Wrestlemania 31


release year: 2015
genre: wrestling pay-per-view
viewing setting: home DVD, 4/26-30/17

synopsis: This annual wrestling mega-event was the 2015 edition, and I finally took the word "vintage" out of the genre line above.

where it happened: Santa Clara, California

impressions: As always, I won't go into great detail, but just mention the highlights as I saw them: over-use of the words "Wrestlemania" and "superstar"...another good 30-man battle royal...LL Cool J plugging wrestling...a 7-man ladder match...a good Orton/Rollins match...Triple H vs Sting in a match that shadowed the old WWE vs WCW rivalry...lots of old wrestlers running in to help Sting or Triple H...some older guys congratulating Daniel Bryan on his win...a fairly athletic Divas tag-team match...a recap of the WWE Hall of Fame inductees...an evil Russian vs John Cena...an outstanding segment with Stephanie McMahon and Triple H running their mouths to the audience, being interrupted by the Rock, and then a special guest star from the audience kicking Stephanie's ass! YES!...Bray Wyatt vs an old and weary-looking Undertaker...a pretty good Lesnar vs Reigns main event with a heck of a surprise twist ending.

fun quote #1: 
Jerry Lawler: "Yeah, JBL, you speak three languages. English...sarcasm...and profanity!"

fun quote #2: 
John Layfield: "If you steal Wrestlemania, you've done something special."

fun quote #3: 
Michael Cole: "And Ambrose, from the top of the ladder! And down goes everyone!"
Jerry Lawler: "He is truly crazy...he has lost his...what little mind he had left!"

fun quote #4: 
Michael Cole: "The Big Show winning the Andre the Giant memorial battle royal earlier...you know what the fear of Giant is called, don't you?"
John Layfield: "What?"
Michael Cole: "Fee Fi Phobia."

fun quote #5: 
Michael Cole: "This is Stardust's own ladder!"
John Layfield: "What the hell is that?"
Michael Cole: "Well, he told me it's the XO Atmospheric Star-bird."
John Layfield: "The what?"
Michael Cole: "Well, that's what he calls this ladder. He said he was going to try to get it involved in this matchup."
John Layfield: "Star-bird? That's Home Depot aisle 3, covered in glitter."

fun quote #6: 
Jerry Lawler: "Good grief. He's been Star-beaten. With Star-bird."
John Layfield: "Be careful what you bring. You could get hit with it."

fun quote #7: 
Jerry Lawler: "Every one of these guys has already taken a heck of a beating, at the hands of their opponent, and these ladders."

fun quote #8: 
Michael Cole: "Oh, look at this! Usually he does this from the second rope, but Randy's gonna do it from the apron!"
John Layfield: "Oh, no. No...NO!"
Michael Cole: "Take down J and J with the double DDT."
John Layfield: "Those are human beings, dammit!"

fun quote #9: 
John Layfield: "It's too early in this match to beat Randy Orton with a suplex. That's not gonna happen."

fun quote #10: 
Jerry Lawler: "You know what it is, guys? You know why they were able to do that? Because it's Wrestlemania!"

fun quote #11: 
John Layfield: "I'm sure The Game has a plan A, a plan B, C, D, E, and F...that's why he's The Game."

fun quote #12: 
Jerry Lawler: (as the Bella twins walk toward the ring) "I'm glad these two aren't mind readers, Cole."
Michael Cole: "Why?"
Jerry Lawler: "I'd get my face slapped a lot."

fun quote #13: 
John Layfield: "A great team always beats individual superstars."
Michael Cole: "And a great team...even further than a great team, they're twins. They seem to know what the other is thinking before they're even thinking it."
John Layfield: "They have been twins for most of their lives."

fun quote #14: 
John Layfield: "This Rusef is, to me...is built like a grizzly bear."
Jerry Lawler: "You don't see grizzly bears that can throw dropkicks!"

fun quote #15: 
Jerry Lawler: "I would say the Rock just blew the roof off this stadium, but there's no roof!"
John Layfield: "Good thing there isn't."

fun quote #14: 
John Layfield: "I don't think the Authority's gonna take too kindly to the Rock coming out here, I don't care if he is a movie star."
Jerry Lawler: "I don't think Rock cares."

fun quote #15: 
the Rock: (to Triple H, in the ring) "Well, just like the Rock left his heart in San Francisco...you, in front of the millions and millions of the Rock's fans...have clearly left your balls in Stanford, Connecticut!"

fun quote #16: 
Jerry Lawler: "Say no to negativity, guys. This is the Undertaker we're talking about!"

fun quote #17: 
Brock Lesnar: "(to Roman Reigns, after delivering his fourth suplex) "Suplex City, bitch!"
Jerry Lawler: "Suplex city...he said something else, but I won't repeat that."

fun quote #18: 
John Layfield: "When he tastes his own blood, he turns it up a notch. It does something to him."

final word: Another pretty good one with some fun moments.

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