WWE Live Review: The
Odyssey Belfast, November 2013
Each year I am fortunate enough to be able to not only attend the bi-annual live
wrestling shows by the WWE, but we also get to review them as well.
This year however we
have decided to take a slightly different slant with out review and
instead of just giving you our loyal and treasured readers a run down
of the matches, our reviewer Phil Allely has opted to critique the
whole event instead.
WWE live shows over the
last few years especially have seen some of the industry's biggest
names grace NI's shores and of course that has led fans to turn out
in record numbers to see them. I for one have been fortunate enough
to have seen such names as Triple H, Shawn Michaels, Undertaker and
Kane all enter the ring in the Odyssey Arena. There have also of
course been appearances by more modern day heroes such as CM Punk,
John Cena and Rey Mysterio, amongst others.
But this November we
saw a card that was decidedly big name light and you know what it
worked better for it. Irishman Sheamus was injured and we were also
missing some heavy hitters like John Cena and Daniel Bryan, but
believe it or not that actually made things easier for us fans.
Yes the merchandise
stands were still full of Cena T-shirts etc. and the crowds did buy
it, but the fun thing here for me was the way the show was laid out.
In the last few years
the WWE has been slated for its more family friendly approach to
wrestling and a distinct lack of blood, violence and extreme actions.
However, one thing I will state is that whilst pay-per-views are of
course pre-planned and scripted (due to TV cameras etc. being
present), live house shows a re a very different beast.
Here mid-week in
November Belfast was treated to a reasonably well-paced collection of
matches that showed some of the WWE's mid-card players at their best
and a few main eventers prove their worth.
This was a show for the
whole family. The matches mostly featured a high level of audience
involvement, there were elements of comedy and when the violence did
kick in, it was not only believable, but intriguing.
A live WWE show is an
amazing thing to witness. This is something that takes in so much
more than the card itself. For many fans there are opportunities to
perhaps stay or visit the hotel where the wrestlers stay and meet
them. There are also a select few VIP events and shop-based meet and
greets. One amazing aspect is the fact that fans in their droves will
even visit the venue early to purchase merchandise prior to the show
as well.
What I witnessed here
was a WWE live show that was put together to prove a point. There
were many big names missing, but this was the chance for the rest of
the on-the-road crew to showcase their wares and they did it very
well indeed.
Highlights for me were
the wonderful entrance through the crowd by The Shield (which
occurred right beside my seat). The long-awaited appearance by
Goldust (who looked in amazing shape). The amazingly comedic
performance by Santino against Fandango was the perfect opener too.
There were a few wee
niggles however, a few matches over-ran and lost their appeal, plus I
personally would have put the Rhodes/Big E Vs Shield match as a
post-interval match rather than a pre one. One shame was that even
though they mentioned him by name (and his family were there) NI
wrestling legend Finlay was not there to make a surprise appearance.
All in all this live
WWE show ticked all the boxes and yes there were some empty seats,
but that is happening everywhere. The talent shone through and that
is what counts.
Roll on the next live
show in early 2014.
By Phil Allely
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