While WWE has arguably never been hotter, most fans seem to agree that the build to this weekend’s WrestleMania 41 has been somewhat lackluster.
That’s not to say that the show won’t deliver or even exceed expectations. But compared to the most recent WrestleManias, there doesn’t appear to be as much buzz for this year’s show.
That’s a sentiment that Busted Open Radio host Dave LaGreca agrees with and expressed during an upcoming appearance on the Awful Announcing Podcast. As for why this year’s “Showcase of the Immortals” doesn’t possess as much pizzaz as the most recent WrestleManias — despite being in Las Vegas — LaGreca pointed the relatively underwhelming nature of the show’s undercard.
“I just think the value of every match on the show,” LaGreca answered when asked by Brandon Contes what this year’s build has been missing. “I think it’s very top-heavy. I think they put a lot of focus on the main event matches and not every match. There’s just some matches that haven’t had a really great build.
“I mean, you’re not gonna say that about the main events. Cody [Rhodes] and [John] Cena — no problem. The triple threat with Roman [Reigns], CM Punk and Seth [Rollins]? Great. Maybe even on accident, Tiffany [Stratton] and Charlotte [Flair]. But some of the other matches, I don’t know if there’s been much of a story or build leading into the matches.”
LaGreca, however, conceded that one of the reasons why this year’s build might seem underwhelming is because it merely hasn’t matched the level of last year’s WrestleMania 40, which is widely considered one of the greatest WrestleManias of all time. And he also noted that, “once you get to Vegas and once you get to WrestleMania, you kind of throw all that stuff out the window because you’re there at the event and it’s about the event.”
Listen to the full episode of the Awful Announcing Podcast beginning Friday, Apr. 18 which features Dave LaGreca talking about WrestleMania 41, WWE vs AEW, press conferences in pro wrestling, Vince McMahon and more. Subscribe to the show on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts. For more content, subscribe to AA’s YouTube page.
About Ben Axelrod
Ben Axelrod is a veteran of the sports media landscape, having most recently worked for NBC's Cleveland affiliate, WKYC. Prior to his time in Cleveland, he covered Ohio State football and the Big Ten for outlets including Cox Media Group, Bleacher Report, Scout and Rivals.