[Raven8000]

While the card for this year’s Mania does contain some potentially decent matches and Rock hosting should be great. But it doesn't have that WOW factor it has every year. It just feels like a Summerslam at best. We can all feel it, something is missing. And it's HBK.

Yes i know he is in the HOF and Yes i know he isn't gonna do one more match etc...

But Wrestlemania just aint the same without him. Before his back injury he put on some memorable Mania matches. But since he came back in 2002 he has practically had the best mach at each Mania since. We know every year that he is gonna put on a top class match and give us a show.

Now that's gone, Mr Wrestlemania is gone. I know it's been a year since he retired but I can't help feel sad that we'll never see Mr Wrestlemania wrestle another Wrestlemania.

This also brings on another daunting prospect.

Wrestlemania 28 will almost definatly be Takers last. A Wrestlemania without HBK is one think but without Taker and the streak? How weird will that be? He is the last Wrestlemania superstar.

What I mean by that is, he is the last of the people who made Mania as amazing as it is. Let’s face it Hogan, Andre, Roddy, Bret, Austin, Rock, Shawn. Their all gone, the people that made Mania and all the great memories we have.

I mean I know we got Trips still and he has his own Mania legacy but nothing like HBK and Taker. Plus he'll probably be going soon anyway.

It's just tough knowing that it's the end of an era. The guys I grew up watching are all but gone and Mania will never feel the same. None of the current roster can fill the boots of past Wrestlemania greats. Maybe they will in the future, I don't know.

But for now I can’t help feel like a massive whole has been left by HBK’s departure and it’s only gonna be made bigger when Taker goes next you. And who is gonna fill them? My guess....Nobody.

 

[zombiemaster]

Well it's Daniel Bryan's WM debut maybe he's gonna step for HBK?
I can imagine him wanting to do something special for WM.

HHH is gone after he loses, remember all that 'die trying' talk?

Cheer up, we still have Mark Henry - The REAL last outlaw!

 

[Kratosx23]

No, it doesn't feel like WrestleMania because WWE has Rock hosting and Austin there, so they're not trying to properly build the matches correctly because they know they've got guaranteed buys from most people. It has nothing to do with Michaels. It's simple laziness.

 

[11Shareef]

I hate agreeing with Pyro but I usually do

 

[Vic Capri]

WM 17 and 18 did fine without Michaels around.

- Vic

 

[swagger_ROCKS]

No, it doesn't feel like WrestleMania because WWE has Rock hosting and Austin there, so they're not trying to properly build the matches correctly because they know they've got guaranteed buys from most people. It has nothing to do with Michaels. It's simple laziness.

Well its actually true, this was proven when HHH and Undertaker did their first promo when they returned.

 

[nukeinyourhair]

They were fine when HBK retired the first time and built the next generation of stars. This is a transition WM, a WM that should hopefully build some stars.

 

[DinoBravo87]

Well it's Daniel Bryan's WM debut maybe he's gonna step for HBK?
I can imagine him wanting to do something special for WM.

HAHAHAHAHHAAHHAHA. Gotta love the Daniel Bryan marks. What a joke!!! Boring, boring, boring.

 

[Chosen]

As people have said before me, HBK wasn' there for WM 17 and 18 and it had the special Mania feel. Besides, people complain that Mania doesn't feel special every year so this year is nothing new

 

[murder]

HBK will be at Mania no matter what. He gets inducted into the HOF the night before and all the inductees always appear at Wrestlemania itself.

 

[Raven8000]

I agree with the people who talk about WM 17/18. Yes they did fine. But they were full of great stars. Rock, Austin, HHH, Taker, Hogan, Angle, Benoit, Jericho etc...

What I am getting at is soon HHH and Taker will be gone along with HBK and it will be an end of an era. The WWE won't have these big stars to fall back on anymore.

It's sad because the stars I grew up with are nearly gone. And while I do have respect for the current roster, there is alot of talent and future prospects. You can't fill the hole left by these legends.

 

[Ronstera]

Well they still have Edge, while not as good as he was, he can still put up a decent match..

 

[peowulf]

Well it's Daniel Bryan's WM debut maybe he's gonna step for HBK?
I can imagine him wanting to do something special for WM.

HHH is gone after he loses, remember all that 'die trying' talk?

Cheer up, we still have Mark Henry - The REAL last outlaw!

It's not confirmed that Bryan will have a match at Wrestlemania yet.

I'd like a triple threat with Ziggler and Morrison.

 

[The Caped Crusader]

Nah, I don't agree.

The hottest feuds going into Wrestlemania 19 were Hogan/Vince and Austin/Rock.

The hottest feuds going into Wrestlemania 20 were Lesnar/Goldberg and Evolution/Rock & Sock Connection.

The hottest feud going into Wrestlemania 21 was, by far, Batista/Triple H.

The hottest feud going into Wrestlemania 22 was, by far, Cena/Triple H.

The hottest feud going into Wrestlemania 25 was, by far, Orton/Triple H.

There were several good feuds going into Wrestlemania 24 and 26. There were no hot feuds going into Wrestlemania 23 (they relied on star power alone).

It has nothing to do with HBK and all to do with booking.

 

[Ethan1993]

Feels like Wrestlemania to me. Cena/Rock interaction has been fascinating, lots of oldies returning (Stone Cold, Trish, Rock, possibly Diesel), Lawler-Cole has been brewing for months and Cole's eventual ass-kicking will be a great payoff, ADR-Edge is a weak spot, but I think it's been great. More undercard matches to come, and of course, the big HHH-Taker match. Promo's have been meh, but it's still a big match regardless.

 

[NJ88]

I would agree a little. For me at least. I think it's a mixture between a highly underwhelming card and HBK not being there.

I mean, the last couple of years his match has been the one I've been most looking forward too. He was the guy who could be relied upon to consistantly get a classic match at Wrestlemania each year, no matter who is his opponent. He just has a certain auror about him which makes the event more must see. He isn't called 'Mr Wrestlemania' for nothing, and he's been the focal point of the majority of the past six or seven manias.

WM19: vs. Jericho: The least hyped 'main evnet level' match which still ended up better than anything else imo
WM20: vs. Benoit/HHH: THE main event, and a candidate for best match ever.
WM21: vs. Kurt Angle: The match everyone wanted to see, and another match which blew everything else out the water.
WM23: vs. John Cena (although Batista/Undertaker was just as important I guess)
WM24: vs. Flair in a retirement match which overshadowed everything else despite being in the middle of the card.
WM25: vs. Undertaker in the MOTY, classic match which blew evrything else out of the water.
WM26: vs. Undertaker, THE main event and another match which was on a differnt level to everything else

I think you get the point. HBK can be relied upon, he's a special attraction at this even, and something people look forward to seeing. That's gone, and you don't ahve that guy to bring out the show stopping performance. All the guys capeable of putting on such a show are in minor roles (Morrison/Ziggler/Bryan etc) so for me, I maybe look forward to seeing the outcomes, I don't look forward to watching the matches, which isn't a good feeling. Having HBK on the Mania card made it must watch, and made you feel as though you get your moneys worth.

 

[Raven8000]

I think arguably Shawn in fact has put on better matches since his back injury than before it. But combine the two and he has to be the most succesful guy ever at Wrestlemania. Yeah Taker has his streak but alot of those matches have been ok-good. Where as HBK always puts on a fantastic match against a good quality of opponent. Alot of Takers haven't been that great.

But to my original point they are both such a hige part of Mania it'll be tough when they are both gone. And i don't think anyone can step up to that level

 

[Zig-Kick.]

It doesn't feel that way because its all samey.
Wwe don't have 2 stars who haven't already faced off yet, what is there left for them to do?

 

[Bobholly39]

Nah, I don't agree.

The hottest feuds going into Wrestlemania 19 were Hogan/Vince and Austin/Rock.

The hottest feuds going into Wrestlemania 20 were Lesnar/Goldberg and Evolution/Rock & Sock Connection.

The hottest feud going into Wrestlemania 21 was, by far, Batista/Triple H.

The hottest feud going into Wrestlemania 22 was, by far, Cena/Triple H.

The hottest feud going into Wrestlemania 25 was, by far, Orton/Triple H.

There were several good feuds going into Wrestlemania 24 and 26. There were no hot feuds going into Wrestlemania 23 (they relied on star power alone).

It has nothing to do with HBK and all to do with booking.

All of this may, or may not be truth...lots of it is opinion regarding hottest feuds, etc


But the fact of the matter is HBK has been a HUUUUGE part of mania the past few years...every year he puts on an AWESMOE, AWESOME, AWESOME match. It's something to look forward to.

you want to say it's a guarantee that Taker wins at mania every year? It's also been a guarantee that HBK puts on an awesome performance/match. So the fact that he's retired and won't be wrestling this year, it definately makes for something huge lacking this year.

 

[Shawn Morrison]

O'Come On! DAVID OTUNGA IS THE PERFECT REPLACEMENT FOR HBK! and Kelly Kelly will pull out the next WM streak for the divas, and she will take Taker's spot.