Tuesday 4 June 2013

WWE Wrestlemania XXIX Review (finally!)

The Granddaddy of Them All, Wrestlemania XXIX took place on Sunday April 6th  at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The last two Wrestlemanias have been ok so how will this one fare? Let's take a look.

The Pre-Show match featured Wade Barrett defending the Intercontinental Championship against The Miz. In a relatively short match, it goes back and forth as Wade tries for the Wasteland then Miz tries for the Skull Crushing Finale. Wade hits the Boss Man Slam for a 2 count then he goes for the Bullhammer. However, Miz ducks and puts Wade down and applies the Figure 4. Wade goes for the ropes then hits the Wasteland for a 2 count. Miz, while on the floor, kicks Wade in the knee to take him down and applies the Figure 4 again. This time, Wade taps out and Miz becomes Intercontinental Champion...for about 24 hours when Wade gets it back (spoiler alert!) It wasn't a bad match to begin the event.
Winner: The Miz
Predictions: 0 for 1

Before we get into the actual Wrestlemania show, the match between Tons of Funk with the Funkadactyls and Rhodes Scholars with The Bella Twins was pulled from the card without any warning or announcement. Later, it was announced that it was for time constraints, which I found weird as they had the first 4 matches and a mini concert within a hour and an half. Anyway, they did have their match the next night on RAW. I didn't see it but I do know that Tons of Funk with the Funkadactyls won in a brief match. Great, I'm now 0 for 2 in my predictions so it's not going well.

Sheamus, Randy Orton and The Big Show vs The Shield

Ryback vs Mark Henry

The Tag Team Championships are on the line as Team Hell No are challenged by Big E Langston and Dolph Ziggler. Ziggler and Bryan start the show and Ziggler almost loses the match straight away when he kisses AJ Lee and Bryan kicks him in the head, in a repeat of what happened to Bryan last year. Bryan is all over Ziggler but he manages to tag in Langston. Kane is tagged in and tries to chokeslam him but Langston powers out of it and takes down Kane. Ziggler and Langston wear down Kane although he does get some offence in during this time. Ziggler hits the Fameasser and covers Kane but Bryan breaks it up. Ziggler then hits the ZigZag for a 2 count. AJ distracts the referee so that Ziggler can use the Money in the Bank briefcase on Kane. However, Kane dodges it and hits the big boot then a chokeslam. Kane then tags in Bryan who hits a flying headbutt to get the win. I enjoyed the match although I thought it was a bit short.. Both teams were good and I was impressed with Langston, who had his first WWE match here. As for Ziggler, he got over his loss pretty quickly as he finally cashed in his Money in the Bank contract to defeat Alberto Del Rio and become the new World Heavyweight Champion ( :) :) ad infintum)
Winners: Team Hell No
Predictions: 1 for 5

It looks like Lilian Garcia showed Justin Roberts how to get his name right as Fandango finally makes his debut, in an awesome entrance, against Chris Jericho. Jericho is dominant to start with before he hits Fandango with the codebreaker but he rolls out of the ring. Jericho tries to kick Fandango but Jericho counters it by kicking him in the head. This gives the opportunity for Fandango to get in some offence for something like 30 seconds before Jericho makes his comeback. Fandango throws Jericho into the ringpostt then hits a top rope legdrop to get a 2 count. Jericho goes for the Walls of Jericho but Fandango powers out of it then clothesline him. Fandango then tries the top rope legdrop but Jericho pulls him off the top turnbuckle. Jericho goes for the Lionsault but completes misses it so he goes for the Walls of Jericho. However, Fandango manages to counter it into a small package to get the win. The match wasn't as good as I thought it could be as Fandango doesn't get much offence in and when he did, it was quite basic. It doesn't help that the ending was botched when Jericho misses the Lionsault. However, at least they improvised quickly.
Winner: Fandango
Predictions: 2 for 6

After a concert with P Diddy,  we get the World Heavyweight Championship as Alberto Del Rio is challenged by Jack Swagger.  After a few minutes, Swagger gets the advantage thanks to a distraction by Zeb Coulter. Swagger hits a short clothesline for a 2 count. Del Rio manages a pinning combination for 2 but Swagger kicks out then hits a big boot. Eventually Del Rio makes a comeback after booting Swagger who was charging into him. Del Rio goes for the cross armbreaker but it was countered into a suplex then Swagger applies the patriot lock. Swagger later hits a gutwrench powerbomb for a 2 count. Swagger once again applies the patriot lock but when Swagger attempts to go to the mat and apply further pressure to the ankle, Del Rio reverses it into the armbreaker. Swagger gets out of it and applies thepatriot lock again. Del Rio hits an enziguri and pins Swagger but Coulter puts his foot on the ropes. The end comes Del Rio finally applies the cross armbreaker to get the win. This was quite fun match and I would say that I'd love to see Del Rio continue as Champion but he loses it to Ziggler the next night so...yeah.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio
Predictions: 3 for 7

Now a match that has the potential to be the match not only of the night, but of the year as The Undertaker goes for 21-0 in his streak against CM Punk, who had the band Living Color play during his entrance. As for the Undertaker's entrance, it was awesome as he rises and the are hands from the grave reaching up towards him. During this time, Punk is mocking Undertaker by messing around with the urn that he stole early on in the feud. Punk gets some offence in early but Undertaker stops that and throws Punk round like a rag doll outside the ring. The action goes back into the ring and tries the old school rope walk but Punk grabs the arm and throws him off. This gives Punk the chance to the old school move himself which was brilliant. Punk continues the assault on Undertaker with a swinging neckbreaker. Undertaker makes a brief comeback with a snap suplex. Punk tries the old school again but Undertaker pulls Punk down onto the top rope and he falls to the outside. Undertaker tries the suicide dive but Paul Heyman gets in the way and this gives Punk the chance to go back on the offensive with a high running knee then the Macho Man elbow drop for 2. Punk tries the GTS but Undertaker gets out of it and hits a chokeslam for 2. Undertaker hits the snake eyes then goes for the big boot but Punk hits a high heel kick instead for 2. The action goes back to the outside and Undertaker tries to put Punk through the Spanish announce table with the last ride but Punk gets out of it and kicks him onto the table. Punk then does the Macho Man elbow drop which doesn't break the table. Punk rolls back in and Undertaker gets in just before the 10 count by referee Mike Chioda. Under taker then goes the Hell's gate but Punk counters into a pin for 2. Punk then applies the anaconda vice but Undertaker powers out of it and goes for the chokeslam. Punk gets out of it and hits the GTS. However, Undertaker bounces off the ropes and hits the tombstone piledriver for a 2 count. Undertaker goes for the chokeslam and Punk manages to get out of it, accidentally knocking the referee in the process. Undertaker goes for the last ride but Heyman throws the urn to Punk who hits him on the back of the head. Punk then does the Undertaker pin for 2. The end comes after Punk and Undertaker keep on countering their finishing move into their own. Undertaker eventually prevails and hits the Tombstone for the win. Undertaker then reclaims the urn and gives his tribute to the late Paul Bearer as the titantron displays that he is now 21-0. This was a really good match and all of them played their role brilliantly. I loved Paul Heyman's contribution as well as he was mocking the Undertaker and giving encouragement to Punk. Definitely the match of the night.
Winner: Undertaker
Predictions: 4 for 8

The penultimate match is between Triple H and Brock Lesnar in a no holds barred match and if Triple H loses, he must retire. They start punching each other and the action goes to the outside very early on and this gives Triple H the chance to get the advantage. Brock tries to use a chair and Triple H stops him but whe he tires to grab it, Paul Heyman takes it instead. Brock manages to get the advantage after hitting a overhead belly to belly suplex on the outside. Brock then sends Triple H through the Spanish announce table with a suplex. The action goes back inside and Lesnar continues his dominance with various suplexes, while Heyman is mocking Triple H. Triple H tries to punch his way into a comeback but |Lesnar slightshots him ito the turnbuckle, sending him to the outside. The action goes back inside and Lesnar hits a German suplex pin for 2. After Lesnar elbows Shawn Michaels off the apron,, Triple H hits an AA spinebuster then goes for the pedigree. Lesnar reverses into an attmept at a F-5 and Shawn tries to stop it but Lesnar hits him with the F-5 instead. Triple H hits the pedigree but only gets a 2 count. Triple H gets the sledgehammer but Lesnar grabs him and hits the F-5 for a 2 count. Lesnar starts to hit Triple H with the steel steps and then starts to mock him. Triple H slaps Lesnar and maes a brief comeback but Lesnar tries to apply the kimura and Triple H gets out of it by lifting him and slamming him to the mat. Triple H sends Lesnar into the ring post then hits a low blow. He then starts attacking Lesnar's arm with a steel chair then applies the kimura lock. Heyman tries to break the hold with a steel chair but Michaels stops him with the sweet chin music. Lesnar eventually gets out of the kimura lock by slamming Triple H onto the steel steps. Triple H applies the kimura 2 more times and Lesnar gets out of it both times. Triple H hits Lesnar in the head with the sledgehammer and then hits the pedigree onto the steel steps to get the win. I really enjoyed the match and with Lesnar doing another year, it will be interesting to see what WWE do with him.
Winner: Triple H
Predictions: 5 for 9

After we see the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2013, we get Once Twice in a Lifetime as John Cena challenges The Rock for the WWE Championship. The match starts quite slowly as they feel each other out. It goes back and forth for a while before Rock applies a sleeper and Cena manages to suplex his way out of it. Cena tries to apply the STF but Rock stops that from happening. Rock then applies the sharpshooter and Cena manages to roll through and get out of it. Cena goes for the five knuckle shuffle but Rock moves out of the way and hits a DDT. Cena then applies a crossface (not a STF, Michael Cole) but Rock rolls it into a pin attempt for 2. The match goes back and forth and Rock goes the people's elbow but Cena stops that from happening and applies the STF. Rock breaks the grip and hits the rock bottom for 2. Cena then hits the AA for 2. Cena then goes for a top rope legdrop but misses. Rock hits the spinebuster then the people's elbow for a 2 count. They start trading punches before Cena goes for the AA. Rock gets out of it and hits another rock bottom for 2. Rock goes for another people's elbow but Cena jumps up and hits the AA for 2. They start trading punches again and Cena hits the rock bottom for 2. Cena then goes for the people's elbow like last year, which didn't end for him so fuck knows why he is doing it again; Rock jumps up but Cena holds onto the ropes to stop Rock hitting him with a move and he goes forthe AA. However, Rock gets off Cena's shoulders and hits the rock bottom for 2. Both guys try for their finishing moves but Rock hits a DDT then stalks Cena looking to do the rock bottom. Cena gets up from the mat and Rock goes for the rock bottom but Cena reverses it into the AA for the win and Cena is the new WWE Champion. Afterwards, Rock and Cena shake hands and hug. I enjoyed the match and I thought it was better than their match at Wrestlemania XXVIIII. Both guys preformed well, especially The Rock who suffered a serious abdominal injury during the match.
Winner: John Cena
Predictions: 6 for 10

I actually enjoyed this years event. It is better than the last two years as it didn't have anything that really pissed off. The Fandango/Jericho was a disappointment otherwise I thought the other matches were good. Here's hoping that the WWE continue in that direction.

No comments:

Post a Comment