WWE — page 80

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 22

– I’ve tried to start this one a couple of times, so we’ll see what happens this time around. I think this show, however, encapsulates what my fandom has turned into, as it was the first Wrestlemania where I missed the show and didn’t really panic about it. Whereas VII was a bummer because the sport was in a slump and no one was showing it closed-circuit in Edmonton (and we didn’t have pay-per-view in Canada yet!), this one was just a show that didn’t appeal to me and didn’t seem to have any matches on it that were worth taking the day off work and paying the $20 to catch it at the movie theater. I’m fickle that way.

– Live from Chicago, IL

– Your hosts are JR, King, Tazz & Cole.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 23  (The show that held the all-time PPV record for wrestling until Cena v. Rock shattered it!) 

– Live from Detroit, MI.

– Your hosts are Jim Ross & Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole & JBL & Joey Styles & Tazz

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 13, 2003
Location: Mellon Arena, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

It’s all about HHH at the moment, despite him not actually being on the show. The big story is a $100,000 bounty that HHH has placed on Goldberg’s head, giving us great villains such as Mark Henry and La Resistance trying to collect. I’m sure we’ll hit the thrilling part soon enough. Let’s get to it.

(Back with these after a couple of days off!)

The SmarK 24/7 Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 24

Oddly enough, I never did an actual rant on this show last year, so with it airing on WWE 24/7 it seems like a good enough time to revisit it.

– Live from Orlando, FL.

– Your hosts are JR, King, Cole, yada yada.

Smackdown
Date: March 13, 2018
Location: Bankers Life Fieldhouse, Indianapolis, Indiana
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

It’s finally time to start the Road to Wrestlemania with the first of four Smackdowns left to go. Tonight’s show is supposed to feature a Shane McMahon announcement about the pay per view, but given the way this company can’t seem to remember to deliver what they advertise, it could be something else entirely. Let’s get to it.

Monday Night Raw
Date: March 12, 2018
Location: Little Caesars Arena, Detroit, Michigan
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jonathan Coachman

We’re FINALLY away from all other pay per views and that means it’s time to get on with the real Wrestlemania build. Tonight is scheduled to featured Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar going face to face but that was the case two weeks ago as well. I can’t shake the feeling that WWE is going to manage to screw this one up. Let’s get to it.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 25

– Live from Houston, TX

– Your hosts are JR, Cole and the King

The SmarK Rant for WWE Fastlane 2017

Live from Milwaukee, WI

Your hosts are Michael Cole, Corey Graves & Byron Saxton

Smackdown
Date: October 9, 2003
Location: Hartford Civic Center, Hartford, Connecticut
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

With less than two weeks to No Mercy, the question becomes how can we find more time to talk about Vince and Stephanie. That story dominated last week’s show and has done so for months now. At least we’re heading towards their pay per view blowoff and that means we might be free soon enough. Let’s get to it.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 26  (aka “Shows where I can literally remember only one match.”)

– Live from Phoenix, AZ

– Your hosts are Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler & Matt Striker

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 27

(2012 Scott sez: Oh, wait, this is 2012 Scott. Never mind.)

Live from Atlanta, GA.

Your host is THE ROCK. Plus Josh Matthews & Jerry Lawler & Michael Cole, who is trapped in a GLASS CASE OF EMOTION.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania XXVIII

Live from Miami, FL

Your hosts are Michael Cole & Jerry Lawler

Monday Night Raw
Date: October 6, 2003
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena, Uncasville, Connecticut
Commentators: Jim Ross, Jerry Lawler

After last week’s show, the big story is HHH playing Harley Race to Goldberg’s Ric Flair by putting out a $100,000 bounty on anyone who can take Goldberg out. That opens a lot of doors for the company and WWE has decided to go through the Mark Henry door. To be fair though….actually there’s not much of a positive way to go with this. Let’s get to it.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 29

Live from the New York market.

Your hosts are Michael Cole, Jerry Lawler and JBL

Smackdown
Date: March 6, 2018
Location: Resch Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
Commentators: Corey Graves, Byron Saxton, Tom Phillips

It’s the go home show for Fastlane and that means we can finally move towards Wrestlemania. However, we still have quite a big of stuff to get through first and that means a lot of work tonight. There’s a good chance John Cena will be in town but the rest of the matches need some attention too. Let’s get to it.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 30

Live on the WWE Network, from New Orleans, LA. I was watching on the PS3 tonight and the stream was 99% perfect, with only a couple of buffering issues and once or twice where something would repeat. Other than that, it looked HD quality, just like on PPV. For a four hour show I’m very impressed.

Monday Night Raw
Date: March 5, 2018
Location: BMO Harris Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Corey Graves, Jonathan Coachman

With five episodes to go before Wrestlemania, this show needs to start getting ready for Wrestlemania. At the moment, there is one match confirmed for the biggest show of the year and we’re 34 days out. I know there’s Fastlane to get through first but Raw doesn’t have another pay per view between now and New Orleans. Get something set up this week. Let’s get to it.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 31 – 03.29.15

Live from San Francisco, CA

Your hosts are Michael Cole, JBL & Jerry Lawler

I’m trying the live stream tonight, so hopefully it doesn’t die on me. The picture is already heavily pixelated early on, though.  (The Network had some pretty gnarly problems with live streams until they drastically improved their streaming provider later that year and it’s been great ever since.) 

Smackdown
Date: October 2, 2003
Location: Bradley Center, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Commentators: Michael Cole, Tazz

Somehow we’re less than three weeks away from No Mercy but as luck would have it we already have a double main event. In this case it’s Vince McMahon vs. his daughter Stephanie in an I Quit match and Brock Lesnar defending the Smackdown World Title against Undertaker. This isn’t exactly the most thrilling stuff in the world but guess which one is going to get the most attention. Let’s get to it.

The SmarK Rant for WWE Wrestlemania 33 (04.02.17)

(OK, it’s that time of year again!  We’ve got 33 Wrestlemanias to go through, backwards like the Rumbles because that actually worked spectacularly well, so we begin with last year’s show!) 

Live from Orlando, FL

Your hosts are varied and many.

I’ve got a big sandwich, lots of snacks, and most importantly my laptop is plugged into power this year. BRING IT ON, WWE.