Planning the Perfect Wrestlemania Trip

As some of you will know (and all of you who have read one of my blogs before) I am (along with my 2 friends) making the long trip to Dallas this Thursday for Wrestlemania 32. This isn't my first trip to America for WWE (as outlined in my blog post here) but this will be my first Wrestlemania. This blog explains the planning of the trip and what my emotions are going into the weekend.

Original Planning

As said before, my first plan for flying to America to watch a Wrestlemania was Wrestlemania 29. Due to it's location James and I believed this would be the perfect 'Mania for us to do. Sadly though I had previously lost my job and the passage into a job that paid well enough to book the trip was not as smooth as I would have liked. This upset me greatly, as it had been a realistic dream of mine to go to a Wrestlemania for a long while.

In January 2015 however, we found out that Wrestlemania 32 would be in Dallas at the AT&T Stadium. This proved to be a brilliant choice for us to go to as we could fly direct to Dallas, the weather was warm (unlike New Jersey that had an average temperature of 8 degrees in April) and the fact we could fly to Las Vegas (the location we go to after Dallas) again in one flight. We decided that this would be the year that we would both break our Wrestlemania virginities and commit to the plan.

Actual Planning

We had no idea where to start the actual booking process. There were travel packages available. There were single tickets. There were AXXESS sessions, it was all to much for us to plan until we actually thought it through. We decided to go the route of buying the tickets singularly (instead of taking the package option) due to cost factor. Because of James' job, we were able to get a hotel deal for very cheap (albeit slightly out of Central Dallas) and the fact we decided not to go to the NXT event (focusing instead on the AXXESS session the Friday night). The ticket pre-sale for Wrestlemania event tickets proved to be very frustrating as Ticketmaster proved to be very unreliable. Buckling under the pressure, there was much disappointment for many people. Not us however. We got 3 tickets near enough to the block number we originally planned.

We also had our Raw tickets to plan. We were very worried as demand for these are very high, but we stumbled across an idea. Both me and James are part of a Facebook group devoted to travelling to Wrestlemania from The UK. We saw that a member of the group had booked a suite in the American Airlines Center. When we enquired about the price, the price was eye-watering ($1,800 for an 18 person suite) but when we worked out that all the benefits we received (food, drink, free parking and the ticket) equalled £67 for each of the 18 people I decided to book it. I had the money to book immediately but was worried how I would find 15 other people to fill the suite. I ended up selling all 15 seats within 24 hours. So we at that point had booked our two major tickets booked!

With all this out of the way and our hotels booked, we could finally start dreaming about our Wrestlemania trip. Because we decided not to go to NXT, we were able to watch the sale for that go by. Our AXXESS tickets also proved easy to get as they were only general tickets. Where my plans differed to James' was that I had a specific plan in mind for my AXXESS sessions. I own a replica NXT Championship Belt, and I wanted it to be signed by the Superstars who have held it. When Kevin Owens was announced as a VIP Superstar signing for the Saturday. I decided that spending the extra money on meeting K.O. was my priority.

Thankfully, James was able to secure my ticket (Ticketmaster again was not being helpful, this time to me - James had gone through the stress on the Wrestlemania tickets) and my plan of getting my replica belt signed by at least one former champion was on. This also had the secondary advantage of gaining me entry to another general signing, one where I would be likely to find NXT Superstars to sign my belt.

With our Wrestling plans taking full shape, we then turned our attention to planning the second part of our trip, this being to Las Vegas. However, we did still need to keep a look out for other wrestling related activity going on. The General AXXESS Superstars would announce themselves closer to the time so that became very difficult to plan.

I maintained my usual plan of only checking the results of Raw, so was surprised to see this exchange on my phone from James. His being the messages on the left, and mine being the rather surprised messages on the right (NSFW):

As you might be able to assume, I was very happy to hear of the return of Shane McMahon!

The final plans involved small things like arranging parking at the stadium (which thankfully a member of the Facebook group helped us with) and our other plans for the weekend (including a trip to the Six Flags amusement park, The Reunion Tower and the JFK Museum). We kept our ear's to the ground for Superstar signings around the Dallas area and thanks to the Facebook group again, we were able to arrange our plans to meet Dolph Ziggler before the Friday AXXESS session.

After Dallas

We move on to Las Vegas after Wrestlemania. We again have a massively packed schedule, including seeing The Killers live in concert, going to the Hoover Dam, a trip to The Grand Canyon and a helicopter ride down the strip. I also find myself going to a gun range!

All in all, we are in America for 10 days, leaving Thursday 31st and I return on the 10th April (James and Vicky are making a trip to New York to complete their American adventure). Wrestlemania 33 is in Orlando next year, will I find myself going to my second successive Wrestlemania? Or will I make the trip to New York for WWE Summerslam 2017? Either (or both) of those options will be my next American adventure. The Facebook group has been a massive help to us to plan this trip (and special thanks to Danny Pearson for the parking pass for Wrestlemania) and hopefully, all the advice receive make our trip as unforgettable as we all imagine it will be.

The WWE Live Experience - So Much Better than the TV

This blog post regards my experiences of seeing the WWE Live that I eluded to in my blogs here, here and lastly here.


WWE Raw Live at the O2 - 18th April 2011

My very first experience of live WWE action was at the taping of Raw at the O2 in London. I had been an on and off fan of the WWE, as I had said in my previous blog posts. But as this would prove to be a new experience for me. I was excited to break my live wrestling cherry. Our seat location however wasn't great. We found ourselves in the top tier and it was very difficult to see anything. On top of that, because of the fact it was a full house, it was uncomfortably warm. This photo may look like it was close, but my camera was zoomed in full:

I excused this fact though as it was my first ever event. WWE Superstars was filmed before the Raw show which was ok. Then, the Raw event started.

The first match of the show was R-Truth vs. John Morrison. John Morrison had goaded Truth into putting up his number 1 contendership spot for the WWE Title. John Morrison won the match, and in an infamous (and illegal spot) R-Truth lit a cigarette and blew the smoke into the face of Morrison. It was edited out of the broadcast of Raw as smoking in an indoor place was outlawed in the UK! Dolph Ziggler (going through his "Perfection" gimmick when he aligned himself with Vickie Guerrero) also defeated Evan Bourne in a short match.

Then was the entrance of John Cena. Even here, he was receiving polarising views from the crowd in our block, where the younger members of the audience would cheer for him and the older members would boo him. He teamed with Sin Cara (the original Sin Cara) against The Miz and Alex Riley. Cena and Cara won the match when Cena pinned Riley. Eve Torres defeated Nikki Bella in a forgettable encounter.

The last 2 broadcasted matches involved a very quick encounter between Sheamus and Santino Marella (in which the former won) and Randy Orton and CM Punk (during his New Nexus days). This photo shows the view of Randy Orton's entrance that I had:

Randy Orton won a long match-up, solidifying his position over CM Punk at that stage. This would be 2 months before CM Punk's infamous "Pipe-Bomb" which would alter the shape of the WWE. The dark match (a match that is not filmed for TV but is a parting "gift" to the fans) was John Cena & Randy Orton against CM Punk and The Miz, a match that the babyfaces won.

I loved my experience of a live WWE event. It would not be long until I repeated the experience, at the same arena as well.


WWE Raw Live at the O2 - 16th April 2012

This was a last minute decision to go this year, it was not as planned as what the first occasion was, however I believe this was a better occasion. Thanks to last minute ticket buying, we found ourselves just to the left of the stage (meaning we could not see the titantron) but we were able to see the entrances in their whole.

The first match on the card was the most important, The WWE Championship match between CM Punk and Mark Henry. CM Punk was going through his "Best In The World" gimmick (and his 434 day WWE Title reign). The crowd were white hot for Punk, and the match was over in minutes. There was then a promo from Chris Jericho (who at the time was claiming the teetotal Punk was an alcoholic) and then a short match between Santino Marella and David Otunga for the formers United States Title, which the champion retained.

Daniel Bryan (fresh from his 18 second defeat to Sheamus at Wrestlemania XXVIII) then faced off against Kofi Kingston. A match that Bryan won with the newly christened "Yes" Lock. He then kept the hold going until Sheamus ran into make the save. Brodus Clay then made his first appearance in the UK under his "Funkadactus" gimmick, in a match that Clay's entrance lasted longer than the actual action against Dolph Ziggler. Then a throwaway matchup between the world's largest tag team, Big Show and Great Khali verses Primo and Epico. a match that was easily won by the giants,

The last match featured the returning Lord Tensai vs. John Cena in a extreme rules match. It was Tensai's first appearance in the UK for WWE since returning from Japan. He surprisingly won the match against Cena, thanks in part to interference from John Laurinaitis and David Otunga. The shows dark match featured a WWE Title match between CM Punk and Chris Jericho, which featured a run in from pretty much half the locker room and that ended up with CM Punk retaining the belt.

It would be a while until I went to my next WWE Live event, and boy did I make it a good one,,,


WWE Summerslam 2013 at The Staples Center, Los Angeles - August 18th 2013

This ranks as one of the best experiences of my life. A trip that again was only planned with about 3 weeks notice, it was my first time in the United States, my first time to a WWE Pay-Per-View and my first time to see the WWE Championship change hands at an event.

We started our Summerslam Day by visiting the WWE Axxess session at the nearby Nokia Plaza. When we arrived, this hyped me for the whole day:

My personal highlight of the day was meeting R-Truth. He was such a nice guy and was so welcoming, including giving me this photo:

The event itself came up quickly (5pm local time). We found our seat, which gave us this view:

We could see everything, and we had a fantastic event. The pre-show started with the WWE United States Championship between Dean Ambrose and Rob Van Dam. RVD had the match won until Roman Reigns made the save for his Shield team-mate. Then The Shield started a 3 on 1 beatdown until The Big Show and Mark Henry made the save.

The event started with Bray Wyatt's first WWE PPV appearance against Kane in a "Ring of Fire" match. Thanks to some clever thinking from Luke Harper and Erick Rowan, they were able to help Wyatt win the match. The next match was the official break up of Team Rhodes Scholars, between Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow. Rhodes picked up the win after a Cross Rhodes.

Alberto del Rio then defended his World Heavyweight Title against Christian. Del Rio used his technical wrestling skills to work on Christian's shoulder and then won the match to retain his title. Natalya then faced Brie Bella in a throwaway Diva's match. Natalya won the match after locking in a sharpshooter.

Then the first of the main event matches, where CM Punk would face off against Brock Lesnar. The match during the pre-show was changed to be a no disqualification match. In a 25 minute classic, the match went back and forth with Punk being able to counter the strength advantage of Lesnar. The match was eventually won by Brock after an F5 on to a steel chair. CM Punk was wildly cheered by the Los Angeles crowd, even though he lost the match.

The 2nd main event was a match between Dolph Ziggler and Katliyn vs Big E Langston and AJ Lee. The match was a short affair and not very well received from the fans. The match ended with a ZigZag to Big E, and the faces took the win.

Then, the actual main event. One of the best wrestling matches in history between Daniel Bryan and John Cena. Cena, who went into the match as WWE Champion, was the huge favourite, but Bryan was the fans favourite. A clean match, the WWE fans were on the edge of their seats throughout. Triple H, who was the special guest referee, called the match down the middle. In a finish that surprised most of the arena, and most of the watching public, Bryan won clean to win his first WWE Championship. Cena congratulated the new champion and left Bryan to soak up the crowd reaction. Then Randy Orton, who was the Money in the Bank holder, came out and shockingly, Triple H delivered a Pedigree to Bryan. Randy Orton then cashed in his MITB briefcase and became the new WWE Champion. The arena was shocked by this, and that then set the Authority storyline in motion. I will never forget this moment, as I had witnessed the start of a storyline that ended at Wrestlemania XXX.

Thank you for reading my blog, please follow me on Twitter @MalingoisHere for new blogs every week.

The Best Possible Wrestlemania 32 Card - Update After The Royal Rumble

The Road to Wrestlemania has started. On the 24th January 2016 in Orlando, Florida, The WWE hosted The Royal Rumble event, an event that will live long in the memory of some, with Triple H returning to win the main event, and with it, the WWE World Heavyweight Title. I posted a blog before the Royal Rumble as to what I believed the best possible Wrestlemania card was at the time. This blog will re-address those points, after learning what we did at the Rumble.

This blog will only include those superstars who are currently employed by the WWE or NXT, those who are strongly rumoured to be returning from injury and those superstars that who have been announced as signing for the WWE.

Pre Show
Andre the Giant Battle Royal

I originally said that the only pre-show match would be the now traditional Battle Royal. As I will blog soon, I now believe there will be 2 pre-show matches (to mirror what happened last year). This match will go as predicted first time round, and will be won by an up and coming star to give them a big boost. I originally believed that Braun Strowman would be the winner, and at this point I do not see any other option for the win, especially now my original thoughts for a 6 man tag involving the Wyatt Family have now changed. Expect him to eliminate Mark Henry last, in what will be his last match in the WWE before his retirement.

Winner - Braun Strowman


Pre Show
Goldust, Darren Young and Damien Sandow vs. The Cosmic Wasteland

This match was previously blogged as a singles match between Goldust and Stardust on the actual card, I now believe that they will now go in a six man tag (to get as many superstars on the card for their Mania moments) on the pre-show. This again will be another retirement match, as Goldust will retire after losing this match to his half-brother. This will also mark the retirement of the Stardust gimmick.

Winners - The Cosmic Wasteland


WWE Divas Title Match
Charlotte (with Ric Flair) (c) vs. Sasha Banks

Originally blogged as a Fatal Four Way Divas match also involving Paige and Becky Lynch, I now believe it will just be a singles match. Charlotte will carry on playing the heel, while Sasha Banks (after her actions on the Raw of 1st Feb) will be the face character. I however do not believe the result will be any different. Expect Sasha Banks to win her first Divas title, immediately retire the belt and then bring back the WWE Women's Championship, bringing in a new era of Women's wrestling and a new mentality in the WWE

Winner (and new champion) - Sasha Banks


WWE US Championship 6-Man Ladder Match
Kalisto (c) vs. Alberto del Rio vs. Jack Swagger vs. Dolph Zigger vs. Kane vs. The Miz

Originally blogged as Alberto del Rio vs AJ Styles, Kalisto's win at the Royal Rumble will change the original prediction, and will carry on the theme of having a six man title ladder match on the Mania card. With differing styles in the match, this will be a breathtaking match that will go back and forth. I expect that Kalisto will retain against the odds here, after kicking The Miz off a ladder and then grabbing the belt.

Winner (and still champion) - Kalisto


Triple Threat Match
Kevin Owens vs. AJ Styles vs. Sami Zayn

The indies, in the big time. The Royal Rumble set up 2 matches that could have involved Kevin Owens. He firstly eliminated AJ Styles (after sarcastically shouting "Welcome to the WWE") from the Rumble and was then eliminated by a returning Sami Zayn. I expect the WWE will capitalise on the WWE Fan's reaction to these rivalries and put this match on the card for at least 20 minutes. All three of the superstars in this match are very popular, and any result will prove popular with the fans. However, expect a win for AJ Styles here. He has proved the WWE Universe is behind him since his debut at the Rumble. Expect him to pin KO.

Winner - AJ Styles


WWE Tag Team Title Fatal Four Way Team Match
New Day (c) vs. The Dudleys vs. The Usos vs. The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper & Erick Rowan)

Originally predicted to be a TLC match not involving The Wyatt Family, due to actions at the Rumble, The WWE will give them a meaningful match. New Day will hold the titles until this point, but no longer. The Wyatt's will usher in a new era in the Tag division and will win this match. There may very well be interference from Braun Strowman (do not expect to see Bray Wyatt here - see below) but Harper will pin D-Von Dudley to win the copper belts.

Winners (and new champions) - The Wyatt Family


Brock Lesnar vs. Bray Wyatt

This is the reason why you will not see Bray Wyatt in the Tag Team Title match. I originally predicted Brock Lesnar would face Kevin Owens, however after the Royal Rumble and the Wyatt Family dumped Lesnar out of the match, and the predicted interference in the Triple Threat match at Fastlane involving Lesnar, the two best promo makers in the WWE (Bray Wyatt and Paul Heyman) will come together and make this match. This will be a brutal match, and I am unsure as to whether the Wyatt Family will interfere, but the result will be the same either way. The WWE have made both these superstars look strong over the last few months, and Bray will continue his push towards an eventual WWE Title Match by shocking the Beast Incarnate.

Winner - Bray Wyatt


WWE Intercontinental Title Match
Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Chris Jericho

The first unchanged match on the main Wrestlemania card from my original prediction, I believe this match will again be set up due to interference at Fastlane. While Brock Lesnar is incapacitated, expect Y2J to interfere and cost Ambrose the match. Again, as stated before, I believe the result will stay the same, with Ambrose retaining his belt.

Winner (and still champion) - Dean Ambrose


The Undertaker vs. Finn Balor

There is still no creditable information as to how the Undertaker will be used at Wrestlemania. With John Cena heavily rumoured to return to action for the Wrestlemania card, I am predicting he will lose his battle to be fit for the showcase of the immortals. Cena was given a 6-9 month injury layoff, meaning that in theory, Cena will not return until June. I will also persist with my belief that Finn Balor will make his main card debut at Wrestlemania, although this time I do not believe Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson will be involved in this match or build-up. I also no longer believe this will be Undertaker's retirement match, as the WWE will probably want John Cena to retire The Undertaker at Wrestlemania 33 (if The Undertaker vs. Cena does happen this year, expect this to be the main event).

This match will receive the same level of buildup that the Wrestlemania XXVII match between Triple H and The Undertaker did, with a silent promo between both superstars. I predict that Finn will lose the NXT Title at NXT Takeover: Dallas due to an"interference" by the Deadman (the signature gong). This match will be a sight to behold, with Finn getting the best out of The Undertaker. I do however predict the result will be different, and sadly Finn will debut with a loss at Wrestlemania.

Winner - The Undertaker


WWE World Heavyweight Championship - No Disqualification Match
Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns

I did originally want to type the words "Seth" and "Rollins" together in a way that would help Roman Regins win the WWE Title Belt. However, I do not believe however that he will be able to. The lowest estimate that Rollins will be out of action for is 6 months, which considering he suffered his injury on November 5th, would put him out of action until just after the Extreme Rules PPV (on May 1st). While it is possible that he could return for a non-active part and nurse the injury until Extreme Rules, I do not believe the WWE would risk Rollins in this, and instead go down the route I originally blogged.

I believe that Triple H will dominate the first part of the match, and it will spill out into other parts of the arena, thanks to the no disqualification stipulation. Triple H will eventually call for the League of Nations, and they will commence a beatdown of Reigns. The Rock will then arrive in the arena and run down to save Reigns. He will then deliver a Rock Bottom to Triple H (possibly setting up The Rock vs. Triple H at Wrestlemania 33) and help Roman to win the title. Another theory (that will take some believing and a lot of manoeuvrability) is a Rock heel turn at the Raw after Fastlane. He will explain his actions as him attempting to protect his legacy and stopping Roman from destroying it. During the match, The Rock will come out to feign an attack on Roman. He will then Rock Bottom Triple H and again, Roman will win the title.

Winner (and new champion) - Roman Reigns


Follow me on twitter @MalingoIsHere, New Mavis Report blogs every week.

My Journey To Being a Wrestling Fan - Part 3

This is the final part of the three part blog of my journey into professional wrestling and why I am so excited about my journey to Dallas and Wrestlemania 32.

Getting Back into Wrestling

Having not watched Wrestling properly since Summerslam 2005, I found myself incredibly out of the loop come 2011. It was only a conversation with a work colleague called James (who would became my best friend) that re-stoked my interest in Wrestling. We ended up stoking a friendship over our mutual love of wrestling. We then arranged to watch Wrestlemania XXVII at his house with another wrestling fan. Suffice to say, I don't remember very much from the event (let's be fair, it wasn't a great event) but seeing the product again was great, especially The Rock lighting up the Georgia Dome.

I would carry on watching Raw and Smackdown, but not pay-per-views (as at this point, Sky had started charging for them) and missed the infamous Money in the Bank PPV in 2011. I saw CM Punk's "pipe bomb" and believed it was a real life attack against the McMahon's rule of the WWE. I had to catch up with the result of the PPV online and was shocked that he had beaten the WWE's golden boy in John Cena. I carried on with the tradition of watching WWE Wrestlemania events with James. We also attended 2 WWE Live Raw tapings in London at the O2, something that I will go into in another blog. We had also made plans to fly to America for our first Wrestlemania trip.


2013

2013 was a brilliant year in Wrestling for me. I was able to purchase the Royal Rumble PPV, which I watched with great delight. I had brought into The Rock returning to wrestle, but I couldn't help think that John Cena was an inevitable pick for the Royal Rumble victory, and I couldn't help think that the result in The Rock's match was also inevitable, considering the Rumble match was not the last match on the card. I still didn't care though, it was really exciting watching The Rock return to action. The fact that Cena had won the Rumble meant that I knew The Rock was winning the title, but I was still very happy to see that result.

When Wrestlemania 29 came along, we were sat watching the PPV still not knowing that we would in 3 years be seeing the granddaddy of them all live in person, We watched as The Shield, a team of talented superstars on NXT, beat the more established superstars Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus. We watched the Wrestlemania debut of Fandango, shocking the world by beating Chris Jericho, and we watched as Brock Lesnar was defeated by Triple H, a result that should not have happened. Then the main event. The second showing of the "Once in a lifetime" match of John Cena vs. The Rock. There was no way The Rock was going to win for the 2nd year in a row, especially as he was WWE Champion. It rang true, when Cena defeated The Rock to become champion again. Also in 2013, myself and James flew to Los Angeles to watch Summerslam, but again I will cover that in another blog.


2014 Onwards

Following on from this, I would lose interest in watching WWE Raw. The shows format of 3 hours became very difficult to watch and would make for lacklustre shows on more occasions than not. So at that point I solely concentrated on watching PPV's, including The Royal Rumble in 2014. I was aware of the backing Daniel Bryan had been receiving (having been at Summerslam 2013 and seen it for myself) and like many WWE fans watching that PPV, I was bitterly disappointed with his treatment by the WWE. No reaction however was stronger than my sense of shock over what happened at Wrestlemania XXX, when Brock Lesnar defeated the unbeaten streak of The Undertaker. Like most (if not all WWE fans) I believed the WWE would never end the streak, however, ending it to Brock Lesnar made sense due to his monster billing (if you forget the fact that Brock had lost at Wrestlemania 29 to Triple H). A show of rollercoaster emotions, Wrestlemania XXX was the best Wrestlemania I had seen since WM XVII. This was also the first Wrestlemania to feature on the WWE Network, which made it easier (and cheaper) to watch WWE PPV's.

I carried on watching the product (a product that was decreasing in quality) on an inconsistent basis, catching up on the results from Raw like I had done for a while, via the internet. When I saw that Brock Lesnar (who had returned to WWE after defeating the streak) was challenging John Cena for the WWE Championship at Summerslam 2014, I became excited to see the beast incarnate defeat the WWE's golden boy. The match (if you could call it that) was a demolition, which cemented Lesnar's place at the top of the WWE. I wasn't as bothered as some were when the WWE Title kept disappearing off television (as I was only watching the PPV's), however I was disappointed to see the WWE had not done a good job of building up the Intercontinental Belt. Also, like every WWE fan, I felt the 2015 Royal Rumble was a travesty, again the WWE showed us that they would continue to push superstars onto us with very little build-up. In this case, Roman Reigns was the chosen one, taking over the mantle of John Cena. The ending to Wrestlemania 31 was fitting and very exciting, and it made the title relevant again.

During this time, NXT had developed as a creditable alternative to the WWE product. However I didn't watch NXT for the same reasons I didn't watch Raw. I felt that too much WWE programming was ruining the product, and as James and I knew we would be going to Wrestlemania 32 at this point, I wanted to keep the product as fresh as I could do. I even got to the stage were I didn't watch every WWE PPV, so I missed (amongst other things) the surprise return of The Undertaker to cost Brock Lesnar the WWE Title at Battleground 2015. I did however watch Summerslam 2015 (an event that was rapidly becoming an high quality PPV comparable to Wrestlemania) and Hell In A Cell, to see the Brock Lesnar vs Undertaker storyline finish. I was not so thrilled with Survivor Series however. I believed that Bray Wyatt should have won the encounter with the Brothers Of Destruction.

What will 2016 hold for me as a professional wrestling fan? Having watched the Royal Rumble and seen AJ Styles enter, Triple H win the WWE Title, and Sasha Banks set up a Wrestlemania 32 match with Charlotte, I believe this has the potential to be the best year in wrestling for a while. 2016 marks the first year I will attend a Wrestlemania event and a overseas Raw. 2016 could mark the ending of an epic career (The Undertaker) and the start or continuation of multiple epic careers (Finn Balor, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins). Wrestling has always been an unpredictable art though, so predicting it will not be an easy task.

Thank you for reading my 3 part blog on being a wrestling fan. I hope you liked reading it as much as I liked writing it. Follow me on Twitter @MalingoIsHere. New blogs will come every week.

My Journey To Being a Wrestling Fan - Part 2

In my previous blog, I detailed my journey into professional wrestling fan-dom. This blog continues this, journeying towards my first Wrestlemania trip.

After The Invasion

After the Invasion angle, I found myself watching WWF more often than not. However, I often found myself questioning storylines due to my new found knowledge about "Sports Entertainment" (I had at this point looked at the WCW back story and found out to my horror that wrestling was not real). I didn't believe that Stone Cold Steve Austin and The Rock could lose in one night to Chris Jericho at the 2001 Vengeance PPV (I liked Jericho on the microphone in promos but didn't believe he had the skill to beat the headliners of the Invasion storyline). I knew that when Triple H returned to the WWF after his injury (and then won the Royal Rumble) that he was always going to win the title at Wrestlemania 18.

However, all this changed on February 17th 2002. For in The Bradley Center, Milwaukee, something was happening that re-stoked my interest in Wrestling. The No Way Out PPV brought out the young man in me again, for this was the first time I had seen the original 3-man nWo. I had been engrossed by the nWo storyline when I started watching WCW, but I had always seen the nWo in it's hugely inflated state, or with the Wolfpac gimmick. Even though I knew the nWo were designed to be "heels", I could not help but feel the arrival was a huge plus for the WWF, and was hugely excited regarding their arrival. The No Way Out PPV was nothing special, but the nWo storyline really went up a notch in the coming weeks.


Wrestlemania X8

As detailed in the previous blog, my ability to watch Wrestling when I was a child was based purely on Sky Sports showing re-runs of the PPV's and Raw broadcasts. Wrestlemania X8 was the first Wrestlemania I was allowed to watch live (Sky Sports also showed PPV's for free back then) and I was so excited. The nWo had become the dastardly heels that they were meant to be by hospitalising The Rock, including driving a truck into an ambulance that he was in. This was a shocking moment in WWF history and was something that hadn't been seen since the days of the Attitude Era. This set up Hulk Hogan vs. The Rock at Wrestlemania X8, an match that showcased the grandest stage of them all.

The rest of the card was not of interest to me sadly, the only match that mattered to me was Rock vs. Hogan. Watching the match, I felt as torn as the 68,000 people in the Skydome in Toronto felt. I saw my current hero (The Rock) battle with the man who carried WCW for a long while (Hogan). I just didn't know who to cheer for. The match was everything I had hoped it would be, and clearly showed that Hogan hadn't lost any of his skills as a storyteller in the ring. The Rock triumphed (a result I believe to be correct, a"passing of the torch" almost) and Hulk Hogan was back where he belonged, as a face character.


Superstar Debuts

I was always on the lookout for new superstars who offered up an interesting persona. Just before the King of the Ring in 2002, one such superstar (who would end up having a profound effect on the wrestling business) would debut on an episode of Raw. That person was Brock Lesnar. He offered a ring style not seen by myself since the WCW days of Goldberg. He brutalised the KOTR, he won the WWE Championship at Summerslam 2002 from The Rock (a result that was very much believable) and destroyed the WWE Superstars until he lost the title (wrongly in my opinion) to the Big Show at the Survivor Series of that year. He was then triumphant at the Royal Rumble of 2013 and ultimately won back the WWE Championship from Kurt Angle at Wrestlemania XIX (including THAT attempt at a shooting star press that almost killed Lesnar).

They always say the Raw after Wrestlemania is a thoroughly unpredictable affair. This proved to be the case at the Raw in Seattle after Wrestlemania XIX, as a superstar debuted in the WWE that caused me so much excitement I nearly exploded. Goldberg. Goldberg interrupted a promo by a then heel Rock and made the memories of WCW come flooding back (I didn't have access to gossip sites back then so I was not aware that Goldberg would be going to WWE). He then fought The Rock at Backlash, a match he won using his trademark spear and Jackhammer combination. Sadly, the run after the Backlash PPV for Goldberg was uninspiring (there was the World Heavyweight Title run, a run that was ended in a poorly conceived manner), and both Lesnar and Goldberg would be gone in the April.


ECW One Night Stand

In the period between Wrestlemania XX and June 2005, there were no real stand out moments for me. That was until June 12th 2005. In the TV shows leading up to this night, former ECW Superstars were facing Raw and Smackdown Superstars in a "Invasion" angle. What however was different to the previous Invasion angle was that because most of the ECW Superstars I had been watching week in and week out on Raw and Smackdown, so the likes of Rob Van Dam, Rhyno and The Dudleyz were well known to me.

The event itself was unlike any other wrestling event I had ever seen. The action was breathtaking, the language colourful and the promos unscripted. The ECW fans in the Hammerstein Ballroom, while not plentiful, were loud and an integral part of the event. Paul Heyman showed that he was a wrestling genius that night, and the whole event ranks amongst one of my favourites. In a night of stand out events, The Sandman's entrance (including Metallica's Enter Sandman playing him in and the whole crowd chanting along - something not apparent on the WWE Network re-runs) was the moment which I doubt I will ever forget as a Wrestling Fan.


Differing Quality of Storylines

The rest of 2005 would be made up of a changing dynamic in the WWE. Hulk Hogan was in the Hall of Fame part of his WWE run, having returned from his first stint in TNA, and found himself in a promo against Shawn Michaels (who had attempted to turn heel by delivering a Sweet Chin Music to Hogan) leading up to Summerslam 2005. The storyline was ok, but sadly the match was overshadowed by the constant overselling of moves by Michaels.

At the same event, there was two contrasting storylines that the WWE had chose to run with. The first involved the real life rivals Matt Hardy and Edge. It had been revealed earlier in the year that Edge was having a real life affair with Matt Hardy's girlfriend at the time, Lita. This was a storyline in poor taste in my opinion, however there was a certain sense of real life drama in the match that they had at Summerslam (Matt's first with Edge after the affair became public knowledge). The 2nd of the matches with a very poor taste storyline was the match between Eddie Guerrero and Rey Mysterio for custody of Rey Mysterio's son, Dominick. The less said about this match the better. These storylines proved to be one of the main reasons why I gave up on being a Wrestling fan after Summerslam 2005. The WWE had changed in a direction I did not approve of. I felt incredibly uncomfortable seeing two grown men fighting in a wrestling match over custody papers for a child. I would not watch another Wrestling event for about 5 years. Looking back, I missed some key parts of wrestling history. Good points included the two Wrestlemania matches between The Undertaker and Shawn Michaels, The WWE debut of CM Punk, John Cena, Edge and Randy Ortons rapid rises up the WWE ladder and Bret Hart returning to the WWE. The bad points included the weekly reformation of ECW, Donald Trump's involvement in Wrestlemania 23, the double murder/suicide involving Chris Benoit and The Great Khali's run as World Heavyweight Champion


The last part of the blog will come next week. Follow me on Twitter @MalingoIsHere

My Journey To Being a Wrestling Fan - Part 1

Having listened to feedback given to me regarding my previous blog post (which you can find a link to on the right hand side of this page), I have decided to blog about something completely original. This blog is how, when and why I became a wrestling fan, from Wrestlemania 12 to Wrestlemania 32.


Wrestlemania 12

My first knowledge of wrestling. Thanks to my street being one of the first in Brighton, England to receive cable television I was able to watch Sky Sports, and during my channel hopping I saw a repeat of Wrestlemania 12. I was 8 at the time and still highly impressionable (I wanted to be a Manchester United football player, a Sussex cricket player, a doctor, a vet, an astronaut as well as anything else that was on the TV at the time) and I was transfixed by the action on display. The first match I remember watching (as I must had joined the broadcast halfway through) was a Scottish man dressed in a leather jacket and jeans have a fight against a man in face paint and gold clothing in a car park. No British TV show I had ever seen offered such heart stopping action (and certainly more than my description would give justice to!).

I called to my grandfather to show him this and we sat and watched it until the end. The final match (and one of the best matches I have seen) was the Iron Man match between Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels, A match that went back and forth with drama from both sides. The match ended up as a draw, but then as we all know, Gorilla Monsoon (then the on screen "president") ordered the match to continue. Not long after, Shawn Michaels kicked Bret Hart in the face and was awarded the WWF Title. The image of an exhausted man celebrating his first title was an image that has stayed with many wrestling fans. At that point, I wanted to become a professional wrestler. I had at that point caught a bug that I never knew I would still have 20 years on.


The Attitude Era

Thanks to the fact that I was only 8, I was not able to watch wrestling as much as I wanted, and it became very difficult to follow any story lines. It was only when Sky Sports showed repeats of pay-per-views that I was able to watch the WWF (as it was known then). Sadly I don't have many memories about this period as I would like. I was however able to watch a repeat of the Summerslam showing of 1996. My stand-out memory of that event was the Boiler Room Brawl between Mankind and The Undertaker. This was the first time I had ever seen Mankind, and I genuinely believed he was a very troubled individual. I was too young to know about story lines and kayfabe, so I believed everything I was watching was real, and when I saw Paul Bearer turn his back on the Undertaker I was shocked and I became very emotional!

My next stand out memory from the WWF comes from early 1998. I had missed the debut of the monstrous masked character called Kane. I had no idea who he was when I was able to watch an late night episode of Raw during a school half term (I felt so rebellious!). I had no idea why he had aligned himself with the person who I had last seen betray the Undertaker to Mankind. I was amazed when he seemed to summon a lightning bolt from the sky and set a man on fire at the ringside area. My eyes were opening to a new type of risqué entertainment that had changed since I had last seen the WWF.


The Monday Night Wars 

Thanks to cable television, I was able to watch Cartoon Network when I came home from school. During another school holiday I was watching Cartoon Network on a Friday until the channel finished at 7pm. I didn't turn off the channel and Cartoon Network eventually became TNT. To my amazement, the opening credits to a TV show called WCW Nitro started. I watched the first match of the show thinking I had stumbled upon a WWF show, however when the stage appeared different, and the fact that the show was being filmed outside, I soon knew that this was a very different TV show to what I was used to. TNT used to show the first hour of the Nitro broadcast then would go to classic movies.

This was when WCW was bossing the Monday Nights Wars, again something I had no knowledge of. I saw the two contrasting sides of nWo, a faction that had bossed WCW for a year but whose relevance I didn't understand and why there was a white and black faction and a red and black one. I didn't know why Bret Hart (a man who shared my first proper memory of the WWF) was in WCW, but I was still transfixed by wrestling, the fact it was a different company made no difference to me. In fact, because of TNT being on cable TV in the UK, it was easier for me to watch WCW than the WWF. I was able to invest in story-lines, I was hypnotised by the monster that was Goldberg and his entrance, physique and his ability to destroy everything in front of him. I was jumping around my living room trying to copy Billy Kidman, Rey Misterio Jr and Juventud Guerrera.


Hiatus From Wrestling and Computer Games

It was a great heartbreak for me when we had to lose cable TV. It became very expensive in 1999 and we could no longer afford it. I found myself at a loss because the first TV show I had become attached to was no longer available for me to watch (and I didn't have the internet at the time). However, I had received a Sony Playstation for Christmas in 1998, and the first game I received for it was WWF Warzone, so I did at least still have a wrestling fix. WWF Warzone wasn't the best of games, however it did allow me to get a better look at the WWF Superstars that I had failed to engage with because of my inability to watch WWF (I was unable to find Sky Sports on the cable TV box).

I then read that the games sequel, WWF Attitude, was coming out in 1999 and I had to have it. I remember making my pre-order with Electronics Boutique and I received a free WWF t-shirt, which I wore with pride. The game turned out to be a huge improvement on the last game, with an increase in modes and Superstars. I was able to remain a wresting fan, even though I wasn't able to watch the live product. Following wrestling games included my first trip into WCW gaming with WCW Thunder. I actually preferred this to WWF Attitude because I felt I had more emotional attachment to the WCW Superstars than the WWF ones. Then the ill-fated decision to buy WCW Backstage Assault (a game which I didn't mind, but was universally panned), which I got in a bargain bin for only £3 and the first WWF Smackdown game.


Wrestlemania X-Seven and The Invasion

We finally got cable TV back in early 2001. Because of the new TV box and software, it became easier to find the TV shows I wanted. I tried to find WCW programming but was unable to find it (there was now a separate TNT channel, which we didn't subscribe to) so I went back to watching re-runs of WWF programming, at which point I found a re-run of Wrestlemania X-Seven on Sky Sports. I was amazed by the sheer size of it all (as my first Wrestlemania had only 19,000 people in the arena, whereas this was in a massive stadium with nearly 68,000 people). I was amazed about how the business had progressed and I was amazed that so many people were as invested in the product as they were in one place. Wrestlemania X-Seven has been voted by many as the best Wrestlemania of all time by many, something of which I am agreed. The Hardcore title match between Kane, The Big Show and Raven (including a memorable spot with Raven being thrown through a window), the TLC tag team match and obviously the main event feature heavily in my mind.

What however became painfully clear during the show was that WCW (which had been my only source of televised wrestling during the Monday Night Wars) had died. Because I never saw the grim days of Nitro, I didn't realise how bad things had got for WCW and that the WWF had been making a far superior product for years. I felt quite sad at this point, but when I saw WCW logos all over WWF programming, I felt happy because I thought the old days were back. I became invested in the Invasion storyline but wondered where the likes of Goldberg, Sting, Hollywood Hogan and Ric Flair had gone. I didn't know about the complexities of the business and was blinded by the fact I was watching wrestling again.

When ECW became involved I became confused at the storyline. I didn't know about ECW. I had no idea who Paul Heyman was. When Stephanie McMahon became involved with her brother Shane in the storyline, it became clear that the brands involved no longer mattered and the storyline became all about the McMahon's. At this point though I didn't care. I was able to watch wrestling again. I was able to get excited by the spectacle (I at this point still thought wrestling was real) and the excitement was building up the WWE Invasion storyline, something which I was able to watch live. The ending of the PPV astounded me, and kept me glued to the product for years to come.


Part two of this blog will be available next week. Follow me on Twitter @MalingoIsHere

The Best WWE Wrestlemania 32 Card (In Theory)

With injuries piling up, the WWE Card for the "Grand Daddy of them all" is looking bleak, with John Cena, Daniel Bryan, Sting, Seth Rollins, Tyson Kidd, Cesaro, Sin Cara and Nikki Bella all possibly not making it to the AT&T Stadium on April 3rd. So, what is the best the WWE can hope to do with what they currently have (and what they could have) on the WWE roster?

This list includes talent that is currently not on the injured list, talent that has a good chance of actually completing (which rules The Rock, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Daniel Bryan out) and talent that will more that likely be employed by the WWE at the time (which rules out Batista, Goldberg and Kurt Angle)

Pre-Show

Andre The Giant Battle Royal

Knocking the trend of 2 matches on the Wrestlemania pre-show, this will be the only match before the PPV stream starts. I anticipate a big winner (in terms of size, not manpower) to actually showcase what this match should be used for (a way to kick-start talent, not a throwaway for the Big Show to win). Expect Braun Strowman to pick up the large trophy in this one after eliminating Heath Slater last.

Winner - Braun Strowman

WWE Divas Title Match - Fatal Four Way Elimination

Charlotte (with Ric Flair) (c) vs. Paige vs. Becky Lynch vs. Sasha Banks

The Divas Revolution actually starts here. Expect this match to showcase what the whole of the last 9 months should have done. It feels awful that three of these four would have to lose, however this will be where Sasha Banks proves why most of the WWE Universe views her as the best women's wrestler in the world. Charlotte will attempt to use her father to keep the belt around her waist, but Sasha will overcome those odds to win her first WWE Diva's title. She will also remain undefeated.

Winner (and new Champion) - Sasha Banks

Goldust vs. Stardust

A match that in theory should have happened last year will happen this year. This will come across after Goldust eliminates his brother at the Royal Rumble. The Gold one will lose this match to actually give the younger brother his Wrestlemania moment and the older brother a retirement to be proud of.

Winner - Stardust

Dolph Ziggler, Ryback & Jack Swagger vs. The Wyatt Family (Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan)

A throwaway match designed to put as many people on the card as the WWE can (Lazy Booking). This match will be formed by The Wyatt Family going after all three during Raw's leading up to Wrestlemania. The Family will triumph in this one, continuing the revival of The Wyatt Family gimmick.

Winners - The Wyatt Family

WWE Intercontinental Title Match

Dean Ambrose (c) vs. Chris Jericho

Dean Ambrose (in a rather un-needed manner) gets the Y2J rub at Wrestlemania. The last time Jericho performed in a WWE ring (at time of writing), he stormed out after a loss to the Wyatt's, bumping into Ambrose and Roman Regins. This rivalry will actually start at Fastlane, after Jericho attacks Ambrose after a successful title defence. Expect Jericho to take Ambrose to the limit here, and Ambrose to take it after a technical match that actually shows a different side to Ambrose (not the bar-brawler we are used to)

Winner (and still Intercontinental Champion) - Dean Ambrose

WWE United States Championship Match

Alberto del Rio (c) vs. AJ Styles

So this one pushes the boat out slightly of my own rules of making this article (as technically AJ Styles hasn't signed a WWE contract) but with the news "breaking" on the WWE website about the 4 NJPW stars being signed, this one is almost a definite to keep the IWC very happy. This will be AJ's first match after making his debut at Fastlane and he will come in to the match as face to Del Rio's heel character. This will result in AJ Styles winning his debut match by disqualification as Samoa Joe will interfere, attacking AJ. AJ will then follow Joe to NXT.

Winner (but not winning the title) - AJ Styles

Brock Lesner vs. Kevin Owens

Yeah, so this one will brutal, but brilliant to watch at the same time. Do not expect Brock to dominate this match, and expect some broken furniture (Spanish announce table sweepstake time!). Kevin Owens will eliminate Brock from the Royal Rumble (after Brock Eliminates Owens) and that will trigger this match. This match will go back and forth, with KO hitting at least 3 Pop-Up Powerbombs and Lesner to hit at least 3 F5's, with Owens kicking out of them all. Expect Lesner to take this eventually, but expect a staged EMT crew to help both to the wrestlers to the back after.

Winner - Brock Lesner

The Undertaker vs. Finn Balor

Hear me out on this one, because again, it pushes the limits of what I am allowed to put in this article. The Undertaker enters the Royal Rumble. The Undertaker gets to the final two. Then, the lights go out, and Doc Gallows and Karl Anderson attack the Undertaker, and then Finn Balor eliminates him (and no, Finn isn't in the match at this point), setting up The Phenom vs. The Demon at Wrestlemania and The Balor Club in WWE. This will also tie into The Undertaker's retirement. Yep, especially if Taker is inducted into the Hall of Fame the day before, this will be The Phenom's last match. Finn wins with interference and retires the legend.

Winner - Finn Balor

WWE Tag Team Title Match - Tables, Ladders and Chairs

The Usos (c) vs. The Dudley Boys vs. The New Day

Yes, you read that right. I do anticipate that The Uso's will go into this match as Tag Team Champions. This will occur at The Royal Rumble after interference from The Dudleys. Expect The New Day to go mental in the ring the Raw after, battering the other 4 with Chairs, while Kofi Kingston flies off a ladder. I expect this match to be breathtaking at times, and for complete nostalgic purposes, expect the Dudleys to take it. They will then lose the night after to The New Day.

Winners (and new Champions) - The Dudley Boys

WWE World Heavyweight Championship - No Disqualification Match

Triple H (c) vs. Roman Reigns

The other consequence of The Balor Club eliminating The Undertaker from the Royal Rumble is that Triple H wins the title. He then makes Roman jump through hoops in order to get a title rematch (you may notice Rusev is not on the main card, he will be kayfabe nursing an injury inflicted by Reigns at Fastlane) and eventually sets up this match. This match will be a typical heel vs. face battle with the COO bossing large parts of the battle. Roman will eventually get some offense in, which will cause some Authority goons to come along. A beat down will commence until "If You Smeeeeeeeelllll" hits the arena (I only said I would exclude talent that had little chance of completing, we all know The Rock will be there) and he comes to save his cousin. Roman will spear the COO and win the title back.

Winner (and new Champion) - Roman Reigns