OH MY GOD you’d think it was Wrestlemania weekend or something given that I can’t clear out my inbox fast enough today. THIS IS VALUABLE GOAT SIMULATOR TIME. OK, let’s hit ‘em up quick style!
Since WWE has somehow managed to make Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar the least interesting "main event" match on the WrestleMania card, let's look ahead to next year, just for the hell of it.
Presuming Taker-Sting is on the agenda (if Sting does some DDPYoga or something and can actually, ya know, still wrestle), should they go ahead and start hyping it the night after WrestleMania? Spend the entire show hyping that The Undertaker might be announcing his retirement. Have him come out in the final segment and say that now that he's finally defeated Brock Lesnar, he's beaten everybody that there is to beat. But before he actually says it's over, the lights go off and Sting shows up in the rafters of the arena. He points a bat at Taker, they stare at each other menacingly from afar with Sting's old school 1997 music playing, and the slow build begins.
And then of course, Triple H comes out and Pedigrees them both. Thoughts?
Yeah, I’m pretty sure Sting debuts the night after WM as the big surprise of the year, and they start that build. Honestly I’m not sure what kind of a character Sting is going to do – Super-Serious Bat-Wielding Crow Sting or Wacky Middle Aged Crazy Terry Funk Joker Sting. I’d lean towards having him reprise the silent Crow deal because a) It’s cooler and b) His promos are ass.
Good evening Mr. Keith. Might be a lengthy e-mail, my apologies in advance. Buffalo resident here and it seems we're are going through the longest winter ever, I decided to waste some time and research something that's been bugging me since it aired. And that is, Wrestlemania 29. Besides the boring Trips/Brock match, the lazy booking of the Cena/Rock match & whoever gave a rats ass about swagger/del rio, I always felt something was off throughout the whole show, the timing, WWE to me just did not seem to have their shit together as i sat through the whole event live. If i dug deeper I wouldn't be surprised if there is also a argument for WM27 & 28, but i'll start with 29. Here it goes:
Using my trusty PS3 Display clock, this show runs actually 3hrs, 48mins, so 12 mins shaved off. Comparing match times to wikipedia, most, if not all, are accurate or within seconds of being the same. I'll approximate some times to not nit pick.
Total Time of wrestling(Bell to Bell times): Approx 114:42 minutes, so nearly right on the nose of being 50% of total tv time, but something has to be said of roughly 14 mins match (8 matches) average. It did seem to me that there wasn't nearly enough actual wrestling on the biggest show of the year
Total Rock/Cena Promo Time: approx: 15:24, 3 promos and also i'm including the over 6 minutes respectfest after their match.
Total Time of other video Promos: approx: 15:43, so about on par with all the rock/cena from above
Total Time of Entrances: approx: 42:19, seems a lot, and Swagger didn't even get one!
Remaining Misc: approx: 39:25, this is a pileup of all the crowd shots, commentators talking, P. DIddy, HOF, National guard, Special Olympics etc. etc.
So, besides the obvious jacking off to Rock/Cena throughout, even though if you've seen it you ALREADY BOUGHT THE PPV, or BOUGHT A TICKET!, they scrapped America the Beautiful, no SuperCena or Ultra Rock entrance, probably a bunch of other things i'm forgetting, is it just me or was wwe just really off that night with the overall timing, coordination and structure of their show? And if so, I def. see the same problem in the past couple Rumbles and Manias. Thank you, I hope never to feel the urge to do this again.
Yeah, I’m with you. It’s not just WM either, whoever has been timing out their PPVs lately is doing a shit job and it’s really detracting from the product. The commercials and OH WE’RE SO CIVIC-MINDED AND AWESOME video packages are totally out of hand and the matches tend to feel either too short or too long as a result. That being said, I don’t mind the promo packages for the PPV we’re watching, because I find that I go back and watch, say, Bullshit Brigade 2005, and have no fucking clue why Batista hates JBL or whatever and the packages can be really helpful to bring me up to speed again. But especially on RAW they’re all over the place and whoever’s directing really needs a refresher in how to build things so that the third hour doesn’t drag so horribly.
Hi Scott,
Hope all is well!
With WrestleMania around the corner, I was reminded of a lingering question I've had about WM X for years.
We've all heard the story about Shawn and Razor running too long, and bumping that eight-man tag off the card. My question though, is how long were they MEANT to go? As is, the match is about 18 minutes - which is far from long. Assuming the eight-man tag was scheduled for 5 plus entrances, were they actually expecting them to get it done in 10?
It was a different time. But I think there was issues with entrances running too long and stuff as well, not just that Shawn and Razor went long in the body of the match itself. I’d guess they were scheduled for 14 because that’s about what the first Shawn-Bret ladder match was.
I was reading an article on WWE.com recently saying that the Undertaker's Wrestlemania Streak is impressive, but what's even more impressive is Undertaker's CONSECUTIVE WrestleMania Streak, meaning he has wrestled every WrestleMania from Wrestlemania 17-30. This would beat Bret Hart's record of 12 (WM 2-13). I originally thought "Wow, that is impressive" but then I remembered that Bret was active throughout his streak, meaning he was healthy and did not wrestle part time. So Bret's streak of 12 consecutive manias is much more meaningful.
But then I thought "What about my man KANE?"
He has wrestled every Wrestlemania from 14-30, which would make his streak 17! 17 years, working full time for WWE and always being showcased on the biggest card of the year. That's EXTREMELY impressive and should be a real feather in the cap of the Future Hall of Famer and Libertarian Presidential Candidate.
So why didn't wwe.com mention Kane's streak?
Because Kane and RVD got BUMPED from WrestleMania 19 for the Miller Lite Catfight Girls (whatever that was) and technically wrestled a 'preliminary match' on Sunday Night HeAt.
Granted, I'm a Kane mark, but doesn't this piss everyone off? Biggest WrestleMania travesty hands down. And DON'T bring up Bryan vs. Sheamus 1 or 2. That kid's doing just fine now.
(Also, Jim Johnston. WWE Hall of Fame. Yay or Nay? Thanks Scott.)
Well you have to put Jimmy Hart in as well then.
And I’ll give Kane a pass and allow the 19 one to be called a WM appearance. I’m generous that way.
Hey Scott,
It's the greatest week of the year and time for all of us fans to reflect on what Sunday means to us. I look back on how I discovered WrestleMania, my favorite memories, and who I've come to call "Mr. WrestleMania."
http://temple-news.com/arts/corrigan-reminiscing-wrestlemania/
Thanks!
OK then.
Was it Bullshit Brigade 2005 or 2006 that Mr. Ass wrestled TL Hopper? I think he won with a Downward Spiral or the Black hole Slam?
ReplyDeleteNo SmarK predictions for Sunday?!
ReplyDeleteSeriously...FUCK STING VS TAKER.
ReplyDeleteIt's for those with unresolved OCD fantasy booking issues or those that want to see goth comic book story lines. I hate everything about a Sting/Taker program
TJ: (sorry if mentioned elsewhere) Has anyone tried playing 2048? Fuck that game, it was 30 minutes that went by in about 5 trying to figure it.
ReplyDeleteThose are some shitty jokes.
ReplyDeleteSting-Taker would have been fantastic. About ten years ago. Today, I can't put enough faith into the condition of either guy to label it as something worth watching on PPV (or the Network, if you will).
ReplyDeleteAnd Jim Johnston should have been inducted into the HOF years ago.
Special Guest Referee: Conquistador #2
ReplyDeleteUnless someone new, and not bee related, debuts and is a blow away contender, then the only matches to even consider for Taker next year are versus Reigns, or Cena.
ReplyDeleteThe Sting idea is really dumb. If he's coming in then put him with someone else.
And Jim Johnston and Jimmy Hart are both yeas as far as I'm concerned.
ReplyDeleteUh, Jimmy Hart is in the WWE Hall of Fame. Class of 2005. Jerry Lawler inducted him.
ReplyDelete1 other thing...why would people care at all about sting in 2014? Because he's been relevant the past 10 years? Because he rejuvenated a struggling wrestling promotion? Because he's great on the mic? Because he can give us 4 star matches?
ReplyDeleteNo, no, no, no...the answer is because he can wrestle in a T shirt amd he wears oh so cool face paint. Yes!!!!
The ONLY way to build to Sting/Taker would be to have Sting and the Undertaker team up to take on The Wyatte family. Sting works nearly the entire match, getting beaten down while Taker desperately clings to the rope and reaches for the tag. Finally, Sting manages to duck out of the way of a Harper/Rowen double team attempt. Seconds before he makes the tag, Taker withdraws his hand...You guys know the rest.
ReplyDeleteNo Hillbilly Jim?
ReplyDeleteI'm not really sure that either of these guys could pull off the heel roll. I think that they're both too far into respected legend territory.
ReplyDeleteUndertaker steals Sting's Sgt. Pepper jacket. BAM. Insta-feud.
ReplyDeleteIf Undertaker stood beside HHH and Stephanie as a "face of WWE" in the Authority, he'd get booed out of the building.
ReplyDeleteSo he should team with Daniel Bryan then, is what you're saying?
ReplyDeleteWith the right video package and WWE-style hype, they could make people care about Sting again. And he's got a year to get into some decent shape.
ReplyDeleteOf course the second he starts wrestling, the fans are going to wonder what all the fuss was about. But by then, WWE will have their money.
Poop.
ReplyDeleteUndertaker should ask Sting to join him and the newest incarnation of The Four Horsemen. Sting is reluctant, but accepts. Then, when Sting announces he's interested in pursing Daniel Bryan and the big gold belt, Undertaker and the Horsemen turn on him.
ReplyDeleteWho are the other horsemen?
ReplyDeleteNice to see the first email is basically a word for word description i wrote a little bit ago of how I would have had Sting make his debut for that 2/21/11 angle a
ReplyDeleteKeep it original guys...
..are you saying that someone has been sitting on that for 3 years waiting to plagiarize you, or was this a more recent discussion of that angle?
ReplyDeleteYeah, do you find it that hard to believe that someone couldn't have had the same basic storyline idea that you did 3 years ago?
ReplyDeleteThis isn't exactly as bad as Ray Parker Jr. ripping off Huey Lewis for "Ghostbusters"
Sting - Taker would have been juicy as hell at Wrestlemania X-7 just after the WCW purchase and that cool segment on Raw where McMahon dropped Sting's name (along with others) to a massive pop.
ReplyDeleteThe Blue Meanie and Kaentai
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed Sting, but no way does he wrestle Undertaker. Who's going to play the heel? Its sure wouldn't be Crow Sting and it definitely won't be UT. I'm with you, better to Cena/UT sooner rather than miss it.
ReplyDeleteIs Sting really showing up? And he's going to feud with a guy with a physique that looks worse than his does. Didn't think I would see the day
ReplyDeleteSting debuting on RAW the next night and being the new GM, fine. But the time for Sting/Taker is OVER. DONE. Sting is too old and shriveled now and UT isn't far behind...the match will suck, the kids in the audience won't know him or care, and it'll just be a really sad thing to watch. I loved HBK/Flair for what it was, but neither of them are HBK, esp. not UT to the level he'd need to be to reinvigorate Sting to any former glory.
ReplyDeleteCena/UT needs to happen, and needs to happen next year if UT doesn't kill himself this year. That match can sell an entire Wrestlemania all on its own and is literally the ONLY thing to suspend any disbelief at ALL in regards to The Streak. I don't like that Rock/HBK never happened (or Vince/Foley for that matter, which at least in 2001 would have been incredible), and I REALLY want a Sting DVD set...not see his bald spot gleaming in front of 70,000+ disappointed people.
Hillbilly Jim is the guy that does a run-in to chase off the Wyatts and Undertaker...
ReplyDeleteand then turns on him
Hogan/Koloff is mine. Seriously, how did this NOT happen?
ReplyDeleteKoloff just didn't want to, it seems. I think it had to do with him living in Atlanta and not wanting to be away from home for too long, which of course is par for the course in Vince-land.
ReplyDeleteApplause.
ReplyDeleteMoney talks. And apparently there were negotiations, but the sticking point was Koloff being wary of doing a job from Hogan. Seriously. Millions of dollars left on the table (sorry) because he didn't want to be pinned in a fake wrestling match. I could understand if Vince wanted him to come in and put over Tito Santana or something, but come on.
ReplyDeleteWrestlemania 32 is in Texas. Makes sense that Taker's last match could be in his home state to Cena...If Taker can make it to 2016 in his current shape. What they do for Wrestlemania 31, I'm not sure.
ReplyDeleteIt's definitely gonna be Crow Sting, because that's the WCW version casual WWE fans will remember and TNA does not exist in their world (not a criticism, just an observation -- I'd take the same tact). Plus, Joker Sting was embarrassing.
ReplyDeleteAlso, it's about 15 years too late. Even if this came up in, say, 2002, I'd still be eh. The Stinger hasn't had it since I was in grade school.
Timing is probably a factor too. If WM3 happened a year earlier, after seeing how Hogan/Andre drew (and seeing how WM had become a proven commodity), I think Koloff could have been swayed then.
ReplyDeleteLet me answer for Scott: HHH, HHH, and more HUNTOR.
ReplyDeleteBryan is always an option. If Bray stays as hot as he is they could have a fantastic little program...get all southern-style ghost story on everything. And if Reigns has broken away successfully by that point, they could do the whole Orton/Taker program again with him. So yeah, I guess there are options.
ReplyDeleteHe usually does them the day of or the night before. Chillax brah.
ReplyDeleteThe reasons, or what seems to the reasons for Sting vs Taker don't work for me. They're both eerie, dark characters? Taker definitely, although that act Is played. While I liked the Crow character in '97, it doesn't do it for me now.
ReplyDeleteThe only reason for them to wrestle at Wrestlemania that makes sense, is that they are the two cornerstones of their respective companies (WCW, WWF/WWE).
Neither man jumped ship to the competition, and make it just a match to see who is superior.
But, what with Taker hitting 50 next year, and Sting on the fast track to 60, it could be a really ugly matchup.
Don't go messin' with a country boy.
ReplyDeleteI think they are gonna hold off Cena vs Taker until WM 32 in front of close to 100,000 fans at cowboys stadium in takers final match.
ReplyDeleteI was the only person on the planet that came up with the scenario I swear
ReplyDeleteI don't give a shit, I'll be pumped if they go with Sting/Taker next year. Sting looks bad in the recent tna stuff I've watched, but I'm sure he'd get into good shape for a mania match with old booger red.
ReplyDeleteWWE booking of Sting: He walks around the back in his Crow gear, stays silent, points his bat at people, never talks, no one knows what's going on with this non-speaking GM, hilarity (but mostly lack thereof) ensues....
ReplyDeleteChoppy-choppy Sting's bee-bee!
ReplyDeleteSo the Cena match, Bryan-HHH, and main event will have to be around **** for this show to deliver. I'd be happy to see Taker-Brock reach ***. What does everyone think?
ReplyDeleteSometimes it's the shows with low expectations that are more likely to deliver. On the flipside, I remember people expecting Wrestlemania 2000 and Wrestlemania 26, for example, to be the greatest WMs ever, and so the actual shows were a big letdown - though think 26 was still pretty good. So maybe the reverse will happen with this card. I can see the undercard delivering - it's not like these guys aren't talented and capable of delivering decent matches. Other the woman's match I don't necessarily expect anything to actively suck, and even that might not be that bad.
ReplyDelete