Ain't No Party Like a Dan Severn Party - Your Guide to WrestleMania and Beyond.

Bayley had a great line on Raw the other night, one that once again underscored her relatability to us die-hard fans, when she confessed that WrestleMania was her favourite day of the year. For me, Mania is right up there with the first day of the football season and Christmas: it evokes an energy and excitement that is palpable. And listen, I reckon that deep down all wrestling fans feel this way: from the markiest of marks to the smarkiest of smarks, we can all get enthusiastic about WrestleMania and what it entails. Hell, I’m currently navigating a frantic week in which I’m juggling multiple work deadlines and dealing with the reality that my wife is due to give birth at literally any minute. Despite such serious commitments, I’ve still spent an undue amount of time pondering whether the Smackdown women will be stuck on the pre-show again (yes, they will as it happens).

Hundreds, maybe thousands, of UK fans will be making the familiar trans-Atlantic commute to be a part of it all but for those who can’t be there in living colour, there are more ways than ever to sample the various action. Streaming services such as WWE Network and FloSlam are offering hours of coverage to ensure that all corners of fandom can find something to suit their fancy. Remember, WrestleMania  isn’t just one night, it’s not even just a weekend event: it’s a week-long celebration of the art form and pretty much every company that plies their trade within this wonderful, crazy genre is at the party.

So with so much on the horizon, what should we, the insatiable wrestling fan, be looking out for? Here are some choice picks of the week’s action.

Dan Severn is in the house.

As was aforementioned, the streaming potential for this year’s indie offerings have been enhanced by the emergence of Floslam, a pro wrestling division of Flosports.  I’ll be sampling this service for the first time this weekend and I must confess that the reason for my imminent subscription is rather left-field: it’s not the EVOLVE cards that see Brit hero Zack Sabre Jr. mix it up in main events with ACH and Michael Elgin; it’s not WWN’s Supershow of PROGRESS vs EVOLVE match ups; no, it’s something far more random and ridiculous. It’s Joey Janela’s Spring Break show, an offering from Game Changer Wrestling (GCW) which airs in the UK at the frankly offensive time of 5am this Friday morning. This show is a gift that keeps on giving. Matt Riddle vs Dan Severn! Marty Jannetty vs the eponymous Joey Janela! Glacier will be there. Dink the Clown is advertised and an Earl Hebner run-in has been promised. I always wanted to do Spring Break and that was before I realised that Dan Severn would be there. Hook me up Floslam. 

Spring BROKEN, Super-Kick Party

Us wrestling fans haven’t always had this much variety during Mania week. For some time, outside of the WWE shows, the only alternative that had real buzz was Ring of Honor’s Supercard of Honor. In recent years, ROH have had to up their game in the face of the increasingly wide array of competition and this year, they have gem of an attraction to ensure that they hold their own. In what might be the most anticipated tag team match in years, The Young Bucks face The Hardys in a Ladder match! Yes, they’ve had some brief altercations lately but they were only taster dishes: herein lies the feast. Given that Messrs Matt and Jeff have other plans from April 2^nd, this is likely the last time these teams will meet (for some-time at least), suggesting that they’ll leave it all in the ring. Spring break just landed a super kick party.

Old Man Yells at Crowd

Astonishingly, Jim Cornette has been invited to the WWE the Hall of the Fame and will be given a live microphone! Now, James E. might play this one safe. He might, out of respect for the Rock N Roll Express on their big night, toe the company line; he may even rationalise that a conservative speech and reliable performance here might paint him as a trustworthy figure and soon tempt Vince into inducting his beloved Midnight Express (an act he would surely be honoured alongside). So we might get a reflective, nostalgic Cornette who uses his time on stage at the Hall of Fame to play nice, to share some fascinating historical tit-bits and pay tribute his friends. Or he might totally lose it, burying Vince, modern wrestling, the fans, the PROGRESS dress code and Donald Trump (Linda McMahon’s career don’t need that) before telling all of America to go forth and multiply. Either way will be entertaining. But I hope he does it the second way.

KO-Mania 2

Contrary to the views of some, I think that KO-Mania 2 has a pretty good card and the build-up to the show has been consistently engaging and, at times, enthralling. The stand out match is the battle between Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho: their tale of friendship gone awry has been well crafted and skilfully executed and theirs is a match that has sizzle and substance. Other match ups generate intrigue because of the significance of their result: Bray Wyatt badly needs the win to establish his title reign as legitimate whilst the finish in Roman Reigns vs The Undertaker could clarify the future of the latter performer. Other contests are intriguing due to the potential layout of the matches: will Rollins and Triple H be over-booked in a similar manner to The Game’s bout with Sting? Will Shane McMahon rely on his customary high-risk spots or will AJ draw a wrestling match out of him? Will Goldberg and Lesnar go more than 2 minutes? I doubt this will be the best WrestleMania of all time (that’s X-7, now and forever) but I expect the show to perform above the expectations of many. Just spare us an encore Pitbull, yeah?

When is a surprise not a surprise? When it’s  sensible, long term booking!

The post-Mania Raw crowd is a cliché now: it even has its own WWE 24 tribute show so it is in itself not an excuse to get particularly hyped. As for the content, the idea of this being a night when we have to have surprises has become somewhat counter-productive. Can we be shocked if we are permanently braced for a shock? Can an air of unpredictability exist when Asuku starts touring with Smackdown in March and the WWE twitter feed removes semblances of doubt by writing BROKEN in block caps whenever it tweets about old Hardy matches? I’d argue no.

Most annoying of all is that many in the crowd, programmed to be anticipating unexpected twists, might suddenly seek to derail a segment because it had the temerity to not feature someone shiny and new. The solution to this predicament is to move away from booking to pop a crowd in the moment to ensuring that hot angles are designed with a medium to long term view in mind. To that effect a triumphant debut for Shinsuke Nakamrua, a Sasha heel turn on Bayley, a quick Asuka title win and the introduction of Kurt Angle as Raw GM would be productive moments that, whilst not overly unpredictable, serve purpose. As long as the Orlando TV tapings set the table for the coming months, then the WWE will have given us shows worthy of the occasion.  

In closing, wherever you’re at right now, I urge you to fill your boots and consume as much grappling as is humanly possible. This is a week to embrace the glory of wrestling and appreciate it for what it is: an ultimately meaningless but undeniably fun distraction from the real world, a simple narrative given layers by skilled performers who are there to entertain you. If you’re attending shows live then be loud, be passionate and only chant CM Punk if he actually shows up.  If you’re at home, tweet about the moments that remind you why you’re a fan and not why Roman sucks. Wrestling should be pleasurable and if you can’t find any fun to be had this week, chances are you’re not looking hard enough.

Writer - Sean Taylor-Richardson

Twitter - @ATPWrestling 

Facebook - /acrossthepondwrestling 

Instagram - @ATPWrestling

Guest Article: The Women of WWE - Part 2 (Lily Lestrange)

So with the continuation of part one of this series of blogs I've decided that in part two I'm going to skip past a generation of fantastic ladies and plow on straight to the Attitude era.  I'll be doing more on the lovely ladies of the 80s and 90s on my own blog but for this guest series I've decided to cut it short so that it doesn't get boring or dragged out for too long.  There is so much great talent from this time period that it's just too much to cover in one blog.  

In this blog I'll be looking at some of the biggest and most successful ladies in wrestling.  I'll be starting with a personal favourite of mine. 

Chyna 

  

So let's disregard all of the controversy - and there's a lot of it - surrounding Chyna.  Forget her current plea to get into the Hall of Fame and her infamous film career.  Let's talk about Chyna, the living embodiment of an Amazonian warrior; the She-Hulk incarnate. Chyna achieved a huge amount in her career with the WWE: she is a two-time Intercontinental champion (and is the only woman to ever hold the IC belt), she is a former WWF Women's champion and she was the first woman to ever participate in a King of the Ring or Royal Rumble match.  She was also at one point the number one contender for the WWF Championship when she beat Undertaker and Triple H in a triple threat match but sadly lost it to Mankind shortly after.   

Chyna was a game-changer because she broke the mould of your traditional women's wrestler: she didn't look like all the others, who were athletic but nowhere near as jacked as she was.  She proved that women can be muscular and still be feminine, still be beautiful. She didn't act the way that most women do in the ring either; there was no hair-pulling or screaming like a banshee.  If she was in the ring then she was going to bulldoze you and hit you with a low-blow no matter what was between your legs.  Her feuds with the likes of Jeff Jarrett and Chris Jericho prove that mixed gender matches work and it's a shame that they didn't continue on with them because there are current Divas that could easily take on some of the guys on the current roster. 

It's hard to believe that she was only signed for 4 years with the WWF.  She achieved so much in that time and in my opinion she is more than deserving of a spot in the Hall of Fame.  I highly doubt she'll ever be in it after all the mayhem that occurred just before and well after her departure but she definitely is deserving of a place.   

Lita 

Lita is another favourite of mine, again for how she broke the mould and dared to be different.  She wasn't prissy, she wasn't a model; she was this bad ass punk chick with tattoos and her knickers hanging out.  As a kid that was always a little bit "different", that was so cool to watch and comforting to know that it was ok to go against the grain.  Everyone had a favourite wrestler as a kid and I guarantee it was always one that stood out and gave a big "fuck you" to the norm at the time.   


Lita's greatest time in the WWE was probably her time spent with Matt and Jeff Hardy as part of Team Xtreme.  She was part of one of many of their infamous TLC matches (and was the first woman to ever do so) and her part in Team Xtreme lead to her long feud with Trish Stratus that lasted from June 2000 right up until Stratus retired in 2006.  After Lita pinned Stratus in what was Stratus's last ever match she began feuding with Stephanie McMahon and ended up winning the WWE Women's Championship for the first time.   


There was a lot of Lita's career in the WWE that really didn't sit well with me though.  She was a brilliant wrestler who brought the Mexican-style wrestling into the ring that wasn't commonly seen in women back in those days but a lot of the time she was booked in romantic storylines involving one (or two, as it were) men.  Matt Hardy, Edge, Jericho, Kane... It was all so unnecessary.  She was a good wrestler and she proved that time again in her feud with Stratus, she didn't need to be involved in daft stories like the one with Kane.   

Despite the ridiculousness of some of the stories she was involved in, she went on to become a four-time WWE Women's Champion; she lost the belt to Mickie James in her retirement match at Survivor Series 2006.  Again, it's hard to believe that she was only with the WWE for 6 years given the impact that she has made.  She was deservedly inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2014 by, of course, Trish Stratus.  


And that leads me on to the next part. 

Trish Stratus 

Of course, I couldn't write about Lita and leave out Trish Stratus.  Trish is a legend in her own right for what she managed to achieve in her career at WWF (and then WWE): she's a seven time WWE Women's Champion (the most reigns with this title that the WWE has seen in it's history), a one-time Hardcore Champion and she was named "Diva of the Decade" on the 10th anniversary episode of RAW.  That's a great deal considering that she had no previous experience in wrestling before coming to the WWE - before she joined she was a fitness model.  Fans nowadays always complain about Divas being signed when they have no previous experience but they forget that's exactly the same background that Stratus came from so it's just a case of waiting it out to see how good these women really are.   


Albeit at first, Stratus was used mostly for her appearance but as she got better in the ring she was given a lot more opportunities such as her aforementioned feud with Lita.  It took her a while but she eventually got the opportunity to wrestle after being involved in that ridiculous storyline with her having an affair with Vince whilst Linda was in a coma.  She feuded for the belt with people like Jazz, Molly Holly, Victoria and Mickie James, who was the last person to ever win the belt from Stratus.  After that Stratus won the belt from Lita in her last match in her hometown of Toronto (by using the Sharpshooter, might I add), she retired as the champion in 2006. 


She was inducted into the Hall of Fame in 2013 by Stephanie McMahon.  Again, for only having been with the WWE for 6 years she achieved an incredible amount.  She proved that you can achieve anything if you put in enough hard work and dedication, no matter how much or how little experience you may have.  


And there we have it, three women of the WWE who all were a little bit different than the norm of wrestling at that time and yet still managed to rise to the top.  Of course, women like Molly Holly, Gail Kim and Mickie James all done great things in that era too but as I mentioned at the start, there's just not enough hours in the day to write about them all (or for you to read about them all!).  Next time I'll be taking a look at the more current WWE Divas who shouldn't be overlooked or underestimated.  


Check out Lily's other work....

Website
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Next week - The 2nd edition of Running the Ropes with Marc P! (Check out Part 1 here)

Guest Article: Owen Hart and the WWE Hall of Fame (Sean Taylor-Richardson)

This time of year is synonymous with expectation and curiosity. As 2016 draws near, 
hardcore and casual fans alike turn their attention toward WrestleMania. As some reserve tickets and hotels, others delight in fantasy booking the card for the biggest show of the year. But it’s not just Mania that intrigues enquiring minds: the candidates for the Hall of Fame are also a hot topic of debate. Several interesting names have been bandied about for Texas but one star that is supposedly in contention for a Lone Star State induction really caught my attention: Owen Hart.

I've had a few favourite wrestlers down the years: Steve Austin in the throes of the Attitude Era, Triple H in the WWE’s golden year of 2000 and more recently, the dear friend of ATPW, CM Punk. But Owen was the first. When Sky was first installed in my home in 1994, I couldn't wait to set my eyes on the WWF product everyone at school had spoken of so much. The main feud at that time was Bret vs. Owen, the battle of the Hart family. I joined the programme just after Owen had won the King of the Ring and was gunning for Bret’s World title. Whilst my younger brother gravitated towards Bret and his conventional babyface styling, it was the arrogant and petulant Owen whose corner I backed. The first time that wrestling graduated from mild interest to genuine passion was at that year’s Summerslam: Owen vs Bret in the blue barred cage. A forgotten classic that should be sought out on the WWE Network , this match is the reason I'm still watching the sport 21 years later. Owen lost but it didn't matter; his energetic, crisp ring style and devious ways had me hooked. For me, he was the star of the show…

From the best to the worst. The lowest moment of wrestling fandom also involved Owen. In the early hours of a May Monday morning, I had taped the live screening of Over the Edge ’99. At 3.30pm, I was departing school, anticipating the events of the show I was to watch that night. Owen, revisiting his early career character, the Blue Blazer, had a match for the IC title and, goofy gimmick notwithstanding, I was thrilled that he was likely to be the winner. Any time Owen won a title (it didn't happen often enough in my eyes), I was excited. Then I overheard two older lads at the gate discussing an incident they had heard on the morning news. It involved the WWF. All I heard of the exchange was “It was actually real though and now he’s dead... it was Bret Hart’s real brother”.

This was before smart phones so I had no way of instantly fact checking this. I didn't know the boys well so didn't press them for further information; instead I condensed the 30 minute trip home into just 15, running large chunks of the journey in a daze, already formulating morbid guesses about what I would soon see on my television screen. As soon as I got in, I hurriedly played the video. When the pre-tape for the IC title match ran, I felt sick. Things soon got worse as Jim Ross, a hushed, unsettled crowd behind him, talked the television audience over what had happened off camera. Soon it was confirmed: Owen was dead and I, like many fans, was devastated.

Years later and the talk is of a HOF induction in 2016, with the recent WWE DVD treatment intensifying this oft-repeated rumour. Now there is no doubt a romantic argument to be made that Owen is destined for this recognition: dying as he did in 1999 means that many newer fans will have never seen him wrestle (I certainly regret having never seen him perform at a live show) and the HOF would shine a light in his impressive back catalogue. Hart did stellar work for Stampede, New Japan and even wrestled on World of Sport tapings here in the UK, but it is his WWF run that is most easily revisited. The two big Bret Hart matches of 1994 stand out but I would offer these classics too: vs Shawn Michaels (In Your House 6, 1996), vs British Bulldog (Raw, 1997), vs Triple H (Wrestlemania 14) and vs Ken Shamrock (Summerslam ’98). His efforts in tag team wars are also recommended: the Canadian Stampede main event was when his star shone brightest but check out his performances in the opener of Survivor Series ’96 and a 1997 Raw dream match when he and Bulldog faced HBK and Steve Austin. To see highlights of these matches replayed on Raw and to hear a crowd chant his name in unison would be special; he was booked mostly as a heel during his WWF run, and 1994 aside never escaped the midcard, so it was rare to see his work openly praised and applauded. Maybe the Hall of Fame could correct that.

As well as being talented in-ring, he was loved outside of it. Widely regarded as one of the best ribbers in wrestling history, here was a man who would deliberately highjack dull house show matches with comical over-selling, replacing his entire move set with a cartoonish karate chop (complete with loud hiyah). Here was a guy who, on arrival to a hotel, would take the guise of the front desk clerk and phone Jim Duggan’s room, calling him out and challenging him to a fight in the lobby. His thirst for pranks was unquenchable and this endeared him all the more to the locker room, who, as much as the fan base, would love to immortalise one of their favourite fallen brothers.

Bret would surely induct, sharing rare stories of his younger brother’s exploits as only he can, while Owen’s widow, Martha Hart, and children would step on stage to accept the cherished HOF ring. Only they wouldn’t. And that is the problem with this whole scenario.

As much as Owen deserves the Hall of Fame and as much as the wrestling community craves it as a wonderful wrestling moment, as much as need this as closure to a horrible chapter in our collective fandoms, can it ever be seen as a sign of respect to the man if his wife vehemently objects to it? Owen’s sister, Diana, has gone on record as saying that she wants Owen to be inducted and that it should happen, despite Martha’s objections. She asserts that we all lost Owen. Not just Martha, all of us. Whilst I understand that sentiment to an extent, surely the opinion of his wife means more than the views of the rest of us? I mean, personally, I don’t blame WWE for what happened to Owen that day but it doesn’t matter what I think. His wife has never forgiven the company for the tragedy and that’s what matters. Owen was a devout family man. He didn’t drink with the boys after a show; he saved his money to provide for his wife and kids. He rejected a storyline that would have seen him become romantically involved with Debra McMichael for fear of how it may impact his family (urban legend has it that the cancellation of that proposed storyline led to the fateful return of the Blue Blazer gimmick). All evidence suggests that he would want his wife’s wishes to be honoured. Therefore, wrestling sentimentality must stand to the side; her will must be done.

Owen was my first favourite wrestler. Maybe he will always be my true favourite. As much as I would warm to hear the roar of the crowd in response to the HOF announcement, as much as I would smile to see his brother stand on stage, recounting tales of their greatest adventures, the whole occasion would be tainted unless it is given the blessing of his widow. Until that happens, the best way to honour Owen’s legacy would be to respect her wishes. Maybe a talent that big and a man that special don’t need the HOF ring anyway…

WWE WrestleMania 31 DVD Review

WWE WrestleMania 31 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray now, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk Broadcast live on Pay-per-View (and the WWE Network) from the Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, USA on 29th March 2015, the three-disc set features Roman Reigns challenging Brock Lesnar for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, alongside appearances from The Undertaker, Daniel Bryan, Sting, Seth Rollins, Dean Ambrose and many more. The special features include two matches from the WrestleMania Kick-Off show and the 2015 Hall of Fame ceremony in full. 

Disc One

A fun, spot-laden ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship, involving the likes of Daniel Bryan and Dean Ambrose, kick-off the show in good fashion. The crowd is loud from the out-set, making this a great match to open the show, with a feel-good finish making things even better. Randy Orton and Seth Rollins' grudge bout is an underrated scrap with the pair working together nicely on a series of strong reversal sequences. A spectacular finish caps off a throughly enjoyable contest.

Whilst it may not be a great wrestling match, Sting and Triple H's No Countout, No Disqualification bout is a great spectacle. From the entrances onwards (especially Triple H's) this is fun and slightly ridiculous contest, that may be the epitome of sports-entertainment. Choc-full of nostalgia, any fan of the Monday Night Wars would get a big kick out of this one, although younger fans may get a little lost in it all. A musical performance from Skylar Grey, Kid Ink and Travis Barker is not the worst musical interlude in WWE history, but perhaps could have been cut from the DVD release. 

Paige teams with AJ Lee to take on the Bella Twins in a completely watch-able Diva's effort, with a nice story. John Cena and Rusev's Fastlane rematch fails to reach the heights of their previous match, but is still a good slice of action. Based heavily on the pairs submission holds, there's a solid story to be told here, with Rusev's relationship with manager, Lana, also playing a part throughout. The main draw back to this one is the crowd's lack of interest in the contest, which may be down to many international fans in the crowd, not buying into the USA vs. Russia storyline.

An appearance from Ronda Rousey (UFC/The Expendables 3/Furious 7/Entourage) works well for what it is, with The Rock, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H all involved also. As cool as it is to see Ronda on WWE television, it's Stephanie who steals the segment with some superb work on the microphone, especially opposite Rock.

Disc Two

The return of The Undertaker produces a decent encounter opposite Bray Wyatt, in what is a bout driven by character. It's a shame that this bout wasn't held in darkness, as the level of light, takes away a little from the mystique of the characters, especially during the entrances. Whilst the match feels a little formulaic, the crowd is into every near falls, which certainly helps.

Whilst it would be easy to cast away the Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar World Heavyweight Championship main event, due to the excitement of the finish, the two put on a terrific, hard-hitting bout. With Reigns out to prove that he was worthy of his spot in the main event, the 29 year old puts on a great performance, with his facial expressions bringing a lot to the story of the bout. A fantastic piece of booking, that allows every man involved to shine throughout, there's a reason why this bout won ATPW's Match of the Month poll in March.

Special Features

The special features begins with two bout's from the WrestleMania Kick-Off show, starting with a lively four-way bout for Tyson Kidd and Cesaro's Tag Team Championships. With the crowd warming up nicely throughout, thanks to the multitude of well-timed spots, this bout is a lot of fun to watch. The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, including the likes of Cesaro, Hideo Itami and Kane, is fun battle royal, despite the match lacking on any real star power. Damien Sandow and The Miz's storyline is furthered nicely throughout the bout, that includes some cool elimination spots.

Hall of Fame

The Uso's begin the Hall of Fame ceremony with a slick and humours speech, as they induct their Father, Rikishi. Rikishi's speech is well-delivered, with a strong focus on his family, as it to be expected for a member of Anoa'i tribe. Anyone looking for some stories about Rikishi's time in WWE (especially during the Attitude Era) may be a little disappointed, as the speech rarely ventures into that area. 

With a strange combination of kayfabe and real-life stories, the content of Bruno Sammartino's induction speech for Larry Zybysko, is interesting in-terms of content, it's a shame that the delivery is dull as dishwater. In contrast, Zybyszko's speech is charismatic and engaging, with a handful of great stories about his time in the business. It's a shame however that Zybyszko hasn't planned any of it, leading to a number of repeats and the speech descending into a complete car crash come the end. 

Alundra Blayze's acceptance speech works as an extended list of people she has met throughout her year's in the business, which has it's moments. The gimmick at the end, in which Blayze's reenacts her infamous appearance on Monday Nitro, is about as cringey as could be.

Disc Three

Hall of Fame

The Ultimate Warrior's widow, Dana, produces a speech, that is both heartbreaking and fantastic in equal measure. As Daniel Bryan presents the late Conor the Crusher with the Warrior award, the former World Heavyweight Champion's speech is emotional, but focuses on the lighter times he spent with Conor. Conor's Dad, Steve, put's on stellar job, under the circumstances, and Conor's brother's final words would be enough to bring even manliest of manly man to tears. 

The Bushwacker's acceptance speech is just as absurd as you'd want it to be, with the pair seemingly completely off their collective rockers. They do, however, manage to produce some quite interesting stories about getting into the business, in what is perhaps the surprise gem of the Hall of Fame ceremony. Hulk Hogan's induction speech for Randy Savage fails to hit the mark, with the pairs difference at the time's of Savage's death quickly becoming the elephant in the room. Savage's brother Lanny Poffo's acceptance speech focuses more on Savage's relationship with the Special Olympics, rather than Savage's time in the business, and also shuns Savage's first wife Ms. Elizabeth.

Triple H works as a strong inductor for Arnold Schwarzenegger, with The Game putting together  a slick and funny intro for the Hollywood star. Schwarzenegger (Conan the Barbarian/The Terminator/Commando/The Running Man/Predator/Twins/Total Recall/Kindergarten Cop/True Lies) puts on one of the best celebrity inductee speeches to date, with a strong focus on his relationship with wrestling over the years. Shawn Michaels has charisma coming out of his arse, as he talks about his old pal, Kevin Nash, with some great personal stories surrounding major moments in Nash's career. Big Daddy Cool's acceptance speech works nicely as a close to the show, with the crowd lapping it up, before inevitable appearance from the Klique.

Special Features

John Cena prepares for Rusev is an interesting interview between Cena and Byron Saxton, with a handful of added clips to illustrate the points made. Seth Rollins is the Future is a similar venture, with Booker T, and whilst the feature is well produced, it's placing at the end of Disc Three is curious indeed.

Finally...

One of the best WrestleMania's in recent memory, there isn't a bad match on the main card here. The Hall of Fame ceremony is a mixed bag as ever, but there's still plenty to enjoy here, especially with the help of the skip button. Throw into the mix two decent matches from the Kick-Off show that are both worth a watch and you have a DVD that is well worth the money.

Owning Your WrestleMania Moment

Sean Taylor-Richardson presents his Dos and Don'ts for those attending WrestleMania

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Everyone has a bucket list, a selection of idealised experiences that will live long in the individual’s memory and provide them with a story that will last a lifetime. I’ve been fortunate enough to tick off several of the dream moments on my personalised wish list: I’ve travelled the world; seen my favourite band headline Reading Festival; watched Arsenal lift silverware at Wembley and, I have, live and in living colour, attended the granddaddy of Professional Wrestling  Sports Entertainment: WrestleMania.  

If you’re reading this blog, you’re a big wrestling fan. And as a wrestling fan, if you’re physically and monetarily able to do so, you should attend at least one WrestleMania in your lifetime. I’m fortunate enough that I’ve been to two: I attended ‘Mania 25 in Houston, Texas and ‘Mania 29 in the New York/New Jersey region. Whilst neither show would feature in a list of the greatest WrestleManias of all time, I sure as hell remember both cards fondly as they shaped two of the most fun and rewarding trips of my life. Watching the biggest stars in the biggest matches in a huge NFL stadium is exhilarating. However, there can be a lot to consider when it comes to planning the trip; there’s so much going on that it can seem overwhelming trying to fit it all in! So whether you’re a ‘Mania first timer or a returning hero, whether you’re going to this year’s show in Santa Clara or are looking ahead to Cowboy’s Stadium in 2016, here’s a quick guide to how to approach what is a frantic and thrilling week.  

Do…go to all the shows! 

 

This year ROH presents Supercard of Honor IX.

In 2009, I got to Texas late and was only able to attend ‘Mania and Axxess. Big mistake: there is so much going on, from WWE to the indies to a multitude of one man shows, you have to fill your boots while you’re over there. Only ‘Mania is a really expensive purchase; affordable tickets are available for Raw and the Hall of Fame if you’re happy to be in the bleachers and the indie offerings are, of course, reasonable. With regards to scheduling, I found that ROH on the Friday was a solid kick off, although NXT is an exciting alternative from this year on (and may well be more centrally based than the indie outfit and thus easier to reach if you aren’t planning on hiring a car). Saturday will be headlined by the Hall of Fame but the afternoon has multiple options: a second ROH taping and the Wrestlecon extravaganza being the notable highlights. Sunday should begin with Axxess (it runs all week but as the venue is usually based very close to the Stadium, it makes sense from a travel perspective to combine it with ‘Mania) before you enjoy the big show itself. Conclude your trip on Monday with the now famous post-Mania Raw and as a Slammy Award winner myself (New Jersey represent), I can attest to it's truly electric atmosphere. It’s like transplanting a rabid ICW or PROGRESS crowd to a WWE show and is every bit as surreal and engaging as that sounds. 

Book your tickets in advance, check the travel arrangements for each venue (the stadium may be far removed from the city you are staying in so explore transport options and get yourself a taxi number) and leave plenty of time to get places. You don’t want to show up late and miss a classic opener do you? 

 Don’t….forget that you love wrestling. 

 

Once Twice

 

When I was a kid, I would have killed to go to a Wrestlemania. I’m sure you would have too, dear reader. So if you pay good money to do this you have to enjoy every second; leave the smark at the door and embrace the childlike fan within. When I was queuing outside Metlife, I wasn’t bemoaning John Cena in another title match, I was looking forward to seeing The Rock defend the WWE title. I wasn’t cheering the Shield in the opener because they were young guys on the rise and I thought they needed the rub; I cheered because I liked them the most. Support your favourites and leave the politics and insider gossip back at the hotel, immerse yourself in the stories fully and enjoy it for the spectacle that it is. Actually apply this to all aspects of wrestling and you’ll find you enjoy the whole sport a lot more… 

Do…check out the local area 

 

Houston and New York: two very different base camps for the wrestling odysseys I undertook. The latter was obviously the more exciting setting but wherever you end up on your Mania voyage, check out what is on offer so that when you return to England you have some travel experiences as well as wrestling stories. Eat a local dish, check out the main tourist attraction (the intense wrestling schedule means you may have to narrow it to just one or two sights) and watch the local sports team in action (‘Mania usually matches up with Baseball season and the MLS is growing in stature). If you’re anything like me and are as obsessed with football as much as wrestling, brace yourself for an early start and seek out a bar that shows Premier League games. You may even find a supporter’s pub for your team, as I did in for Arsenal in NYC (shout out to the good people of The Blind Pig on 14th Street). Now whilst we’re talking about bars… 

 

Don’t…overdo the drinking. 

 

 

 

I like a beer. My wrestling companion, my brother @SpikeKyleDriver (my mother foresaw the rise of Twitter and named him thus), likes a vodka. These wants sometimes lead to us partaking in the devil’s nectar before, during and after a show. Rewind to 2013: we had a few beverages before we went to the ROH Supercard of Honor VII show in the Manhattan Centre. When inside the iconic venue, we had a few more. And so on. We left at the interval of the show in a questionable state: he was almost foetal, rocking back and forth like a mid-90s Mick Foley whilst I was entering taxis and buildings like the Shockmaster on rollerblades. Apparently the main event between Steen and Briscoe was a fantastic, hard-hitting match; however, at this point of the evening, I was in McDonalds cutting a promo on my Big Mac. Please drink in moderation kids, as you might end up missing something you travelled a long way to see… 

 

Do…make an effort to talk to people (and wrestlers). 

 

 

 

This picture has nothing to do with the paragraph.

 

There are so many opportunities: in bars, at food stalls, queuing for an autograph or waiting on entry to the venue. Everyone there is united by their love of the sport so clock their T-shirt and ask them what they think of their favourite wrestler’s chances in their big match. Ask them where they’ve come from and if they know of any cool indie wrestlers in their hometown that you should be listening out for. Be sociable and you’ll find wrestling fans are friendly, chatty people. And there are some characters you’ll meet. I sat next to a guy on the bus to the New Jersey Raw who calmly explained that his first born child was due the very next day; his laissez-faire approach to his wife’s pregnancy was remarkable. But not as remarkable as some of the interaction I enjoyed with wrestlers. Sure Rob Van Dam only shook my hand (he does gain extra marks for wearing a tuxedo in McDonalds) but the late Larry Sweeney taught myself and a group of Brits how to throw and sell a punch as horrified bar maids watched on, unsure that our admittedly charming accents were making this an enjoyable shift.   

 Don’t…take selfies during wrestling matches. 

 

 

Just don’t do this. Ever. Okay? Good. 

So there you have it. If you’re lucky enough to be going to ‘Mania 31, enjoy the experience. I’m jealous of the good time you’ll surely have. In fact, writing this piece has reignited my ‘Mania itch. Maybe I’ll have to go to next year’s show. Sure, it’s on the same day as my wife’s birthday and we’ll have a one year old child to handle but she’d be up for it, wouldn’t she? Its times like this that I look back and wonder: what would my New Jersey bus buddy do? 

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