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This was such a lukewarm show. It just didn't do anything for me. Shawn Michaels superkicking The Undertaker? Eh, not the end of the world, but I would have preferred them not touch before their WrestleMania match. Being in the opening segment also made the match less special than it should be treated.
Triple H going through the SuperHunter routine after out-smarting, out-witting, and out-playing Randy Orton was predictable. I don't have a problem with predictability, especially if it means WWE cleaning up their top feuds going into WrestleMania 25. However, Hunter's routine just didn't do anything for me to build anticipation. Where's the viper-like Randy Orton that ran the show before the Royal Rumble?
John Cena in peril to conclude the show was fine. The crowd was red-hot for Cena in the main event match and WWE cleaned up the Big Show-Edge-Vickie mess to make the issue about who Vickie will choose to help at WrestleMania. It's just such an icky storyline to begin with that it doesn't feel like a WrestleMania-quality storyline. It comes across like the set-up for Vengeance or ECW's One Night Stand. Ha. I mean Extreme Rules. Or whatever the ECW PPV is called now.
Most disappointing was the set-up for Chris Jericho's Legends program. All that hype and epic TV segments leads to a basic three-on-one handicap match? At least they can cover for Snuka by limiting him to one move (the top rope splash for the finish), but this could have meant a lot more if they set the match weeks ago when they should have. At least Jericho had an awesome backstage promo to sell this turnip to the audience.
Bruce Mitchell, Torch Columnist (4.0)
WrestleMania came into complete focus this week, and it's clear it is the weakest line-up wrestling's biggest show has had in years. Chris Jericho's Legend opponents have to a be a disappointment after all the build-up. Mickey Rourke is just a celebrity blip on the WrestleMania radar now. John Cena's silly soap opera is just something to look at on TV. Randy Orton and Triple H just seems like another month's main event angle, despite all the McMahon Family build-up.
Brian Hoops, PWTorch.com Contributor (5.0)
With 20 days to WrestleMania, there are very few things to get excited about this year's WrestleMania event. Last year's event was magnificently built around Ric Flair's retirement, HOF induction and subsequent send off on Raw. This year there is nothing compelling about WrestleMania. HBK and Undertaker is the most compelling storyline to me and the Chris Jericho vs. the legends has been a major disappointment. Jericho was very good on the mic once again as well as Flair, although the announcement of a handicap match with Jericho against the legends was a let down.
The opening match was decent as they continued with the HBK-Undertaker storyline and progressed it enough to a make viewers want to see more of HBK and Undertaker. They showed a graphic of the 25 Woman Battle Royal, but have not yet announced who the participants would be. Also, no HOF announcement on Raw and no Steve Austin, the headliner of the HOF inductees.
What's the point of having a contract signing, Cena vs. Edge vs. Big Show, if Triple H can go on the next week's TV show and decide he wants to make a match a cage match without his opponent agreeing to it? Michael Cole announced Mysterio wanted JBL at WrestleMania for the IC Title. I am all for elevating the IC Title and I wonder if somehow JBL works this as a retirement match over the next couple of weeks as their have been hints of him retiring soon. Cena vs. Edge was OK and helped to build to their Mania match.
Greg Parks, PWTorch.com Contributor (4.5)
I just feel so detached from the main angles and the two title matches that it's tough to get excited about shows like this. It started out fine, with a decent enough tag match and Michaels one-upping Taker, as it seems the two will try to continue the mind games heading into WM. That's fine- these two pros don't need an elaborate storyline to develop their feud. I didn't exactly find Orton's reason for getting Triple H out of jail satisfactory, but that's what happens when explanations are secondary, the route WWE seems to be taking at this point.
What can you do to build up a Divas battle royal? Not much, but at least they're trying. Triple H once again is the Cerebral Assassin, though I don't think Cody Rhodes was buried as much as most people thing- it was one-on-one with The Game, his sledgehammer and an unannounced Steel Cage. Mysterio vs. Ziggler was solely for the announcement that Mysterio has challenged JBL for the I.C. Title at WM. I hope this isn't the end of the Legends angle because that match is going to suck (if they even let them do a straight match). They have time to rectify it.
The six-person tag match with MITB qualifiers was inconsequential. It was just to get over the dangers of the match as well as how important winning is, which Finlay and Christian did just fine on commentary. The main event was not so much a match as just a continuation of the angle. Vickie stepping aside when Edge attacked Cena from behind wins "dumb move of the night," since if she just stood there, Cena would've bumped into her and she could've tossed him from the match. Send feedback on this article to pwtorch@gmail.com and we'll regularly publish reader feedback in the "Torch Feedback" category on the Main Listing.
