WrestleMania Today Recap with Ric Flair, Randy Orton, Paige, Bad News Barrett, More

– The first WrestleMania Today special aired on the WWE Network this evening. There will be other episodes airing this week and we will have notes from those shows also. Below are highlights from the first WrestleMania Today from San Jose:

 


 

* The show kicks off from WrestleMania 31 Axxess in San Jose with Michael Cole, Corey Graves and Booker T. They hype the show before Cole leads us to a video package looking at Brock Lesnar’s big announcement about re-signing with WWE on ESPN. Booker says Brock made a smart choice and an easy choice. Cole says one of the things that makes Lesnar dangerous is his hunger. Cole asks if Lesnar will become complacent and Graves says absolutely not. Graves says Lesnar re-signing was a statement. Graves believes Lesnar was putting everyone on notice – he plans to be WWE World Heavyweight Champion for a while. Cole leads us to a video package for Roman Reigns vs. Lesnar.

* We come back and Cole talks about the past year Lesnar has had since ending The Streak. They talk about the match and Booker believes Reigns has a good chance. Booker goes with Reigns while Cole and Graves predict Lesnar will retain. We see fans lining up outside to get into Axxess. Cole leads us to a video package for the Intercontinental Title Ladder Match.

* We come back and Intercontinental Champion Bad News Barrett is with the panel. He does not have his title as it’s been taken by WWE officials for Sunday’s match. Barrett makes it clear he’s the only Intercontinental Champion. Barrett says he’s brought the IC Title back to the prestige it had when guys like Randy Savage and Steve Austin held. Booker doesn’t seem so sure about that. He asks where Barrett goes next if he loses on Sunday, bringing up his 0-4 record going into WrestleMania and how he’s injury prone. Graves and Barrett both look taken back by the injury prone comment. Barrett says Booker is about to become injury prone also. He says he has on intention of losing and is better than the other opponents. He says the only thing they’re better at is stealing, calling them thieves. Barrett says losing on Sunday isn’t even entering his mind. Barrett says he’s going to prove once again why he’s a five-time champion. Cole leads us to a promo for the WWE Hall of Fame.

* Back from the break and the panel discusses Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins now. Booker believes Orton is in the prime of his career now. Cole leads us to a sitdown interview with Booker and Orton. The interview was filmed on Orton’s tour bus and is more of a lengthy video package. Orton talked about his history with The Authority and brings up how he never got a rematch for the title. Booker asks if Rollins wins, does that make Orton the past and Rollins the future. Orton says at WrestleMania we’re going to get every version we’ve ever seen of him – The Viper, The Apex Predator and The Legend Killer. Orton says if Rollins can beat him, how is he not the future? Orton says he nor Rollins will be an after-thought after WrestleMania but everyone will know who is the best and that’s him. Orton says the future is right here. He shakes hands with Booker to end it. We come back to the panel and Booker puts Orton over. Graves praises Rollins and says this is the biggest opportunity in his career and he’s going to take advantage of it. Cole leads us to a Hall of Fame video for Kevin Nash.

* The Network has some streaming issues but we come back to a video package looking at John Cena winning the United States Title at WrestleMania 20. More Network difficulties but they air a video for Rusev vs. Cena and everyone on the panel puts Rusev over. Cole says Ric Flair will be here soon but he leads us to a video package on Sting to hype the match with Triple H. We come back and Flair has joined the panel. Flair says he’s been trying to get Sting to come to WWE since 1993. Flair says Sting could have been bigger than anyone in WWE history. Cole asks why Sting came to WWE now. Flair calls it unfinished business. Flair take a shot at the TNA Hall of Fame when talking about Sting going into the WWE Hall of Fame eventually. Flair says whatever happens on Sunday, Sting will come out of it as a Hall of Famer. Booker says this will be a defining moment for Sting and jokes that he could prove WCW had the best wrestlers all along. Cole asks if Triple H knows what he’s getting into with Sting. Flair says he’s not taking a shot here but if you would have said Daniel Bryan would beat Triple H last year he would not have believed it but it happened. Flair brings up Triple H being out of the ring for a year and says he’s still a young guy and has the most positive attitude but time off is the worst thing for a wrestler. Flair predicts that Triple H will get the win. Flair doesn’t think Triple H will go down this time after losing to Daniel Bryan and The Undertaker previously. Flair says Triple H losing again this year would hurt his legacy. Cole leads us to a Hall of Fame video for Arnold Schwarzenegger.

* Michael Cole announces that the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal will now take place on the Kickoff Pre-show. The Miz and Damien Sandow end up joining the panel and we get some comedy. Miz says he’s winning the battle royal. Cole asks what happens if it comes down to just Miz and Sandow in the match. He asks Sandow if he will do his job as an assistant. Sandow says, “contractually…” but Miz interrupts. Miz says Sandow will help him eliminate everyone and then Miz will order Sandow to throw himself over, and he will. Booker asks Sandow if he’s really going to do that. Sandow says he works for Miz and according to Miz, that’s what is going to happen. Miz threatens to fire Sandow if he doesn’t comply, taking away his dream of being in WWE. Sandow calls that a tough pill to swallow. We get more hype for the show and a video package for Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker.

* Cole asks Booker why would Wyatt wake The Undertaker from the dead. Booker says this is going to be a hell of a walk for Wyatt because WrestleMania is Taker’s playground. Cole says he’s surprised Taker is coming back and brings up how he was a broken shell of himself when we last saw him. He ask Graves what he expects to see on Sunday. Graves still can’t get the image of a broken Taker out of his head. Graves says time is not on Taker’s side but if anyone can make it happen, it’s Taker. Graves says Wyatt has been on fire and maybe it’s insanity or genius to call out Taker. He wonders if this is how Wyatt creates his own legacy. Booker predicts Taker will win while Graves goes with Wyatt and Cole picks Taker.

* We get a sitdown interview/video package with Booker T and Seth Rollins next, similar to the one with Orton earlier. Rollins says in 2015, we will see the best Seth Rollins we’ve ever seen. Cole talks about how confident Rollins is and how he believe what he says. Cole leads us to a video package with other Divas talking about how much drama AJ Lee, Paige and The Bella Twins are creating in the locker room. We come back to the panel and Paige is out. She talks about her past year with WWE but says she has a lot more to do. She says one day she wants to be in the Hall of Fame. Paige talks about the match on Sunday and how they all want to beat each other up. She feels her team with AJ can be unstoppable. Cole wishes Paige good luck at her first WrestleMania. Cole leads us to a Brock Lesnar’s ESPN interview with Jonathan Coachman.

* Back from a break and we see the pre-taped Brock Lesnar interview that aired on RAW. Cole says he can’t see Reigns defeating Lesnar at WrestleMania. Cole says Lesnar is hungry and in the best shape of his career. Cole goes on record and says Roman Reigns does not stand a chance on Sunday. Booker believes Reigns can get it done but Graves disagrees. Graves says the match does have a big fight feel but he thinks Lesnar will be champion for a long time. They hype the show some more and that’s it for WrestleMania Today.

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