WWE WrestleMania 41 - Sunday 20th April & Monday 21st April 2025, 9am AEST (Countdown show 6am)

[Southerntakeover]

Nor am I saying that the story has been good - I'm saying that we've only seen the first act, we don't know if it's bad yet.

I kind of think you can tell that something's bad after the first act most of the time.

And that the lead actor isn't up to the role.

 

[Ry009]

Wrestling can be a lot of things, I don't think it needs to be that deep you actively put on a poor main event and sandbag your biggest show.

I'm not a fan of the elements of wrestling these days that deliberately wink to the camera (and IMO there's way too much), but at least the end goal is entertaining the audience.

The main event was slow, had zero ring psychology and had a finish that didn't even Scott in the end.

This is the same creative team that had Cody reluctant to use the belt on Cena despite using a chair at SNME to win in December vs KO, and also didn't see a ball shot coming even though the same thing happened about 7 weeks prior.

Really, Roman is Cena 2.0. Solid but uninspiring larger than life wrestler with long title reigns met with ire from the fans. Moment they're no longer shoved down the fans throats, the crowd is crazy for them. At least with Roman it was justified because he was a heel.

Cody's win last year was the right call to delay after WM39 as it felt more earned. But it relied on a tonne of repetitive and uninspiring booking to get there.

In the internet era, it's infinitely harder to book when dirt sheets have more inside info and I agree there is an element of wrestling fandom that don't allow themselves to be entertained.

With that being said, booking in wrestling generally is capable of far better.

 

[nobbyiscool]

I kind of think you can tell that something's bad after the first act most of the time.

And that the lead actor isn't up to the role.

I would point you to Jey Uso and the start of the Bloodline saga waaay back in the pandemic era.

 

[Ry009]

Check out this promo if you haven't. I genuinely don't understand why they refuse to let Kross talk like THIS on RAW.

What, are they scared he might actually get over if they let him cut these sorts of promos?

Amazing stuff.

Blurring the lines of reality is what people want to see more of.

Also the same guy who's involved in stuff backstage which is the type of long term storytelling they should be leaning on. It's been slow burn and consistent. Not the stuff that is shelved and brought back out 12-18 months later with no explanation.

Hopefully gets a bigger run post Mania.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Wrestling can be a lot of things, I don't think it needs to be that deep you actively put on a poor main event and sandbag your biggest show.

Once again, no one is saying that. Unless you consider that crowd reaction to be the decisive factor in it being a shitty main event.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I would point you to Jey Uso and the start of the Bloodline saga waaay back in the pandemic era.

Cena is how much older? He's not recovering his agility, ring speed, or suddenly developing a range that he's never had in wrestling.

There's no secret upside, they booked a turd, and now they're offering us the right to breathe it in for like 10 months. Best thing to do is stop watching for the year.

 

[Ry009]

Once again, no one is saying that. Unless you consider that crowd reaction to be the decisive factor in it being a shitty main event.

Yeah I know mate. You said as much earlier, saying you're possibly giving Levesque too much credit.

I honestly think there's a mix of politics involved combined with making it up as they go along, not much more than that IMO.

 

[nobbyiscool]

Yeah I know mate. You said as much earlier, saying you're possibly giving Levesque too much credit.

I honestly think there's a mix of politics involved combined with making it up as they go along, not much more than that IMO.

Yep, that's entirely possible too!

There's a lot of hope in that fantasy booking, because I just can't fathom that this was it.

It can't be it, it was so rubbish today - and in the background, WWE's PR over the last week has been genuinely horrific - I need it to be part of a broader plan. I need it to get better.

I guess I'm not the type of smark who believes that wrestling peaked in the late 90s, and it will never be as good. If there's no hope that the best is to come, why are any of us watching it?

 

[Ry009]

Yep, that's entirely possible too!

There's a lot of hope in that fantasy booking, because I just can't fathom that this was it.

It can't be it, it was so rubbish today - and in the background, WWE's PR over the last week has been genuinely horrific - I need it to be part of a broader plan. I need it to get better.

I guess I'm not the type of smark who believes that wrestling peaked in the late 90s, and it will never be as good. If there's no hope that the best is to come, why are any of us watching it?

Something definitely seems off, the build, the PR as you said and then the main event.

Something that also is forgotten is some of the minor production issues like sound or video that keep happening regularly.

Maybe you're onto something, but I'm struggling to see a master plan. I mean we got a great main event night one to close and IMO and even better match to open night 2....so who knows.

Suppose Raw is going to answer a lot of questions.

 

[Southerntakeover]

I guess I'm not the type of smark who believes that wrestling peaked in the late 90s, and it will never be as good. If there's no hope that the best is to come, why are any of us watching it?

It might just be that we should watch it when its good, and not when its bad. Sounds simple, right?

 

[DarkPhoenix]

Kross my boy

 

[BOMBERS 4 LIFE!!!!]

Joe Hendry doing his pose where he turns his head then cops an RKO out of no where was some of the funniest shit I've seen WWE do in a long time then Randy Orton mocking Hendrys' pose with his own was funny as ****.

I think it's time I sense Dom turning baby face soon crowd where cheering for him when he won the IC title

imo Finn will get jealous,turn on Dom and kick him out of Judgement Day. Dom will reunite with Rey and they have one last run as father and son together before Rey retires will be a full circle moment for Dom with Rey passing down his mask to Dom.

 

[TimZoo]

Guess most have seen the footage of Austin completely missing the on ramp at WM? His either terrible on the quad or he actually was drunk

He seemed more mellower than usual on the mic,stoned ?

 

[TimZoo]

Yep, that's entirely possible too!

There's a lot of hope in that fantasy booking, because I just can't fathom that this was it.

It can't be it, it was so rubbish today - and in the background, WWE's PR over the last week has been genuinely horrific - I need it to be part of a broader plan. I need it to get better.

I guess I'm not the type of smark who believes that wrestling peaked in the late 90s, and it will never be as good. If there's no hope that the best is to come, why are any of us watching it?

Excellent question in that last line but most of us have been fans since we were kids or teenagers so we've been wired to take at least a passing interest in things,Same with the AFL,most games are largely unwatchable now but we still keep turning up & tuning in

 

[Wickzki]

I guess I'm not the type of smark who believes that wrestling peaked in the late 90s, and it will never be as good. If there's no hope that the best is to come, why are any of us watching it?

I watch wrestling for the same reason I’ve stuck with Carlton through the past 23 seasons: it’s in my blood. My dad was a state-champion boxer (as well as having played for North) long before I was born. Whenever the "fight" world came to town—boxing, kickboxing, or pro wrestling (back when kayfabe made it feel closer to boxing)—he’d get invites to lavish dinners with a +1. If Mum was busy teaching or with post-curricular activities, I’d tag along. I met legends like Andre and Rocky Johnson, and those experiences hooked me on wrestling for life.

Living in the U.S. during the 2000s, I’d hit up WWE shows whenever they were nearby and I had time. I even made it to WrestleMania 22. Met some talent along the way, including a wild night in St. Louis in 2006 when I ended up at Randy Orton’s table after an invite, before he rolled in.

I don’t watch expecting a second Attitude Era. Honestly, some of the best wrestling I’ve seen has been recent. Last year’s WrestleMania main event had me losing it, and Night One main event this year delivered too. Match quality has skyrocketed - on average - since the Attitude Era (top guys like Kurt, Eddie, etc. aside), and WWE can still weave incredible stories.

But yesterday? Total letdown. The build was flat all the way through after Elimination Chamber. It felt more like Cody vs. Rock than Cody vs. Cena. The Cody and Cena promos felt regurgitated and reused. Six months ago, Meltzer said Rock wouldn’t be at WrestleMania, and Rock called him out, claiming it was nonsense. Guess who was right? He still did Elimination Chamber.

Bischoff nailed it on his YouTube show post-WrestleMania: if someone’s instigating the angle, they need to be there for the payoff. Rock was pivotal but ghosted. If he wasn’t showing up, they should’ve built Cena’s motivation. Why side with Rock? Cena’s already a Hollywood heavyweight—he didn’t need Rock’s help like he was offering Cody for his soul. They could’ve painted him as a corporate stooge or something. Instead, we got a lifeless non-story with zero heat.

A better angle? Have Cena go in as a face, then turn heel mid-match, screwing Cody out of frustration over not finishing him. That would’ve made sense. What we got didn’t.

I’m fed up with Rock parachuting in whenever his schedule allows, derailing storylines that fizzle out. Last year’s post-WrestleMania arc, Bad Blood, and now Elimination Chamber—it’s the same mess. And what’s this about the third finger? It's Travis Scott? It’s absurd. It's worse than him trying to hijack last year's WrestleMania. At least they maneuverered out of that one.

There will be good TV to come. Heyman and Rollins has promise. I loved Dom winning. The women's title match yesterday was a banger and the overlooked Iyo story actually felt good to me because of her retaining. Jacob Fatu is exciting. But unless they pull a rabbit out of a hat the most important angle in the company will go nowhere and waste most of this year.

It's not hard. They just Rocked. it up.

 

[Blackhawk42]

Tough Wrestlemania if you're not a hip hop fan.

Endless 'celebrities' in the crowd I've never heard of, the never ending repeating of the dreary theme song, then Travis Scott inexplicably getting his own entrance DURING the main event. For what reason exactly?

Put the night 1 main event on the night 2 show and you've got a banger on your hands.
I personally can't wait for Punk and Cena to cross paths again and for Punk to reference that very fact.

 

[Nicho50]

Gut feel but think Kross is in for a good run coming up.

 

[Nicho50]

Amazing stuff.

Blurring the lines of reality is what people want to see more of.

Also the same guy who's involved in stuff backstage which is the type of long term storytelling they should be leaning on. It's been slow burn and consistent. Not the stuff that is shelved and brought back out 12-18 months later with no explanation.

Hopefully gets a bigger run post Mania.

Did you catch the second part of the video Scarlett is trying to get him to go away and he yells they leaked my ****ing contract details I have no ****ing privacy.

 

[Nicho50]

Tough Wrestlemania if you're not a hip hop fan.

Endless 'celebrities' in the crowd I've never heard of, the never ending repeating of the dreary theme song, then Travis Scott inexplicably getting his own entrance DURING the main event. For what reason exactly?

Put the night 1 main event on the night 2 show and you've got a banger on your hands.
I personally can't wait for Punk and Cena to cross paths again and for Punk to reference that very fact.

Wouldn't say it was tough. Night one was solid without being spectacular but the main event was incredible. Night two was pretty much flawless up until the main event. Whether or not the finish and this whole anti IWC / ruin wrestling thing was part of the plan of that finish it just fell completely flat last night. I am fine with Cena cheating to win but Travis Scotts involvement without the Rock was just awful, there is no defending it , it came across shit and was shit. That ending to the main event left a sour taste in the mouth in what would have been one of the greatest WM of all time ( Night two).

 

[nobbyiscool]

It might just be that we should watch it when its good, and not when its bad. Sounds simple, right?

That hit me hard man... I dunno what my leisure time would even look like without wrestling!

Not that wrestling fans ever take this advice, we both know that.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

Even dumber is why the hell did Travis Scott come down when Cena was in a dominating position. He didnt save Cena. He just distracted him to nearly cost him the match.

Luckily he wasnt asked to break up a pinfall however. Would have counted to 33 before he got there

 

[Jack Mundy]

This company needs high end workers. Outside of Io I wouldn't rate any of the performers inside of the ten best in the world male or female. Give fans some spectacular action and the dud storyline finish wouldn't hit so bad.

 

[Jack Mundy]

Saying Joe Hendry is just a comedy wrestler is insulting to how good he is in the ring.

Joe Hendry
Catchy Entrance
Can cut a promo
Can wrestle
Joke wrestler

Jey Uso
Catchy Entrance
Can cut a promo
Can wrestle
You're wrong for thinking he's not more than an entrance!

Strawman, although I don't rate him much anyway. He was presented as comedy guy at mania. Got Santino Marella treatment.

 

[eDPS]

JR absolutely would've if Vince was telling him to, this is a poor post

JR had a backbone which is why Vince and himself didn’t have a great relationship. A lot of what Cole does takes me out of the moments and if it’s purely a backstage thing then they need to pull their finger out.

 

[GoEaglesGoSGIO]

This company needs high end workers. Outside of Io I wouldn't rate any of the performers inside of the ten best in the world male or female. Give fans some spectacular action and the dud storyline finish wouldn't hit so bad.

Good lord.

Get how you can question the men but womens side they have atleast 8 of the top 10. Would like to know your top 10 otherwise