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Thursday, March 5, 2015

Wrestlemania 31 MVP: The Invisible Man



By Chad Smart
@chadsmart & @my123cents on Twitter


So far this year, my attempts to blog more haven’t been that successful. Really need to get Kevin to let me appear on the My 1-2-3 Cents podcast (part of the Jittery Monkey network and available on iTunes) more so I can share the thoughts I have trouble getting motivated to write about.  But as we’re now on the Road to Wrestlemania, it’s about time I start writing about how I feel Wrestlemania 31 could go down as the least exciting Mania since 11.

Based on what has been announced so far for Wrestlemania 31 and on one match which hasn’t been confirmed but gets a weekly build on RAW and Smackdown, I think it’s safe to say the three top matches are the epitome of WWE’s lack of forward thinking and dismal storytelling. Not to mention that of the six competitors in these matches, only three are on TV on a weekly basis and after Wrestlemania, unless something changes, only two of the wrestlers will be wrestling on a regular basis. Let’s take a look at these three matches and let me explain why none of them interest me.

Not official
Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker: While this match hasn’t officially been announced, if it doesn’t happen, WWE has wasted a lot of airtime for nothing. While the idea of The Undertaker being challenged by Bray and actually passing the torch, or supernatural powers, to the next generation may look good on paper, the intrigue of this match is hampered by Undertaker’s lost to Brock Lesnar at Wrestlemania XXX.  

Without “The Streak,” what interest is there in The Undertaker’s once a year appearance? Even with “The Streak,” I had grown tired of Taker’s yearly Wrestlemania match since Wrestlemania 25. Each match followed the same formula and held so little suspense that I wasn’t even paying attention to the match with Brock Lesnar when Lesnar pinned Taker.

Now that Taker has a 1 in the loss column, what does it matter if he wins again at Wrestlemania? If Bray were to beat Taker, would it tarnish “The Streak” even more to have two losses in consecutive years? Given how Taker looked last year, and how Bray has been saying Taker has one foot in the grave already, would it really be that big of an accomplishment to beat The Undertaker? Or if Bray loses, will it do more harm to Bray in the long run that he wasn’t able to beat a geriatric, half dead Phenom?  Hindsight being 20/20, this match either should have happened last year with Bray ending the streak and becoming the new Lord of Darkness, or Taker should have beat Brock. As it stands now, instead of being a meaningful match, this is just another not even part-time wrestler getting a match at Wrestlemania due to his legacy.  I see this as a no win situation for either wrestler and will do little to build for the future of WWE.


Sting vs. Triple H: Long time readers know I wasn’t impressed with the way Sting arrived in WWE. If the storyline for this match is the best that WWE Creative could come up with then it’s time to get a whole new creative team. I have no problem with Sting being in WWE. I have no problem with Sting wrestling at Wrestlemania. In all honesty, seeing Sting at Wrestlemania is the biggest reason I’d be interested in going to Wrestlemania 31. But seeing Sting battle Triple H over the death of WCW is not something I care to see in 2015.  If Sting is so upset over WWE buying WCW why did he wait 14 years to show up?  After all the power plays done by Vince McMahon, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H over the past 14 years, why did Sting decide November 2014 to be the time to stand up to The Authority?  These are questions that would be nice to get answers to but since Sting has only showed up three times so far and hasn’t uttered as much as a Stinger yell, I still don’t know why Sting is in WWE.

Kevin and I have discussed Sting being in WWE before and I also have the same comment. Having Sting’s first match at Wrestlemania is a no win situation. Well, actually that was when the general consensus was Sting would be facing The Undertaker. The only advantage I can see of having Sting face Hunter is if Sting wins he’s not breaking “The Streak” or beating a younger talent who could use the win. If Sting loses, then Sting becomes just another WCW reject in the eyes of WWE fans as someone who wasn’t good enough to be in WWE.  Seriously though, 14 years after the demise of WCW and NOW Sting shows up?


Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns: I don’t know if I even need to write anything about this one. Reigns has been put into a position he’s not ready for and if he fails it’s not his fault. Hopefully I’m wrong and Reigns will be a credible main eventer. After only two and a half years in WWE, I believe Reigns will be the fastest person to win the WWE title after only Brock Lesnar. The difference is Brock has the aura about him that screams badass. Reigns does not exude that persona.

I’ll admit I’m also one of the people who felt a Lesnar vs. Daniel Bryan match made more sense from a storytelling perspective and would have made for a more compelling David vs. Goliath match. 

While I accept someone in WWE apparently doesn’t view Daniel Bryan in the same regards as the fans, I still question the judgment to push Roman Reigns to the top so quickly. Sadly, the only interest I have in this match is to see how the fans react. Given the overall snarkiness of the typical Wrestlemania crowd, I can see this being a rehash of the Goldberg/Lesnar match from Wrestlemania XX. 

These are the top three matches for Wrestlemania 31. Why WWE feels the need to bring in part time wrestlers to fill out the major spots in the show baffles me. Not to mention that most of the rest of the roster is being put into one of two matches. The “name” talent is going into the Not-MITB Ladder match and the “not taken seriously” talent is going into the Andre the Giant Battle Royal. What happens in 3-4 years when WWE runs out of part time talent to bring back? Who is going to be the selling point for Wrestlemania then? This is a serious question and one I would hope WWE would answer before it gets to that point.

Does the use of part timers make you more or less interested in Wrestlemania? Share your thoughts on the My 1-2-3 Cents Facebook page, or tweet us @my123cents.  

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