threat, tag team, fatal four way.


    The only singles match on the entire show is Kat vs. Terri Runnels. Think about that.

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  19. Most of the time, the April PPV features a rematch for the title, unless you have a departing former champion immediately following Mania...(Bret in '96, Rock in '01, etc.) I usually liked the rematches that included another wrestler (add HHH in '06 or the 4-way in '07) to at least add some spice to feuds before they wear out their welcome, especially if the title rematch is something that would be worth waiting for. Or, you could have your new champion overcome every active member of the past decade's biggest stable and then immediately defend it against Kane at the April PPV. Whatever works.

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  20. And then he went to Soda Popinski's and TKOd Tyson there.

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  21. Agreed. Randy Orton's incredibly slow offense is the worst thing ever.

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  22. Every person here could come up with a better Mania card. Beliee Dat!

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  23. Vince McMahon’s stolen Bentley found in Bronx
    http://nyp.st/1CiG0OZ

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  24. For a guy who roots for winners you seem pretty grumpy.

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  25. Shush you. Michael Cole says it's "methodical".

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  26. Cynical answers are probably true, but geez:


    Marv Cresto, for one, would be annoyed at having to see either of the crippled old men (well, maybe he doesn't think Sting is crippled) next month, but I doubt either are (or should be) on the Extreme Rules card.


    Brock-Reigns rematch is probable if Brock resigns, and 'Mania would be their first match, so OK.


    Orton-Rollins is their first match as well, but why have that long beatdown (by the babyface) to set up a normal match? It's not as bad as HHH-Orton doing a normal match after the house invasion a few years ago, but it's pretty dumb.


    Rusev-Cena already is a rematch, the original match should have been a DQ from the nut shot, and Cena's beatdown on Raw also makes a reasonable argument for no DQ or something similar, though two disputable finishes leading to a decisive third at Extreme Rules would be OK.

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  27. 100, 000 dollar sound system!?!? I expect that from an nba player. I bet he spent that much money so everyone can hear his theme song from a mile away.

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  28. An issue I have with no-DQ isn't the lack of blood or headshots because I understand the logic. I really hate that kendo sticks are always involved. It looks so stupid. Why would the WWE take those props from town to town when they can only be used as a weapon and have no other use? Did Bill DeMott practice corporal punishment on trainees? Is that why they have so many? When a character like Steve Blackman uses them that's one thing; no character on this roster is even developed enough to have their own gimmick weapon. I hate kendo sticks!!!!

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  29. What are your feelings on Singapore Canes though?

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  30. Biff Kensington Has a PosseMarch 15, 2015 at 7:36 AM

    I don't even care to try and figure this company out any more.

    In the meantime, I'm stuck at 9:30 AM on a Sunday morning watching BARBIE because my wife volunteered to babysit for a sick friend, then foisted the demon child on me. It's Vince's fault somehow, I just know it.

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  31. At least with 29, the part-timers showed up on Raw to help build up their matches. Since Fast Lane, there has been no Undertaker or Sting, and Lesnar has only showed up once to stand in the ring for five minutes and say nothing.

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  32. He'll owe you one, pal.

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  33. I'd just like to say that I hate Mike Matei.

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  34. Here's a pretty interesting article about cable advertising. It mentions wrestling and the takeaway I get is the WWE, by producing so many hours of TV, is a better deal than say The Walking Dead since you'll end up in first-run programming on WWE and not a re-run of the Walking Dead.

    http://www.adweek.com/news/television/cable-viewers-arent-watching-shows-you-think-they-are-163397

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  35. Eh, that seems awfully spin-ish but the wording on that isn't necessarily the 52 weeks vs whatever Dead runs original (20+?) but they also average reruns into that. So things like the two day of repeats WD does and the following Sunday repeat before the new eps and all the marathons AMC runs "hurt" them according to the author. Plus they throw in the "WWE runs originals on USA more than once a week" which throws the rest of the logic they use out the window.

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  36. If it was compelling? Nah. I was game for Rocky/Cena 1.......didn't bother watching the rematch. This year sucks though

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  37. Fine for international incidents but not the In Your House.

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  38. Biff Kensington Has a PosseMarch 15, 2015 at 8:33 AM

    I have two thoughts thus far in the marathon. First of all, Barbie's version of a cage match surpasses the WWE's, let's say. And Ken has a hell of a modified Cloverleaf.

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  39. YankeesHoganTripleHFanMarch 15, 2015 at 8:36 AM

    Well my ex and figured out what Care Bears we were. She was Wish Bear. I was Grumpy Bear...so there's that

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  40. What we're seeing here is that with the death of PPV Wrestlemania has become just another show really.

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  41. YankeesHoganTripleHFanMarch 15, 2015 at 8:38 AM

    How dare you. Mania is Mania.

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  42. Nah, we're seeing tptb are jackasses that can't see the forest through the trees. If everybody was on board the Reigns Express? This could have been a passing of the torch, new star is born, "wow, what will happen next" moment......instead people are hoping Brock shoots and dumps the belt in the trash at a UFC event

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  43. Wouldn't it be something if this Mania actually turns out to be solid? Sometimes the worst-looking PPV line-ups end up being surprisingly good.

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  44. Something very familiar about all this...

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  45. What's your beef, sir?

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  46. I'm not defending the booking just saying the booking is bad because they don't care as much.

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  47. Honestly, I'd prefer your way of thinking. I'm of the point of view that THIS is them caring and they think THIS is an amazing build up

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  48. I just think their own apathy for their own product is starting to rub off on the audience now.

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  49. I think I'm actually looking forward to Mania. The sadist in me wants to see how they pull some of this shit off.

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  50. I'm vaguely interested in Brock's write out. But cynically I just imagine them having him re-do Batista's weird wave on the way out.

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  51. Me too. Brock has been built as indestructible, laughing off Cena's big moves and other finishers. They can't just job him to a punch and a spear.

    Can they?

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  52. Sadly nothing that interesting will even happen. Brock and Roman will do a boring **1/2 match at best and the crowd will sit on their hands bored ducking confetti on their way out of the arena early trying to avoid the lines.

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  53. Stranger in the AlpsMarch 15, 2015 at 8:51 AM

    "Suck this dick forever!"

    Gamers say the craziest shit.

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  54. It's going to come off as ridiculous which is why the crowd reaction should be glorious.

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  55. That's a problem, he's been booked SO strong for the last year, that anything short of a taser or a forklift is coming to come off incredibly weak and do you really want to start Reigns off with some weird hokey overbooked pos finish?

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  56. I could see it being a war of attrition. The two hitting each other with big moves over and over until finally, Roman prevails.

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  57. Never beat it myself, one of the few games I played like crazy as a kid but never beat. Like you, I don't think I ever will either unless I spend an entire weekend in my basement refining my skills. Not exactly prepared to utilize my time that way.


    Curious - what other games did you play a lot as a child but never completed? The NES Castlevania games (1-3) come to mind, as does Battletoads.

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  58. Battletoads was the biggie, that game was ridiculous.

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  59. Anyone else having issues with Youtube?

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  60. I'm convinced they made that game with the intention NO ONE would ever beat it, ever.

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  61. Yeah, but then you get to the point where Reigns doesn't really have something wow-able for that spot. Some sort of top rope spear or a superman punch from the top to the floor?

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  62. Maybe he spears Brock through the barricade/timekeeper's table, throws him in the ring and spears him down again?

    Personally, I'd love Roman to debut a new and awesome finisher. Something destructive like a spinning powerbomb.

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  63. His Limp Bizkit, Kid Rock and Creed songs have to sound *perfect*.

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  64. Biff Kensington Has a PosseMarch 15, 2015 at 9:12 AM

    For God's sake, now I'm stuck watching an hour-long movie called 'Monster High', whatever the fuck this is. I can actually feel my testicles shriveling in on themselves. Someone, please help, lol.

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  65. He's not funny or enjoyable to watch at all. He only has his 'spot' by sucking Rolfe. And both of them are greedy scum that leech off their stupid fans.

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  66. Uhmmm, not for nothing, but there are tons of videos on youtube of people beating mike Tyson.

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  67. I don't hate him, though I do wish the focus of cinnemassacre would go back on AVGN videos.

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  68. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonMarch 15, 2015 at 9:26 AM

    They fucked up by not having him lose in the triple threat match because he's been book so strong that TWO of the WWE's top guys couldn't beat him. Add to this he came off a stretcher to win and it kills the "cash in when he's injured after a match" angle.

    Unless they do a Jerry Lawler/mid-south angle and hit him with a car I don't know how they take the belt off of him.

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  69. I love the AGDQ guy that got to Tyson blindfolded. Sadly, beating Tyson blindfolded is virtually impossible because he's just random enough and fast enough that the needed audio cues may not come in time.

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  70. Yeah I was gonna say - beating Mike Tyson is actually pretty easy for most people who have played a lot of Mike Tysons's Punch Out. Beating *Battletoads*...now that would be amazing.

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  71. However, someone has beaten Super Punch-Out blindfolded.

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  72. I saw that. It was impressive as hell.

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  73. The world record is right around 12 minutes... it's fucking insane.

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  74. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonMarch 15, 2015 at 9:28 AM

    Well if they had followed *my* idea and Reigns took an the Undertaker as a mentor he could have used the tomestone piledriver.

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  75. Mike Tyson's Punch Out, Ice Hockey, and Pro Wrestling on the nes are my favorite boxing, hockey, and wrestling video games of all time still to this day.

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  76. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonMarch 15, 2015 at 9:30 AM

    Just don't go full Benoit.

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  77. When he's motivated, he's pretty good. Unfortunately,.....

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  78. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonMarch 15, 2015 at 9:31 AM

    It's easier for him to do with no genitalia.

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  79. Charismatic eNegro Jef VinsonMarch 15, 2015 at 9:34 AM

    It's gonna be 4 hours long, right? They could have done a mini tournament or gauntlet match.

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  80. Since there's no thread yet, anyone know if the group view of wm xix is still happening today?

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  81. Biff Kensington Has a PosseMarch 15, 2015 at 9:40 AM

    Depends entirely on the time. I'm probably watching the race between 3:30 and 7.

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  82. Adam "Colorado" CurryMarch 15, 2015 at 9:41 AM

    I'll post the thread right now.

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  83. Oooo lets watch everyone make left turns for3 hours!

    Just kidding, I know quite a few who love racing, just never got into it myself.

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  84. Finance is trying on dresses today... so I bought a growler of local cream ale, and put about 7 pounds of meat on the grill to smoke... waiting for that live thread. I don't get too many days to veg out.

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  85. He's really annoying. James, despite portraying a nerd, seems like a pretty cool guy. Mike on the other hand, is an actual nerd. He jokes like a 13 year old.

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  86. I do enjoy the Mike & James Mondays... but less Mike is best. I like when Pat the NES Punk show up. He seems very knowledgeable about games.

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  87. Nes pro wrestling was way ahead of it's time

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  88. Yeah...the article seems to struggle to make sense of the findings. It seems like cable isn't really a great place to invest in anymore.

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  89. In fairness, I kinda feel like the main event of Wrestlemania should be one on one, no stips (unless it's No DQ to enusre there will be a definitive winner).

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  90. Contra, not even with the Konami Code

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  91. Reigns - Brock needs all the bells and whistles it can get.

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  92. I like James and Mike Mondays for the most part. Monster Madness has become my favorite Cinemasacre content though.

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  93. Shady Jay from the Game Chasers has a video on Youtube where he beat Tyson.

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  94. Then it shouldnt be the main event.

    Let me break down my philosophy.

    If you put (blank) vs (blank) on the marquee, with nothing added stip wise and it cant put butts in seats, then it shouldnt be on the marquee.

    The main event should be two guys on name value alone and sell out.

    My other philsophy is that the match that is the most over should be in the main event. You shouldnt have hbk/ttaker 3rd from top when its gonna steal the show and burn out the crowd.

    You shouldnt put rock/hhogan right before the main event. Thats how you get people walking out on the last match.

    If the world title match isnt the most over, the world title match shouldnt be last. You build your card in order of most over to build to that last pop. When you finally pop ur figurative nut.

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  95. I agree with all that. Problem is this year the main event is a joke and no other match is big enough to go on last. Maybe Sting vs. Triple H? Sting looks like Bruce Jenner and was barely on TV, and Triple H hasn't wrestled in almost a year. I fully expect Brock to get a heroes welcome even if news that he is officially leaving leaks.

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  96. They had the match.

    Geek bryan vs lesnar.

    Problem is someone doesnt want lesnar putting over the geek. Im not sure but brock looks to be just about the cash and would have no probs putting bryan over.

    That should have been on last.
    heyman cutting vicious promos every week.
    bryan with the never say die babyface routine.
    brock videos of him training.

    The shit writes itself.

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  97. I agree with everything you have been saying. So in your opinion; this year--what headlines? Are any of these matches "most over"?

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  98. Your opinion clearly mirrors most of the smark sediment over the last few months. I agree with all of this.

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  99. He skipped the great Soda Popinski? That son of a bitch!

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  100. Only difference is, Im not raging about it.


    The Network unfortunately killed the one big show that they had. Now WM is just another show. So why feature anybody if its just another show?


    WM was on its deathbed when the Miz headlined it. I can even argue that 25 was lackluster but truly 24 was the last greatly booked WM. Some may argue 30 but you have to realize that Bryan was a replacement for Punk who walked out, and Dave who bombed and was part time. Had any of that worked, Bryan would have never gotten that run on top, that's why they are not re-running it.

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  101. Ninja Gaiden 3 and Battletoads for the NES was about the only game that I can remember that I couldnt beat. I remember about 10 years ago I was at a party where we had a few NES going and one of them had Contra and I was able to beat it without the code

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  102. My opinion. Put everyone involved with WM this year in a room and nerve gas them.


    Nothing is over.
    Your guess is as good as mines.


    Cena/Rusev is stuck playing Rocky IV
    Rollins and Orton are treadmilling
    Wyatt is treadmilling. Taker is damaged goods
    Sting/HHH are fighting over something that happened 15 years ago that the targeted demo has no clue about.


    Reigns is losing heat by the day and Lesnar is a flake part timer.


    That's you card on top.
    That's not worth 60, That's not worth 9.99
    That's going to the sports bar with your friends, having some wings and if one of the TVs in the bar is showing WM, I might look up at a highspot, but I am really watching the Cavs play.


    And I feel sorry for the marks who are paying to travel to see this.

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  103. This is most accurate. There's nothing over. In fact, you could argue that the IC ladder match is the most over/anticipated match on the card at this point.

    I'm interested in Wyatt/Taker from a spectacle standpoint but couldn't care less about the other big matches. We may have 5 *** matches or better but still just not that interested.

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  104. First his limo blows up and now his car gets stolen. Vince really should start using Uber.

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  105. You know what would make Orton/Rollins a heck of a lot better? If it took place in a flat bed truck. On the highway.

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  106. Actually, I'd like to see Orton/Rollins in a No Diving at Your Opponent Headfirst match.

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  107. Dave bombed because they tried to present him as a face and it was obvious no one wanted to cheer him. He was killing it as a heel after he turned.

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  108. Super over? I wasn't watching at the time. I'm talking Dudleys/Hardys or LOD/Rockers/Hart Foundation levels of over. Has anyone been that over in recent years? (Genuine question)

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  109. The thing is besides the Bryan and debatable orton match he hasn't had any good singles matches. And who knows if Brock will be motivated or not. You dont want to expose the guy on the Grandest Stage of 'em all (tm). With his limited move set id have a brawl similar to the Kane/bryan match at the ppv after wrestlemania. At the very least it would be not as boring.

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  110. I'd like to see Daniel Bryan wrestle exclusively in that kind of match.

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  111. Does the smark sediment differ all that greatly from the mark igneous?

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  112. He's the most frustrating wrestler in the world.

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  113. Ho-hum, I did this years ago.

    https://youtu.be/ZievQ8VVWp0

    But kudos to Danny!

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  114. I can beat the game, the tough part is capturing the Inferno level on video. To me, that's the toughest stage by far.

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  115. I don't mind Mike, but the NES Punk annoys me.

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  116. I think the only way to beat Tyson by decision is knocking him down at least 4 times. Maybe 5.

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  117. I guess they never met me :-)

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  118. there's also an exception for me:
    if the guys had a other significant matches before. for example, Michaels putting his career on the line made sense. because often the "sequel" needs something to "spice it up" to be just as interesting as the original.

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  119. Hell, I've heard of an actual blind man managing to beat Tyson after a shitload of practice.

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  120. Adam "Colorado" CurryMarch 15, 2015 at 10:49 PM

    I know someone that not only beat it blindfolded but did it while holding the controller upside down.

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  121. Adam "Colorado" CurryMarch 15, 2015 at 10:51 PM

    That game was just shitty.

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  122. I was able to get through contra on my second attempt with the code. I was also 17 the first time I played it though.

    I was somewhat disappointed. I wanted more challenge but the non-code game is TOO MUCH

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  123. People bought in to the Rhodes' and Uso's. But they needed that one more thing to make them truly love them.

    Getting murdered a few times by a dominant heel team and then seeking revenge could have done it for either team.

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  124. Since when was beating Mike Tyson on Punch-Out a massive deal??? It wasn't particularly easy, but it was certainly doable. If you'd gotten good enough to beat Super Macho Man then it wasn't all that much of a step up to beat Tyson afterwards.

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  125. I tried that! Not blindfolded but I did try the upside down controller. Couldn't get by Sandman though.

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  126. Eh, beating this game wasn't really that hard.
    Now, beating Ghosts And Goblins or trying to beat the British Bulldog on Attitude Era mode in WWE '13, that's hard.

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  127. Wait, you mean BATTLE TOADS in 12 minutes?

    0_o

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  128. Ghosts 'n Goblins was a brutally unforgiving game. From the era when video games were purposely designed not to be beaten.

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  129. Bryan nailing him with 3 consecutive knees when one was enough to put Cena down could have worked...

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