Wrestlemania 29: Monday Night Raw & Axxess

Ok, thank you for making it this far and I hope you enjoyed Parts I & II – Now on to the third and final act of this little morality play.
We will cover the Fan Convention and just fan interaction in general in this last part and the Monday Night Raw that followed that next day that the fans largely played a role in and bringing this whole thing to its apex.

WWE Fan Axxess – April 7th – Izod Center – East Rutherford, NJ

Remember in Part II a few hours before Wrestlemania began I was walking around the Meadowlands looking for an ATM with no luck? As one person suggested walking across the tunnel to the Izod Center to use the ATMs they have in the lobby, however when I got there I discovered this is where they were having the Fan Convention known as Axxess and I couldn’t Axxess the lobby without a ticket. See what I did there?
Thankfully a gracious young man and his son offered me their ticket as they were exiting so I was able to get in. Where I discovered that the ATM was out of order but I did get a chance to roam around the convention for a bit. When in Rome right? –

WrestleMania is an absolute spectacle in every sense of the word. But the pomp and no small amount of circumstance begins well before the event itself. None are bigger than WrestleMania Fan Axxess.The four-day event is broken into four-hour segments where you can buy things, see things, meet people, get autographs and man alive just experience all KINDS of things.

You can stand in line for autographs and photo opportunities with WWE Superstars, of course. But that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
There was a Fruity Pebbles volcano for no discernible reason. It was described by one of the Fruity Pebbles workers as “pretty weird.”

The people are the best part of Fan Axxess, because every one of them is over the moon to be there. In my interactions with and observations of the WWE Superstars, I was blown away by how much they care about making sure everyone has the best experience possible. A weird, wild place, but it’s filled to the brim with people who wouldn’t want to be anywhere else and their idols who want to make the day memorable for them.
As if I coudn’t worship A.J. Lee enough she was the absolute best with the fans of anyone I’ve ever seen – I work in the music industry so I deal with fans all the time and hands down she was the coolest and most sincere of anyone I’ve ever seen while dealing with her fans (and gawd damn did she look good doing it)

The reason is as I mentioned earlier is that she is a real fan – She was sitting in the crowd herself just a few years ago, she has the best real-life backstory ever and seeing that translate into inspiration was incredible. This is a teary-eyed her meeting WWE Diva Lita when she was 12 –

Now she’s on the other side of the table and so grateful and humble and just a total class act. She’s also from New Jersey and like a lot of people grew up on hard times so to return here in this capacity has got to be the best homecoming ever. WWE did a really great job of documenting this on their website in an extended profile called AJ’s Wrestlemania Diary that you can read here –

That’s not to say that their wasn’t some of that same old bullshit/weirdness either –
Some rough estimations put the number of observed replica WWE title belts carried by adult male fans at about one-in-20. That may seem low, but please note that none of these belts costs less than $300 and also please consider the impracticality of carrying a replica title belt over your shoulder for an entire day.

The WWE has a sort of minor leagues based out of Florida called NXT (where AJ got her start as well). A bunch of their guys are at Fan Axxess and every 20 minutes or so they’ll have a match in this ring in front of a small to moderately-sized crowd of mildly-interested people. But see that little stage in the background to the right of the entrance ramp there? That’s where the VIP autograph guests sit and sign stuff and meet people. So two guys you’ve probably never heard of will be wrestling to pretty much complete silence and every so often a guy in the stands will yell TRIPLE H! HEY TRIPLE H! HEY!

Thankfully I was there to see probably the only match I would have any interest in – Paige‘s match with Summer Rae – both who are becoming two of my faves.
Summer has been coming to the ring dancing with Fandango, but both can wrestle and are insanely hot.

For the people that had to wait to meet the wrestlers I have to say, having this in an arena was a terrible idea. The event was completely oversold with a line wrapping around the building. The fans had the chance to meet only one or two. How it worked was you waited in a line, then you were taken into the actual arena and sat in a row. Then, rows were called one by one to meet the wrestlers.

Not to throw the wrestling fans under the bus – like I’m tortured by it but still somehow above it in a real pretentious way but to just to illustrate the mentality and the exceptions I take.
Take for example this – While I was at the Hall of Fame Ceremony on Sat I tweeted about the rudeness I was witnessing and someone that I don’t follow nor follows me engages me in a Twitter feud that lasted the rest of the weekend.
Normally I wouldn’t dignify some random trolling my feed but he hit a nerve with what I was already dealing with and our exchanges explemify by point way better than I could solo –

My tweet from the HOF on Sat – My handle is @Trickykid2

The next day at Wrestlemania I again tweet my frustrations:

And again ‏@WorldClubCup responds –

Fed up and against my better judgement I take the bait and we have a little battle of our own – (for the racial jargon you should know he is white).

@Trickykid2 – “Theirs no way in hell you believe that – buying a ticket doesn’t exempt you from being an asshole & shouting obscenities in front of children conscious-free”

@WorldClubCup – “Dude, shut your face. If me and my niggas go over the line, I’m sure an usher will come. I will do what I want. You’re a fag.”

Does this spell out what the common person was like? Proud to be an asshole and not bat an eye at a racial epitaph and a homophobic slur?

However I don’t expect nor want for the crowds to sit silent with their hands folded either – I want them to have fun and be excited and I have to say (and if you saw it on TV you would have to agree) that the crowd at the next night’s RAW was the most vocal crowd I’ve even seen and being a part of it was unforgettable.

WWE Monday Night Raw – April 8th – Izod Center – East Rutherford, NJ

Ok so now on to Monday and the last day of Wrestlemania week that culminates with of course – Monday Night Raw – Also held at the Izod Center where I was yesterday for the fan convention (see above) –
Just like all weekend, I didn’t have a ticket – but I did remember to get money out first after yesterday’s maddening search to find an ATM that led me to the fan convention in the first place.
Taking the bus once again but I was able to skip the dramas of yesterday because I had more of a handle on it. However once I got there, would I be able to get in?

Also unlike yesterday, though this event was also sold out, I was able to find a pretty decent ticket almost immediately and for only $40 no less. The pricing on this stuff at face value this year was through the roof  – for the five events including this one I attended this week face value alone was close to $400 and I only paid a little less than $200 for so that was fortunate. I also deserved to just get in and enjoy after these last few days.
Because of how obnoxious and at times unbearable these fans have been to be around this weekend I have to say that this was (and if you saw it on TV you will most certainly agree) the loudest and most obnoxious crowd potentially ever – but the difference is that it made it special and just undisputedly awesome.

The loudest crowd I’ve ever seen and was the best part of this entire show. It is crazy how much a difference a vocal crowd can make. Loved all the chants. At certain points I was trying to figure their chants out instead of paying attention to the match. To me, the biggest star of the night was the crowd. They did everything they could to show the WWE they wouldn’t just toe the line and do what’s expected of them. The crowd itself actually turned heel, why can’t they all be like that?

Matches –

Daniel Bryan vs. Big E Langston

I was happy that the show started with this as of course Big E was joined at ringside by A.J. Lee and somehow in just 24 hrs she is somehow even hotter than yesterday. Unfortuneately for her Big E is so green he accidentally clocked her in the chest with an elbow on their way to the ring!

Daniel Bryan tries to attack quickly but gets slammed down and hits a spear in the corner. Bryan hits some stiff kicks and heads up top, but Dolph Ziggler crotches him from the outside, triggering a brawl with Kane. Langston tosses Bryan on top of Kane in a neat spot and Langston hits the Big Ending for the easy win.
Winner: Big E Langston

WWE Intercontinental Title
The Miz vs. Wade Barrett
–
Yeah, screw you guys who ordered the pre-show, we’re going to give the rematch away for free! Let’s just say that the Miz is not a favorite of this informed crowd.
Wade Barrett dumping Miz to the floor and he hits the Cactus Jack elbow from the apron (complete with him saying “Bang bang!”). He’s totally playing to this crowd and that’s very smart. Back in, they screw up a neckbreaker spot and the crowd KILLS them for it and it is surreal how amped this crowd is.
Miz is all loopy so Barrett nails him with the Bull Hammer and reclaims the title. What was the point of changing the title last night?
Winner and NEW Champion: Wade Barrett

Alberto Del Rio vs. Jack Swagger & Zeb Colter
–
This feud is going to continue? Del Rio wins a slugfest and clotheslines Swagger to the floor, where he follows with a dive through the ropes.
Colter distracts Del Rio, allowing Swagger to chop block him from behind and go to work on the knee. Alberto becomes trapped in the heel corner and they screw up an enzuigiri spot in the corner, resulting in Swagger getting the ankle lock. Del Rio rolls to the apron and, when Swagger gives chase, Del Rio applies a cross armbreaker over the top rope.
Del Rio counters the Patriot Act to the cross armbreaker, earning a tapout and getting the win even though he injured his knee.
Winner: Alberto Del Rio

-BUT WAIT……the total HOLY SHIT moment of the whole week is about to happen – Here comes Dolph Ziggler to cash in the Money in the Bank briefcase to the I SWEAR TO GOD the LOUDEST crowd pop I’ve ever witnessed, not just live but even on TV. This was Stone Cold, the Rock and Hulk Hogan all rolled into one – it may sound silly, but it took my breath away and gave me chills – it was something really special –

Here’s why: and this will unpack things a bit as to not only the theme of this whole week but the current climate of the sport and its this:
To stick to the “script” you are to boo the bad guys and cheer for the good guys – but what if the good guys aren’t that talented and the bad guys clearly are?
It results in resentment – To be told to do something that is clearly unfair to the people in front of you – it doesn’t take a wrestling enthusiast to see the Dolph Ziggler is twice the wrestler that John Cena is, but for whatever reason, he delegated to the mid-card while Cena headlines. So to the informed Ziggler isn’t a bad guy, he’s an underdog – and to those that don’t already know he was in possession of the Money in the Bank briefcase that gurantees him a title shot whenever he wants up to a year – that year was just about to expire so naturally everyone just assumed it would go down at Wrestlemania but it didn’t – but here it is.
The crowd has been waiting for this with baited breathe for close to a year and as an underdog, he represents them – and now with Del Rio hurt, victory is surely certain. So when the announcer made the official announcement that Ziggler was cashing it in – the building already popped by the implications just came UNGLUED – it was a true sight and unlike anything I saw or felt and yesterdays Wrestlemania, where this sorta of thing should be expected at least.

World Heavyweight Title
Alberto Del Rio vs. Dolph Ziggler

Ziggler has instantly become the biggest babyface in the company.
Del Rio quickly goes to the cross armbreaker and the crowd has a collective heart attack but Ziggler smartly wrenches Del Rio’s bad leg, forcing Alberto to break the hold. Ziggler slams Del Rio down with the Zig Zag and becomes the new world champion to a reaction that could stand next to any in the company’s history. This felt like Hogan slamming Andre – it was a moment worthy of why people travel all over the world for this – odd that it happend at RAW the next night instead.
Winner and NEW Champion: Dolph Ziggler

When he won he was joined by AJ and Big E and the celebration in the ring and the emotions expressed were as real as it gets

All three visibly crying and this is what critics of the sport never understand – yes the matches are pre-determined but when they give you the big one its a real-life award of a culmination of a life-time of hard work. And for these three underdogs in the ring – it was something I’m sure that they thought would never happen and here it is. AJ’s raw emotion truly made it something special.

Santino, R-Truth & Zack Ryder vs. 3MB
–
They should call the babyface team “Barely Employed.” Clearly it was a reason to bring in Ryder who is a hometown favorite.
He hits a neckbreaker tags to Santino who goes through his fun goofy stuff ending with the “Cobra” on Slater for the win. –This was the definition of a time-filler
Winners: Santino, R-Truth & Zack Ryder

Sheamus vs. Randy Orton
–
They start really slow so the crowd entertains itself by doing soccer chants. Now, the crowd starts chanting for referee Mike Chioda, drawing a smile from Chioda and a dirty look from Orton.
Clothesline puts Orton down for two and Sheamus works the arm. Orton goes into his boring offense, which the crowd has no patience for, so Sheamus suplexes out of a chinlock. the crowd chants for Rob Van Dam and then JBL. I don’t think they like this match very much.

The crowd chanting for ECW. The live crowd is more entertaining than this match, that’s for sure. Sheamus hits a backbreaker while the crowd does the Wave.
The crowd goes nuts chanting for Randy Savage. Normally a sign of ultimate approval is when the crowd will chant “This is awesome!” – but this culminated into a self-congratulatory chant of “We are awesome!” – and it was impossible to deny, doing everything Vince Mcmahon does NOT want them to do.

Big Show’s music interrupts everything though and he tosses Sheamus into the post. The crowd launches into a thunderous “Thank you Big Show” as this show has turned into ECW TV in the mid-90s.

Fandango vs. Kofi Kingston

Remember in Part II I was telling the story of waiting for the bus to Wrestlemania and the first people that I spoke with were a young British couple who were breaking down some of the questions I had – Why is C.M. Punk so popular? – Why does John Cena get booed? etc. –
And when I told them how entertained I am by newcomer Fandango’s ode-to-80s-silliness gimmick as an example of where my tastes lie, they couldn’t hide their disgust – and why I learned all week is that they are the majority – when Fandango made his debut yesterday he didn’t exactly get booed out of the building but with this crowd something tells me they are not going to be particularly receptive to Fandango’s act.

Much to my surprise and elation it’s actually the total opposite,and the crowd actually hums Fandango’s theme song through the entire opening part of the match!!…unreal!! I was happy to see Andrea Lynn dancing with him to the ring – they have started to use Summer Rae (see above) who I like, to add her to the main roster, where as Andrea is actually a dance instructor from NY who was just getting things started. They are both insanely hot – but I think I like Andrea better haha!
Chris Jericho immediately runs in and gets his revenge for losing yesterday dumping him to the floor before the match against Kofi Kingston can even start.
Winner by DQ: Fandango

However the entire crowd sings and dances along with Fandango’s theme as he limps out. It sounded like an EPL soccer match, unbelievable. So much so that in the weeks since, it has become a trend called “Fandango-ing” that I saw birthed right here – The song even entered the charts in the UK!!

Rhodes Scholars & The Bellas vs. Brodus Clay, Sweet T & The Funkadactyls
–
As I mentioned in Part II this match was cancelled at Wrestlemania so that Puff Daddy could come out and do his lame act – Do you think they actually issued any refunds to people who bought WrestleMania just to see this match? – Probably not, but I LOVE the Bella Twins and this was probably one of the only reason they returned and didn’t get to perform so the match was moved to tonight.

Sweet T manages to get the tag to Clay and he runs through his normal offense and hits a suplex, saved by the Bellas. A huge brawl erupts between everyone, but Sandow ends up being sandwiched between both fat guys and a double splash quickly ends things.
Winners: Brodus Clay, Sweet T & the Funkadactyls

Mark Henry vs. John Cena

If Henry wins, he gets a shot at Cena’s WWE title at an unnamed point in the future. Cena dances with the crowd to start but gets clotheslined down and Henry badmouths him. Henry hammers away in the corner but misses a splash off the ropes and Cena slugs away. A shoulderblock puts Henry down but Mark rolls to the outside, forcing Cena to give chase.

Henry catches him with a kick to the gut and preps the announce table for some pain. Henry tries for the World’s Fattest Slam through the announce table but Cena wiggles free, so Henry settles for slamming him into the ring post. Cena runs Henry into the ring steps and…beats the count? That can’t be it, but it is.
Winner: John Cena

I give Cena credit for wrestling the night after WrestleMania but this was short and had a really flat finish made this one not too great – so I’ve seen Cena headline the last two events and it was pretty boring – maybe there is something to this booing him thing?
Henry lays out Cena after the match but Ryback hits the ring and hits a spinebuster on Henry. However, Ryback turns his attention to John Cena and suddenly the crowd is very interested in the next move and he flattens Cena with a clothesline amd that’s the end of the show.

I was told the reason the crowd was so hot and why it always is after Wrestlemania is because of the foreign influence. It stands to reason how we, the US consumer, take the WWE product for granted since we see it all the time might be true. Look what happens when you get a normally pretty hostile east coast NY/NJ crowd, mixed with the fans who have come from around the world – not to mention if 80k people came for Wrestlemania but only 30k got tickets to Raw the next night – you know you are sitting with a house full of diehards.
I might skip WrestleMania next year and just go to the Raw the day after. This was awesome fun because of the crowd and was booked great.

So that wraps it up – thank you for reading this extended report on a very long and crazy weekend – till next time.

Photos –

Roy Turner
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