WWE Hall of Famer Jim Ross recently spoke to Justin Barrasso for Sports Illustrated Extra Mustard‘s review of Wrestlemania 32.
Ross rates Wrestlemania 32, including the three main event matches, Roman Reigns’ position as a champion and babyface, and more:
Jim Ross grades Wrestlemania 32:
“I give the show a B-minus. The buildup was somewhat tepid since they were scrambling around with so many injuries, and there wasn’t much buzz going into WrestleMania, so I thought the show overachieved.”
JR weighs in on the Brock Lesnar / Dean Ambrose street fight:
“When you advertise a street fight, people expect blood. It is hard to have a bloodless street fight that creates angst and drama. I am not advocating that blood should return, but you put yourself in a corner when you book a match like this without including blood.
But it took thirteen suplexes and an F5 on a stack of steel chairs for Brock Lesnar to beat Dean Ambrose. When you put it in that context, Ambrose didn’t fair so badly.”
JR talks about Roman Reigns’ win:
“The WWE kept believing their machine could make Roman Reigns a fan favorite by WrestleMania, and it didn’t happen. That’s a matter of how he was booked. WWE has cast Reigns as a hero, but viewers do not accept him in that role.
“People gravitate to attitude. Austin’s attitude still holds up. Reigns became that defiant, anti-establishment guy, so people naturally compare him to the last anti-establishment guy, and that is Stone Cold. Those are awfully big shoes to fill.”
Roman Reigns’ future as champion:
“Reigns was a victim of timing and booking, but WWE really has the table set for a special heel turn. Unless WWE is hell bent on casting him as a hero, Reigns is posed for a big turn, possibly as soon as tonight. He would make a great heel champion.
Unless he’s deaf, Reigns is aware that the fans do not respect him. So there is a very real and organic story to tell with WWE pulling the trigger on a heel turn. If the dots don’t connect on Raw, then that’s the fault of creative in WWE for lacking continuity. But from the perspective of a former booker, they’ve got Reigns in the perfect spot to pull the trigger and turn him into a red hot heel.”
Which two matches impressed Jim Ross the most this weekend?
“I can make an argument that the best two matches I saw all weekend were the two women’s matches,” said Ross. “There were no better two damn matches than Asuka and Bayley at NXT and then Charlotte, Sasha Banks, and Becky Lynch in the triple threat match at WrestleMania. They were well laid-out, well executed, and the stories made sense.”
