Apparently this is not the "Pro Wrestling" thread, but rather the "I Used to Watch Pro Wrestling" thread.
I enjoyed the shit out of Mania weekend. Takeover was one of the best cards WWE has ever put on, period. The opening ladder match and the closing 'unsanctioned' match were particularly excellent.
Mania was Mania. It was too long, but the show was hot fire until the crowd ran out of gas. After the Shane, Bryan, Owens, Zayn match, it looked like it could be the best one of all time. The last four matches dragged it down a bit, but they all served a purpose. Nia going over Alexa was the end of a really strong, long storyline. Nak-Styles was a bit of a let down, but it set up the heel turn and will probably be the first of an awesome trilogy I would expect to blow off at Summer Slam. Braun was a popcorn match with a fun, light-hearted moment. Roman-Bork was what it was.
To point out the fact that ratings have declined is a bit of cherry picking logic. Ratings for everything on TV have trended similarly. WWE's stock is at an all-time high. Their revenue and OpInc have been higher each of the past three years. Live crowds are packing stadiums. Network subscriptions are at an all-time high. I don't think McMahon is crying in his cereal over declining ratings.