Eyes On Wrestlemania: Best Tag Team Matches

By @Phranchize19

Wrestlemania hasn’t been big on good tag matches as of late, but it used to be a staple. Today, we are gonna discuss the greatest tag matches in this history of the show. There are some matches you might feel are missing, but these are the choices that came to mind. Honorable mention to a match True mentioned recently, The Headshrinkers vs The Steiners at Wrestlemania 9, but let's take a look at my list.

*Hulk Hogan and Mr. T w/
Jimmy Snuka vs Roddy Piper and Paul Orndorff w/ Cowboy Bob Orton
Wrestlemania 1

-While not a masterpiece in terms of technical wrestling, this match was probably the second most important match in the history of the event. The star power was strong here and it would become a classic in its own right in Mania history.

*The Hart Foundation vs Nasty Boys
Wrestlemania 7

-This is probably the best pure 2 on 2 tag match in Mania history. The Hart Foundation seemed to be on the verge of splitting and the Nasty Boys were a popular team in the world of pro wrestling, so this would definitely be an important match in Mania history.

*The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs Dudley Boyz
Triangle Ladder Match
Wrestlemania 16

-This match was so great. This is the original TLC match (although it was intended just to be a ladder match) and these three teams stole the show. This is in the running for the best tag match in the history of the event honestly.

*The Hardy Boyz vs Edge and Christian vs Dudley Boyz
TLC II
Wrestlemania 17

-This is the best tag match in the history of Wrestlemania. The three teams upped their game from the previous year and stole the show on what is considered the greatest card of all time. It might not be the best match on this card, but it is one of the most memorable matches no doubt.

*Evolution vs Rock And Sock Connection
Wrestlemania 20

-Although this is a handicap match, this was contested under tag team rules. This match from an entertainment standpoint alone is worthwhile. Randy Orton has quite the performance in this match and it is always exciting to see The Rock in action.

*The Club vs Enzo and Cass vs The Bar vs The Hardy Boyz
Ladder Match 
Wrestlemania 33

-The returning Hardy Boyz made this match much better than it would’ve been. No disrespect to the other teams, but none of them have ladder match experience and the pop of the returning Hardys is one that will never be forgotten. The win for The Hardy Boyz made this even bigger as well.

-Phranchize

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Eyes on the Ring 1:43 AM  No comment

Eyes On WWE: Ranking The Last 6 Wrestlemanias

By @TrueGodImmortal

Wrestlemania is here. Well, not exactly, but close enough. We are on the final stop on the Road to Wrestlemania and the show is just weeks away. The rumored card is a bit disappointing, as usual, but this leads us to look back at the last few Mania events and rank them from worst to best. Where does Wrestlemania 30 rank? 31? 29? Let's take a look.

6. Wrestlemania 32 

-A lot of people give this a pass, but it doesn't deserve it. The WWE decided to stick with the horrible idea of Triple H vs Roman Reigns and while that might have been a good idea to them a year before, it wasn't a good idea at all. In addition to that, we got a really lackluster card that was the result of injuries and some bullshit booking. Nothing felt special here. The Undertaker returned for a pointless match with Shane McMahon, AJ Styles and Chris Jericho had a solid match with a bad outcome, and the best moment for me was watching Shawn Michaels (in his gear), Mick Foley, and Stone Cold Steve Austin fighting against the League of Nations. Other than that, the IC Title Ladder match was decent enough, but the Brock Lesnar vs Dean Ambrose match was a huge disappointment. Overall, it was a card that didn't have much potential and the outcome reflected that.

5. Wrestlemania 29

-I don't have fond memories of this event, but it does have some solid matches and one classic. The main event wasn't the best of course, and the three biggest matches featured two rematches that no one wanted to see, but the undercard was actually pretty good. The best match of the night should have headlined the show and that's CM Punk vs The Undertaker. This is the highlight of the entire show. As Punk and Taker put on a show, the rest of the card struggled to keep up, as Triple H and Brock Lesnar put on a subpar match and The Rock vs John Cena 2 was the most unnecessary title match ever. The Shield vs Orton, Sheamus, and Ryback was solid, Jericho vs Fandango was solid, and so was the tag team title match, but otherwise, this event was on par with the poor quality of WM32. You could flip a coin and either choice is correct. That's how bad it was.

4. Wrestlemania 33

-Last year was decent. It wasn't the best, it wasn't the worst, but the low moments would be pretty low. The main event was one of the worst in Mania history, with Roman Reigns and The Undertaker putting on one of the worst matches I've witnessed in Mania big match situations. The Brock vs Goldberg match wasn't terrible, but it wasn't that good and it was mostly just excitement over an actual match, but despite that, the high points did come during this event. For one, Seth Rollins vs Triple H gave Triple H his best Mania match since Daniel Bryan. AJ Styles and Shane McMahon put on a good show as well, and I liked the Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens match. However, the Smackdown Women's Title match, the Bray Wyatt vs Randy Orton match, and the mixed tag team match were all awful and I mostly ignored this during my watch of the show. My memories of WM33 aren't too fond or too bad, they are right in the middle. It is a decent event, but of course, nothing special.

3. Wrestlemania 28 

-I loved this Mania when it first happened. Repeat viewings have been decent, but for the most part, Wrestlemania 28 is known mostly for the triple main event that really made this a must see show. Sure, the Undertaker vs Triple H rematch wasn't built the right way, but it was the match of the night IMO and one of the most fun matches in a while. In addition to that, The Rock vs John Cena was actually a pretty damn good match, and CM Punk vs Chris Jericho is an underrated battle for Mania history. Aside from the women's tag team match and the Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus 18 seconds debacle, this is a solid Mania and deserving of this spot.

2. Wrestlemania 31 

-If I was being honest, this could have been no. 1, but it just misses the mark due to the main event. I'll be honest, I was not sold on Brock vs Reigns and I still don't understand why this match was made. It was boring to me up until Seth Rollins cashed in and etched his name in Wrestlemania history. The man who should have faced Brock, Daniel Bryan, would end up winning the IC Title in a solid ladder match, along with Seth taking on Randy Orton as well. While The Undertaker vs Bray Wyatt was mediocre, it did feature some interesting moments in the match. Triple H vs Sting was solid and nostalgic fun and I didn't mind the Cena vs Rusev match despite the outcome. Overall, this was a very good Mania with only a few small mishaps, which includes a segment with The Rock, Ronda Rousey, Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon that was foreshadowing what we see today, but it was fun at least. Mania 31 is still a very good show that I watch pieces of from time to time.

1. Wrestlemania 30

-The truth is, this has the best ending of just about any Mania. This might be the best ending of Mania besides 20 really. I mean, how often is it that WWE does the right thing? Not often at all. Well, with that, the truth is, WWE was forced to do so this go round and the result ended up being one of the best Manias in a long time. Aside from Cesaro winning the battle royal, Brock ending the streak, and the Hogan, Austin and Rock segment to open the show, there were two excellent Daniel Bryan matches that showcased why he was the best in the world. Bryan vs Triple  H was a classic and the triple threat main event gave us the happy ending that Mania desperately needed. The show was given enough time for all the matches and wrestling wise, it was a solid show, and because of what this show means, it has to be no. 1 on the list. It has to be.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 1:39 AM  No comment

Eyes On Wrestlemania: 6 Underrated Mania Matches

By @TrueGodImmortal

Wrestlemania has always had a number of great matches and moments. However, some matches tend to be slept on in terms of the overall card and today, as Mania nears, I wanted to look back at a few underrated matches from the card. What matches make my list? Keep reading to find out.

*The Steiner Brothers vs The Headshrinkers
Wrestlemania 9

-I will be real: Wrestlemania 9 is awful. It's one of the worst shows in Mania history, but the truth remains that one of the better matches in the history of the event went down. The match of the night features these two teams going at each other for supremacy, and it was a fun contest. The match was given 15 minutes and they made sure to maximize their time for sure. The Steiners would win, but both teams put on quite the show and were the highlight of an otherwise lackluster event.

*Kurt Angle vs Chris Benoit
Wrestlemania 17

-There are better matches from these two. There are more classics in their catalog together. However, there is no other Mania match that features these two one on one. The year prior they were involved in a triple threat that disappointed a little bit, but this match made up for that in a major way. The action was hard hitting and a technical masterpiece, with Angle walking away with the victory. I was shocked that Angle won this match, but it was still a very solid contest and should be mentioned more when talking Mania matches.

*The Undertaker vs Ric Flair 
Wrestlemania 18

-At one point, I thought both Taker and Flair were beyond their primes and this match wouldn't be good. I was sadly mistaken. This match showcases Taker as a brutal heel, and features enough nostalgia despite him dominating through the duration. Flair doesn't get in much offense, but he does have a great moment when Arn Anderson pops in to hit Taker with a spinebuster. That would end up being a top moment at the event and it made this match even more memorable. Taker would win this cleanly, but it was a great match to watch overall.

*JBL vs Finlay
Wrestlemania 24

-I loved Mania 24, and a big reason for that is because of the wrestling. One of my favorite matches from Mania 24 is the opener, which features Finlay and JBL going at it with everything they had. It was a short but sweet Belfast Brawl that went down and got a bit brutal considering. JBL and Finlay went at it for 9 minutes, but they fit a lot into that short time. When it was all said and done however, JBL would finish the match victorious, pulling off a solid win to open WM24.

*CM Punk vs Randy Orton
Wrestlemania 27

-I could have chose Cody vs Rey Mysterio, but I don't like that match as much as this one. WM27 was a horrible show in many ways, but there are a few matches on the undercard that made up for the big time matches that truly disappointed. One of the matches that fit that description is this encounter between Orton and Punk. Punk was always good in big match situations and this was no different. Orton came with his A game and we got a solid match in the middle of the card that ended with Orton winning via RKO of course. If only this match was given a few more minutes, it would have been even better I'm sure. 

*Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton
Wrestlemania 31

-The most memorable moment of WM31 for Seth isn't this match. It is the MITB cash in at the end of the main event, but this match is actually his best work. I still believe this is the best match from the card and the action throughout was pretty fun. Seth went toe to toe with Orton and attempted to take him down, but Orton just kept coming. The end of this match features one of the greatest RKO reversals of all time as Seth went for the Curb Stomp, but Orton reversed it in mid air and landed one of the most fluid RKOs ever. Orton wins, but Seth would have the last laugh at the end of the show. Still, this was a really good match that doesn't get enough credit.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:41 AM  3 comments

Eyes On WWE: 5 Of The Worst Opening Matches At Wrestlemania

By @TrueGodImmortal

Wrestlemania has seen a lot of great opening matches and we just discussed those the other day. However, more often than not, we see some matches that open the show that seem to miss the mark. Today, I wanted to take a look back at some of those opening contests that misses the mark. We won't include some of the matches that were extremely short, so that cancels out Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan from WM28 for obvious reasons. Still, let's take a look back at some of the worst Mania matches to open the show.

*ShowMiz vs R-Truth and John Morrison
Wrestlemania 26

-I'll be honest, I didn't remember this match until I went to do my own research. I watched it back and I couldn't understand why they allowed this match to open the show over the MITB match. This match wasn't BAD in normal terms, but for a match that opens the biggest show of the year, it fell really flat. Truth wasn't that great as a wrestler, Miz hadn't improved enough yet, and Big Show is Big Show. Morrison tried to do his thing, but the match just didn't connect and as a result, we watched ShowMiz retain in a rather boring opening contest.

*The Allied Powers vs The Blu Brothers
Wrestlemania 11

-The worst Mania of all time would of course have one of the worst opening matches ever. Lex Luger was never the best wrestler and the same could be said for his opponents, so it was really on the British Bulldog to carry the match and there was really no chance of that happening. This really felt like a short introduction match that allowed Luger and Bulldog to get over more and move on to better things. Still, I wish we could have at least got some decent action in the 7 minutes. Unfortunately, that was not the case.

*Kane and Big Show vs Carlito and Chris Masters
Wrestlemania 22

-Chicago is a great wrestling town. It really is. With that being said, it deserves a lot better than this match as the opener for Mania. With a hot crowd on deck, the WWE messed up their momentum by kicking off the show with two teams that were had to really be invested in. It was a foregone conclusion on who would win this, as Big Show and Kane were the RAW Tag Team Champions and served to only fill the card on this event. The match was quick and decisive, doing Carlito and the expert of the Masterlock no favors. Kane and Big Show retain and the show kicks off with a pretty bad contest.

*Al Snow vs Hardcore Holly vs Billy Gunn
Wrestlemania 15

-A triple threat match for the Hardcore title with three of the more interesting competitors at the time. I really don't understand why Billy Gunn and Road Dogg were split up for this event, but in any event, this match was pretty boring. Hardcore action in the Attitude Era is only remembered positively due to nostalgia and I found it hard to sit through this 7 minute match honestly. Hardcore Holly ends up walking away with the victory, dethroning Billy Gunn as the champion, but I would have rather seen a battle royal for the belt than this.

*The Godfather and D-Lo Brown vs Bull Buchanan and Big Bossman
Wrestlemania 2000

-I remember seeing Ice T being a part of this entrance for Godfather and D-Lo, which was exciting at the time, but the match itself was atrocious. It wasn't a long match, as expected in a way, but it wasn't the right choice to open the show. Perhaps, the Hardcore Battle Royal or the Triple Threat match would have been a better choice, but whatever the case, we see the Bossman and Buchanan walk away with the victory, putting an end to the happy vibe for Godfather and D-Lo and kicking off WM 2000 the wrong way.

-True

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Eyes on the Ring 2:31 AM  1 comment

Eyes On WWE: Best Opening Matches At Wrestlemania

By @Phranchize19

Every year I usually get hype for Mania (mainly because I’m going), so I drop extensive knowledge on Mania and this year is no exception. Today, I’m gonna drop a list of the best opening matches in Wrestlemania history. Which matches make the list? Let's take a look.

*Eddie Guerrero vs Rey Mysterio Wrestlemania 21

-The first time tag team champions fight each other at Wrestlemania and it did not disappoint. We all know Rey and Eddie have uncanny chemistry together (we already covered their feud) and they got to show what they could do on the biggest stage of their careers. Mysterio would get the win starting a slow burning heel turn for Guerrero in an excellent match.

*Chris Jericho vs William Regal Intercontinental Championship Wrestlemania 17

-Widely considered the greatest card WWE has ever crafted, this starts off with a bang. Jericho was probably the most over guy in the company not named Austin or Rock at the time ans he was going against one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time in Regal. Despite a clash of styles, this match was far better than expected and led the charge for one of the greatest wrestling events in the history of the sport.

*Money In the Bank
Wrestlemania 23

-Before it became its own PPV, the Money In The Bank match was a staple at Wrestlemania during its infancy. This particular match may have been the best one in the history of Wrestlemania as we saw up and comers like CM Punk and Mr Kennedy get in the ring with main event talent like Booker T, Edge, The Hardys, and Randy Orton. In the end, Mr. Kennedy would win the match in a spectacular match that saw many great spots and insane maneuvers.

*AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon Wrestlemania 33

-It’s very rare that the first match on Wrestlemania (or any card for that matter) is the best match on the card but this is AJ Styles we are talking about. AJ Styles is the best wrestler walking this planet and he could have a 5 star match with a broomstick. In fairness though, I think Shane McMahon deserves plenty of credit for his performance in this match. Going in, this match was considered a let down due to how over and how great a year it was for AJ Styles. Styles was determined not to let where he was positioned on the card be a deterrent and he went out and stole the show with a very game Shane McMahon. AJ gets the win here.

*Daniel Bryan vs Triple H 

Wrestlemania 30

-I may be a tad bit biased (seeing as this was the first Mania I ever went to), but this match was a CLASSIC. Even though Triple H is not in his prime, he went out there and worked a classic match with a man smaller in stature and a style so diverse. Not since Chris Benoit had Triple H stepped in the ring with such a smaller technician and he adapted well. Daniel Bryan gets the win here.

*Bret Hart vs Owen Hart 

Wrestlemania 10

-Hands down, the greatest opening match in the history of this event. The story told itself. Brother vs brother and with two all time great mat technicians going at it, we were assured a great match. Considering that Bret was slated to compete twice, I had the feeling he might’ve held back but he didn’t and we got one of the best matches I’ve ever seen.

-Phranchize

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Eyes on the Ring 11:04 PM  No comment