Big Vin Vader Breaks Down WrestleMania 33 - Surprise of Surprises

                     WrestleMania 33:  Surprise of Surprises   follow @bigvinvader

Color me completely, happily surprised at the general success of WrestleMania 33.  Expectations were pretty low going in, with only a few matches seeming to have any promise, and little justification for the seven-hour runtime.  Somehow things turned around in a big way, and this year’s show delivered on promises that nobody took seriously and even managed to pull off some legitimately shocking moments.  Sure, the show was bloated with an overlong marriage proposal post-match, and an entirely unnecessary Pitbull mini-concert.  And there is absolutely a case to be made that the first half of ‘Mania far exceeded the latter portion, with the final four matches in particular coming up short.  But I’m not going to hold that against the show and performers, simply because when the PPV was good, it was very good.  
    Now, the card was overlong, and with thirteen matches from start-to-finish (including the pre-show), it’s easiest to just go over everything in a brief recap.

The Show of Shows

    Up first on the preshow was the Cruiserweight Title match between Neville and Austin Aries.  This one really belonged on the main show, and the build was great, with Aries making the seamless transition back from announcer to wrestler.  There were a number of great spots, and the hard-hitting nature of most of the match made this one feel way more important than a preshow match.  Even the crowd was won over, leaving this unquestionably one of the better matches in the revamped division’s history.

    Next was the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, a very strange match.  But more on that later.......
    The first big surprise of the night came with the surprise announcement that the Intercontinental Championship match between Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin had been moved to the preshow.  The lack of stipulations made this one less than promising already, and its resignation to the preshow pretty much sucked the air out of everything.  It was a pretty tepid brawl in the end, with little excitement on any end and a pretty dead crowd.  In a strange move, Ambrose won and retained the belt, seeming to halt Corbin’s major push before ‘Mania had even begun.
    It seemed an interesting choice to put the highly-unanticipated Shane McMahon-AJ Styles match up first, but it ended up being the right call. The best wrestler in the company and the boss’ daredevil son actually managed to deliver one hell of an exciting match, shutting up everyone who doubted the booking.  Things looked up pretty much immediately, as Shane took the cocky Styles down and matched him hold-for-hold with pure wrestling.  Yes, Shane McMahon actually delivered a good, technical wrestling match.  On top of that revelation, we were treated to some spectacular high flying from both men, and a beautiful Coast to Coast with a trash can in AJ’s face.  Sure, as good as it was, AJ could have had an even more amazing match with someone like Shinsuke Nakamura, Samoa Joe, or even Finn Balor, but that’s all in the past now.  This one absolutely shut my doubting mind up and was possibly WrestleMania’s best match in the end.
    Up next was Chris Jericho versus Kevin Owens for the United States Championship, which was my most anticipated match of the evening.  The story between the two former best friends was one of the best-booked of the year, and Owens’ assault on Jericho not only turned Chris face once again, but ensured that KO got the sort of flat-out heel reaction he needed to regain his edge.  The match definitely delivered, with a fast, intense start, and several teased finishers and great back-and-forth action.  There was natural heat stemming from the storyline, as well as Owens’ brutal trash talk (telling Jericho “You have no friends!”), and a great near-fall Owens managed to beat by placing one finger on the rope.  KO put his former best friend away abruptly, ensuring a match on the next PPV, and sealing the deal on what would have been the best match on a lesser show.  At this point, things were looking good, with two very good matches up first.
    The RAW women’s four-way elimination promised a lot as well, and delivered on some of that anticipation.  Charlotte, Sasha and Bayley, three of RAW’s best athletes, looked great in their offense, and told a great story in teaming up to eliminate the dominant Nia Jax first.  That was the proper way to handle a monster heel, not Braun’s early elimination from the Battle Royal.  What followed was a good match given too little time to stretch out, but still delivering some great moments, like a corkscrew moonsault from Charlotte onto the outside.  Sasha got eliminated a little sooner than necessary, and while Charlotte took a strong lead over Bayley, she too got pinned, allowing the champ to retain her title.  Another good match, even with the clipped length.
    The RAW tag title match was next, and, as everyone knows by now, was the major talking point of the night.  Rumors of the Hardys returning to WWE have been circulating for over a month, and the addition of a ladder stipulation left fans wondering if ‘Mania was the time for their debut.  Even anticipating the return did nothing to prepare me for the moment Matt and Jeff walked down that long-ass entrance ramp, and the crowd pop was insane at that moment.  This was the type of moment WWE continually strives for yet never manages to pull off.  That they did so successfully, and managed to deliver what was a very good match on top of it, with all four teams (Hardys, Enzo & Cass, Gallows & Anderson, Sheamus & Cesaro) shining in their own ways, truly speaks to the quality of the show.  The Broken Hardys gimmick has been one of the most entertaining things in pro wrestling since last summer, and the fact that it is hopefully on a WWE stage, with the returning team the new champions points to great things for the coming year.
    I had mixed feelings going into the SmackDown mixed tag match pitting John Cena & Nikki Bella against the Miz & Maryse.  After all, this kind of came at the cost of an Usos vs. American Alpha match for the actual SD belts.  Plus, as good as the Miz and Maryse’s work has been lately, this feud was a one-note affair to lead up to Cena’s proposal to Nikki.  So, the match was nothing special, but it completely met my low expectations, although I did learn just how over the Miz is when faced against John Cena.  And as for the proposal, it’s great for them, it really is, but it went way too long on a wrestling show.
    Triple H versus Seth Rollins has been building for over a year, way back to the days of the Authority, and specifically back to August, when Trips cost Seth the Universal Title.  The knee injury angle cast some serious doubt as to Seth’s ability to perform, and really teased things out while setting up Triple H’s heel stable.  There was little doubt that the match would be good, and it definitely was, despite its odd pacing and bloated length.  The unsanctioned angle gave the two free reign to make this one as hard-hitting as possible, involving weapons and some great street fighting on the outside of the ring.  Cut this one by seven to ten minutes and you could have had the match of the night.  As it stands, it was a very good brawl rooted in each man’s great wrestling abilities.  Also, Triple H bumping Stephanie through a table got the second biggest reaction of the night, following the Hardys’ return.
    I’ve been interested by the Bray Wyatt-Randy Orton angle and feud, with Bray looking better than ever as World Champion, and Orton coming off as more interesting than he’s ever been in my opinion.  There was a good build, with some appropriately-absurd storylines involved, but none of that mattered at the end of the day.  Both Orton and Wyatt are talented wrestlers and are capable of delivering exciting matches.  Unfortunately, this one proved to be the main show’s first real misstep, lasting barely ten minutes despite the company’s top title being fought over.  Bray used some interesting mind games, projecting maggots, worms, and beetles onto the ring, which I thought was pretty interesting.  Until Orton hit a surprise RKO and claimed his thirteenth World Title.  The first match to significantly underperform as far as my expectations went.
    In a complete reversal of expectations, I had no interest in Goldberg vs. Lesnar for the Universal Title.  It was rumored to be a squash, just like Goldberg’s win over Kevin Owens last month, and the rumor that it would be the headliner with two part-timers involved didn’t help things.  Despite all of that, the match, despite being no classic by any stretch, actually delivered some good action.  The two traded finishers and power moves, before taking the fight to the outside, with a Goldberg spear absolutely demolishing the timekeeper’s area.  At a shade under five minutes, this one went the perfect length without exposing either man’s weaknesses.  Lesnar winning was the right call, especially with Goldberg riding off into the sunset now, and Brock even pulled of a great leapfrog over his opponent, reminding everyone of the sort of athletic feats he was—and clearly still is—capable of.
    By this point it was nearly 11:00, so I expected the SmackDown Women’s Championship match to have been cut.  Thankfully that wasn’t the case, though they were given just six minutes, concurrent entrances, and the death-spot on the card.  Regardless, I was looking forward to this, especially since Alexa Bliss and Naomi are two of my favorite wrestlers in the division.  What we got wasn’t great, and it really would be nice to see SmackDown’s women get the chance to shine on PPV that the Raw division have, but it seems like that’ll take a while to happen.  Still, the pace was fast, and Naomi, Alexa, and Becky Lynch all put in some good ring work.  Plus, having Naomi reclaim the title was the absolute right decision, and the crowd certainly seemed to agree.
    Up last, the technical main event (and here I though Randy Orton was guaranteed a main even spot by winning the Royal Rumble), came Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns.  This one is hard to write about, not simply because of the outcome, but mainly doing so in a way as to not bash Roman and not disrespect ‘Taker.  Whether it was Reigns or John Cena or Finn Balor doing it, the fact remains that Undertaker was due to retire, and his mounting health issues were on clear display throughout the match.  This naturally limited the in-ring work, not to say that either Reigns or ‘Taker have been known for their technical prowess.  Still, it was hard to watch one of my favorite wrestlers (that would be Undertaker) plod through such a tepid match.  It was mostly sloppy brawling, with some notable botches, and several spears from Reigns, the weakest-looking of which actually ended things.  Even with Jim Ross back on commentary (and signed to WWE once again), this one just felt like an inevitability, not an exciting spectacle.  And beyond the thunderous boos that followed Roman out, it really was tough to watch the Undertaker remove his hat, coat, and gloves and limp up the monstrous entrance ramp.  A bitter finish to the show.
    
The Weird Stuff

Being WWE, and thus representing “sports entertainment,” there were naturally a number of bizarre moments throughout the show that deserve special mention here, at least in brief:

-The Andre the Giant Battle Royal—I held off discussing this one earlier just because it was so bizarre to watch unfold live.  Braun Strowman, the clear and seemingly only favorite to win, got tossed out by everyone very early on.  Jinder Mahal was one of the final three in the match, and ran to the outside to harass Rob Gronkowski, present ostensibly because he’s friends with Mojo Rawley, but really because WWE loves crossover exposure.  Gronkowski ended up in the ring and helped Mojo win.  Again, bizarre as hell to see play out, and totally unpredictable.
-Al Roker referring to himself as “Chocolate Thunder” as guest announcer of the Cena/Bella vs. Miz/Maryse tag match and doing very little else.
-Triple H’s long, elaborate entrance of the year, featuring himself and Stephanie on a motorcycle, guided down the entrance ramp by several police escorts.  This looked like something a fifteen-year-old fan would have dreamed up, not a man nearing fifty and trying to look cool.  Also, points off for this being pretty much the only special entrance all night.
-The enormously long entrance ramp, which was actually distracting in its sheer scale.  So long was it, that they had to either cut to video packages as the wrestlers made their ways down, or send several out at once, as they did with the SmackDown women’s match.

What Next?

Naturally, post-WrestleMania the course of the rest of the year starts to set itself into motion, particularly with the brand Shake-Up coming next week.  Everything is made all the more exciting by the current state of the roster, with RAW and SmackDown following WrestleMania marking a number of major main roster debuts.  
Moving up to RAW, finally, are The Revival, hands-down the absolute best tag team in the entire company, and one of my favorite things in wrestling at this time.  It would be foolish for the company not to set a feud in motion between The Revival and the Hardys.  The Revival kept their natural heel heat by attacking and beating the New Day in a hell of a debut, and their psychology and matwork heavy style would make an interesting contrast to the Hardys’ high flying, spot-heavy antics.  Regardless, it’s a joy to see them on the main roster, finally giving the tag division a hope of putting on match-of-the-night caliber efforts if given the chance.  Things are looking very strong for the RAW tag division, although SmackDown certainly would have benefitted from the presence of The Revival on their brand.
Returning on the same show was Finn Balor, who was sorely missed at WrestleMania, but will hopefully be inserted right back into the main event picture where he left off.  Regardless, Finn is one of those guys like Sami Zayn (but given much better booking) who is incredibly over regardless of his position in the company.  The company have faith in Balor, something that was made eminently clear last summer by just how quickly they were willing to push him to the top of the RAW brand.  It will be interesting to see where things go with Brock Lesnar holding the Universal Title, particularly as he lost some momentum by losing so quickly to Goldberg prior to WrestleMania.  Lesnar is a massive draw for crossover audiences and hardcore fans alike, so keeping him on top makes good business sense, but as a part timer who’s already rumored to be missing the next RAW PPV, some issues come up.  Namely, if it wouldn’t be better to have a full-timer like Balor hold the championship.  But tangled up with that one is the fact that WWE aren’t going to simply give just anyone a win over Lesnar because he is a legitimate hardass, and not just anyone could bring him down.  There’s a good chance that Balor is the person to do that, but until the storyline emerges, and Brock actually appears on TV consistently, that remains to be seen.
Also back, finally, is Emma, with her original heel gimmick.  Emma is a great allround performer, and this should be her opportunity to finally shine on the main roster after a number of false starts (Emmalina, anyone?) and a long hiatus due to injury.  My hopes are that she will be considered a serious contender for the Women’s Championship, especially as the title needs some fresh challengers in the picture.  Even if that program falls through, the idea of a Charlotte/Sasha/Bayley vs. Emma match in any capacity holds great promise.
On the SmackDown end, easily one of the most important debuts in years came with Shinsuke Nakamura’s long-overdue call-up.  The fact that he appeared and instantly went over with the crowd proves that WWE were holding him back in developmental for far too long.  His presence on the main roster, on the blue brand especially, signifies an entirely new era for the company, and I dare them to book him in any bad matches, simply because the man, at this point in time, is seemingly untouchable.  The only problem I can see at this time, is the rumor—which seems as likely as that of the Hardys’ return at ‘Mania—that AJ Styles is going to be sent over to RAW, depriving us of an amazing, long-building match.  The two have pulled of incredible matches in the past, and to have them on the same brand would be absolutely ideal, as it’s the type of rivalry that promises incredible matches and fan involvement, even without any titles on the line.  If WWE really wanted to move towards a more Japanese style of wrestling, those are the two people to do it for them, and they could very well be squandering that opportunity, holding off the match until SummerSlam at least, and very possible next year’s Wrestlemania.
    Also making his debut on Tuesday was crowd favorite Tye Dillinger, although his appearance was somewhat lesser to Shinsuke’s.  From the matches of his that I’ve seen, Dillinger is very capable in the ring, but always seems to come up short as far as actually winning a bout.  Even his crowd-pleasing appearance at the Royal Rumble only lasted a few minutes.  So I have my doubts as to what he’ll actually achieve on the main roster, but I’m more than willing to be proven wrong.  If things go well for him, he’s definitely the type of performer I could see getting inserted into the Intercontinental Title picture.  Or, simply because he’s so well-liked by the crowd, he could start feuding with natural heel the Miz, although he proved to be pretty over himself at WrestleMania, so there’s no telling how that would actually go.
    Until the brand Shake-Up actually occurs, however, so much of the year is up in the air.  What does seem certain, however, is Samoa Joe and Kevin Owens joining in Triple H’s heel stable.  Little as I may care for his in-ring persona and ego, there is no denying the fantastic work he’s done with the NXT developmental system.  This stable would have two of the most imposing and impressive wrestlers on RAW acting as the unstoppable, ruthless forces they should be.  On top of that, it would be an interesting opportunity to merge Triple H’s Authority heel figure with his benevolent NXT commissioner face persona.
    Things look good, with the surprise success of the majority of WrestleMania 33 proving that WWE cans till pull of some legitimate surprises as they’re being doubted the most.

Big Vin Vader covers WWE for Pencilstorm. Follow @bigvinvader

WrestleMania Lead-Up Part Two: The Lesnar Angle - by Big Vin Vader


                     WrestleMania Lead-Up Part 2: The Lesnar Angle      Follow@bigvinvader


I’m not really sure how I feel about Brock Lesnar.  He’s an amazing athlete, and a major figure in the world of combat sports.  But it’s because of all those things that his last few years in WWE have left me cold.  He’s become such a phenomenon following his work in UFC that he’s rarely much fun to watch anymore.  His street fight with Dean Ambrose at WrestleMania 32 was a major disappointment, and he’s hardly had any notable, worthwhile matches in the last year or so.  But that wasn’t always the case, and fifteen years ago he was one of the most exciting wrestlers on the roster.  Golderg, however, has always been a one-note character and wrestler.  He really does seem like a decent guy, but I’m concerned with Goldberg the current Universal Champion, not Bill Goldberg the person.  As I’ve complained before, the two had a terribly unsatisfying match at WrestleMania XX, and their current program has been very lackluster, consisting of squashes and little actual storyline build.  It’s easily one of my least-anticipated matches of WrestleMania 33, and the talk that it looks to be yet another squash, albeit in Lesnar’s favor, does nothing to alleviate my concerns.
    So, while it would theoretically make more sense for me to discuss Lesnar and Goldberg’s last WrestleMania match, I have no interest in doing that here.  Instead, I want to talk about Lesnar’s match with Kurt Angle at WrestleMania XIX.  While most of the talk regarding the match anymore concerns Lesnar’s botched Shooting Star Press, that moment is the only blemish on a fantastic main event match.  
    Both Lesnar and Angle (natch) were decorated amateur wrestlers, and they brought much of their technical skills to the table during their long rivalry in 2003.  Their World Title match at that year’s ‘Mania is the place to go if you want to see Brock take to the mat and wrestle with great proficiency and agility, rather than his post-UFC ground-and-pound style.  It really is amazing how fast and solid Brock was in the ring for someone his size, and the match is a stunning technical display.  Lesnar and Angle trade lightning-fast submissions and reversals, as well as a series of takedowns and some stiff brawling.  What the match is lacking in strong psychology, it more than makes up for in the sheer amount of wrestling ability on display.  On top of that, the two had great chemistry, and in this match and others from that period, you can tell that they respected one another and enjoyed working together.
    Also interesting is the point during the match where Angle nails Lesnar with four consecutive German suplexes, anticipating Brock’s later “Suplex City” gimmick.  And I know there’s no reason to debate what a tough bastard Lesnar truly is, but it really goes unappreciated until you see the guy land on the top of his head during an aerial maneuver, recover enough to kick out of a pin, and take the win with an F-5.  All while concussed.  It’s a famous moment, and still pretty hard to watch.  Unlike a lot of other matches featuring a significant botch, both wrestlers brought so much to the table and gave such intense performances that the single off moment did nothing to bring down the match’s quality and lasting legacy.
    There really isn’t much of a link between the two matches, apart from each featuring Lesnar, and the fact that Kurt Angle has come back into the fold, but that doesn’t mean a whole lot for WrestleMania.  The point is, this is the type of match that Goldberg could never have, and Lesnar likely will never have again.  It was intense, gripping, and above all else, a fantastic display of wrestling and storytelling at its finest.  What we’re getting this year is nothing but a money-draw, a spectacle without the wrestling to go along with it.  It’s not only unfair to have part timers fighting for RAW’s top title, it’s insulting to the fans who wanted to see a top-notch match between Kevin Owens, or at least another deserving young star, and a credible, full-time performer.  Back in 2003, it meant something for Lesnar to hold his brand’s top title, but in 2017 there’s absolutely no point other than to boost ratings, advertisements and merch sales.

Big Vin Vader covers WWE for Pencilstorm. Follow @bigvinvader

WrestleMania Lead-Up Part One: Brothers and Best Friends - by Big Vin Vader

                      WrestleMania Lead-Up:  Part 1: Brothers and Best Friends

                                                        follow@bigvinvader

    Once again WrestleMania is right around the corner, and, less fortunately, we once again find ourselves with a mixed bag of a card.  That doesn’t change a thing as far as my interest, and I’m sure many fans are feeling the same.  The point, whether for good or bad, is the spectacle, and even the most technically-sound masterpiece of a match wouldn’t quite belong if it wasn’t a huge deal.  With that said, it’s time to take a look back at one of my—and countless others’—favorite WrestleMania matches: Bret vs. Owen Hart, from WrestleMania X, one of the PPV’s all-time best matches, and arguably the greatest show opener of all time.
    That the match contains some of the best pure wrestling ever seen on WWE PPV is no surprise.  There’s nothing I can say that would add to Bret’s spectacular legacy in the ring. Owen, while regarded as a great worker and underrated talker, still goes unmentioned among the all-time greats, regardless of his tragic death in 1999.  He was a magnificent technician, as well as an impressive flyer, long before either of those were common attributes on such a major stage.  Owen easily rests in my top five favorite wrestlers of all time.
    The rivalry between the two brothers was a fantastic example of an engaging, inspired, long-term storyline playing out in an entirely successful manner.  Owen, forever in Bret’s shadow, knew that he was just as good as his brother, and began to vent his frustrations as Bret cost them a few major matches as a tag team.  Finally attacking his injured brother, Owen’s heel turn signified the true beginning of their intense rivalry.  
     WrestleMania X was their first match as opponents, and it was fiery as hell.  The two put their scientific wrestling skills on display and went for over twenty-minutes at a fast pace, blowing away almost the entirety of the card to follow.  The biggest shock of all came with Owen picking up a clean win over Bret, the clear-cut fan favorite, and securing bragging rights.  Of course, that was far from the end of their rivalry, as Bret continued on that night to win the World Heavyweight Championship and remained in the spotlight.  But for those precious opening moments, not only were both brothers the focus of the wrestling world, but Owen was allowed to triumph as a true star.  His petulant, arrogant heel gimmick was perfectly suited to him, and allowed him a ruthless streak that heated the rivalry to the boiling point.

     Far be it for me to compare the Chris Jericho-Kevin Owens rivalry to Bret and Owen’s, but there are some parallels.  The two Canadians were paired as a tag team late last year, with neither seeming to have any major direction on the roster.  From this undesirable scenario, however, they gave us gold with their “best friends” storyline.  They were entertaining as all hell, and played their roles so convincingly that you could be forgiven for buying it all as real.  Naturally, it was both too good and just cheesy enough that it couldn’t last.  In another example of a long-term build, their divide was teased and hinted at for months before ultimately arriving last month on RAW.  It could be argued that the whole friendship angle harmed Owens’ Universal Title run, but in throwing Jericho into the Jeriton, he proved himself to be the ruthless heel he’s played so well for years, while turning Chris face in the process.
      So, we have two men, not quite brothers, but built up as pretty damn close, driven apart by the temper and ego of the lower-profile wrestler.  And much like in Bret and Owen’s case, both are tremendous wrestlers who can be trusted to deliver a top-notch match on a card rife with unexciting filler.  In fact, as far as I’m concerned, Jericho vs. Owens looks to be the match of the night at WrestleMania 33.  It has the most interesting angle story-wise, as well as two of the best wrestlers on RAW.  It will be a huge shock if the match fails to deliver, which is not to say that I’m expecting a classic such as Bret and Owen delivered, just an entertaining, physical contest between two men in a heated rivalry.
     Also, worth mentioning is that Kevin Owens took his wrestling surname in tribute to his son, who he named for Owen Hart, his favorite wrestler.

WWE Fastlane Recap: Looking Ahead to Wrestlemania - by Big Vin Vader

WWE Fastlane 2017  -  Positives and Negatives Heading into Wrestlemania

It’s hard to write about Fastlane this year, and it doesn’t seem right to run down and rate the entire card.  While there’s been a lot of skepticism surrounding WWE’s direction lately, most PPV shows have been mildly-pleasant surprises that end up surpassing low expectations. Fastlane was a pretty damn terrible show, with zero surprises and only slightly more decent matches.  The main problem going in was the fact that the card was actually pretty well-stacked.  The Cruiserweight title match, Samoa Joe vs. Sami Zayn, and Bayley vs. Charlotte all promised to be solid matches.  And those three were hands-down the best things on the entire show, although only the former exceeded expectations to truly reach the level of excellence.  The rest of the PPV was just shy of terrible, and some of the matches don’t even necessitate a recap or rundown.  The real issue is the fact that this is the last PPV before Wrestlemania, and that event’s card is still way too up in the air for comfort.  So, for this column, I’ll be looking at the negatives and positives from the show, as well as its impact on Wrestlemania as a whole.

The Negatives

Alright, no secret that this outweighs the positives by a large margin.  Taking it from the top, the second match of the night was Gallows & Anderson vs. Enzo & Cass for the RAW Tag Titles.  I’ll just come right out and say it: I’m not sold on Enzo & Cass.  Their ring work leaves a lot to be desired, and I’m sick of their entrance going on as long as it does, covering the exact same ground each and every time.  If the two cut down their entrance time, maybe RAW and PPVs wouldn’t quite hit a three-hour runtime.  The match itself was far from great, although it did give Karl Anderson more time to shine than usual, and having the Club retain was the right call.  Still, not a rivalry I’d like to see continue.
    Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax was as unremarkable as everyone expected it to be, aside from Sasha’s surprise victory by roll-up.  Coupled with Roman Reigns’ expected win over Braun Strowman, WWE shot down the momentum of their two top monster heels in a single swoop.  Another feud that needs to end.  They followed that up with two unannounced matches featuring the newly-split up Jinder Mahal and Rusev.  The fact that they crammed two filler matches midway through a PPV essentially confirmed that Goldberg would squash Kevin Ownes in the main event.  The matches were downright horrible, and I legitimately wondered what the hell I was watching.
    In my notes, I didn’t even rate Reigns vs. Strowman, I was just so disinterested.  And the thing is, I actually expected a decent showing.  They’re both limited performers in-ring, but the feud at least made some sense.  But Reigns stopping Strowman’s momentum did nobody any favors, and the fans rejected his going over as expected.  So basically, Braun was toppled en route to Wrestlemania, which almost confirms that the Reigns vs. Undertaker match is on. Lucky us.  
    And then there’s the big one: Goldberg vs. Owens.  People have been calling the result for a month now, and pissed off as I may have been when the word “squash” was thrown around, it turns out that was exactly the case.  Jericho’s entrance distracting Owens meant nothing, as their grudge match was already one of the few sure things for Wrestlemania.  What really upsets me is the fact that Owens is one of the best all-round performers on the roster, who was given the brand’s top prize on faith from Triple H.  His title reign featured not a single PPV victory without interference, making him look ineffectual rather than a bullying, sharp-witted heel.  And to top it all off, a past-his-prime part timer knocks him out in mere seconds to win the Universal Title for a match that is likely to last less than three minutes with Brock Lesnar.  Having Goldberg win makes some sense on paper: he’s destroyed Brock in a matter of seconds twice since returning, and Lesnar is supposed to be the biggest, toughest badass in the entire company.  To have Owens go over Goldberg, or even hold his own for a lengthy match would implicitly suggest that he’s tougher than Lesnar, and you can’t have that.  So, what should have happened was an interference that led to a DQ, whether from Lesnar (they teased it with Paul Heyman appearing backstage), or Jericho (more than a brief entrance distraction).  Instead, we got a predictable, awful “match” that will lead only to the two surefire feuds on the Wrestlemania card, and will inevitably sap them of their natural heat.  Part timers don’t need the Universal Title to draw, and giving Owens the U.S. Title as a consolation prize only serves as a demotion in terms of his place in the company hierarchy.

The Positives

With all of that out of the way, there were a few notable bright spots on the Fastlane card which deserve some mention.  Sami Zayn and Samoa Joe have had a number of good matches against one another in the past, and their meeting Sunday promised more of the same.  Interestingly, it was chosen to open the event, and ended up as the second-best match of the night.  It was at least five minutes too short, and wasn’t given enough time to breathe, which definitely was a let-down.  However, there were no sour notes whatsoever in terms of ring work, and Samoa Joe came out looking exactly like the type of destroyer WWE is pushing him as.  Unfortunately, the submission finish was way too abrupt, with Zayn getting choked out in a matter of seconds.  Even in loss, Sami is playing the part of the underdog perfectly, and when he does get his big comeuppance win (and there will be one in the near future), it will be that much more amazing a moment.
    While most expectations held that Joe and Sami would have the match of the night, that spot was amazingly taken by the Cruiserweight Title match between Neville and Jack Gallagher. Neville and Gallagher blew everything since the CWC away, delivering a well-paced, exciting and genuinely unpredictable match.  It was everything I had hoped the division would bring, and hands-down the best thing that’s been done in the division since the tournament.  Neville looked fantastic as the dominant heel, and having him retain the championship was the right call.  Gallagher, a personal favorite and undeniable standout from the tournament, pulled off some amazing work, and actually looked to have a chance of winning at several points.  Most notably, the whole thing connected well with the live audience, which will hopefully inspire such high-quality work in the future.  Sadly, it was all downhill from there, with Bayley and Charlotte’s match ending up as a decent, serviceable affair and little else.  Plus, Charlotte’s PPV streak ended far too soon, as it should have extended at least until Wrestlemania. 

State of Wrestlemania

Everything that happened at Fastlane looks to have little desirable impact on the Wrestlemania 33 card.  On a positive note, it looks like Shaq vs. The Big Show has been nixed, which saves us all that waste of time.  Most notable on the card, of course, is the next chapter of Goldberg vs. Lesnar, something which has been set for months now.  With that kind of build, Lesnar’s crossover appeal, and Goldberg’s hype following his return to WWE, there didn’t need to be any belt on the line.  This kind of match draws on its own, and people were planning to watch before Goldberg ever thought to challenge Owens for the Universal Title.  The way I see it, Lesnar is going over in this one, simply to avenge his string of losses to Goldberg.  That means that he’ll be the new Universal champ, as a part-timer, and the roster will have a hell of a time dethroning him.  Which can only mean that another Roman Reigns title run is in the cards.  Beyond all of that, there’s no chance in hell that the ‘Mania match will be anything approaching decent.  Lesnar is a very good wrestler, when allowed to actually work, which hasn’t been the case for some time.  Goldberg has never been able to truly wrestle, and his return has only emphasized this.  He looks to be in great shape, but he always has, and it was common for him to get winded back in the day going over five minutes.  Things aren’t looking good.
    Kevin Owens vs. Chris Jericho actually has promise to be one of the better matches currently announced, but even that has some problems.  The story and build between the two is fantastic, and they’re both two of the best all-round workers in the company.  Problem is, the match should have been held with both the Universal and United States championships on the line.  As it stands, it looks like Owens will win the U.S. belt from Jericho almost as a consolation prize, seeing himself demoted to midcard status.
    Roman Reigns vs. the Undertaker is pretty much guaranteed, and that’s nothing to look forward to either.  It seems unlikely that ‘Taker will halt Roman in his tracks given the talk of his imminent retirement.  Which can only mean that he will go under in an effort to further boost Reigns’ stature.  I don’t need to convince anyone that that would be a disaster, and would arguably go over worse than Reigns’ World Title win over Triple H last year.  Regardless of the outcome, the match promises very little from an in-ring standpoint, and the only thing worse than pissing off that many fans is doing it after boring them to tears.  There’s a chance that this one will work out alright for both of them, but I’m not expecting anything at all.
    The triple-threat match between Sasha/Charlotte/Bayley will unquestionably be a good one.  The issue here is that we’ve already seen this.  At last year’s Wrestlemania, in fact, with two-thirds of the same lineup.  Throwing a fresh face into the mix would be a good decision, but the biggest probability there is Nia Jax, who isn’t likely to impress on the big stage.  It seems like this one can really only boil down to Charlotte winning the Women’s Championship back, with Sasha costing Bayley, or vice versa, and finally turning Banks.  That would at least create a good opportunity for a grudge rivalry between the two allies (which was the case in NXT), and would allow all three women to move on from the constant title chase we’ve been subjected to all year.  The SmackDown Women’s Title match looks to be a mess, with every wrestler in the division challenging Alexa Bliss for the title.  This just highlights a big issue with the brand split, namely, there are simply too many performers and titles to give equal time and attention, meaning the importance of certain wrestlers and championships will continue to get muddled as the year goes on. 
    The tag team title matches look to be pretty unexceptional.  Gallows & Anderson (RAW) and American Alpha (SD) are amazing teams, but it all comes down to their challengers and the amount of time they’re given to work.  In the case of the former, if it does end up being Sheamus & Cesaro, the match should be pretty solid, if nothing game-changing.  Alpha’s opponents are still up in the air, so that one really stands out as a question mark currently. 
    On the subject of tag matches, it seems like the intergender John Cena/Nikki Bella vs. The Miz/Maryse is on.  Can’t say I’m looking forward to that one, or that I have any expectations whatsoever.  God forbid we have a Wrestlemania card without John Cena.  It certainly seems like a better idea to me than constructing a last-minute feud for him and Nikki just to fit them onto the card.
    The main event was finally decided, and has the most intrigue and promise of all.  After some back and forth indecision, Randy Orton finally turned on Bray Wyatt, and beat AJ Styles to secure the main event spot that was already his.  While the initial misdirection en route to his feud with Bray seems somewhat unnecessary, this is one of the most interesting stories the company has done in a long time, and both are good enough wrestlers that things look very promising.  Plus, word is that Bray is set for a long title run, and having him go over a tenured star like Orton would make him look fantastic.  Should that actually be the case, 2017 looks to be a very promising one for Wyatt, and hopefully the fans.
    A downside to this main event is the fact that AJ’s place on the card is now up in the air.  Let’s all hope that the proposed match with Shane McMahon does not materialize, as that would be a horrible misuse of a fantastic wrestler.
    As of now, there’s no word as far as plans for Samoa Joe, Sami Zayn, or even Finn Balor’s likely return.  Given that those three are some of the very best talents in the company at this time, and that makes things look a little off.  Hopefully there’s a place for each of them, but the card is already looking a little bloated as it is.  More important is to not give us another five-plus hour spectacle fraught with poor booking decisions and predictable outcomes.
    And, to top it all off, Ravishing Rick Rude has been confirmed as a Hall of Fame inductee, at long last.  So, that’s one definite perk for Wrestlemania weekend.