WRESTLEMANIA 37
Once again we are making our yearly approach onto the Grandest Stage of Them All where the male and female superstars will take their shot at becoming legends by delivering matches that will live forever. Last year was one of the most unlikely WrestleMania events ever in front of zero fans but the superstars still crushed it and delivered a great escape from the covid pandemic. Thank God fans will be back for WrestleMania 37 bc the product has desperately missed the fans despite doing a very good job with the Thunderdome and pumped in crowd noise. Made things watchable but there is nothing like the live energy of the fans and although there will only be about 25k I bet they will sound like 100,000 with all the energy to unleash after a tough year. I have to admit I was not feeling the WrestleMania hype at all until they announced KO/Zayn and Cesaro/Rollins but I def am now. And my excitement over those 2 matches woke me up to what is actually a pretty great card on paper and could deliver be a legendary 2 nights. I actually love that WrestleMania is spread over 2 nights now bc it makes the show seem bigger, the potentially great matches can have time to tell a story and almost everything that should makes the main card. It’s also nice to have that Saturday Night card bc there is just something different about watching big fights on Saturday night.
I wouldn’t say WWE is exactly on a roll lately bc RAW has been almost unwatchable if not for guys like Drew McIntyre and the Hurt Business so of course they break up the Hurt Business lol SD! has been pretty good so I have to give credit there. The biggest problem is that WWE is so over produced that all the matches are the same, all the storylines are the same in that they never lead to anything significant. Most character changes or consequences from a storyline are dropped immediately after a story ends and too many stories are started and then just never heard from again. The in-ring product is still great but with no real substance to their characters or storylines, the matches all blend together and seem the same. The problems with the in-ring product are no different anywhere else in wrestling. But despite all that, SD! has been a good show across the board that I can watch every week and the passion for wrestling and to succeed is palpable from the superstars on RAW despite not being put in a position to succeed.
It’s def not all sunshine and rainbows but it’s not all doom n gloom either. The card for both nights of WrestleMania is stacked and could deliver multiple all time great matches. That never usually happens but I really feel like we are going to see something special on this WrestleMania weekend. There is another great Hall of Fame class x2 as we will celebrate both 2020 and 2021 inductees plus NXT is also delivering 2 stacked cards of great matches on Wednesday and Thursday. Just imagine if they had the storylines running up to par with the skills of the wrestling talent, WWE would be a fucking juggernaut that could put UFC in their rear view mirror. But today we are focusing on WrestleMania 37 so with no further delay, let’s take a look at this stacked card:
WRESTLEMANIA 37: NIGHT ONE
America The Beautiful – Bebe Rexha
Fck yeah I love this news. 1 of my fav artists involved with WrestleMania is always a treat for me and I know Bebe will crush this to kick WrestleMania off on a high note. Literally lol
WWE SD! Women’s Champion ‘The Boss’ Sasha Banks vs ‘The Est’ Bianca Belair
Can Bianca Belair successfully put the Est in WrESTleMania? Or will this be Sasha Banks’ defining moment as she tries to walk in and walk out as the Champion? I am so excited for this match and what kind of quality it will deliver. I also have absolutely no idea who is going to win as you could make a strong case for both women. Bianca Belair won the Royal Rumble and with the over-the-top confidence of her character, a win would do great things for her going forward. She would immediately become one of the faces of WWE and a legit superstar. On the other hand, you have Sasha Banks who is already a legend in the prime of her career and is now breaking into mainstream with her kickass role in the Star Wars TV series The Mandalorian so a win could put her into rarified air as a superstar. You don’t get that opportunity every day that’s for sure. I hate that Sasha has been so undervalued that she is 0-5 at WrestleMania which makes a Bianca win hurt a bit more. Looking at this from an unbiased perspective, I think you have to give Bianca the win bc then it creates another superstar and you have 2 to generate business instead of 1. Sasha’s win comes if the match is great and I mean match of the year type great. If they have a match that can be talked about in MOTY and all time great discussions then Sasha gets a stronger boost than an actual win would have got her. That’s one of the great things about wrestling, you don’t always need to win to win and sometimes winning is actually a loss. Sasha needs to look at this like Bret Hart going into SummerSlam 1992, the better she makes Bianca look in victory the better Sasha will look coming out of the match. With the athleticism of Bianca, there is no limit to what Sasha can do with her so I am expecting a great match. With no other 4 Horsewomen on the show, this is Sasha Banks’ WrestleMania. With a Royal Rumble victory and the best version of herself ready to fcking go, this is Bianca Belair’s WrestleMania. May the best woman reign.
Who Should Win – Bianca Belair
Who Will Win – Bianca Belair
WWE Champion ‘The All Mighty’ Bobby Lashley vs ‘The Scottish Psycopath’ Drew McIntyre
What a breath of fresh it was to have Bobby Lashley win the WWE Title, makes you wonder how it took so long to happen but at least it did. Still crazy we haven’t seen Lashley vs Lesnar bc that’s big money, they’re basically the same body with different skin colours. The Hurt Business has been so good and was the perfect compliment to Bobby Lashley esp now that he is the champion so I can’t for the life of me think of how anyone looked at them and thought it was time to break em up. And man I really feel for Drew McIntyre. His big WrestleMania moment and subsequent run carrying the title as ‘the guy’ was completely ruined by the pandemic. He is in the best shape of his career and having the best run in the ring and on the mic he has ever had but is just given a trash environment and storylines to work with. If he was being tee’d up with awesome, cutting edge storylines combined with a shift to more realistic action in the ring across the board, McIntyre could be a superstar that significantly moves the needle. But despite that, his passion and high level of quality he delivers makes some of what were watching much easier to stomach. Match quality is more important than who wins IMO as this has been entertaining enough to extend into the summer if they want. And with this match being almost an after thought compared to the bigger matches, you know that McIntyre and Lashley are gonna be motivated to prove that the WWE Title match is THE match. End of story.
Who Should Win – Drew McIntyre
Who Will Win – Drew McIntyre
‘The King of Swing’ Cesaro vs ‘The Architect’ Seth Rollins
Oh man am I fired up for this one. I am writing this on the 7 year anniversary of WM 30 when it looked like the company was gonna give Cesaro a shot at the top of the card but instead cut his legs out from under him. Cesaro should have been long established by now as a main event guy instead of still looking for his big breakthrough moment. But the fans have never left his bandwagon. The fans have never stopped demanding that he be given opportunities at the top of the card. And Cesaro has never stopped delivering performances worthy of the top of the card. That shows he was never a flash in the pan, a flavour of the week the fans got behind. Cesaro has always been a legitimate superstar that can tear down the house with any wrestler big or small on any part of the card top to bottom. And now that the opportunity has arrived, I know that Cesaro will not waste it and you couldn’t ask for a better guy to stand across the ring from him than Seth Rollins. No doubt that Rollins has already established him as a legend in his prime and has multiple great WrestleMania performances under his belt. But the one thing Rollins does not have is that defining WrestleMania classic that can be discussed with the likes of Savage/Steamboat, Hart/Austin, HBK/Taker, Flair/Savage, etc.. Greatness is the best motivator so when you combine Cesaro’s need to establish himself with Rollins desire for a classic match, you get something fcking special. The feud coming into the show has been entertaining which should set the table for them to tell a great story. Cannot fcking wait for this one.
Who Should Win – Cesaro
Who Will Win – Seth Rollins
WWE RAW Tag Team Champions The New Day vs ‘The Phenomenal Connection’ AJ Styles & Omos
At least this Tag Title match is on the show lol I’m really intrigued to see what Omos can do bc a Giant that can work is so valuable and is almost always entertaining. I’m not expecting him to fly around the ring, I’m looking for Giant type stuff but sloppiness is what separates the duds from the studs. Can AJ Styles deliver another big win on the WrestleMania stage? Either way, AJ has established himself as a guy that steps up on WrestleMania day so this match should be very good. The New Day could literally work with anyone or anything and it would be good so this will be no different. I don’t understand why The New Day has never been given a big WrestleMania win bc they have only over-delivered in their run so I hope they win here. Won’t be exactly the same without Big E but he is still there in spirit. NEW. DAY. ROCKS!
Who Should Win – The New Day
Who Will Win – The Phenomenal Connection
Steel Cage Match – ‘The Monster Among Men’ Braun Stroman vs ‘The Money’ Shane McMahon
Braun Stroman is a great example of needing to strike while the iron is hot. Leading up to WM 34, Stroman was on fire and had enough crowd support to justify calling an audible and going with Braun vs Brock. Given that they had Reigns lose, they def should have pivoted to Stroman but we can’t rewrite history. Braun is still a top talent that had a good run with the Universal Title but he has struggled to regain the momentum that he had a few years ago. This feud with Shane O came out of nowhere but it gives Braun a high profile match on the biggest stage and working with a guy like Shane makes it likely this will be a memorable match. There will be a lot of straight up wrestling over the 2 days so having a good, chaotic cage match could allow them to stand out from the crowd. 1st time we will see a Cage Match at WrestleMania since WM 2 so that def adds to the intrigue of the match. Would be awesome if they brought out the blue steel bar cage. Will be interesting to see where Braun goes after this match. He could easily fit into a McIntyre/Lashley feud or I could even see him teaming up with Shane after earning his respect at WM to go after the Tag Titles. I’ll be shocked if this is bad, I think it is very likely that we get the best cage match in WM history.
Who Should Win – Braun Stroman
Who Will Win – Shane McMahon
Winner gets a Women’s Tag Title shot on Night 2 – Lana & Naomi vs the Blonde Bombshells vs The Riott Squad vs Natalya & Tamina vs Billie Kay & Carmella
The Women’s Tag division has been very underutilized but I’m really happy that this match and the Title match on Night 2 are on the main shows. After WrestleMania is over there absolutely has to be new champions or what are we even doing here. Shayna Baszler and Nia Jax have exceeded my expectations with their run and done a good job of being a heel team that you want to see lose but the Women’s Tag division needs to establish some stars and this is a perfect opportunity. I would be ok with any of these teams getting a big win bc they have all worked their asses off to put themselves in a position to get an opportunity. Lana & Naomi is a fun combo. Lana has really improved over the last couple years and Naomi is one of the best on the roster. The Blonde Bombshells are a great team that are long overdue for a title run, I honestly don’t know how Mandy Rose hasn’t been a champion in WWE yet bc she checks all the boxes while Dana Brooke is sitting there with off the charts athleticism like hey guys, use me! The Riott Squad might be the best team in WWE and have long earned their WrestleMania moment. They could lead this division with great matches and really help establish it long term. Natalya & Tamina have really surprised me lately. This easily could have been a throw away team quickly forgotten but they have good chemistry and have been entertaining together. Of course they break up the Iiconics to put Billie Kay in another fn tag team lol but whatever at least she will be on the show. Carmella is 1 of the top stars in the Womens division and is crushing her new character so I’m happy she will be on the show. With 5 teams they will have to work hard to make sure this isn’t a mess but with all the talent and motivation to be great, I think we see a match that surprises many fans with how good it is.
Who Should Win – The Blonde Bombshells or The Riott Squad
Who Will Win – Lana & Naomi
Bad Bunny & Damian Priest vs The Miz and John Morrison
The WWE/Bad Bunny partnership has been nothing but good news and will go probably go down is 1 of the more successful celebrity crossovers. Not only are they selling merch while exposing new/more eyes to their product but the respect and passion Bad Bunny is showing to wrestling is a great example to set for future partnerships. The Miz and John Morrison are the perfect adversaries for Bad Bunny bc they get him and will make him look like a million bucks. I’m so happy that Damian Priest was added to make it a tag team match bc it will be huge for his career going forward. Big match at WrestleMania with a connection to a popular artist with a big fanbase, couldn’t really ask for a better launching pad for his main roster run. I’m really looking forward to seeing Priest and Morrison get a few minutes to test each other and get this match running hot. No way this is bad, should be one of the more entertaining celebrity matches.
Who Should Win – Bad Bunny and Damian Priest
Who Will Win – Bad Bunny and Damian Priest
WRESTLEMANIA 37: NIGHT TWO
WWE Universal Champion ‘The Tribal Chief’ Roman Reigns vs ‘The Rated R Superstar’ Edge vs ‘Yes!Yes!Yes!’ Daniel Bryan
I think people are sleeping on this match and we really shouldn’t be. There was a time we thought we would never see Edge or Daniel Bryan wrestle again yet here they are in the main event of WrestleMania. There was a time where we thought that we might have seen the last of Roman Reigns as a wrestler yet here he is leading the SD! brand with a great new heel character. All 3 of these guys have something to prove and are known for showing up in their biggest moments so with them all in the same match on the biggest stage, we could be in for some magic. The story coming in has been great esp with Edge turning heel bc as much as we all love him, he is at his best when he makes us love to hate him. With Edge winning the Rumble and DB being eliminated by Rollins, I really thought that Edge/Reigns and DB/Rollins were locked in. Honestly until they actually made the change, I thought there was no way they add DB to the match even as all the noise was pointing to the change. But they did it and I think it is for the better. Edge vs Reigns 1 on 1 needs fans so it is better to wait. I still think there is BIG money in a story where DB wins the Rumble and faces Reigns at WM but I doubt we will ever see that. Edge vs Daniel Bryan for the Title could easily headline a WrestleMania but to me it sounds more like a legendary SummerSlam main event. So starting with a Triple Threat is kind of a best case scenario. We are gonna get an absolutely amazing match and in the match they can do things to set up the story to go in different directions after WM. Roman Reigns has been crushing this new Tribal Chief character and it is a goldmine bc it is a character that he can do as a heel or as a face. When the heel run is done, he doesn’t have to change much to be a face and I guarantee he will get that boost of fan support a great heel run usually gives superstars when he does turn. Edge was having a tough time finding his footing as a face but has started to get back into his groove as a heel. I think Edge needs the title right now to help establish his return as a main character again and losing the title for a bit would be good for Reigns to expand the range of his heel character. I don’t think a win here really helps Daniel Bryan that much although a surprise win at the first show with fans in a year could be a great “feel good” moment. I could def see Edge winning here, then DB winning at SummerSlam with Reigns winning it back at Survivor Series. Lots of different things they could do but wherever they go from here, I know we are gonna get a great match that will challenge for the best of the night and could enter that all time great conversation. The fact that all 3 guys have a case to win should make it an exciting finish. Can’t fn wait.
Who Should Win – Edge
Who Will Win – Roman Reigns
‘Prizefighter’ Kevin Owens vs ‘Conspiracy Enthusiast’ Sami Zayn
This is the main event for me. I have been a huge fan of both guys from the first time I saw them wrestle and that continued to grow the more I learned about them and their stories. This match is a dream for every wrestling fan that started watching when they were a kid. To have a match at WrestleMania with your brother or best friend is as good as it gets. They started in wrestling together, traveled the indy roads together and made it to WWE together. It doesn’t matter how many matches they have had against each other in the past, none of them were on the biggest stage. None of them were on the Showcase of the Immortals. None of them were on the Grandest Stage of Them All. None of them were at WrestleMania. But that changes on Sunday in what could be one of the greatest matches of all time. Obviously setting my expectations up pretty high but I’m not worried bc of the level of talent these guys have and their chemistry with each other in the ring. Both guys are life long fans of wrestling and will do everything possible to deliver a classic match. If you know anything about Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, you have to be jacked for this match. I honestly never thought we would get this match on the main show at WrestleMania, maybe the pre show but I figured if it was gonna happen it would have happened already. Thank God I was wrong bc it is therapeutic to be able to be excited about wrestling and I am so pumped for this match. The fact that there is no clear winner will really help this match be great. I cannot wait for Sunday to watch this match go down bc when it does, the WrestleMania 37 match card will forever read Kevin Owens vs Sami Zayn and they will be connected as brothers on the biggest stage. Their journeys wouldn’t be complete without having this match at WrestleMania. It doesn’t need a title or a stipulation or special guest referee or anything else other than a referee to count the pinfall or call the submission. They are brothers but they are also fierce competitors/rivals and there may never be another KO/Zayn match at WrestleMania so you know both guys want that W. Tear the fucking house down, boys.
Who Should Win – Kevin Owens
Who Will Win – Kevin Owens
WWE RAW Womens Champion ‘The Empress of Tomorrow’ Asuka vs ‘My Brutality’ Rhea Ripley
This is gonna be awesome. From the first time I saw Rhea Ripley on NXT and in the Mae Young Classic, I knew she was gonna be a star and her time is now. Asuka has been arguably the greatest Japanese wrestler to transition over to WWE, she is is just so good in the ring and has found a way to be entertaining without being fluent in English. Shame this match hasn’t had time to build but it had to be thrown together after Charlotte was unable to compete at WM and Asuka was injured. I wish they would have had Rhea win a battle royal to become #1 contender or win a match or something other than just simply asking for a title shot at WM but you can’t say she hasn’t earned a shot with her great NXT run. I think you give Asuka the win here, she needs it more after the crushing WM 34 loss and this is Bianca Belair’s night so they should save Rhea’s big win for another show. But the thing is, if Rhea loses, the match *has* to be good or she gains nothing in the loss. If Rhea wins, the match could be a dud bc they only need the end of it to spin for TV going forward. I think both women deliver a match that is a sleeper contender for match of the night. Can’t wait. /Bart Scott
Who Should Win – Asuka
Who Will Win – Rhea Ripley
WWE Intercontinental Champion ‘The Gyration Station’ Big E vs ‘Nigerian Royalty’ Apollo Crews
I don’t think I’m qualified to say whether Apollo Crews new gimmick is racist or not, I don’t think it is but I am loving it and am more invested in Apollo Crews than I ever have been. The accent and new character gives him some flavour that he hasn’t had before. First he was just generic smiling babyface #1, then he was generic angry heel #2. Great athlete in the ring but you need some kind of character to give yourself flavour to get over and now he has it. Big E has long deserved a big singles run and now has a feud with a strong rival to sink his teeth into. There is bigtime pressure on Big E in this spot to deliver one of the best matches at WrestleMania 37 and stake his claim to the spot everyone thinks he deserves. Pressure is on Apollo Crews too bc so far he hasn’t found something that has really clicked with the fans yet in his WWE career but this could be it and a great match at WM would be huge to legitimize and solidify the character. This is gonna be a Nigerian Drum Fight so apparently drums will be played throughout the entire match and that will either be awesome or unbelievably annoying lol I’ll be cheering hard for these guys to deliver a great match and I don’t think I’ll be disappointed. As for who should win, the money is in the chase.
Who Should Win – Apollo Crews
Who Will Win – Big E
WWE US Champion ‘Bro’ Matt Riddle vs ‘The Celtic Warrior’ Sheamus
I was hoping to see Mustafa Ali in this spot but I certainly won’t complain about a Riddle/Sheamus match. This should be a great, hard hitting match. A lot of fans have talked about how much potential Matt Riddle has but at some point potential has to turn into success so this would be a great time for Riddle to deliver one of the best matches at WrestleMania 37. There is so much talent constantly coming into WWE that you cannot waste opportunities to separate yourself from the pack, you have to recognize them and knock it out of the park. This is one of them. Sheamus has had a Hall of Fame career but he is far from done and can still contribute at the highest levels so delivering a great match here would definitely keep him in the spotlight. This should be on the list as a sleeper for best match of the night bc if any of the high profile matches falter, I think these guys will set the bar. LFG
Who Should Win – Matt Riddle
Who Will Win – Sheamus
WWE Womens Tag Team Champions Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax vs Winner of Tag Team Turmoil from Night 1
There has to be new champions here and hopefully it is Mandy/Dana or the Riott Squad. A win does nothing for Shayna and Nia but it creates a star and legitimizes whatever team wins the titles. I give Shayna and Nia bigtime credit for changing my mind on them bc they have clicked as a team and make you want to see them lose. There is a lot of potential for them still as a team but they need other established teams to work with which is why they have to lose the titles. I think this will be a good match with fans excited about seeing new champions.
Who Should Win – The Blonde Bombshells or The Riott Squad
Who Will Win – Shayna Baszler & Nia Jax
The Fiend with Alexa Bliss vs ‘The Viper’ Randy Orton
I wish this feud was happening in a different environment bc it would be making serious waves but it doesn’t have a chance in today’s WWE. So many years have been spent destroying kayfabe and the idea that when you step through the curtain you are stepping into a different reality than our own. So many years have been spent being goofy and trying to make wrestling a variety show rather than sports entertainment. Yet they still turn around and book angles like this and expect people not to laugh at it. This has not been a bad storyline at all. I loved what they did with Alexa making Orton cough out that black stuff and causing stuff to fall on him. If there was still effort paid to making WWE an alternate reality then this storyline would be on fire bc people would be willing to suspend their disbelief. But I guarantee fans are tired of suspending their disbelief for lacklustre payoffs, dropped storylines and having their intelligence insulted. That is why this match has barely any hype to it which is a shame bc everyone crushed it, the environment just wasn’t right. I don’t know if this match is gonna be cinematic but if it’s not then I hope these guys understand they absolutely must deliver a fucking banger of a match to restore their reputations. Right now when people talk about Randy Orton vs The Fiend/Bray Wyatt it is with disappointment but an awesome match here could change that. They need it and their feud deserves it.
Who Should Win – The Fiend
Who Will Win – Randy Orton
WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2020
John ‘Bradshaw’ Layfield
1 of the great heels of the 2000’s, I def hated him haha pretty crazy career to think he started as Justin ‘Hawk’ Bradshaw before transitioning to Acolyte/APA Bradshaw then finally to JBL. You could argue those were 3 different people lol the team with Ron Simmons is prob my fav run bc they kicked serious ass In the ring and were entertaining af in their APA segments. The JBL theme is low key 1 of the best in wrestling. He has the skills to be a great commentator as a Jesse Ventura type that defends the heels but sometimes he can cross the line to bury a talent but I was a fan of his commentary for the most part. I heard him recently say that he would love to be a manager and that is a great idea as he would crush it. Matches with Eddie were def the best in his career, I’ll never forget that frog splash off the top of the cage and I don’t think he will either. Hall of Famer no doubt about it. Cheers to JBL!
‘The British Bulldog’ Davey Boy Smith
1 of my fav wrestlers finally gets his earned recognition as a WWE Hall of Famer. You could have put him in as either a Tag Team or as a singles, that’s how good he was. Bulldog was half of 1 of the greatest Tag Teams of all time with the Dynamite Kid, The British Bulldogs and won multiple Tag Titles all over the world including Japan and the WWF. Then as a singles wrestler, Davey Boy was always near the top of the card and delivered 1 of the greatest matches of all time vs Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1992 from Wembley Stadium in London, England. That was def his crowning achievement. He had another legendary run in a tag team with his lovable brother in law Owen Hart and was later part of 1 of the greatest factions of all time, the 1997 Hart Foundation. My goal this year is to write a blog piece about each Hart Foundation member so hopefully I’ll be talking more about Davey Boy soon. The British Bulldog is absolutely a Hall of Famer and I am happy he finally has the recognition he deserves. Cheers to the British Bulldog!
Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger
My fav Japanese wrestler. I first discovered Jushin Liger through the Pro Wrestling Illustrated magazines and was captivated by him and the pictures from his matches. Then when I saw him wrestle I realized that he was one of the best in the world. It’s a shame that he never got to have a WWE run or a WrestleMania match but it doesn’t hurt his legacy as one of the greats. He did get to have an awesome match at 1 of the first NXT TakeOver events vs Tyler Breeze. Having a guy like Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger in your Hall of Fame only helps legitimize it so I am very happy that he is getting this recognition and will be discovered by generations of WWE fans going forward. Cheers to Jushin ‘Thunder’ Liger!
nWo – new World order – Scott Hall, Kevin Nash, Hulk Hogan, Sean Waltman
The nWo changed the landscape of the wrestling business, they are the greatest wrestling faction of all time. Their success started the Monday Night Wars which kickstarted the Attitude Era 1 of the hottest periods in wrestling history which was the breeding ground for so many significant careers. From the moment Scott Hall showed up on Nitro that first time, this angle was on fire. Kevin Nash arriving right behind him poured gas on that fire. Hulk Hogan’s legdrop on Macho Man at Bash at the Beach 1996 might as well have been an atom bomb with the impact it had. Sean Waltman joining as Syxx was the perfect compliment to the other 5 guys at the time. The nWo theme music is in the conversation for best theme of all time and was a big part of establishing the cool factor to the group. One day I’ll have to do a blog piece about the nWo bc there isn’t enough time to go over everything here. The reasons they failed have been talked about to death so I’ll just focus on the positives for this. I’m so glad I was alive and young to watch the nWo storyline play out bc it was amazing to watch and wonder what was gonna happen next week to week. Even at their worst there was still life to the nWo which speaks to the greatness of the group. Their legacy is untouchable with or without the WWE Hall of Fame but I’m happy they received this honour to further establish the nWo legend. Cheers to the nWo! New-new-new world order. 4-4-4-4 Life. Sweeeeeet! N-w-o. we-we-we are in control. Biggest-biggest icon in wrestling. Oh-oh-oh-oh yeahhhhhhh!
The Bella Twins Nikki Bella and Brie Bella
If you had said when they made their debut that the bella Twins would one day be Hall of Famers you would have been laughed out of the room but the Bella Twins made a career out of proving people wrong. Or I should say out of proving their supporters right. Not only were they great characters outside of the ring but both were great wrestlers inside the ring. Fans of the Bella Twins always wanted them to have more opportunities to actually wrestle longer matches and it was even a really short Bella Twins match that sparked the #GiveDivasAChance hashtag that was important to the women getting more opportunities. Nikki Bella had one of the greatest runs as WWE Divas Champion holding the title for a record 301 days and main evented the first ever all women’s PPV WWE Evolution vs Ronda Rousey. They have transitioned their fame as WWE superstars into the Hollywood world starring in 2 successful reality shows bringing a different set of eyes to WWE. Not everyone is a Bella Twins fan but nobody can deny their hard work or their accomplishments and they all add up to a Hall of Fame career. There are rumours that the Bella Twins might make an in-ring comeback and I think those Women’s Tag Titles are calling their names. I have enjoyed watching them over the years and I’m happy that their careers will get the recognition they deserve. Cheers to Nikki and Brie Bella!
Celebrity Inductee – William Shatner
He deserves to go in for his take on WWE theme sings he did LOL that was so great. Def a deserving Celebrity Inductee, his appearances were always entertaining and he showed wrestling respect. Cheers to the Captain!
Warrior Award Winner – Titus O’Neill
One of the best guys out of the ring it is such a blessing to have Titus O’Neill in the world making such a difference in people’s lives. In ring success is obviously the goal but the life success in helping people in vulnerable positions improve their quality of life is where the real champions are made. Cheers to Titus O’Neill!
WWE Hall of Fame Class of 2021
Molly Holly
One of the unsung heroes of the womens division finally gets her due. Molly Holly became 1 of my fav Women’s wrestlers pretty much from day one bc it was easy to see how good she was. Her finisher The Molly Go Round is 1 of the best finishers in wrestling. In an age of bikini contests and evening gown matches, Molly stood out not just for being a beautiful woman but for being a great wrestler. She was so dedicated to being successful that she was willing to shave her head to be a part of the WrestleMania 20 card which she was and will live forever on that historic show. Molly was also willing her talents as a trainer helping pass on her knowledge to other up and coming wrestlers. My fav run of hers might be Might Molly Holly but the Virtuous Molly Holly is right up there too. No doubt a Hall of Famer, I’m glad Molly Holly’s career is getting the respect it deserves. Cheers to Mighty Molly!
Eric Bischoff
I guess he accomplished enough to be a Hall of Famer lol one of the only people ever to defeat Vince McMahon in wrestling and he did it for 83 consecutive weeks. Was the driving force in WCW not only becoming profitable but arguably the #1 wrestling company for a time. Created the nWo storyline which was responsible for putting WCW on a path to record profits. Came to WWE delivered a run as authority figure that was so convincing there are fans that to this day think he created the Elimination Chamber lol Eric Bischoff had a Hall of Fame career both behind the scenes and in front of the camera. Given what he has meant to wrestling, I think Bischoff might actually be underappreciated. But at least with this WWE Hall of Fame induction, his great career will be celebrated by WWE fans for generations to come. Cheers to Eric Bischoff!
Kane
Glan Jacobs is a legend no doubt, he turned what could have been a short term character into a Hall of Fame career. Kane has one of the greatest debuts of all time and never looked back. But it was when Kane’s mask came off that we really saw Glen Jacobs talent. I’m sure most people thought that losing the mask would be the end for the Kane character when it was really one of the best things they could have done. It gave a good explanation for everything and allowed Kane to evolve as a character and the mask would always be there to go back to if the times called for it. One of my fav matches is Steve Austin vs Kane for the WWF Title on the RAW after KOTR 1998, the crowd was so hot and the finish was perfect. One of my fav runs of Kane’s career was Team Hell No with Daniel Bryan as they were hilarious together and had great chemistry as a team. After Fake Diesel and Issac Yankem, a Hall of Fame career seemed like a pretty big reach but everyone could always see the talent that Glen Jacobs had, he just needed the right character to bring it out of him and he found his perfect storm. The story of Kane and The Undertaker is prob the best in wrestling. Kane has delivered a lifetime of memorable moments and matches and will def go down as one of the greatest characters of all time. Cheers to Kane!
The Great Khali
As far as big men and giants go, the Great Khali is absolutely a Hall of Famer. I actually shook his hand once at a Hooters in Winnipeg after I just happened to catch him as he was coming in. He clearly didn’t like people but was still nice enough to shake my hand which disappeared into his lol it was crazy how big his hand was. Multiple time world champion that could hold his own in the ring. Khali was never gonna put on a match of the year but for a giant he was very good. It was nice to see his funny and entertaining side in later years which helped him maintain relevance and carve out a Hall of Fame career. He also has one of the greatest unintentional comedy moments of all time when he muscled the WWE Title out of Jinder Mahal’s hands and posed with it himself hahaha LOL Khali is a legend and deserves every bit of this Hall of Fame induction. Cheers to the Great Khali!
Rob Van Dam
RVD man, he is like a shooting star in that his kind of talent is a special kind of rare that you better appreciate while you can. I’d like to think I did bc from the first time I saw RVD on RAW in 1997, I was captivated by Mr Monday Night. RVD was one of those rare talents that was hyped up big and still over delivered he was that fn good. Every time you heard about an awesome match or move of his, you would watch it and it would somehow be better than you imagined. His ECW matches were a big reason ECW had the cult following it did. When ECW closed and he came to the WWF, the fans were white hot supporting him and they should have pulled the trigger on him then bc that iron wasn’t getting any hotter. RVD’s calm and chill energy was palpable through the TV and it was always a good thing when RVD was on the screen. Finally winning the WWE Title from John Cena at ECW One Night Stand is one of those legendary moments that helps build wrestling lore. It was so cathartic to see someone like RVD who was both a good guy and also one of the best wrestlers win the world title. The guy was so good that even a bad RVD match was entertaining but there weren’t many of em. RVD will always be 1 of my fav wrestlers and his legacy of great matches will have him remembered no matter what but I’m happy he gets this honour now and he doesn’t have to spend years as the best guy not in the Hall of Fame. I hope it’s not wishful thinking to want 1 more run from RVD, I mean we have to see RVD and Matt Riddle have a match lol his innovation and excitement already established RVD as one of the best ever but now he will be celebrated by WWE fans for generations as a Hall of Famer. Cheers to RVD!
Celebrity Inductee – Ozzy Osborne
‘BRITISH BULLDOGS FOREVAHHHHH!!’ lol 1 of my fav WrestleMania moments so heav yeah I’m down with Ozzy going in the Hall of Fame. As long as you had a positive appearance for WWE, you’re a candidate for Celebrity Inductee and Ozzy not only had that legendary WM 2 appearance but hosted RAW too. Def looks cool to have Ozzy’s name in your Hall of Fame and he is a good dude so why not. Cheers to Ozzy!
Warrior Award Winner – Rich Hering
I have no idea who Rich Hering is but I think that was Warrior’s intention with this award, to put the spotlight on the unsung heroes of WWE. Rich has been with WWE for over 50 years starting with Vince’s father and staying with the company since then to help it grow to where it is today. That’s a legendary run. I’m glad I now know who Rich Hering is and can give him the respect he deserves. Cheers to Rich!
Man what a show this is gonna be. Once you go through the matches, you realize that it really is one of the better WM cards on paper and that people probably should be more excited. But you have to factor in that RAW is almost unwatchable and SD! is good but still can be rough at times so the build for some of these matches isn’t what it could be. The one thing you can’t question is the wrestling talent and we really have a perfect storm coming into WrestleMania 37. 1st show with fans back so the reactions should be loud. 2 night card so most matches should get the time they need to be great. Matchups that have high probability of being great. Combine all that and this could be a truly legendary weekend. I am even more excited after writing this so I cannot wait for Saturday to get this party started. After such a shit year we deserve a card of nothing but great matches that sets an untouchable bar for future WrestleMania’s. Can’t believe The Andre is on fcking SD! It’s gone from a featured match on the main card to the pre-show and now to the SD! Before WM like just take Andre’s name off it already bc the Boss deserves better than this. I don’t know why it can’t go on the pre-show. SD! Tag Title match is on SD! too which sucks bc their tag division have been delivering some fire matches lately and should at least be on the pre show. But I guess if I want my top matches to get the time they need not everything can be on the card. Sucks that after doing such a phenomenal job of carrying the company during the pandemic, Bayley isn’t on WrestleMania but she has been blessed with many great moments in her career so letting Sasha have this night isn’t the worst thing in the world.
I think I can wrap this up. After KO/Zayn and Cesaro/Rollins were announced I looked at the card and realized I had to write something. I pray that everyone makes it to and through the show safe and healthy. I pray that all the wrestlers receive the guidance and strength they need to craft and deliver as great if a match as they can. I pray the fans have the energy to be loud all night both nights. I can’t wait to see what the set up of the ring and aisle looks like and of course the stage. I love being excited about wrestling and the potential of this show has me ready to fn go. I hope everything delivers and that we all get treated to a historic 2 nights of wrestling. Have fun, stay safe and enjoy some fcking great wrestling! WrestleMania Baby WOOOO! /Big Show lol
