Ripped To Shreds #46: Wrestlemania: Where It All Begins Again

Welcome to the forty-sixth edition of Ripped To Shreds.

This time around I will be discussing the event of Wrestlemania and what effect the matches have to the event, and vice versa.

If you wish to send feedback for this column, you may do so at

hardtime_RIPbossman@hotmail.com

All feedback for me will be responded to.

I'm going to jump right into this.

Without further ado...

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Wrestlemania. The Superbowl of wrestling. The showcase of the immortals. The biggest grandaddy of them all. Wrestlemania is a prestigious event in the wrestling industry. That much is certain. Many, many wrestling fans get caught up in the glitz and glamour of this event, as well as the great amount of hype that goes into it. Many of these pay per views have become legendary, as have many of the matches that take place on this grand stage. The event is special to many fans, as are the encounters that go on there. With that being said, there is one question that should be answered: Do the matches at Wrestlemania make the event, or does Wrestlemania itself make the matches special? It is my belief that both are true, to a certain degree.

Something else that is often discussed in the Internet Wrestling Community, especially during March, is the overall quality of different Wrestlemanias. What determines this? Different factors can play into it. The theme of the event, the hype, the physical setting inside the arena/stadium, and other factors can play into it. But the matches are the most important part for most wrestling fans. A great amount of effort was put into the overall setting for Wrestlemania 9. The event took place outside (not just in a stadium with no roof) at Caeser's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. The World Wrestling Federation took advantage of this and created a huge setting with the theme being ancient Rome, and even had the announcers show up dressed in togas. But the event itself is considered one of the worst Wrestlemanias of all time. No match was really all that spectacular, and many wrestling fans hated the surprise ending to the main event with Hulk Hogan quickly winning the World Title from the new Champ Yokozuna.

Mike Tyson was one of the most feared heavyweight boxers of all time. With his incredible combination of speed and power, he was a very dominant Heavyweight Boxing Champion. A very large amount of hype and media attention was given to many of Tyson's fights, which were on pay per view. But on several occasions, Tyson was so good that he would make very short work of his opponents. He would knock them out early in the fight. But no matter how much hype was put into the event, no matter how many promotional aspects were put into the match, boxing fans were disapointed for paying full price for a main event match that was one sided and didn't last long.

Just as Tyson would dominate his adversaries and beat them quickly, so too have there been high profile Wrestlemania matches that were disappointments. It would be the equivalent of a squash match in wrestling terms, but those are kind of rare. None the less, there are wrestling matches that don't live up to the hype and they leave fans who ordered the pay per view regretting having spent money on it. The spectacle itself can't make up for matches that just aren't good. (Nothing against Tyson as a boxer, but a one sided match isn't good for the fans who paid to see it.) I plan on ordering the Manny Pacquiao Vs. Shane Mosley fight, and if its one sided, I will consider it a poor pay per view. A lot of people anticipated the rematch of Muhammad Ali and Sonny Liston, but many were disappointed when Ali won by knock out in the first round. In this same vein, many were upset to see Triple H and Randy Orton put on a match that was just above average in the main event of Wrestlemania 25. It brought down the quality of the pay per view.

This most likely is true about Wrestlemania. The matches make the event to a certain degree, and the event makes the matches. Everyone remembers the great ladder match between Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon at Wrestlemania 10, but their rematch at SummerSlam 1995 seems to be forgotten most of the time. Hogan and Rock's encounter at Wrestlemania 18 is considered legendary, but their rematch at No Way Out 2003 is barely ever discussed. This brings up one more point that should be made about Wrestlemania. That is, most matches that take place there get a spotlight shined on them like no other event can, for better and for worse.

As you know, Wrestlemania is the biggest event of the year for World Wrestling Entertainment. It is the one pay per view that both pro wrestlers and pro wrestling fans look forward to most all year long. The matches that take place there are more memorable simply for the fact that they take place at "The Showcase of the Immortals". This is different than the first idea discussed in this column in that not only do the matches determine the quality of the Wrestlemania (or any pay per view for that matter), but the matches themselves are remembered more and have a better chance of being more than just a footnote in WWE history.

Steve Austin and The Rock put on a pretty good performance in the main event of Wrestlemania 15. However, Austin has gone on record as saying that the match that he and The Rock put on at Backlash the next month of 1999 was much, much better. However, most people don't remember the latter match, but many remember the former more, despite the respective quality of the latter. The match they had at Wrestlemania 15 is good in its own right, and I personally enjoy it. But to be honest, I would have to agree with Stone Cold and say the match they put on at Backlash the next month was a better overall contest. It was just an overall superior match. But that match is rarely talked about in the Internet Wrestling Community. From time to time their match at WM 15 is discussed, simply because it happened at a Wrestlemania.

At Wrestlemania 12 Bret Hart took on Shawn Michaels in the first ever Iron Man Match in WWE history. It was an hour long contest between two of the finest in ring performers to ever grace a pro wrestling mat. I personally am not a fan of this match, but I won't deny that there are many wrestling fans who consider it to be the best Wrestlemania match of all time. Never the less, everyone remembers this match. There have been a few other Iron Man Matches in WWE since then, all of which were good matches. Triple H and Chris Benoit, Triple H and The Rock, Brock Lesnar and Kurt Angle, and Randy Orton and John Cena. The World Title changed hands in some of these matches just as it did in Bret and Shawn's match. But these Iron Man matches are pretty much forgotten about and are rarely discussed. Everyone remembers Shawn and Bret's match, and to be fair, the other Iron Man maches are, at the least, comparable to it.

Why is this? Why are Triple H and Chris Benoit's efforts in their respective hour long match almost never discussed? The same can be asked for when Triple H and The Rock wrestled for an hour. It is because Shawn and Bret's Iron Man match took place at a Wrestlemania, and all the others did not. It is as if a special magnifying glass is placed over every match that takes place at Wrestlemania. The event makes the matches stand out. The Undertaker has an impressive winning streak at Wrestlemania, and even if WWE did not constantly boast this accomplishment, many fans probably would have realized this. In fact, many internet fans knew that Edge had a pretty good undefeated streak at Wrestlemania.

However, I seriously doubt most people can remember off the top of their head what The Undertaker and Edge's record is at any other pay per view. The Undertaker and The Big Boss Man put on a horrible Hell In A Cell match at Wrestlemania 15. Both Taker and Boss Man have had worse matches, and there have been other Hell In A Cell matches that were well below average. However, that Hell In A Cell match gets talked about every now and then, much more so than when Taker took on Orton inside the Cell, just as he did with Edge. Boss Man and Taker's HIAC match was at the grandest stage of all, and the jeers from the crowd seem to be heard throughout wrestling history.

Wrestlemania is the biggest night of the year for most WWE fans. WWE always puts forth their best efforts to make this event special. To attempt this, they try to put on good matches, and these same matches are made special simply for the fact that they take place at Wrestlemania. Also, most matches that take place at Wrestlemania are placed under a huge spotlight, simply because they take place at Wrestlemania. Whatever your stance may be on this, I feel there is no denying the importance, the spectacle, and the great efforts put forth for this one special night.

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Thanks for reading.

Again, if you wish to send feedback for this column, you may do so at

hardtime_RIPbossman@hotmail.com

All feedback for me will be responded to.

Until next time...

Adios.

Source: lordsofpain.net