Bully Ray Likens WWE Raw Match Finish To Classic WrestleMania Moment
WrestleMania III is held up as the high-water mark for WWE main events. Hulk Hogan bodyslamming Andre The Giant, following a rousing comeback, has been touted as one of WWE's greatest moments by pundits in and out of WWE programming. On "Busted Open Radio," Bully Ray said he saw a glimmer of WrestleMania III in Monday's main event between Sami Zayn and World Heavyweight Champion Gunther.
"Sami Zayn kicked out at one...Who do we remember is the first person that you ever saw kick out at one?" Bully Ray asked. "Wasn't it Hulk [Hogan at WrestleMania III]?"
"To my memory too...Hulk made the kickout at one 'a thing,' where all of the sudden he came to life," Bully explained, calling it "The Adrenaline Spot" of a match. "Gunther hit two huge moves on Sami and Sami kicks[out] a one like he got a shot of adrenaline."
Bully appreciated that Sami didn't completely copy Hulk Hogan, as his fire was snuffed out as quickly as it began by a Rear Naked Choke from the World Heavyweight Champion.
"What it does to the fans is as important as what it does to the wrestler," Bully said, as the audience perks up the second Sami kicked out. "It gives them hope...As quickly as Gunther gives them that hope, he takes it all away."
"I'm a fan of how Gunther takes the finish at the most odd, weird, or unconventional moments. He doesn't follow traditional psychology," Bully explained, comparing Gunther's pacing to that of 1980s All Japan Pro Wrestling, where finishing moves come from seemingly nowhere. "Shock and awe."