Wrestlemania Week 2019

Welcome to Wrestlemania Week 2019.

People around the globe frequently refer to Christmas as the most wonderful time of the year. But for wrestling fans, that amazing period is now with Wrestlemania season.

The Sports Entertainment spectacular has gripped fans for 35 years. It has the unique ability to draw in casual fans and those who may have tuned out from the sport as they got older.

Here at ESSR, we believe that such an event and what goes on around it can’t be justified with our usual one weekly episode. So for the second straight year, we are providing 10 days worth the best coverage available on Wrestlemania and the events that go on around it.

This, is ESSR Wrestlemania Week 2019. Here is the content we have released this year.

Wrestlemania 35 Weekend Review

The biggest weekend of the wrestling calendar is over. Here we look back on Wrestlemania 35 weekend.

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After a year of waiting, it’s over in the blink of an eye. Wrestlemania, and all the events that surrounded it, are in the books for another 12 months.

With so much going in across the weekend, it’s difficult to sum it up in just 90 mins. On top of Mania itself, you had the Hall of Fame plus the ever amazing NXT Takeover.

Wrestlemania 35 Next Day Reaction

As with any Takeover show, they put on a phenomenal evening of wrestling crammed into three hours that set the tone perfectly for the days that followed.

Outwith the WWE, you had the historic G1 Supercard which saw New Japan Pro Wrestling and Ring of Honor team up.

It’s difficult to imagine a year ago a company not WWE headlining The Garden. The fact that it was partly a non American company that did it in New Japan is even more astonishing.

Superstar Profile: Kofi Kingston

Unsurprisingly, the event delivered in a big way. However, it wasn’t without it’s share of controversy that wasn’t expected going in.

And we aren’t even touching upon the other shows that went on

So much wrestling, so little time to discuss.

Steven Wilson and his panels give their best shot at giving their concrete Wrestlemania 35 weekend review in our latest podcast. They give their ratings for the two big WWE shows as well as discuss whether the G1 invasion was a work or a shoot.

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Wrestlemania 35 Next Day Reaction

The next day is usually the best day for reaction. Was this the case for our team in our Wrestlemania 35 Next Day Reaction show.

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And breathe. The biggest show of the year – Wrestlemania – is done and dusted for another year. And what a night it was.

Shocks, emotional moments and a painful use of pliers were all dished out over the course of a pulsating evening.

8 hours of wrestling in one night sure is no mean feat though. It’s even worst for us based in the UK.

Our usual 4am shift is tough, but trying to survive until 5.30am this time around was difficult.

Hall of Fame 2019

One thing is for certain though is that the best analysis of an event comes on the spot. First thought in the mind, quick fire analysis.

A great example last year was how most of our team slated Braun winning the tag titles with a kid. Fast forward a couple of days though and a lot of us seen the sense in the move marketing wise for WWE.

Will this year see a similar level of analysis?

Our team attempted to provide this perfectly this year with our next day Wrestlemania reaction. With less than 20 hours sleep between the panel, Allan McLucas looks to navigate 16 matches in about an hour of air time.

Superstar Profile: Batista

Here’s our Wrestlemania 35 Next Day analysis. Warning, panelists may be knackered at time of recording!!

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Al Snow Interview

He was a massive fan favourite in the Attitude Era. Now, find out what Al Snow is up to now in our exclusive interview.

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If you ask many wrestling fans in their 20s-30s, they will cite the Attitude Era as their favourite point in the sport. One of the most recognisable figures of that time was a man who spoke to a manikins head. That man was Al Snow.

From The Job Squad to feuding with Scotland’s own Grado in TNA, Al has certainly had a career to remember. He wasn’t always the lunatic style character though. Early doors, he was pegged to be the replacement for Shawn Michaels in The Rockers 2.0.

With this role achieving little success though, he moved to ECW. It was in Paul Heyman’s out-the-track promotion that he discovered the character that would make him famous.

When the gimmick came and went, he was able to reinvent himself as a trainer with the WWE. Snow was influential in training the next group of recruits in the early seasons of the reality show Tough Enough.

Now, in an exclusive as he travels to New York for Wrestlemania season, the former Hardcore, European and Tag Team Champion discusses his WWE career, what he has done since he left, and how proud he was to be a part of the Tough Enough series.

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Wrestlemania 35 Main Preview

Find out who we think will win the premier matches at Wrestlemania 35.

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The countdown to the biggest sports entertainment spectacular of the year is well and truly in full swing.

With just days to go until Wrestlemania, the near year-long build up to the event is set to climax with the WWE putting all their eggs in the baskets on several big matches which are being relied on to decide whether or not Mania 35 will be a success or not.

In this, the fifth show of our Wrestlemania week coverage, Steven Wilson and his panel preview the big matches on the card, including the historic main event triple threat for both the RAW and SD Women’s Championships.

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Hall of Fame 2019

We look in depth at this year’s WWE Hall of Fame inductees.

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Nothing quite says Wrestlemania weekend more than the Hall of Fame Ceremony.

Ross, David, Allan, and Nathan dissect this years class, who we feel deserves it, and also talk about who they would like to see go in in future years.

That along with our thoughts on The Warrior Award, 2 time inductees, what sweets the panel where eating, and the usual carry on you come to expect from when Ross hosts a show!

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Scott Stanford Interview & WrestleMania Run Down

WWE broadcaster Scott Stanford speaks to Suplex Retweet.

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To many fans in the UK, he is one of the most recognised voices in WWE as host of weekly shows such as Afterburn, Bottom Line and most recently, This Week in WWE.

The Purge Interview

Now, in his first ever Scottish interview, WWE Interviewer, Host and Commentator Scott Stanford sits down with us to discuss his career to date and previews the biggest matches at Wrestlemania 35 this weekend!

Ashton Smith Interview

We discuss Kofimania, the historic women’s title match headlining the show of shows, if Baron Corbin really will be Kurt Angles final opponent AND… being cat-fished by a Scottish woman? Have a listen to hear that plus much more!

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G1 Supercard Preview

One of all you non-WWE fans as we preview the G1 Supercard.

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Wrestlemania isn’t the only major show in town this weekend. There’s also an independent scene thriving and ready to rock Mania week.

The scene has seen two companies forge a relationship over the last number of years. Based in different continents, they’ve combined their rosters and strengths together to develop a working partnership that has in a way both benefited and hindered them in a one way or another at points.

One of these in Ring of Honor. Known for creating great technical wrestlers in the past, they’ve been seen as the America’s third company outside of WWE and TNA over the past decade.

The other is New Japan Pro Wrestling, who have always been amazing. However, they have thrived in the Western Hemisphere in recent years due to the commercial success of the Bullet Club and The Elite in particular.

This success in the States really hit home last year where both promotions announced they were putting on a joint show in Madison Square Garden – the long time ‘home’ of the WWE.

The show sold out in relatively quick fashion not long after tickets went on sale. Given the fact that no matches had been confirmed and this was still a month before the successful ALL IN show took place, this was quite the show of intent.

The fact that WWE decided to move their NXT Takeover show from the Saturday to the Friday showed that even they knew eyes would be on this mega event.

On top of all the independent shows going on in New York, we look at the ROH & NJPW supershow. the G1 Supercard.

Our panel breakdown the card, as well as discussing the significance of a non WWE show being held in MSG.

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NXT Takeover: New York Preview

It might be one day earlier than usual, but it’s still equally anticipated. We preview NXT Takeover New York.

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Every NXT title is on the line!

Wrestlemania 35: The Undercard

We have gathered 4 of our NXT experts to breakdown and analyse all matches happening at NXT Takeover: New York, including the NXT UK championship being on the line where WALTER looks to stop Pete Dunne’s epic reign as champion.

Shayna Baszler faces her toughest challenge to date when she takes on 3 of NXT’s finest women in Bianca Bel Air, former champion Kairi Sane and the “genius of the sky” Io Shirai.

Superstar Profile: Kofi Kingston

Finally, a new NXT champion will be crowned as Johnny Gargano and Adam Cole battle it out in a 2 out of 3 falls match to prove who really is the best in NXT!

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Superstar Profile: Kofi Kingston

KofiMania is running wild!! Ahead of his big world title shot at Wrestlemania, we look back at the WWE career of Kofi Kingston.

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Kofimania is running wild on the WWE currently and what about better time it is for us at ESSR to discuss the man himself.

Coming off the back of an amazing few weeks for one third of the New Day which has lead to a WWE universal title match at Wrestlemania with Daniel Bryan.

Is he the hottest male wrestler on the roster? Tune in to part four of our Wrestlemania week coverage and listen to Derek Kernahan and his panel discuss whether this is Kofi Kingston time!

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Superstar Profile: Batista

GIVE US WHAT WE WANT!! Well here you have it, a look back at the career of Batista ahead of his return match.

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On The road to WrestleMania 35, we look into the profile of the returning Batista before his upcoming match against Triple H.

A decorated superstar, inside and outside the squared circle, the animal began his career as an enforcer for the likes of Triple H in the stable Evolution, to becoming multi-time World Heavyweight Champion.

Andy, Ross and David discuss the Animal’s career spanning from his training his early years on Raw and Smackdown, to his upcoming feud with Triple H, as well as looking at his career outside of WWE.

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Wrestlemania 35 The Undercard

Our preview of Wrestlemania 35 kicks off with a look at the undercard matches planned for the event.

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Wrestlemania is always a high profile event.  Careers can made or broken, storylines reach a climax and the ‘shock factor’ can always throw us a curveball.

However, there are always matches on the card that get overlooked. One’s that aren’t as heavily featured compared to the ‘main event’ calibre matches. 

These matches are often for mid-card championships such as the United States or Intercontinental championships.

Whilst overlooked by some, these matches have the potential to be hidden gems or even ‘Match of the Night’. Take last year’s IC Title triple threat or the recent ladder matches for example.

There has been debate amongst the wrestling community recently that a spot on the Wrestlemania card should be earned. The edition of the Battle Royals over the last five years has seen wrestlers get on the Mania card despite no build over the year. 

Some would argue that it damages superstars’ credibility. Others would say it’s just an excuse to make sure everyone gets on the card.

With David H leading the discussion, the team discuss this year’s Wrestlemania 35 undercard matches. They talk about United States, Intercontinental and Cruiserweight championship matches as well as the two Battle Royals.

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TJ Perkins Interview

Fresh off of leaving WWE, listen to one of the post interviews since with TJ Perkins.

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He made history when he outlasted 31 other men to win the WWE Crusierweight Classic tournament back in 2016 – taking with it the new version of the WWE Cruiserweight Championship.

Now, less than three years on from that night, TJ Perkins is back on the independent scene having been released from the company at the beginning of 2019.

In one of his first interviews since being let go, The Fil-Am Flash talked to us about his starting off in the industry, working in the indies, doing promos with Hulk Hogan, his time in WWE, why he was released and those rumours about signing for All Elite Wrestling.

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