The 2025 Spring Wrestling Thread! Feat: WRESTLEMANIA XLI! AEW Dynasty & Double or Nothing! NJPW BOSJ & Windy City Riot! And more!

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Welcome to Spring, graps fans!

The clocks have gone forward and the days are sunnier, which must mean it’s MANIA SEASON BABY!

Very handily taking place over Easter Weekend this year, let’s see what we currently have on the docket:

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with presumably a few matches still to come and Rhea being added to that Sky vs Belair match. Perhaps not the most inspiring card on paper but there’s a lot of potential here given the Fed’s current roll with their biggest shows.

Meanwhile tonight AEW are putting on Dynasty, before one of their “big 4” Double or Nothing at the end of May, which will feature the finales of the Owen Hart Tournaments.

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As always, this will be a show with many matches between many interchangeable characters who will inevitably put on bangers.

Over in Japan, (via Chicago) NJPW have a tasty looking card happening next Friday:

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before it’s onto the Best of the Super Juniors, this year interestingly including Nick Wayne!

Alright let’s do it to it, wrestling that is.

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Sakura Genesis was a really good show but all the New Japan fans want to talk about is, 'what the hell are they doing with Shota Umino?" They’ve blown all the goodwill he earned in the cup and his change in gear and attitude all seem to have amounted to him ending up in exactly the same spot. Only with less hair. Are they really trying to Roman Reigns him down our throats or is there some more subtle plan in play? The way they’re managing the rest of their young stars is impeccable but they really seem to be ruining Shota. And it’s baffling the hell out of even the most trusting of fans.

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I’ve decided the Mount Rushmore of Wrestlemanias is

17
19
30
39

39 is insane. Charlotte/Rhea is 5 stars. As is the Usos Vs KO and Sami, Roman Vs Cody, Shane McMahon breaking his knee, and Gunther/Sheamus/McIntyre. Belair/Asuka is great too. One of the best sets of all time too.

What yours babes

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I’d put 40 up there too

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Didn’t watch it as I had other stuff going on/card didn’t really speak to me but glad it turned out alright

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Probably 5th as the highs are extremely high but there’s some proper guff too.

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Thought Jimmy and Jey was the only real duff one, even that garbage time hardcore tag team match served its (admittedly very loose) purpose?

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Becky/Rhea doesn’t really work imo. Hardcore, multiman tag, luchadorefest all very nothingy. LA Knight Vs AJ Styles awful. Jimmy/Jey a blight. I’d also argue that Iyo/Bayley wasn’t the classic it should have been but I might be alone on that.

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Can see your points for everything except Bayley vs Iyo, which I think is actually quite an underrated classic, it’s just blighted by the absolute nothingness Bayley’s ensuing reign went on to be

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Yeah might be being influenced by that, or fatigue from watching a ridiculous amount of wrestling that weekend, or the fact that they are possibly my two favourite female wrestlers ever and expectations were too high.

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And the “what was that” Egyptian entrance for Bayley

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It’s brilliant. MOTY last year imo. Perfect example of gimmick-free pure storytelling.

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17
30
39
40

3 has Savage v Steamboat so comes next I think.

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Alright alright I’ll rewatch it

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Love seeing 19 on your list!
Definitely in my top 5 for sure

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15
2000
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Havent seen any others

Oh wait i saw the first night of the lockdown one. Put that last

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Wrestling! Still think Mania Will be fun this year even with that card.

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Both triple threats, Naomi v Jade, the main event and whatever they do with Bron should be good value at least tbf.

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It’s SPRIIIIIIING!