Wrestlemania 29: Why Am I Not More Excited?

Firstly, I would like to take the time to thank anyone who read my first post on the WWE. Never in my wildest blogging dreams did I think so many people would be interested in what I have to say. Because of your gushing support, I’ve decided to continue with the professional wrestling theme and dive into Wrestlemania.

When I was a sophomore in college, a group of my close friends decided to travel to Houston, TX for Wrestlemania 25. Lucky for me, an invite was extended my way to tag along.

This was not my first WWE live event. I had been to a Smackdown taping, a handful of house shows, and the 2004 Royal Rumble. But this was Wrestlemania, the grand-daddy of them all, the Super Bowl of professional wrestling. Not to mention the 25^th anniversary of the historic event.

Shawn Michaels tried to end the streak of the Undertaker, John Cena, Edge, and Big Show battled in a Triple Threat World Heavyweight Title match, plus CM Punk was victorious in the Money in the Bank ladder match. Does it get much better than this? I certainly didn’t think so. I was in awe at the amount of, pardon the pun, electricity, the Wrestlemania environment could create. It far exceeds any WWE event I have been fortunate enough to attend.

I took a year off for Wrestlemania 26, my fear of flying keeping me from traveling across the country to Phoenix. However, I’ve been able to continue the tradition attending Wrestlemania 27 in Atlanta and 28 in Miami. The experience is always the same--Out of this world, the feeling you get when you pound two Red Bulls then head out for a night of drinking, only without the eventually throwing up and hangover. There is no better show to be a part of then Wrestlemania, the matches are bigger, the crowd is by far the best, and the overall experience is a shot of adrenaline in my system that I look forward to experiencing every year.

Imagine my (and all my Jersey located friends) delight when it was announced last year that Wrestlemania 29 was going to be held at MetLife Stadium. No worrying about saving money for plane tickets, gas money, hotels, etc. We can simply funnel all our funds into tickets for Mania.

With a little over a month away till Wrestlemania 29, I can’t help but feel like the New York/New Jersey area is getting screwed, hard, when I look at the possible match line up for the event.  Now before you start telling me to slow my roll with this overreaction, hear me out and you might see the situation from my point of view. No better place to start then the projected main event.

John Cena versus The Rock © for the WWE Championship

Wait a second… Am I having déjà vu’? Wasn't this supposed to be the match of a “lifetime” last year? Isn't this match the reason I simply could not, and I mean COULD NOT miss Wrestlemania in Miami? Perhaps I should be less ignorant, but really WWE? This isn’t Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker II from Wrestlemania 26 or even close to Triple H vs. The Undertaker II inside Hell in a Cell from 28. Keep in mind, this is all being written by a girl who is a die-hard John Cena fan! Even I do not want to see this match again. One and done and it should have been left at that. It was a great “once in a lifetime” bout but not meant for a second act. The people of New York and New Jersey get to host a main event that was already over done the year before.

Rip off? Can you say Hell Yea?!

“A Real American” Jack Swagger vs. Alberto Del Rio ©for the World Heavyweight Championship

If you predicted Jack Swagger winning the Elimination Chamber to become the number one contender, then you my friend should be paid for your thoughts on wrestling. I’m serious apply to WWE Creative because I think they pulled this story out of their asses the day of the paper-view. This was a complete Hail Mary from left field. Surprisingly, it may work.

I am a huge fan of the America that Swagger and his manager Zeb Coulter are promoting through their gimmicks.  Hell, they even got Glenn Beck to think wrestling is real. However, this is not a Wrestlemania main event. This feud should have been allowed to have months of build up with a number of title defenses. It would have solidified Del Rio has a credible champion and given Swagger and Coulter time to develop their personas which I feel they have only begun to scratch the surfaces of.  This feels rushed, like someone hit the panic button realizing “Oh shit, we are going to have Del Rio as our World Champion at Wrestlemania? Better play the race card! Cue Jack Swaggers revamped entrance music please.”

Potential Matches

No other matches have been set for Mania, but we can do some speculating and to be honest, even speculating doesn’t make me feel any better.

Clearly they are going to try to push Brock Lesnar vs. Triple H. Before this past Monday’s Raw, I would have said boring. Now, I think Lesnar might kill Triple H. So much blood! I haven’t seen that much blood on Monday Night Raw since, I don’t even know when.

Intentional or not it has people talking. However, am I the only one that held out hope the Paul Heyman would pull the ultimate screw job on Punk, costing him his precious title at the Royal Rumble, thus building up to the most epic technical wrestler vs. home grown WWE bully match ever?  Now that I put this idea in your head, doesn’t Triple H vs. Brock Lesnar sound like a consolation prize? Especially when you realize HHH is due for a Wrestlemania win after losing back-to-back to the Undertaker.

Wait a second, a WWE A-list star losing back-to-back Wrestlemania’s and due for a victory … hmmm… anyone got a prediction for Rocky/Cena II? 

Besides potential for Lesnar vs. HHH at MetLife, there appears to be some signs pointing to a possible Punk vs. Undertaker showdown. God vs. The Streak. That is some impactful booking right there. But we have yet to see the Undertaker. I would love to see this match. However, I also feel they missed a great opportunity to build the story. They can do a lot with a month, but you can do even more with 2 or 3. Even make the match for the belt (yes Punk beat Rock all hypothetical right now clearly) and then have Taker disappear with it till next year to face, the heavy favorite for his opponent at Wrestlemania 30, The Rock. 

   

There is also the option that Undertaker does not wrestle this year. It is a rumor floating around, although he was sited at a house show this past weekend. Then what for Punk? No Lesnar, no WWE title match, does he wrestle Paul Heyman? I think Vince McMahon will have that honor. 

Plus if Undertaker does not wrestle, that is a huge hit to this year’s Wrestlemania period.  The Undertaker matches I have been privileged to experience live are the highlight of the show. 

Now I'm not predicting this is going to be the worse Wrestlemania of all time. For all I know they could put together a hell of a card between now and April 7th. I just feel like when it came to booking this year, there is no creativity, no big buzz, no matches that are making me go, "Wow this is going to be monumental." 

Especially after Hurricane Sandy, the NY/NJ area need this Mania to be one that will go down in history. A Mania so epic that it will be talked about for years. The first true cold weather, outdoor location, since Seattle. The possibilities were and are still endless, but it appears the WWE is taking the safest route possible so that they can focus on the 30th anniversary. Using this Wrestlemania as a mere transition to an even greater spectacle next year. The NY/NJ area deserve more. We the fans that are going to Wrestlemania 29 deserve more. Will we get what we deserve? Only 39 days till we find out.