5 Most Insane Things Happening In Wrestling Right Now (May 11)
You're Gonna Lose Us
If the definition of insanity really is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results, it's perhaps time to stop being shocked at the sheer sh*t-headed temerity of Shane McMahon.
His appearance on a WWE Network 'Table For 3' special entitled 'Show Stealers' knowingly supplanted him along Kurt Angle and AJ Styles as part of pro wrestling's elite. McMahon is many things - too many, in fact - but in their league he is not.
Begrudging respect where it's due though, he'll keep trying. As revealed during Chris Jericho's podcast interview with Daniel Bryan, the 'Fozzy' singer was nearly flown in to WrestleMania following his gig that night after Shane's blast of diverticulitis threatened to remove him completely. Astonishingly (and somewhat maddeningly), it didn't!
The condition that brought Brock Lesnar's UFC dominance to a screeching halt didn't even rule McMahon out of a 'Show Of Shows' midcard match with two weeks' notice. Maybe he did deserve to dine with the 'Phenomenal One' and the Olympic Gold Medalist after all. And at least people weren't walking out during his match...
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'Shane-O-Mac' is regular 'Insane Things' curator Michael Sidgwick's favourite wrestler, but he'll be missing out on 'The Money' thanks to his paternity leave. Buy his book to ensure WhatCulture.com's own 'Boy Wonder' can be as good a Dad to his kids as Shane is to those three insufferable little squirts that danced across the WrestleMania 32 stage.
5. Beating The Traffic
WWE fans have, in recent years, become more tolerant of the things they deeply despise. The vociferous Royal Rumble 2014 and 2015 crowds sabotaged the eponymous main events to such a degree that both survive in infamy as all-time lows in the relationship between the audience and the organisation.
This year's Backlash main event was a fitting reversion to type, considering the fact it was the intended payoff to the stories those very battle royals kicked off. Roman Reigns was the runner up and winner respectively back then - how is he now the company's most high profile loser driving fans to the fire exits before his main event even concludes?
That's a question not just for the community at large but the highest level company executives. Kevin Dunn's pandering post-match cuts to the crowd didn't deliver on the usual diet of 'shocked' expressions, merely a parade of folk darting out of the seats to join the queuing masses that began to bail before the winning fall.
The uncharacteristically quick cut back to a knackered 'Big Dog' was dripping in pathos. Beaten down, exhausted and not even beloved by the live crowd for his efforts, he looked the polar opposite of a 'winner'. Again.