CHEAP HEAT: POST WRESTLEMANIA DEPRESSION; MAYWEATHER AND FLAIR SHINE

by Matt Loede, Let's Wrestle

The WWE now enters that time of the year where there seems to be a lull after the mega build for WrestleMania and the hype leading up to the event. The company in the past few years has had its best wrestling it seems leading up to Mania, only to have some of its worst in the few months following it. We shall see if that is the case yet again in 2008.

Mania for the most part was a strong card, and after being there as well as in Detroit last year for 23, I would have to honestly say that this years was a better offering. The hoopla with the Ric Flair match, the huge build around Floyd Mayweather and the Big Show, the best Money in the Bank match to date, and a strong finish with the Undertaker and Edge outdid what they had on the plate last year.

Last years build was mostly around the saga involving Vince McMahon and Donald Trump in the hair vs hair match. The two "hired" wrestlers to represent them, which was Umaga for McMahon and Bobby Lashley for Trump. While the match was okay, the spectacle was seeing McMahon getting his head shaved post match.

The two main events last year were both solid, with John Cena beating Shawn Michaels, and Batista losing the belt in a very good match with the Undertaker. While that being said, I still felt this year was slightly better due to the undercard being stronger, and the three main events being strong as well.

The attention now turns to Backlash, the next PPV venture coming up on Sunday, April 28th from Baltimore. Without giving out "spoilers" for the show, already there will be a few Mania rematches, with the RAW main being announced on Monday night, which also will be a multi-wrestler title match. In the past few years Backlash has also been pretty strong, so let's hope that same will be for the 2008 edition.

* The talk of Mania was the final ever match (which trust me, it won't be), for Ric Flair, as well as the showing by Floyd Mayweather in his match with The Big Show. Word is Mayweather was so happy with the match, there is a lot of talk about it not being his last in a WWE ring. Perhaps a rematch at another mega event like Summerslam?

* The Hall of Fame on Saturday night was a great tribute to some of the great stars of the past, but the downfall was the fact the show lasted WAY too long, well over four hours, with the Rock being the first on stage and going on with his speeches for about an hour and a half. By the time Ric Flair got up, you knew that he would talk for well over an hour, and there was some restlessness in the crowd by the time the event finally wrapped up at about 11:30.

* A lot was made about the interaction in Orlando between TNA wrestlers and WWE stars over the weekend, as the WWE told its talent to basically stay away from anyone associated with TNA. More than once parties from the two companies were together, but at the same time, it's like two NFL teams talking after a game, they can do battle, but afterwords be friends. Also the WWE put a halt to a plane with a TNA banner on it flying over the Citrus Bowl during Mania.

* Here's hoping that Mania will never be at the Citrus Bowl ever again. What you didn't see on TV was the fact in order to get to the stadium you had to drive through some of the scariest and down trodden parts of Orlando. Many "homeowners" whose homes were not boarded up were trying to scam fans with parking in their front yards for anywhere between $5-$40.

* Next year will be the silver anniversary of Mania, and will take place April 5th in Houston at the home of the Texans - Reliant Stadium. Texas is the home of many major WWE stars - the Undertaker, John Bradshaw Layfield, and Steve Austin. Could we see Austin come back for that honored "one more match" in his hometown? Or possibly could he be inducted in the Hall of Fame since it will be in his home state?