WWE WrestleMania 35: 12 Live Observations From A Casual Fan
Too long, too much protection but a hell of a spectacle...
Now that the Showcase of the Immortals is done, we're looking at a brave new dawn of WWE that will no doubt see a shake-up, more departures and potentially more new signings. Superstars returned, others were crowned surprisingly and fans genuinely got a lot of what they wanted. Sometimes WWE are still capable of pulling the right shocks off.
Being in New York for Mania weekend is an experience like no other for wrestling fans and it is one to be sought out at least once. Yes, it's expensive but there's tangible magic in the air, there's a special camaraderie and the gatekeeping is left for the dark souls online. But what does it feel like to a so-called "casual" fan?
To qualify this, I've been a wrestling fan since Mick Foley had both his ears. The Attitude Era was mine. I am what's best described as a lapsed committed fan, on the fringe but very much still keen and still aware. And here's what it meant to me...
12. Some Of WWE Is Too Protected
Watching the stars of ROH and NJPW put on their exceptional show at Maddison Square Garden on the Saturday night before WrestleMania, you got a very real sense of wrestling as a sport (particularly in the NJPW matches). It's more dangerous, more risky and above all else less protected.
Comparing the spots in those matches to the ones in TakeOver and WrestleMania on either side of the G1, the difference is remarkable. The stars land flat-back rather than high on their shoulders and superkicks simply don't connect.
It's understandable wanting to protect expensive stars (not least because they're also human), but there's definitely something lost.