The drama, the acting, the scriptedness of it all – it is arguably what makes WWE so great, and what makes audiences keep coming back for more. The principle players of yesteryear, who ranged from Stone Cold Steve Austin and his legion of followers who went around misquoting Bible verses, to prior to that with Hulk Hogan himself becoming an American icon alongside the likes of Chuck Norris the in the golden 90s, are still remembered today.
Nowadays, we live in the age of bingo sites like BingoSweets and a name change for wrestling (so as not be confused with a certain animal right’s organization), but the basic recipe for entertainment is still what underpins the American version of Mexican luchadores. (As an aside, perhaps a Mexican director will make a movie parodying dramatized versions of American wrestling the same way the Jack Black-starred film Nacho Libre did of Mexico’s proud tradition).
What went Down?
Or perhaps the question should be asked, who went down during the main pay per view event of the WWE? In short, Rusev, Sheamus, and King Barret were taken down by none other than the power trio of Dolph Ziggler, Cesaro, and Neville; Roman Reigns took down Bray Wyatt; the new tag team champions are the New Day, thanks to a victory against the Dudley Boyz; Charlotte defeated Nikki Bella in a showdown of the divas; the heavyweights of Seth Rollins and Demon Kane faced off, with the former taking the victory; and Keven Owens decisively struck against Ryback for the Intercontinental crown.
Meanwhile, the highlight, by all accounts, was the final showdown between the Undertaker against Brock Lesnar, with all sorts of undertones of fraught tension in a climax of multiple ongoing narratives. There was blood, and it came down to a battle of wills as the two duked it out. The entire Wyatt family joined in to take down the Undertaker in an impressive display of unsportsmanlike conduct after he had already lost the match. Oh yes, it was a spectacle to behold, just like it was planned all along.
Other Takeaways
In the Diva category, Charlotte’s big win means that someone like Sasha Banks can now challenge for the title. Interestingly enough, other Divas were banned from the ring during the match, presumably just to focus the attention on the two in the ring. Just as an aside, who would not want to see Ronda Rousey of UFC fame throw her hat in the ring and deliver a real beat down on some of the women?
A promise was broken during the tag team event, where Kofi Kingston did not deliver on playing D-Von’s head like a drum of a bongo if they won. Now that would have made for good television. Luckily, the bad blood between the two groups continues, so the drama and intrigue find more fuel for the fire. Finally, another bright point is the chemistry between Reigns and Wyat. Reigns in particular looks posed to be making noise at the main event, next year’s WrestleMania, so keep an eye out for him.
