Wrestlemania Observer Survey

[Hektik 0]

The following is an excerpt from the Wrestling Observer Newsletter

 

Over the past few days, we've done a survey regarding the best and worst Wrestlemanias, as well as the best match in the history of Wrestlemania. We've done two surveys, one of which involved people inside the buisness, most within WWE, and the other wich involves people also sent the same survey who are not in the buisness but are long time fans who I happened to get copies out to before my computer crashed and destroyed my adress book. As it turned out, WWE will be doing a "Ten Greatest Matches in Wrestlemania History" TV special on Spike TV on 3/9 at 9pm. They claim the votes are from the superstars, and I think it'll be interesting because I'm expecting them to turn out very different from the votes here. I thought it would be interesting to see the difference, if there even is one, in viewpoints between wrestlers and those who work or worked for the company, and those who haven't.

 

Best Wrestlemania In History

 

Within Buisness

1. Wrestlemania III (24)

2. Wrestlemania X-7 (23)

3. Wrestlemania XIX (7)

4. Wrestlemania X (5)

5. Wrestlemania VI (..4)

 

Not Within Buisness

1. Wrestlemania X-7 (70)

2. Wrestlemania III (12)

3. Wrestlemania XIX (8)

Wrestlemania X (8)

5. Wrestlemania VI (3)

 

Worst Wrestlemania In History

 

Within Buisness

1. Wrestlemania IX (22)

2. Wrestlemania V (13)

3. Wrestlemania II (10)

4. Wrestlemania 2000 (10)

5. Wrestlemania XV (5)

 

Not Within Buisness

1. Wrestlemania IX (52)

2. Wrestlemania IV (18)

3. Wrestlemania XI (16)

4. Wrestlemania VII (5)

5. Wrestlemania X-8 (4)

 

Greatest Match in Wrestlemania Histroy

 

Within Buisness

1. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (31)

2. Ricky Steamboat vs Randy Savage (26)

3. Shawn Michaels vs Scott Hall (5)

4. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels (4)

5. Bret Hart vs Owen Hart (3)

 

Not Within Buisness

1. Bret Hart vs Steve Austin (40)

2. Ricky Steamboat vs Randy Savage (22)

3. Shawn Michaels vs Scott Hall (14)

4. Bret Hart vs Owen Hart (13)

5. Bret Hart vs Shawn Michaels (7)

 

Hektik Note: Meltzer also gives some of his opinions but I do not feel like writing them. But let me just give you an odd quote he made in the Newsletter.

"Still, he (Angle) and Lesnar came one botched shooting star press away from being in consideration for the best match in Mania History."

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

Bah.

 

Austin/Rock from 17 >>>>>>>>>>>> Bret/HBK from 12

[Brocklock 0]

Austin/Rock, Warrior/Savage, Bret/Piper, Savage/Flair, and Benoit/Angle >>>>>>>>>>>> HBK/Bret

[Michrome 0]

Dave's desperate attempts to wed Angle/Lesnar to being an all-time classic are just pathetic. It was a solid match, and nothing more. Angle worked just as well as normal, moved just as well, and bumped the same...the neck was not what hindered the match. What hindered the match was the slow work, the repetitive nature of it, and the lack of any meaningful story. I can't wait for the Observer in 2010 to call it the best Mania match of all time. It doesn't lick the boots of Austin/Rock.

[Guest BionicRedneck]

"Still, he (Angle) and Lesnar came one botched shooting star press away from being in consideration for the best match in Mania History."

 

That's mind bogglingly insane. It wasn't even a good match. With or without the SSP, how is it even close to Bret-Austin, Austin-Rock, Bret-Owen etc?

 

Hell, even Shawn-Jericho and Rock-Austin from the same show smoked it.

[Guest Your Olympic Hero]

Hell, even Shawn-Jericho and Rock-Austin from the same show smoked it.

Eh... well atleast Shawn/Jericho was better. Don't know about Austin vs. Rock.

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

What are the standards for "Best", "Worst", and "Greatest"?? I mean, WM III had Steamboat/Savage and Hogan/Andre on it, yet WM 13 had Bret/Austin. Bret/Austin was a better match than Steamboat/Savage and arguably had greater influence/impact than Hogan/Andre. I'm not saying that WM 13 was better than WM III, I'm just saying that if you're using those two factors in considering WM III, why aren't you using it across the board? Also, if you're taking hype and attendance in consideration, how can you justify that under the "best" column? I'm thinking that not a lot of thought was put into either of these lists.

[Guest Anglesault]

"Still, he (Angle) and Lesnar came one botched shooting star press away from being in consideration for the best match in Mania History."

 

That's mind bogglingly insane. It wasn't even a good match. With or without the SSP, how is it even close to Bret-Austin, Austin-Rock, Bret-Owen etc?

 

Hell, even Shawn-Jericho and Rock-Austin from the same show smoked it.

I thought it was a solid match, and very possibly the best of the night (The whole end of Rock/Austin wasn't a favorite of mine.), but no where near best ever. Angle himself has had better Mania matches.

[iliketurtles 0]

I don't understand why Andre/Hogan and/or Rock/Austin from Mania 17 isn't on there.

[Austin3164life 0]

Angle/Brock was a good match, I thought. However, it didn't really seem to me that there was a vivid picture of what was happening in the match. All I got was "they're exchanging a bunch of amateur holds and pro sequences, and then the high spots came around, Brock wins after a botched SSP". Shawn/Jericho had a much better story being told (only thing that kind of hurt it was Shawn's kip-up), and Austin/Rock was booked very well.

[The Ghost of bps21 0]

I think you understand why Andre/Hogan isn't on there.

 

BECAUSE IT SUCKED.

 

 

Anyway...Austin/Rock from last year wasn't better than Angle/Lesnar. It was 10 minutes of the least interesting brawling in the history of Austin's post neck injury career follwed by an endless barrage of finsher/rest/finisher/rest/finisher/rest...

[The Mandarin 0]

I can't believe Austin/Rock from WM X-7 isn't on there. Crazy bastards.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Worst Wrestlemania In History

 

Within Buisness

1. Wrestlemania IX (22)

 

Gotta give the usual FUCK YOU! to Meltzer.

[Guest Askewniverse]

Worst Wrestlemania In History

 

Within Buisness

1. Wrestlemania IX (22)

 

Gotta give the usual FUCK YOU! to Meltzer.

For what? Reporting the results of a survey?

[Brocklock 0]

Worst Wrestlemania In History

 

Within Buisness

1. Wrestlemania IX (22)

 

Gotta give the usual FUCK YOU! to Meltzer.

Are you the guy who likes WM IX?

[Guest wrestlingbs]

Funny thing is, I think what people will remember the most about that match is the botched SSP. Even though he missed it, I think a lot of people were in awe that Brock was still alive.

[Lil' Bitch 0]

Are you the guy who likes WM IX?

 

Of course. After all, I was there.

[Mole 0]

Are you the guy who likes WM IX?

 

Of course. After all, I was there.

So, I was at WMXI and I think it isn't any good.

 

I am surprised that no one outside the business picked the TLC match.

[MrRant 0]

XIX gets an added bonus for me since I was there and it could have been Austin's last match.

[Guest Dynamite Kido]

Are you the guy who likes WM IX?

 

Of course. After all, I was there.

And you were pleased after spending all that money on the tix.....hell, I was mad when I got it on PPV.......

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

I think you understand why Andre/Hogan isn't on there.

 

BECAUSE IT SUCKED.

 

Ok, but the category isn't "best", it's "greatest". Different factors are involved in judging it. Besides, that match didn't suck. Wrestling is 2 things and that was one of them; drama. Storytelling. It wasn't high on technique (the "other thing"), but then again, neither was Hart/Austin. Why Hart/Austin was so good was because of its story and how it was shown through the match. Hogan/Andre was a great story and they did a good job in telling it. It's not the "best" WM match, but I'd go-as-so-far-as-to-say it's "one of" the greatest.

[Austin3164life 0]

I think you understand why Andre/Hogan isn't on there.

 

BECAUSE IT SUCKED.

 

Ok, but the category isn't "best", it's "greatest". Different factors are involved in judging it. Besides, that match didn't suck. Wrestling is 2 things and that was one of them; drama. Storytelling. It wasn't high on technique (the "other thing"), but then again, neither was Hart/Austin. Why Hart/Austin was so good was because of its story and how it was shown through the match. Hogan/Andre was a great story and they did a good job in telling it. It's not the "best" WM match, but I'd go-as-so-far-as-to-say it's "one of" the greatest.

Question is, who was controlling the match, Hogan or Andre?

[RavishingRickRudo 0]

Andre, clearly, had control over the match (pace, what moves were done) since he dominated it. However *much* of that match was made by Hogan and his selling.