After a few days of thinking ideas for an original comic to write up I;ve finally decided to put pen to paper (or fingers to keys) and start building a script.
I have to give credit to the mighty being that is Google, without it I never would have found http://www.comicbookscriptarchive.com/archive/ which is probably the most helpful website imaginable. It contains real scripts and gets real feedback from real comic writers. I've been following Kyle Higgins Nightwing #8 script, and have ordered two copies of Nightwing #8 to help me see how everything falls together.
For writing my own, I have to say I'm not too savvy with how to bend Microsoft Word to my will, so I'm using the blank template provided by ComicBookScriptArchive and deleting their text to put my own in. At the moment I'm not too far in at all, but have to start somewhere!
Keep you posted on the progress I make; hoping I can dedicate a lot of time to this over the weekend because after work just isn't long enough!
Thursday 28 November 2013
Wednesday 27 November 2013
A Long Over Due Blog
Not updated this blog in a very long time. Since the last post I've gotten a new job and been focusing on other things. With having a new job I've noticed I travel more and have decided to fill that time with listening to Fat Man on Batman - an instant favorite of mine and I would recommend to anyone who either likes Batman or just likes comics!
With listening to such brilliant writers like Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins and Paul Dini I have been inspired to start writing again. The first idea I have was a Batman one shot that takes place between the panels. I know this sounds vague, but as it's just an idea I am constantly changing it but I want it to be a Batman story with elements of The Divine Comedy mixed in to it.
My second idea is an original concept I have been working on with a cool guy called Peter Khonje who helps me with some ideas and how to refine plot points. Again, I don't want to say too much but it's a world without capes and features a very limited amount of people with powers that seem to hinder them as much as they would seemingly enhance them. As this is also a current work in progress there isn't a lot to say other than I think I will call it 'Supers' as it isn't about heroes.
I will be blogging a lot more and maybe throwing out ideas or taking any suggestions from anyone who reads this. Perhaps once a script has been done for either of these works I will throw it up here, or at least be able to give a better synopsis of it.
Catch you all later!
With listening to such brilliant writers like Grant Morrison, Scott Snyder, Kyle Higgins and Paul Dini I have been inspired to start writing again. The first idea I have was a Batman one shot that takes place between the panels. I know this sounds vague, but as it's just an idea I am constantly changing it but I want it to be a Batman story with elements of The Divine Comedy mixed in to it.
My second idea is an original concept I have been working on with a cool guy called Peter Khonje who helps me with some ideas and how to refine plot points. Again, I don't want to say too much but it's a world without capes and features a very limited amount of people with powers that seem to hinder them as much as they would seemingly enhance them. As this is also a current work in progress there isn't a lot to say other than I think I will call it 'Supers' as it isn't about heroes.
I will be blogging a lot more and maybe throwing out ideas or taking any suggestions from anyone who reads this. Perhaps once a script has been done for either of these works I will throw it up here, or at least be able to give a better synopsis of it.
Catch you all later!
Thursday 23 May 2013
Extreme Rules 2013
Compared to last year I felt this Extreme Rules was really bland and uninteresting. Instead of going through a match by match overview I'm just going to briefly outline the parts I thought were successful and then go into detail about the more unsuccessful aspects of the PPV.
Seeing The Shield come out on top was great; the two matches were entertaining and didn't need to rely on any stipulations to be entertaining. I hope that the Freebird Rule is implemented for defending the tag team championships and that the trio can hopefully bring back some prestige to their belts. As another hidden advantage to The Shield winning the tag titles I'm hopeful that Daniel Bryan can now return to singles matches. Watching Orton punt Big Show was welcomed, that single moment seemed to make a better than average match good. I thought Henry and Sheamus were very innovative when using the strap, as neither seemed to choke, whip or pull each other from the top rope; though I admit I'm not a fan of matches like this, they made it a match worth watching.
Sadly these are the only memorable highlights I can think of, so here comes my list of things I feel didn't go so great. The first offender of the night was when the referee decided to watch a replay during the Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio match. Like the strap match, I'm not a massive fan of I Quit matches but the two were pulling off a decent match with plenty of reversals, submissions and using the arena well - especially when Swagger exposed the barricade at ring side. In my opinion the reversal seemed to raise more questions than it answered, because does this mean any time a heel cheats to win it will be appealed? I highly doubt it. I'm more annoyed at the fact that this was just a one off thing that will probably be never spoken of again, but it was still annoying that because if this you knew Alberto Del Rio was going to win. Honestly, I feel that this marked the downfall of this PPV.
The Last Man Standing match between Cena and Ryback was worse than I expected it to be. I know I've written how I don't like Cena's booking but from the off I thought it was obvious it would be a draw; Cena won't wrestle 'the match of his life' against The Rock and lose the belt a month later, and Ryback isn't established enough to hold the company; so the outcome isn't what's important it's how the two conduct themselves. I honestly really feel that Ryback is either still very inexperienced or is simply terrible; he completely lacked any pacing during the match. There were a few moments where he would just about get up from an eight and a half count to then instantly be running round and picking Cena up over his head; with no momentum or cheering from the crowd. Even when Cena hit him in the head with a fire extinguisher he no-sold it and needed to be hit a second time.
I actually felt that Cena was the only saving grace of this match, he pushed the boat and did moves he doesn't usually do; like a powerbomb. He even tried some visually impressive spots, like spearing Ryback through the time keepers area, but Ryback managed to get up before him; which isn't Cena's fault, but it does ruin his spot.The only problem with Cena in this match is everything he does, someone else has always done better. Not too long ago Roman Reigns speared Sheamus through the timekeepers area and it was much more impressive than when Cena did it. Also the finish reminded me of when Kurt Angle belly to bellied Shane McMahon through the King of the Ring stage, only that was more impressive due to the stage being glass and Angle throwing Shane through it more than once. I don't intend to criticize Cena on this, but it's just something I feel has to be said about his performance.
The final match on the card was Brock Lesnar vs Triple H in a cage match. My first gripe with this match was it shouldn't be the main event; in my eyes except for the Royal Rumble and Survivor Series the WWE Championship should always be the last card on the bill, so instantly this annoyed me. Another pre-match complaint was I have no idea why this feud is still carrying on. If it was me, I would have retired Triple H at Wrestlemania and have him focus fully on his backstage duties. There is no reason for either of these men to keep up this feud, there's nothing on the line, neither men are full time workers and it seems to be a waste of two megastars who could get new talent over.
The match itself was riddled with all kinds of awful too, considering the stars who were participating. I thought it was impossible to make Brock Lesnar, WWE World Heavyweight Champion, MMA World Heavyweight champion and self proclaimed Ass-kicker look like such a bitch, but Triple H found a way. There is no reason for Brock Lesnar to be screaming in pain the way he did, especially when he's had his head split open and gushed blood two times previously - this just seemed to sap all the momentum out of him and make him lose all credibility as a monster heel. The entire spot with the 'camouflaged sledgehammer' was utterly daft too, in my opinion. It seems that I wasn't the only person who was unimpressed with this, as the crowd seemed utterly dead when the match took place; the biggest pop from the fight was when Brock Lesnar won, and part of me thinks they cheered because it was over more than anything...
A special mention goes to the WWE commentary team this pay per view. They managed to ruin a lot of the matches, but a few memorable interactions stayed with me. After the Cena match we had the team tell us how sometimes things go too far even though not too long ago, I believe, Edge put Cena through a flood light in a similar finish. Also I thought it was really strange that Mick Foley was present as part of the pre-show and post-show announce teams and The King kept saying about how these were some of the most extreme matches he's seen, despite being there when Mick Foley had his infamous Hell in a Cell, and I'm presuming he was present when Mick Foley took on Orton at Backlash and Edge at Wrestlemania. Even if The King meant the most extreme Extreme Rules, I would humbley submit that last year's PPV was more extreme with the Lesnar and Cena match alone and the standard of the rest of the card was much higher.
All in all it wasn't an utterly terrible PPV, but the negatives seemed to outweigh the positives. I suppose with it being the first PPV after Wrestlemania it's difficult to assemble a card to please everyone as well as forming new rivalries and finishing off old ones. I just hope that there isn't a fourth installment to the Brock Lesnar and Triple H saga, but I think I'm going to be bitterly disappointed...
Seeing The Shield come out on top was great; the two matches were entertaining and didn't need to rely on any stipulations to be entertaining. I hope that the Freebird Rule is implemented for defending the tag team championships and that the trio can hopefully bring back some prestige to their belts. As another hidden advantage to The Shield winning the tag titles I'm hopeful that Daniel Bryan can now return to singles matches. Watching Orton punt Big Show was welcomed, that single moment seemed to make a better than average match good. I thought Henry and Sheamus were very innovative when using the strap, as neither seemed to choke, whip or pull each other from the top rope; though I admit I'm not a fan of matches like this, they made it a match worth watching.
Sadly these are the only memorable highlights I can think of, so here comes my list of things I feel didn't go so great. The first offender of the night was when the referee decided to watch a replay during the Jack Swagger and Alberto Del Rio match. Like the strap match, I'm not a massive fan of I Quit matches but the two were pulling off a decent match with plenty of reversals, submissions and using the arena well - especially when Swagger exposed the barricade at ring side. In my opinion the reversal seemed to raise more questions than it answered, because does this mean any time a heel cheats to win it will be appealed? I highly doubt it. I'm more annoyed at the fact that this was just a one off thing that will probably be never spoken of again, but it was still annoying that because if this you knew Alberto Del Rio was going to win. Honestly, I feel that this marked the downfall of this PPV.
The Last Man Standing match between Cena and Ryback was worse than I expected it to be. I know I've written how I don't like Cena's booking but from the off I thought it was obvious it would be a draw; Cena won't wrestle 'the match of his life' against The Rock and lose the belt a month later, and Ryback isn't established enough to hold the company; so the outcome isn't what's important it's how the two conduct themselves. I honestly really feel that Ryback is either still very inexperienced or is simply terrible; he completely lacked any pacing during the match. There were a few moments where he would just about get up from an eight and a half count to then instantly be running round and picking Cena up over his head; with no momentum or cheering from the crowd. Even when Cena hit him in the head with a fire extinguisher he no-sold it and needed to be hit a second time.
I actually felt that Cena was the only saving grace of this match, he pushed the boat and did moves he doesn't usually do; like a powerbomb. He even tried some visually impressive spots, like spearing Ryback through the time keepers area, but Ryback managed to get up before him; which isn't Cena's fault, but it does ruin his spot.The only problem with Cena in this match is everything he does, someone else has always done better. Not too long ago Roman Reigns speared Sheamus through the timekeepers area and it was much more impressive than when Cena did it. Also the finish reminded me of when Kurt Angle belly to bellied Shane McMahon through the King of the Ring stage, only that was more impressive due to the stage being glass and Angle throwing Shane through it more than once. I don't intend to criticize Cena on this, but it's just something I feel has to be said about his performance.
The final match on the card was Brock Lesnar vs Triple H in a cage match. My first gripe with this match was it shouldn't be the main event; in my eyes except for the Royal Rumble and Survivor Series the WWE Championship should always be the last card on the bill, so instantly this annoyed me. Another pre-match complaint was I have no idea why this feud is still carrying on. If it was me, I would have retired Triple H at Wrestlemania and have him focus fully on his backstage duties. There is no reason for either of these men to keep up this feud, there's nothing on the line, neither men are full time workers and it seems to be a waste of two megastars who could get new talent over.
The match itself was riddled with all kinds of awful too, considering the stars who were participating. I thought it was impossible to make Brock Lesnar, WWE World Heavyweight Champion, MMA World Heavyweight champion and self proclaimed Ass-kicker look like such a bitch, but Triple H found a way. There is no reason for Brock Lesnar to be screaming in pain the way he did, especially when he's had his head split open and gushed blood two times previously - this just seemed to sap all the momentum out of him and make him lose all credibility as a monster heel. The entire spot with the 'camouflaged sledgehammer' was utterly daft too, in my opinion. It seems that I wasn't the only person who was unimpressed with this, as the crowd seemed utterly dead when the match took place; the biggest pop from the fight was when Brock Lesnar won, and part of me thinks they cheered because it was over more than anything...
A special mention goes to the WWE commentary team this pay per view. They managed to ruin a lot of the matches, but a few memorable interactions stayed with me. After the Cena match we had the team tell us how sometimes things go too far even though not too long ago, I believe, Edge put Cena through a flood light in a similar finish. Also I thought it was really strange that Mick Foley was present as part of the pre-show and post-show announce teams and The King kept saying about how these were some of the most extreme matches he's seen, despite being there when Mick Foley had his infamous Hell in a Cell, and I'm presuming he was present when Mick Foley took on Orton at Backlash and Edge at Wrestlemania. Even if The King meant the most extreme Extreme Rules, I would humbley submit that last year's PPV was more extreme with the Lesnar and Cena match alone and the standard of the rest of the card was much higher.
All in all it wasn't an utterly terrible PPV, but the negatives seemed to outweigh the positives. I suppose with it being the first PPV after Wrestlemania it's difficult to assemble a card to please everyone as well as forming new rivalries and finishing off old ones. I just hope that there isn't a fourth installment to the Brock Lesnar and Triple H saga, but I think I'm going to be bitterly disappointed...
Tuesday 14 May 2013
Seeking Superheroes
Recently I've been really getting into my comics more than usual. Looking over my collection I had a lot of various Marvel titles; Dark Wolverine, Deadpool, Old Man Logan, Amazing Spider-Man and the like, with trade paperbacks like Civil War. Now though, I can't quite get back into Marvel; a lot has changed since 2011.
From my limited following I know that Spider-Man, a character who I'm not usually fond of, is possessed by Doc Ock with a small Peter ghost somewhere in his head, the X-Men seem to be complete bastards lead by Scott Summers - who killed Professor X and was (or maybe still is) the host of the Phoenix, the Avengers are just as bad as the X-Men and are waging a mini war against them and I don't know if the Ultimate universe is still around and as fun as it used to be. To me there just seems to be too much going on all the time, especially with good guy vs. good guy feuds; I'm sure I could have gotten into the Age of Ultron, but I think by the time I knew it existed it was over.
Based on this I've jumped ship to DC current comics, which in the past turned me off when Batman died two or three times and was sent through time to return. It seems that jumping on not too long into the Nu52 was a brilliant idea. My first storyline was Death of the Family, as I do have to admit I've always loved Batman and the Joker equally so seeing a creepy Joker in his first main role in the rebooted universe was the perfect opportunity to start reading again.
I bought every Death of the Family comic; even the tie ins from the various Bat-family both pre and post event, and I have to say I did really like it. Without giving anything away to anyone who may want to read it for themselves, I thought the ending was brilliant and anticlimactic all at the same time; but that's just my opinion. Based on the joy of the comic I kept up with reading a few of the titles, but did drop Batgirl, Teen Titans, Catwoman and Suicide Squad and in the process picking up Batman Incorporated.
I do find Batman comics to be a particular joy to read for a number of reasons; first he is my childhood hero and I will always think he is the definitive comic book hero, but secondly - and most importantly when trying to get into comics after a gap - almost all the characters and plots are in Gotham city. I do not need to familiarize myself with the entire DC Universe, or even the Justice League; all I need to know is who Batman is, who his allies are (hint: almost all of them are black haired males who wear red and black) and who the villain of the month is. This makes easing back into comics so much easier than say picking up an issue of Superior Spider-Man and wondering where things are.
I suppose in one regard I am quite an isolated reader; not only am i sticking to the one company, but I stick to the same character over and over again, but from the Death of the Family event I've been introduced to Arsenal and Starfire, and in one of the more recent issues of Batman I've been introduced to Superman. I know it isn't much, but Arsenal is one of the reasons I chose to keep up with Red Hood and the Outlaws, and seeing that Superman isn't as "ALL AMERICAN" as I had initially presumed has made me interested in the upcoming Batman/Superman comic more than it being another Batman title.
Maybe one day I'll branch further out into the DC Universe and see what some of the other heroes have to offer, or I might go back to the Marvel Universe and try and pick up on a more isolated hero like the Hulk, or Thor and see if I can branch out there, but for now I'm happy with reading Batman and I'm glad to be back into comics.
From my limited following I know that Spider-Man, a character who I'm not usually fond of, is possessed by Doc Ock with a small Peter ghost somewhere in his head, the X-Men seem to be complete bastards lead by Scott Summers - who killed Professor X and was (or maybe still is) the host of the Phoenix, the Avengers are just as bad as the X-Men and are waging a mini war against them and I don't know if the Ultimate universe is still around and as fun as it used to be. To me there just seems to be too much going on all the time, especially with good guy vs. good guy feuds; I'm sure I could have gotten into the Age of Ultron, but I think by the time I knew it existed it was over.
Based on this I've jumped ship to DC current comics, which in the past turned me off when Batman died two or three times and was sent through time to return. It seems that jumping on not too long into the Nu52 was a brilliant idea. My first storyline was Death of the Family, as I do have to admit I've always loved Batman and the Joker equally so seeing a creepy Joker in his first main role in the rebooted universe was the perfect opportunity to start reading again.
I bought every Death of the Family comic; even the tie ins from the various Bat-family both pre and post event, and I have to say I did really like it. Without giving anything away to anyone who may want to read it for themselves, I thought the ending was brilliant and anticlimactic all at the same time; but that's just my opinion. Based on the joy of the comic I kept up with reading a few of the titles, but did drop Batgirl, Teen Titans, Catwoman and Suicide Squad and in the process picking up Batman Incorporated.
I do find Batman comics to be a particular joy to read for a number of reasons; first he is my childhood hero and I will always think he is the definitive comic book hero, but secondly - and most importantly when trying to get into comics after a gap - almost all the characters and plots are in Gotham city. I do not need to familiarize myself with the entire DC Universe, or even the Justice League; all I need to know is who Batman is, who his allies are (hint: almost all of them are black haired males who wear red and black) and who the villain of the month is. This makes easing back into comics so much easier than say picking up an issue of Superior Spider-Man and wondering where things are.
I suppose in one regard I am quite an isolated reader; not only am i sticking to the one company, but I stick to the same character over and over again, but from the Death of the Family event I've been introduced to Arsenal and Starfire, and in one of the more recent issues of Batman I've been introduced to Superman. I know it isn't much, but Arsenal is one of the reasons I chose to keep up with Red Hood and the Outlaws, and seeing that Superman isn't as "ALL AMERICAN" as I had initially presumed has made me interested in the upcoming Batman/Superman comic more than it being another Batman title.
Maybe one day I'll branch further out into the DC Universe and see what some of the other heroes have to offer, or I might go back to the Marvel Universe and try and pick up on a more isolated hero like the Hulk, or Thor and see if I can branch out there, but for now I'm happy with reading Batman and I'm glad to be back into comics.
Wednesday 3 April 2013
The Last RAW before Mania
Having been exceptionally excited about Wrestlemania XXIX I eagerly watched the last Raw of the Wrestling year to see how the feuds had tied in.
First up for the night was a lengthy Cena promo, which in my opinion wasn't too bad to be fair. His opening line was great, considering the show was in Washington D.C. but he seemed to spend too long just talking and never really finalizing his points. To his credit, and he stated this, there was no childish name calling or any of his usual schtick, but he managed to lose the attention of the crowd as "BORING" chants echoed through the arena.
I also have to say, watching three well established superstars beat the job squad wasn't very interesting. I also found it strange how Randy Orton, The Big Show and Sheamus, all former heels who have had many run ins with each other basically walked through the arena side by side before their match. To me, this didn't give an impression of teamwork and unity, it just looked really strange and forced, as did The Big Show and Orton cheer leading for Sheamus' Brogue Kick. I enjoyed the conflict with The Shield at the end, but chasing them through the crowd and throwing them over the confection stand and out of the building doesn't make The Shield seem like a viable threat, and actually seems detrimental to the angle.
The Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan match was a good match to technically watch, and the out of ring shenanigans make for an nice build up going into the tag match at Mania. This, to me, seems like one of the stronger rivalries the WWE have, and with the quality of the wrestlers the match is bound to be enjoyable, and whatever the outcome it will continue to bring prestige to the Tag Team Titles and will impress the fans.
The Triple H promo. For one, I am a huge fan of Shawn Michaels and seeing him on television again is always a pleasure. I felt his conversation with Triple H was earnest, honest and powerful; thinking about the on screen characters and the off screen duties of Triple H and Brock Lesnar, Shawn is probably right about this being H's life abd Brock only showing up for the money and the chance to beat people up. Paul Heyman's rebuttal was humorous, devious and 100% Heyman. Despite being a high profile rematch, this will be a good match to look out for.
Watching Swagger's promos with Zeb Colter seems very dull; I understand they're the racist heel duo trying to get heat, but they seem a bit like a broken record. Just saying "We the people" and talking about a countries former greatness doesn't push the same buttons it did in the 80's. I also feel that using Zeb Colter and Ricardo Rodriguez as driving forces for this feud detracts from the ability of Swagger and Del Rio and is sadly turning the World Heavyweight Championship into a farcical belt, and the attack on Rio with the crutches didn't seem as menacing as it must have been intended.
After this match we were graced with The Rock's presence (for a change...) and I felt his promo came off weaker than Cena's. In build up to Wrestlemania for the greatest Championship in the company The Rock manages to imply or suggest that he should be running for president. He also pulled out all of the same tricks he normally does; childish insults and cliched token stock phrases; the more I've seen The Rock the more I wish he'd go away - he's rooted in the past and hasn't adapted well or transitioned, simply lived off of nostalgia, and for me this hasn't worked well during his 2012/2013 run and it didn't work here.
Chris Jericho and Antonio Cesaro pulled off a great match, as expected; have to say I am not a fan of the yodeling gimmick though. The interference of Fandango (you better read it right) was very well done, the score cards not only ties in with his gimmick but gives him a real arrogance that could perhaps match Jericho's, and that amazing kick by Jericho added a good amount of fuel to this strong looking feud. Having not seen Fandango in the ring I certainly hope he can live up to having a debut at Wrestlemania, but with Jericho in the match I am virtually certain this will be a solid match.
To close the show we had The Undertaker address CM Punk. I felt that this was done in typical Taker fashion, he is the only man on the roster who can talk of ending lives and claiming souls and be utterly believable. The approach of the Druids was somewhat shocking to me, and seeing Heyman dressed as Paul Bearer and holding the urn was simply brilliant; I do hope Heyman gets into the Hall of Fame one day, even if it's just for his run as CM Punk's friend. The sneak attack by Punk seemed obvious after seeing Heyman standing alone, but watching Punk pour the ashes and wash himself in them was a very nice touch. This is the match I was watching Wrestlemania for anyway, and in the short time it's had Punk has managed to get a lot of heat behind him, for me I think this is going to be Match of the Night.
One more week of waiting and we get to see the show of shows. I know I've missed some things out of this small review, but I believe the Henry/Ryback match will be great, as both are very skilled big men who possess tremedous power which could be used for some brilliant spots. I also didn't mention Punk's promo earlier in the show, but I thought it was great and he is the only person who seems to be callous enough to say; "Undertaker right now is more concerned with Paul Bearer's streak of waking up every single morning and the fact that that's now over; and that's a bad omen for The Undertaker and his streak". As I said above, the Streak match is again THE match to watch this Wrestlemania, and I hope that in a week or so I can write down how amazing it was.
First up for the night was a lengthy Cena promo, which in my opinion wasn't too bad to be fair. His opening line was great, considering the show was in Washington D.C. but he seemed to spend too long just talking and never really finalizing his points. To his credit, and he stated this, there was no childish name calling or any of his usual schtick, but he managed to lose the attention of the crowd as "BORING" chants echoed through the arena.
I also have to say, watching three well established superstars beat the job squad wasn't very interesting. I also found it strange how Randy Orton, The Big Show and Sheamus, all former heels who have had many run ins with each other basically walked through the arena side by side before their match. To me, this didn't give an impression of teamwork and unity, it just looked really strange and forced, as did The Big Show and Orton cheer leading for Sheamus' Brogue Kick. I enjoyed the conflict with The Shield at the end, but chasing them through the crowd and throwing them over the confection stand and out of the building doesn't make The Shield seem like a viable threat, and actually seems detrimental to the angle.
The Dolph Ziggler and Daniel Bryan match was a good match to technically watch, and the out of ring shenanigans make for an nice build up going into the tag match at Mania. This, to me, seems like one of the stronger rivalries the WWE have, and with the quality of the wrestlers the match is bound to be enjoyable, and whatever the outcome it will continue to bring prestige to the Tag Team Titles and will impress the fans.
The Triple H promo. For one, I am a huge fan of Shawn Michaels and seeing him on television again is always a pleasure. I felt his conversation with Triple H was earnest, honest and powerful; thinking about the on screen characters and the off screen duties of Triple H and Brock Lesnar, Shawn is probably right about this being H's life abd Brock only showing up for the money and the chance to beat people up. Paul Heyman's rebuttal was humorous, devious and 100% Heyman. Despite being a high profile rematch, this will be a good match to look out for.
Watching Swagger's promos with Zeb Colter seems very dull; I understand they're the racist heel duo trying to get heat, but they seem a bit like a broken record. Just saying "We the people" and talking about a countries former greatness doesn't push the same buttons it did in the 80's. I also feel that using Zeb Colter and Ricardo Rodriguez as driving forces for this feud detracts from the ability of Swagger and Del Rio and is sadly turning the World Heavyweight Championship into a farcical belt, and the attack on Rio with the crutches didn't seem as menacing as it must have been intended.
After this match we were graced with The Rock's presence (for a change...) and I felt his promo came off weaker than Cena's. In build up to Wrestlemania for the greatest Championship in the company The Rock manages to imply or suggest that he should be running for president. He also pulled out all of the same tricks he normally does; childish insults and cliched token stock phrases; the more I've seen The Rock the more I wish he'd go away - he's rooted in the past and hasn't adapted well or transitioned, simply lived off of nostalgia, and for me this hasn't worked well during his 2012/2013 run and it didn't work here.
Chris Jericho and Antonio Cesaro pulled off a great match, as expected; have to say I am not a fan of the yodeling gimmick though. The interference of Fandango (you better read it right) was very well done, the score cards not only ties in with his gimmick but gives him a real arrogance that could perhaps match Jericho's, and that amazing kick by Jericho added a good amount of fuel to this strong looking feud. Having not seen Fandango in the ring I certainly hope he can live up to having a debut at Wrestlemania, but with Jericho in the match I am virtually certain this will be a solid match.
To close the show we had The Undertaker address CM Punk. I felt that this was done in typical Taker fashion, he is the only man on the roster who can talk of ending lives and claiming souls and be utterly believable. The approach of the Druids was somewhat shocking to me, and seeing Heyman dressed as Paul Bearer and holding the urn was simply brilliant; I do hope Heyman gets into the Hall of Fame one day, even if it's just for his run as CM Punk's friend. The sneak attack by Punk seemed obvious after seeing Heyman standing alone, but watching Punk pour the ashes and wash himself in them was a very nice touch. This is the match I was watching Wrestlemania for anyway, and in the short time it's had Punk has managed to get a lot of heat behind him, for me I think this is going to be Match of the Night.
One more week of waiting and we get to see the show of shows. I know I've missed some things out of this small review, but I believe the Henry/Ryback match will be great, as both are very skilled big men who possess tremedous power which could be used for some brilliant spots. I also didn't mention Punk's promo earlier in the show, but I thought it was great and he is the only person who seems to be callous enough to say; "Undertaker right now is more concerned with Paul Bearer's streak of waking up every single morning and the fact that that's now over; and that's a bad omen for The Undertaker and his streak". As I said above, the Streak match is again THE match to watch this Wrestlemania, and I hope that in a week or so I can write down how amazing it was.
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