Eyes On Wrestlemania: 5 Bad Booking Decisions

By @TrueGodImmortal

Wrestlemania is known for being a huge event in WWE. Often times, the WWE strikes gold with a number of their decisions at Mania, but there have been a number of times where we were all left scratching our heads. Today, we reflect on a few of those times. Let's get into it.

*Booker T Loses To Triple H 
Wrestlemania 19

-This was an interesting concept.
Booker was disrespected and racist elements were brought into the feud but the endgame should have been the immensely over Booker T getting his championship and winning this feud right? That was what sensible people would have done. Nope. Not WWE. WWE would see Booker lose pretty much cleanly and then drop out of the title picture period. Booker deserved better than that honestly. The fans deserved better than that honestly.

*Charlotte Ends Asuka's Undefeated Streak 

-You have momentum. You have an undefeated streak. You have a woman that is garnering some love and is the biggest women's wrestler from Japan that we have seen thus far. On the other side, you have the stale forced daughter of wrestling royalty, who is a solid performer, but who has overstayed her welcome on top of the business by a small margin. So, naturally, at Mania, you put the first performer over and keep her undefeated streak in tact while making her dominant, right? Wrong. WWE did the exact opposite and as a result, Asuka has never been the same since. This was a horrible decision to waste her Rumble win, her title shot, and a possible future match with Ronda Rousey. The WWE Mania booking struck again and Asuka has not recovered and likely won't.

*Jerry Lawler vs Michael Cole 
Wrestlemania 27

-An announcer vs an announcer. There is no reason why this match happened. Nor was it worthwhile. You can add Stone Cold. Insert other wrestlers. Still, it doesn't matter. Much like Roman Reigns headlining every event, fans just didn't want to see this match take place. It would go on for 10 plus minutes for no reason, taking valuable time that could have went elsewhere honestly on an event that was already pretty average on paper. Who won the match is irrelevant, the action in the match is irrelevant, simply put, this match is just irrelevant.

*Hulk Hogan Saves The Day 
Wrestlemania 9

-Bret Hart deserved better. It is sad that Hulk Hogan was such a spotlight stealer but that is who he was. Hogan interrupts Yokozuna defeating Bret Hart and then gets approval from Bret to go and take Yoko's moment in the sun for no reason. Hogan would end up entering the ring and defeating Yokozuna in seconds, rendering the title and the entire main event of Wrestlemania 9 as a joke IMO. Yoko should have retained his title and moved on to another feud or Bret could have retained. Regardless, Hogan as champ for a pointless three month reign made no sense.

*Roman Reigns vs Brock Lesnar
Wrestlemania 34

-The last four years has seen a main event that felt forced and while I can't personally pinpoint any particular time in wrestling where Mania was in a main event slump like that, this past year was pretty brutal for several reasons. Reigns is not over fully as a face. He is not a big time star in the way WWE tries to push him. That is the sad reality. However, absolutely no one wanted to see Brock vs Reigns again and yet WWE forced it on us, then made Brock win to prolong the inevitable by some months. Reigns as champion is a bad idea period, Reigns as a face is as well, and Reigns main eventing Mania in a rematch no one wants to see is a bad idea. Simple.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 9:00 AM  2 comments

Eyes On WCW: The 5 Greatest WCW Runs

By @TrueGodImmortal

WCW was a pretty popular company in its heyday and it provided the world with a lot of great moments and wrestlers. One thing about WCW is that it benefited from successful runs by some of their top stars, some more than others. Today, we look back at WCW and some of their greatest runs. These are all up for debate of course, but let's take a look.

5. Vader
(1992-1995)

-Make no mistake about it, Vader in WCW was the pinnacle of his career. He was on top of his game, showcasing skill above and beyond as a monster heel against the likes of Cactus Jack, Sting, Ric Flair, and Hulk Hogan before eventually falling off and going to WWF. Vader had some great moments and was a decent draw for WCW during one of the darker eras business wise honestly. Vader would be booked horribly in 1995 against Hogan making him look more like a joke than a monster, but for two years before that feud, he was the best heel in the company.

4. Ric Flair
(1993-1997)

-After Flair returned from WWF, he would become the biggest draw that the company had. WCW depended on Flair until Hogan showed up, but Flair was very important during this period of time and then some. Flair was never really the flashy star that Sting or Hogan was, but when WCW needed ratings and money, they went back to Flair. Flair was a multiple time WCW Champion, he would bring back the Four Horsemen, and his feuds with Sting, Hogan, Randy Savage, and more makes his run that much better.

3. Goldberg
(1997-1998)

-I hated Goldberg in a way. He was never that great to me and his run didn't change that IMO, but guess what? Goldberg was still one of the most popular wrestlers ever and unstoppable forces that WCW had ever seen. With a huge streak of being undefeated over the late 1997-1998 period, Goldberg would dominate his competition and win the United States Title as well as WCW Title after huge wins over Hulk Hogan and Raven. He also had big wins over Sting, Mr. Perfect, The Giant, and so many more. Goldberg was the man in WCW and it is the reason why he is now about to become a Hall of Famer. His popularity in his prime was unmatched in WCW for sure.

2. Hulk Hogan
(1996-1998)

-I have never liked Hogan. Ever. However, this two year run is the best run of any WCW heel to be honest. Hogan and the NWO ran all over WCW and all their wrestlers and this was the apex of Hogan in WCW. Hogan had struggled in 1994 and 1995 before joining with Kevin Nash and Scott Hall for the NWO, and the birth of Hollywood Hogan made him instantly more hated and more popular at the same exact time. It also made WCW the most popular company at the time and the NWO was to blame for that with Hogan at the helm. I love the whole Hollywood Hogan run and it is a once in a lifetime run for any heel in the wrestling business. Love him or hate him, Hogan was definitely the man in WCW and more of a vicious heel than expected.

1. Sting  

(1993-1998)

-This is the greatest run ever in WCW history and it features the greatest character change for the company. Sting was on the top of his game with the blonde fade surfer look, and he would feud with a number of wrestlers during the 1993-1994 run solidifying his status as one of the best wrestlers in the game at the time. I remember the world wanting dream matches like Sting vs Hulk Hogan, Sting vs Bret Hart, Sting vs Shawn Michaels, and more during that period, then Sting went through small changes in 1995 and early 1996, before developing into the most popular WCW run ever with his Crow like anti NWO run. That 1996 to 1998 run against the NWO is the biggest and baddest babyface run for anyone in WCW period. Sting owns that no. 1 spot without question.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:46 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: Ranking The Rock's Wrestlemania Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

The Rock is a legend. He's on top of the world right now, as we've seen that he's been making major moves and having successful films, but the truth of the matter is, The Rock is still known more for being the Most Electrifying Man In Sports Entertainment overall. I wanted to take a look back at one of the most important pieces of the Attitude Era, and what better way to do that than to look back at The Rock at Wrestlemania. Let's take a look at The Rock's Wrestlemania matches and rank them from worst to best. Which match ranks at no. 1? Find out.

10. Rocky Maivia vs The Sultan
Wrestlemania 13

-Easily the worst of the worst, this match was honestly one of the worst matches on the Wrestlemania 13 card, which wasn't a solid event in its own right. This match featured Rock with his father by his side, a cheap attempt to get him more over using his family and despite Rock winning this match, it sticks out in a bad way in his arsenal of Mania matches.

9. The Rock vs John Cena
Wrestlemania 29

-The match that no one wanted. The rematch that has no purpose. This was a horrible main event and honestly, the more I think about it, the stranger it becomes. Cena vs Rock 1 was actually pretty damn good. The second was not needed. Yet, we got another match between the two. That was worse than the first. With all of the nonsense between the two prior to this match, and an unnecessary amount of finishers used in this match, this bout fell short of any expectations and Cena winning was just horrible to watch.

8. The Rock vs Triple H vs Big Show vs Mick Foley
Wrestlemania 2000

-Wrestlemania is a great time for many of the WWE fans, but one if the most interesting main events in Mania history remains this overly ambitious Fatal Four Way match with a McMahon in each corner and each man having to be eliminated. This match drags on and on, with the action picking up more when it was just Rock and Triple H at the end. The swerve at the end was predictable and the ending was pretty subpar. Triple H retains his title, but honestly, this match could have been so much better. The Rock should have won also. Clearly.

7. The Rock vs Ken Shamrock
Wrestlemania 14

-In his prime, Rock was a beast on the mic and one of the most enjoyable stars to watch on WWF programming. His promo before this match is iconic, but the match itself wasn't anything special. Rock and Shamrock had a solid feud and this match was essentially the final chapter of that particular feud. It was solid, but the ending was a bit underwhelming, which is why it is listed here a bit lower.

6. The Rock and Mick Foley vs Evolution
Wrestlemania 20

-I like this match a lot and I think it's underrated in terms of the Mania matches that Rock took part in. The chemistry in this match was pretty good, but the main story being built here was the eventual Foley vs Orton match that would come the following month. I think Rock served his purpose and his involvement gave us all the things we love about his matches. However, it would end up with Evolution as the victors and Orton getting the pinfall over Foley. Still, this was a prime entertaining match that might be a top 3 match at Mania 20. It might be. 

5. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Wrestlemania 15

-The first of the greatest trilogy in Mania history is a good match, but it pales in comparison to the other two matches. Still, this is the most traditional of the matches between the two, as Austin came in as the face looking to reclaim his title, and Rock was the top heel in the game, looking to defend his title. Rock and Austin would go at it with Mankind being a part of the match as an official, and he added a little bit of an extra element when you think about the interferences and the no DQ rule implemented. Austin picks up the win, but Rock put in a great performance in a losing effort and though I don't think is an actual classic, it is a very good match.

4. The Rock vs John Cena
Wrestlemania 28

-This should have been a once in a lifetime match. It really should have. The hype surrounding this match was absolutely special and it felt like a classic in the making with a big fight feel. Cena played the role of the heel in front of the Miami crowd and Rock actually seemed like he was able to keep and executed some solid work throughout, but Cena did most of the heavy lifting. Rock kept up and as a result, this match had the crowd invested, up until the final moment where Rock leapt up, hit the Rock Bottom, and picked up the victory. Some didn't like this match but I thought it was a solid contest and one of the best matches for Rock at Mania. It's close to a classic IMO, but falls just a bit short of that mark.

3. The Rock vs Hulk Hogan
Wrestlemania 18

-While not the greatest match overall, this contest was a once in a lifetime match that felt like one of the biggest matches of all time. The return of Hulk Hogan was a huge deal, as the NWO making their mark on WWF was something to see. Hogan vs Rock was a legend vs legend, icon vs icon match and it was sold perfectly. In any other arena, this might have been a good match, but for the Toronto crowd, this was their main event. Rock and Hogan went at it, giving the crowd moments to stand up and cheer for, including a Hogan hulk up moment. Rock would rightfully win, and Hogan would shake his hand, ending the match on a higher note. It's a classic for so many reasons, though I would personally pick a few matches over it, but this is a top 3 Rock Mania match. It's important.

2. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Wrestlemania 19

-The last Austin match. A tough moment for fans. Rock was heading back to Hollywood and as a result, he had a few more matches on tap and Stone Cold was heading out the door. As a result, we would see Austin vs Rock to close out an excellent trilogy. Austin and Rock had a match that felt more emotional than anything they had put on before and as the match wore on, you knew what the end game was. Rock had never defeated Austin at Mania and this was his mission. He would do so without an issue here, but it took three Rock bottoms to put Austin down for the three count. Still, as a final match for Austin and one of the last matches for Rock for years, this is a classic and despite not being the best of the trilogy, it's very close to it and is clearly the second best match between Austin and Rock.

1. The Rock vs Stone Cold Steve Austin
Wrestlemania 17

-The standard for Mania main events in all honesty. I love HBK vs Taker. I love Hogan vs Warrior. I love Hogan vs Andre. HBK vs Cena. I love Brock vs Angle. However, my favorite main event in Mania history remains Austin vs Rock at WM17. It was the biggest match ever. It was two stars in their prime going at it for the title. Everything was at stake. Rock was leaving to shoot a movie, but we didn't know that at the time. Austin was ready for a new change, but we didn't know that at the time. The match was no DQ, which came out of nowhere and in the hometown of Texas, Austin was the favored competitor. Fans liked Rock as well of course, as he was more popular than Austin in certain areas (the south loved Austin more, East Coast was split, West Coast loved Rock a bit more), but these two were basically neck and neck in terms of popularity. This was Austin returning to form after missing a year and winning the Rumble. After 30 minutes, Austin would turn heel with the help of Vince McMahon and win the WWF Title. Rock would lose, but the action here was so excellent that it didn't even matter. I will say I didn't like how Rock was booked, as kicking out of finishers and so many other big time moves was a bit of overkill, but still, the match is a classic. Austin vs Rock is one of the greatest feuds ever and this match is the best one between the two legends and easily the greatest Rock match at Mania.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 11:58 PM  No comment

EOTR Retrospective: 6 Of The Worst Wrestling Trilogies

By TrueGodImmortal

So, this week, EOTR will be taking a look back at trilogies in wrestling. While the best trilogies will be tough to narrow, I wanted to take a moment and look back at some of the three match series that didn't connect like they should have. Yes, for the first time on EOTR, we'll take a look back at the worst trilogies in wrestling over the years. I won't rank these in order, but I will tell you why they were so bad and which match of the trilogy was the actual best. Let's take a look.

*Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton
(No Mercy 2016, Wrestlemania 33, Payback)

-Talk about disappointing. This is one of those trilogies that you wish you could have back and destroy it. It started in September 2016 and I was a bit excited about the prospect of the feud. Then it actually happened. I have never been as disappointed in my life as I was when I saw each of these matches. First, the No Mercy match closed the show out on a poor note and a dead crowd, while the Wrestlemania match was once again another example of how hilariously bad Bray Wyatt has been in recent memory. The Payback match is the worst of them all, being a House Of Horrors match that honestly left me shaking my head and wondering what the fuck WWE was thinking. Bray Wyatt deserves better, but in all honesty, when you see trilogies like this, I question if he actually does. This was brutally bad and I advise everyone to never watch these three matches back again. It's that serious.

*Goldberg Vs Brock Lesnar
(Wrestlemania 20, Survivor Series 2016, Wrestlemania 33)

-Contrary to what many people say, there was nothing good about Brock vs Goldberg. At all. Goldberg was the man at one point. Brock was the man at one point. However, when they would do battle at Wrestlemania 20, neither man would care about the WWE or wrestling. The match would end up being pretty bad, and Goldberg winning meant nothing, as both men were leaving the WWE. However, in 2016, both men were beyond their primes and this match was pointless for the most part. While I enjoyed seeing the Wrestlemania 33 match, it was still a bad match in technical terms and we won't even mention the short joke of a match at Survivor Series. Simply put, Brock vs Goldberg is the biggest waste in WWE history in terms of a trilogy and a feud honestly.

*Hulk Hogan vs Vader
(Superbrawl 1995, Uncensored 1995, Bash At The Beach 1995)

-You might not remember this feud. You might not even remember the pre NWO run of Hogan in WCW. I'm sorry to have to bring this back up. However, the dark age of WCW is prime for this type of article. If I had to choose one trilogy that honestly made me question being a young wrestling fan, it was this one. Hogan was the forced face beyond his prime, while Vader was seen as the monster heel. Vader was booked terribly and as a result, this trilogy is even worse. Vader was a monster yet he couldn't even cheat to beat Hogan and win the title in WCW. Their three matches against each other on PPV were all slow, boring and only served to lift Hogan up as the top guy in the company and shortly after Hogan disposed of him, Vader wisely left WCW in the dust for the WWF. Of their three matches here, I prefer the Superbrawl match, only because I watched it myself live at the arena years ago (it was my first wrestling event). Otherwise, this trilogy is pathetic.

*Triple H vs Brock Lesnar
(Summerslam 2012, Wrestlemania 28, Extreme Rules 2013)

-This was just horrible. I don't know why they wanted to do this match three times, but it didn't work. At all. Triple H and Brock had no in ring chemistry and for some reason, they wasted three of the limited matches that Brock has on this bullshit. I know, I know. You're probably confused right? Some people like this feud. I hated it. What did it for me was the fact that we watched Brock in 2002 and 2003, and besides one triple threat match, these two never crossed paths. Brock was in his prime then and so was Triple H. When this trilogy came about, both were out of their prime and no one wanted to see this two times. It just didn't make sense. The Summerslam match was pretty bad. Then, the Mania match was a bit better, but still below any expectations. The Extreme Rules match was met with mixed results, but if you ask me, I wasn't a fan. Brock and Triple H wasn't what we wanted or hoped it would be, and for that reason, it's one of the worst trilogies in wrestling history. 

*Hulk Hogan vs Sting
(Starrcade 1997, Superbrawl 1998, Fall Brawl 1999)

-I'll be the first to admit, this is the worst trilogy on the list for a number of reasons. This took place in WCW during the period of time where I think most people understood that Hogan and Sting were the two biggest stars. This should have been executed very well. It should have been classic. Instead, it was the biggest disappointment for most wrestling fans. Sting and Hogan I was really boring, and the fake finish with Hogan winning ruined the momentum. Once you add in the horrible execution at Superbrawl, you really have something impressive in how bad it was. The finishes and the pacing of the matches were just horrible, and it got no better at Fall Brawl 1999. Hogan and Sting had a little more chemistry in that match, but overall, this might be the most disappointing feud in WCW history and easily one of the worst trilogies I've ever witnessed, and my choice for the worst due to the hype surrounding it.

*Triple H vs Kevin Nash
(Judgment Day 2003, Insurrextion, Badd Blood 2003)

-Yes. This was a trilogy. You might not remember this as vividly as I do but there are reasons why. For one, it is prime Triple H and the Kliq to put Nash in the title match as soon as he gets back, but most of all, the biggest issue that I had seemed to be the fact that they rushed Nash into his position as the next solo star for the company, or at least the next challenger for the World Heavyweight Title. The Judgment Day match was sloppy and poorly executed, and then their rematch in the UK was decent enough, but still felt very flat compared to what you might have expected. The worst of them all remains one of the worst Hell In A Cell matches ever, as Badd Blood 2003 saw the two put on a snoozefest that just ended poorly. Nash and Triple H might be best friends, but they had no chemistry at all in this match or trilogy in general and it was quite apparent that they are better off as friends than enemies.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:24 AM  No comment

EOTR Match Of The Week: 1992 Royal Rumble Match

By @Phranchize19

Background
After an indecisive battle between Hulk Hogan and The Undertaker for the WWF title once again, the president of the WWF at the time decided to vacate the title. The winner of that year’s Royal Rumble would be crowned WWF Champion.

The Match
With a Royal Rumble match, it is tough to really point out what went on so I'll start with the big moments in the match. One, 
Randy Savage almost eliminating himself just to attack Jake Roberts was actually a fun moment and would seemingly set up their feud to continue. Another moment would be Roddy Piper coming out to attack a fatigued Ric Flair. Then, it was fun to see The Undertaker coming in and dominating, which would set him up for the future. Of course, the match was won by Ric Flair, who became the WWF Champion and gave the speech of a lifetime following the win.

Key Eliminations
-Ted Dibiase being tossed out first
-Undertaker being eliminated by Hulk Hogan
-Hogan eliminated two people in short order
-Hogan being eliminated by Sid
-Flair eliminating Sid with Hogan’s help
-Nikolai Volkoff being eliminated shortly after his arrival
-Bulldog eliminated after being in for a lengthy time period
-Ric Flair not only had the most eliminations in this match with 5 but he set the record (at the time) for the longest time in the Royal Rumble match with just over an hour.

Grade and Analysis
This match set history. It was great considering all the talent and Hall Of Fame guys involved. Flair’s performance was legendary as well as seeing how long Bulldog went. The continuation of the Sid and Hogan was the real story in the match as well as the end of the Savage vs Roberts rivalry. Hearing Heenan on commentary was hilarious as he rooted for Flair. Undertaker’s performance sort of stood out although I felt he could’ve stayed longer, especially considering the fact that Sid had not come out yet. All in all, if this isn’t the greatest Rumble in history, it’s very close to it. 

Rating: 10/10

-Phranchize 

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Eyes on the Ring 11:18 PM  No comment