Owning Your WrestleMania Moment

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

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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? 

We'll be hosting a 24 hour blog-o-than on 30th March in order to raise money for the mental health charity MIND. You can sponsor us at the following link

WWE The Road is Jericho: Epic Stories and Rare Matches from Y2J DVD Review

WWE's The Road is Jericho: Epic Stories and Rare Matches is out now on DVD and Blu-Ray, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. The three disc set features compiles includes twenty complete Chris Jericho matches from WWE, WCW and ECW, alongside a new interview with Jericho that is placed before each match begins. The set includes Jericho taking on the likes of Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Edge, CM Punk and more.
 

The Interview

The sit-down interview that is included was recorded in the back of a limousine as Jericho rides from one Fozzy gig to another. The concept is a little gimmicky and doesn't really add much to the interview, but at the same time it doesn't take anything away, whilst making a change from your regular talking head segments. It was good to see Jericho appear before each match on the set, as opposed to only a handful as has been on the case on previous WWE releases, as he gives a good insight and context into the upcoming match. There's a lot of information in the interview that I wasn't aware of and Jericho's stories are always told with such a passion that it's difficult not to enjoy just listening to him. There's a number of matches that I enjoyed a lot more than usual because of having the knowledge that the interview gave away.

The Matches

Disc One

The set kicks off with Jericho facing Pitbull #2 for the ECW World Television Championship at Hardcore Heaven in June 1996, in what is a rather sloppy opener. Whilst there's a few ECW style bells and whistle's added, there's no covering that Pitbull #2 just isn't very good. Things begin to pick up with a pacy, WCW World Cruiserweight Championship match with Ultimo Dragon from Bash at the Beach 1997. Even with a disinterested crowd the pair put together a number of cool sequences, with the finish of the match especially standing out. Another Cruiserweight title bout, this time with Dean Malenko from Uncensored 1998 is a lot more technical, with a series of crisp near falls and a crowd that seems to be invested in the action. It's also notable for Gene Okerlund's promo on Malenko after the match!

That's it for Jericho's pre-WWE career as a Steel Cage match with X-Pac from No Mercy 2000 is up next. A hidden-gem of a bout, there is a number of big spots and the cage is used well throughout, both men work hard and take big bumps to create an enjoyable encounter. A Last Man Standing match with Kane from Armageddon 2000 is less exciting, with not a whole lot of action before an awful finish. Jericho's claim that Kane is an underrated performer is not backed up by this match in any shape or form. A World Heavyweight title match with Steve Austin from RAW is WAR in June 2001, struggles due to Austin being unable to get over as a heel, and the crowd not being interested in cheering Jericho over there anti-hero. Mick Foley as Special Guest Enforcer offers an interesting dynamic, in what is still a decent television match. Booker T is the final opponent on the set, as Jericho goes after the WCW World Heavyweight Championship on a July 2001 episode of RAW is WAR with the Invasion angle in full swing. It's another solid television bout, with a scintilating finish, that is spectacularly overbooked. 

The first disc features a good mixture of bouts, against a number of opponents, covering a handful of different styles. Matches against Ultimo Dragon, Dean Malenko and X-Pac all stand out, whilst only the matches with Pitbull #2 and Kane made me question their inclusion on the set, everything else was at least watchable, with a two solid TV matches rounding of the disc.

Disc Two

The Invasion angle is featured again as Jericho get's another shot at the WCW World Heavyweight Championship at Rebellion 2001, in what is a satisfying encounter. Very smooth and containing some really good chain wrestling, this is what you'd expect from these two, and whilst the jet lag explained by Jericho on the interview, may mean this match isn't quite as good as it would have been for a US PPV, a lively Manchester crowd more than make up for it. An Undisputed World Heavyweight Championship defense against The Rock at Royal Rumble 2002 is a step up in quality, being a great example of the big drama, main event style that WWE is known for. Jericho couldn't have been more of a heel here if he tried.

A run of four TV matches concludes the disc, beginning with a bout with Triple H from Smackdown in April 2002. A solid TV main event, this bout is more focused on setting up matches for the upcoming PPV than the action in the ring, but there's still enough good work to enjoy. A February 2003 tussle with Jeff Hardy on RAW is more fine action, although the bout doesn't really get the time it needs to fully develop into anything special. Their PPV bout two weeks later might have been a better showcase for the two. The last match from Jericho's initial run in WWE is March 2005 RAW bout with Edge, which features some sound psychology and good selling on the part of Edge. A sound match, as Edge began to gain traction in WWE, but not quite as good as it could have been. 

The best of the television bouts is a Last Man Standing match with Shawn Michaels from Monday Night Raw in November 2008, with the match actually making use of WWE's regular English set. Both men bring a lot to match, and this feels like a fitting end to their stellar 2008 feud, allowing both men to move into other areas.

A very strong disc, the bout with Angle, Rock and Michaels particularly stand out from the pack. I'd have liked to have seen the four TV bouts broken up with another PPV contest, such as the aforementioned bout with Hardy, as four TV matches in a row did get a bit repetitive.

Disc Three 

A unique start to disc three see's Jericho square off with John Cena for the World Heavyweight Championship in a Street Fight, which is actually a dark match from a Monday Night Raw taping in December 2008. Not a particularly notable match, but it does include some interesting work with John Cena Snr., and you won't find it anywhere else! Perhaps the best match on the set is a Mask vs. Intercontinental Championship bout with Rey Mysterio from The Bash in what is a truly special match. Great sequences and reversals and top notch selling from Mysterio, both men put a shift in to make on of the best Intercontinental Championship matches of the last ten years. A November 2009 Monday Night Raw bout see's Jericho team with Big Show against D-Generation X and the odd-couple of John Cena and The Undertaker, in a match that is studded with star but not particularly special. After being included in a number of different sets, it's disappointing to see it again here.


A street fight with CM Punk from Extreme Rules 2012 is an entertaining bout with both men playing their roles perfectly, making it feel like there is genuine animosity between the two. A loud Chicago crowd lifts the quality of the match, and both men wearing jeans is a nice touch that pleases this reviewer no end. A July 2013 Monday Night Raw bout with Rob Van Dam is not the smoothest bout you'll see, with a number of slips and trips, but contains a number of a nice ideas. For me this bout is a little long for what it is, but with Jericho's explanation that the match had time added just before the pair went to the ring, I'm perhaps a little more lenient than I was when this match first aired. A Steel Cage match from Monday Night Raw last September is used to showcase Jericho's feud with Bray Wyatt, and it's a passable TV match. There's a big spectacular big spot, but beyond that this bout isn't quite as special as Jericho's interview suggests.

The final match on the set is an underrated clash with Randy Orton from last year's Night of Champions, in which both men work hard to make the best out of their rushed together match. The wrestling is smooth throughout and more than up for Jericho's laclustre feud with Wyatt. 

This may be my favourite disc of the entire set, with the Mysterio, Punk and Orton matches all being top notch contests and even the Van Dam match offering some entertaining action. Alongside the never-before-seen dark match with Cena and a decent cage match with Wyatt, it's a shame that the three way tag team match wasn't replace with something a little more exciting.

Finally...

A really strong set as WWE Home Video continues to go from strength to strength attempting to find original ideas and produce the best content for the fans. The interview is entertaining throughout and compliments the matches adding more entertainment value to most of the matches, even those criticised above. The match quality is incredibly strong also, with matches Ultimo Dragon, The Rock, Rey Mysterio, CM Punk and Randy Orton all standing out as must-see matches, whilst still managing to offer something different from each other. For those only familiar with Jericho's later run in WWE this a great starting place to find out more about Y2J as well as those looking to relive some great matches.

We'll be hosting a 24 hour blog-o-than on 30th March in order to raise money for the mental health charity MIND. You can sponsor us at the following link

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs... and Stairs 2014 DVD Review

WWE TLC: Tables, Ladders, Chairs... and Stairs 2014 is out on DVD and Blu-Ray on 23rd March, available from www.wwedvd.co.uk. Broadcast live on Pay-per-View (and the WWE Network) from the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio, USA on 14th December 2014, the show features Bray Wyatt taking on Dean Ambrose in a Tables, Ladders and Chairs match, John Cena battling Seth Rollins in a Tables match, Luke Harper defending the Intercontinental Championship against Dolph Ziggler in a Ladder match and five other matches. The special features include one other match, and two post-match interviews. The main feature goes 2 hours, 46 minutes, with 17 minutes of special features taking the disc to just over 3 hours long. 

Main Feature

The show kicks off with the customary video package, mentioning a point that will be burned into your brain by the end of the show, this is WWE's version of the Demolition Derby. With some pyro and ballyhoo, and the introduction of the Spanish commentary team it's time for our first match. A spirited effort from Dolph Ziggler and Luke Harper, in what is a very watchable ladder match for the Intercontinental Championship. Some good spots are bolstered by a strong underdog from hometown story and a crowd that is completely wrapped up in the action. 

The Usos challenging The Miz and Damien Mizdow for the Tag Titles is a poor effort, helped only by how over Mizdow is in Cleveland. In an interview with Byron Saxton, Seth Rollins is on top form pulling out a strong heel promo, dedicating his match later on to Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. Big Show and Erick Rowan chuck big bits of metal at each other in the first ever Stairs match. 

Seth Rollins continues to repay the faith put in him by WWE with a strong performance opposite John Cena in a Tables match. The bout tell a sound story, with J&J Security providing shenanigans a plenty throughout the match, although the finish is a bit of a let down. Renee Young, Booker T and Alex Riley of the Kick-Off panel, provide some interesting insight into some of the previous matches, whilst also looking ahead to John Cena's clash with Brock Lesnar at the Royal Rumble. Byron Saxton's house of fun continues as he interviews The Bella Twins, in which Nikki talks about her breasts for a bit.

Nikki's Diva's Championship defense against AJ Lee has some good work put in, but it's never fully capitalised on, and the crowd couldn't give a shit anyway. Tom Phillips gets a run out to interview the returning Roman Reigns, who produces a truly awful promo. A chair match between Ryback and Kane is probably better than you'd imagine it to be, but the crowd is again utterly, utterly indifferent. A United States title confrontation between Rusev (accompanied by Lana) and Jack Swagger fails to reach the heights of their contest from SummerSlam earlier in the year. 

A TLC match between Bray Wyatt and Dean Ambrose closes the show, and doesn't feel like we quite see the best out of either man. Whilst their is a number of big spots, they are quite repetitive and don't quite stand out as better than the Ladder match that opened the show. The finish is weak also, with a silly deus ex machina that does very little for anyone. By no means a bad match and still watchable, but not as good as it could of, or should of been. 

Special Features

A tag bout featuring Big E & Kofi Kingston (accompanied by Xavier Woods) against Goldust and Stardust is passable fair from the Kick Off show, despite no one being over with the crowd. Byron Saxton interviews Dolph Ziggler after his match, with Ziggler a lot more reserved than we are used to. Surprisingly Nikki Bella's effort is actually much better, getting over what needed to be said well.

Finally...

The three big matches on the show are all good matches, with Cena and Rollins' effort probably being the better of the three, even if Wyatt and Ambrose fails to deliver on everything it promised to be. The undercard suffers from the crowds utter indifference towards anyone but Damien Mizdow, but no performer really looks to stand out and grab their attention either. Some questionable booking in places and a handful of dodgy finish mean this is a poor PPV overall, although the Best PPV Matches of 2014 DVD stopping at just October, means that this is currently your only way to own Ziggler vs. Harper, Cena vs. Rollins and Wyatt vs. Ambrose. 

We'll be hosting a 24 hour blog-o-than on 30th March in order to raise money for the mental health charity MIND. You can sponsor us at the following link