Wrestlemania XXX

It's a little harsh to say it didn't feel like WrestleMania. That opening promo with Hogan, Austin and Rock all together was amazing. Bryan's story across both matches was exactly what it should have been, ending with the WrestleMania moment. Taker's loss was stupid, but a huge deal. Everything looked phenomenal, the set was the best they've ever done by a long way, the place looked huge and completely packed out. I'm not sure what much more they could have done.

If I had my way I'd have have the streak continue, obviously, and I'd have added a spotfest match like MITB or given the tag title match a ladder. I really liked the table spot in the main event, but other than that there wasn't much hardcore and practically zero high flying. I think the Shield match was exactly what it should have been given the opponents. If they were working Triple H, Orton and Batista they should have 20 or 30 minutes, but Kane and the Outlaws? Anything other than a squash would have made them look weak as hell. The women were completely fine, everyone got one or two moves in with the focus being on the girls who matter. The battle royal was a slow starter but had some excellent spots including the best finish to a match they've done in years. How fitting that the André memorial match should be won with a bodyslam to a giant. Perfect.

This was definitely one of the PPVs in the conversation when we talk about best ever. X-Seven is generally given that title, but there are always honourable mentions for the likes of SummerSlam 2002 and Money In The Bank 2011. Extreme Rules 2012 was great and now I think this show has to rank in that region.

Walkabout was open until 4am? Hmm. I may have to check this out for Extreme Rules.

That's what I was like!  I didn't even know they showed wrestling events until another friend who works there told me about Elimination Chamber.  Fancy coming up to Cardiff for Extreme Rules?

I heard a good ten years ago that Walkabout showed wrestling, but that was back when Raws and SmackDowns were delayed and shown on Friday and Saturday evenings. I had no idea they'd do live shows. I'll definitely have to consider coming up for Extreme Rules. We have one down here too, so if you feel like making the trip...!

Awesome!  I don't know about Bristol's but Cardiff's Walkabout is literally 2-3 minutes walk from the train station.  Good logistics!  Ooooh, do you fancy coming Rhys if we make it the Cardiff one?  Swansea's only practically down the road!  You too Gorgrim?

So which match do you guys reckon was MOTN?  Cena vs. Wyatt had fantastic psychology, but I gotta give it to Bryan vs. Triple H.  The match told a great story, everything was perfect, from Triple H's Shao Khan entrance all the way to the post-match beatdown, and they had the crowd in the palms of their hands throughout.

Reports surfacing about Undertaker being taken via Ambulance straight after his match and was accompanied by Brock, Heyman and Vince McMahon who left Triple H and Stephanie in charge of the end of WM30 as there was concern Taker had a serious neck injury as well as possible concussion...

WWE Website reporting it as a serious concussion but Taker had been released from hospital Monday Afternoon

If Vince left the arena before the main event, it must have been a real possibility of it being very serious.

Also reports saying only people to know about the Streak ending was Triple H, Stephanie, Vince, Brock and Taker... be interesting to know if Heyman knew, as that would have given total credibility to his face in reaction to the 3 count, which was basically the mirror image of everyone else that was watching the show in the arena and at home etc.

As for the MOTN, I would have to give it to Bryan and Triple H... it had everything from a psychology point of view, plus it being the first match on the main show, the crowd were so hot from start to finish and it had the near falls and everything.. it was perfect.

This was an amazing show... and like it or not, The Streak ending has given every fan a moment of WM3o that they will never forget... in 10 years time, you may forget that D-Bry won the title here, you will forget that AJ Lee retained her title against the odds, but you will all remember that The Streak died.. and they proved that they can still shock the world and like any true story teller (as the WWE as a whole) once they knocked everyone down, they built them all right back up and ended the night on such a high giving the fans exactly what they wanted, but within that jubilation is the sadness and shock of what we had witnessed previously

Was a great show and I fully enjoyed it as it played with every emotion, from nostalgia to hope then anger and sadness and ending with overall joy and happiness...  What more can anyone want from one show... Wrestlemania 30 Delivered!!!

I'm still working on accepting that the streak is done... i was thinking today and i don't think i can think of any other time i was in total shock from a wrestling match ending... it almost doesn't even seem real... nothing else really to add... it's just strange to go through childhood believing for a brief period of time that pro wrestling was really real and the matches were legit shoots and never really being shocked before and then now as a grown man finally have it happen... i was shocked i still am.

but on a side note i thought this was cool as hell...

OH MY FUCK, Brock ended the streak, holy shitballs. I don't know what to believe any more.

•Orton got major man-points for working through the major owie

Bob Holly's was better lol

That's what I was like!  I didn't even know they showed wrestling events until another friend who works there told me about Elimination Chamber.  Fancy coming up to Cardiff for Extreme Rules?

I heard a good ten years ago that Walkabout showed wrestling, but that was back when Raws and SmackDowns were delayed and shown on Friday and Saturday evenings. I had no idea they'd do live shows. I'll definitely have to consider coming up for Extreme Rules. We have one down here too, so if you feel like making the trip...!

Awesome!  I don't know about Bristol's but Cardiff's Walkabout is literally 2-3 minutes walk from the train station.  Good logistics!  Ooooh, do you fancy coming Rhys if we make it the Cardiff one?  Swansea's only practically down the road!  You too Gorgrim?

So which match do you guys reckon was MOTN?  Cena vs. Wyatt had fantastic psychology, but I gotta give it to Bryan vs. Triple H.  The match told a great story, everything was perfect, from Triple H's Shao Khan entrance all the way to the post-match beatdown, and they had the crowd in the palms of their hands throughout.

Im in.

If I had my way I'd have have the streak continue, obviously, and I'd have added a spotfest match like MITB or given the tag title match a ladder. I really liked the table spot in the main event, but other than that there wasn't much hardcore and practically zero high flying.

That's my main gripe with Wrestlemania nowadays, we never get spotfests anymore! I know since they were doing it outdoors it's pretty much impossible to have a ladder match but this one was domed! Why not a tag team ladder match somewhere there?

Also I think last night showed how much outdoor Manias suck, this years crowd were much more audible than the last few.

Here's my view of the screen for Wrestlemania!  Photo's dark, but all the lights were turned off so it was like being in the cinema!!  There were two screens, and you can sort of make out the second one on the right, and the bar underneath!

Well count me in compy if you really are up for it. I have to get a new form of ID though lost my bloody provisional license.  Youll have to meet me in the train station though I always get lost in Cardiff lol.

Well count me in compy if you really are up for it. I have to get a new form of ID though lost my bloody provisional license.  Youll have to meet me in the train station though I always get lost in Cardiff lol.

Cardiff is about the size of a stamp, you'll be fine. Walk out of Cardiff Central, go 'that way' for a while and you'll end up on Queen Street. You are now everywhere in Cardiff. I once thought I was getting lost looking for the Students Union, but sure enough it was just off Queen Street. CIA? Right turn off Queen Street. Hooters? Between the CIA and Queen Street. No idea where Walkabout is, but I'm guessing...

Well count me in compy if you really are up for it. I have to get a new form of ID though lost my bloody provisional license.  Youll have to meet me in the train station though I always get lost in Cardiff lol.

Cardiff is about the size of a stamp, you'll be fine. Walk out of Cardiff Central, go 'that way' for a while and you'll end up on Queen Street. You are now everywhere in Cardiff. I once thought I was getting lost looking for the Students Union, but sure enough it was just off Queen Street. CIA? Right turn off Queen Street. Hooters? Between the CIA and Queen Street. No idea where Walkabout is, but I'm guessing...

Haha, pretty much!  It's crazy in work.  My office is just outside Newport town, by Tredegar House.  Everyone there are natives of the Newport/Gwent area, so they're all from Newport, Caerphilly, Risca, Cwmbran etc. (don't worry, I've no idea where they are either!!).  And they all say that Cardiff's big and scary and easy to get lost in!  Goodness knows which Cardiff they're on about because this one isn't that big.  Like chux said, it's the size of a stamp and you can find everything from Queen Street!  Bunch of country bumpkins, honestly!! 

Anyway, Walkabout's even easier to get to.  Step outside Cardiff Central, turn right then keep walking 'til you get to the first main road.  Then you're there.  About 2-3 minutes walk!  But yeah I can meet you both at Cardiff Central and we'll head down.  Man this is so cool 😄.

Back to Mania talk, Jek's right about the lack of a big spot-fest match making the show feel a bit empty.  I really miss Money in the Bank being at Mania.

You know, had I known Walkabout was showing Wrestlemainia, I would've popped in on my way home from work...  Definitely up for Extreme Rules though, depending on work anyway...

We had a bar near me showing it, and it was a group of my friends that had organised it but they were charging £10 entry with a free drink

Id rather pay the little extra n stay at home as I dont drink anyways

We had a bar near me showing it, and it was a group of my friends that had organised it but they were charging £10 entry with a free drink

Id rather pay the little extra n stay at home as I dont drink anyways

Pay? Hmm. I have some websites for you.

This is a pretty accurate depiction of my reaction:

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Now I've had some time to take a second look at WrestleMania XXX, it's amazing to see that it's just as good as I thought it was the first time I watched it.

This was most definitely my favourite WrestleMania since way back when in 2002, with WrestleMania X-8.

X-8 has always been my favourite WrestleMania of all time, but this WrestleMania gets into the top 3 for me with WrestleMania X-8 and 17.

None of the matches were incredible, but most of the matches were at least good and told a fantastic story. I think the reason why this WrestleMania was so good is because while nothing was magnificent, there was nothing really awful about the show. I enjoyed every match (Sans the divas match but that was purely because of the shock of Taker losing) and I was happy with every decision made (even the decision to have Cena beat Wyatt) and so all in all, this was a fantastic PPV, with the right amount of unpredictability, predictability and entertainment. Kudos WWE, you wanted to make WM30 the biggest of all time, and you didn't do a bad job at all.

For this being the Mania I've anticipated most in my entire life, over 15 years as a fan, this was by far and away the greatest Mania I have ever witnessed. Perfect in every aspect. Booked to perfection, everyone was on their game technically and the psychology was out of fucking control. Can't even complain Wyatt lost because, I mean, he's still so over and the coolest fucking character for me since Razor Ramon.

The HOF class, the legends, the feel, the match outcomes. Just fuck me, I am so drained. Not even mad about the streak, I literally laughed for 2 and a half minutes, maybe even 3 minutes straight when it ended. The peoples faces, the silence, the fact that it was a "part-timer." it really was hysterical and just made me that much more pumped about the main event. Taker losing made me 97% positive Bryan would walk out champion and he did, and I nutted violently.

Cesaro, Shield, Wyatt, Bryan, fucking love the lot. Amazing, amazing, amazing. Can't suck this ppv's cock enough. Possibly my favorite moment all PPV though.....

Last edited by Smokey Bear (Wed-16-Apr-2014 05:18:13)

That was an amazing moment. So much so that I did a commemorative drawing of it.

Well count me in compy if you really are up for it. I have to get a new form of ID though lost my bloody provisional license.  Youll have to meet me in the train station though I always get lost in Cardiff lol.

Cardiff is about the size of a stamp, you'll be fine. Walk out of Cardiff Central, go 'that way' for a while and you'll end up on Queen Street. You are now everywhere in Cardiff. I once thought I was getting lost looking for the Students Union, but sure enough it was just off Queen Street. CIA? Right turn off Queen Street. Hooters? Between the CIA and Queen Street. No idea where Walkabout is, but I'm guessing...

Haha, pretty much!  It's crazy in work.  My office is just outside Newport town, by Tredegar House.  Everyone there are natives of the Newport/Gwent area, so they're all from Newport, Caerphilly, Risca, Cwmbran etc. (don't worry, I've no idea where they are either!!).  And they all say that Cardiff's big and scary and easy to get lost in!  Goodness knows which Cardiff they're on about because this one isn't that big.  Like chux said, it's the size of a stamp and you can find everything from Queen Street!  Bunch of country bumpkins, honestly!! 

Anyway, Walkabout's even easier to get to.  Step outside Cardiff Central, turn right then keep walking 'til you get to the first main road.  Then you're there.  About 2-3 minutes walk!  But yeah I can meet you both at Cardiff Central and we'll head down.  Man this is so cool 😄.

Back to Mania talk, Jek's right about the lack of a big spot-fest match making the show feel a bit empty.  I really miss Money in the Bank being at Mania.

May have to delay this Extreme Rules meeting until the PPV after. By the looks of things, I won't be able to get any identification in time. I have a Validate ID card but alot of bars don't accept it. And to get a new form of ID it could take anywhere from 2 to 4 weeks. Regardless, I should have ID by the time the PPV after Extreme Rules comes around. 😋

Don't worry about ID Rhys, unless you want a drink!  Mania started at 12, and I got there about 10.  Just walked straight in, no one at the door, and I didn't get IDed once through the night.  Push comes to shove, chux or myself can get your drinks 😋.

Ok fair enough. Thought id need ID to get in but if thats not the case then im in.