Written by: Kevin Berge (Images Courtesy of: WWE.com)
As Ryback looks out at the quarter filled arena, with most people still stuck waiting to get in, he realizes that they lied to him when they said he was still competing at WrestleMania.
Kalisto def. Ryback to Retain the WWE United States Championship
Overview: Kalisto tried to get the match rolling quickly by bouncing off the ropes but stopped each time when he saw Ryback staring him down. He locked in a headlock but got slammed into the mat then was thrown to the outside. Kalisto hit a bulldog but was sent outside again by a powerful kickout. On the outside, Kalisto hit the double knees off the apron.
Ryback though was barely faced, slamming Kalisto into the floor then the steel post then the barricade. Ryback then military pressed Kalisto right back into the ring. With each Kalisto rally, he was quickly squashed and took knee after knee on the mat. Kalisto tried to hit a tilt-a-whirl but ran into a modified Michinoku driver for two.
Fighting on the top rope, Ryback set up a delayed superplex which Kalisto turned midair into a crossbody for two. Ryback recovered quickly and set up the Shell Shocked, but Kalisto reversed into a DDT and the Full Throttle. Kalisto hit a series of kicks then the corkscrew for two.
Ryback caught a Kalisto kick and hit a sudden spinebuster. Ryback refused to let Kalisto use the ropes for leverage then set up a powerbomb, but Kalisto fought out, knocked Ryback head first into the turnbuckle, and hit a sudden Salida Del Sol for the win.
Analysis: This match went almost nine minutes officially, but it felt like far too few. The two were going strong, telling a great story with their chemistry fully in view. Then abruptly it ended. Maybe it's expecting too much that this match get more time than it did, but this felt like it was six minutes not nearly nine and never got to the point of hitting its second gear.
Still, I commend both men for their performance. The story was almost perfectly told even though the action never ramped. Kalisto kept trying to get Ryback down but couldn't with Ryback's power so clearly emphasized. It was an even match throughout with hopefully more to come from these two with a better platform.
Ryback though was barely faced, slamming Kalisto into the floor then the steel post then the barricade. Ryback then military pressed Kalisto right back into the ring. With each Kalisto rally, he was quickly squashed and took knee after knee on the mat. Kalisto tried to hit a tilt-a-whirl but ran into a modified Michinoku driver for two.
Fighting on the top rope, Ryback set up a delayed superplex which Kalisto turned midair into a crossbody for two. Ryback recovered quickly and set up the Shell Shocked, but Kalisto reversed into a DDT and the Full Throttle. Kalisto hit a series of kicks then the corkscrew for two.
Ryback caught a Kalisto kick and hit a sudden spinebuster. Ryback refused to let Kalisto use the ropes for leverage then set up a powerbomb, but Kalisto fought out, knocked Ryback head first into the turnbuckle, and hit a sudden Salida Del Sol for the win.
Analysis: This match went almost nine minutes officially, but it felt like far too few. The two were going strong, telling a great story with their chemistry fully in view. Then abruptly it ended. Maybe it's expecting too much that this match get more time than it did, but this felt like it was six minutes not nearly nine and never got to the point of hitting its second gear.
Still, I commend both men for their performance. The story was almost perfectly told even though the action never ramped. Kalisto kept trying to get Ryback down but couldn't with Ryback's power so clearly emphasized. It was an even match throughout with hopefully more to come from these two with a better platform.
Rating: 7.5/10
The crowd was not quite disappointed to be stuck filing in knowing this was going on while they waited.
Brie Bella, Alicia Fox, Paige, Natalya, and Eva Marie def. Lana, Naomi, Tamina, Summer Rae, and Emma
Overview: Summer and Alicia started with a collar and elbow tie up, and Fox quickly began throwing elbows. Summer Rae fought back with a DDT for two but then took a single leg dropkick then a tilt-a-whirl backbreaker for two. All the Divas got into it in the middle of the ring with the referee barely gaining control before a full brawl.
Eva and Emma went at it with Marie hitting a flying headscissors and back to back snap suplex. Eva then forced Natalya to tag in with Natalya quickly taking a hard slap and being isolated in the heel corner. Naomi hit her series of kicks and a dropkick but missed a splash and got taken out with Natalya hitting a Hart Attack with Paige on Naomi.
Paige hit a shining wizard then stopped a potential Naomi rally by dodging her charge and sending her into the ropes. Emma got the tag and hit a wheelbarrow suplex for two. Lana tagged in and began hitting a series of strong kicks before letting Tamina continue the dominance.
Team BAD tried to hit a double team move on Paige but were stopped by Natalya, allowing the action to spill outside and Paige to hit a flying crossbody off the top rope. Lana berated Tamina back into the ring to stop Paige tagging out. Paige finally got separation against Emma and tagged in Brie who went off on the heels.
Naomi took a Bella Buster and was saved by Lana breaking up the pin. Natalya took out Lana. Tamina took out Natalya. Eva took out Tamina. Summer took out Eva. Alicia took out Summer. Emma took out Alicia. Paige took out Emma. Naomi took out Paige. Brie then went for a running knee on Naomi but was blocked.
Brie then blocked a split legged moonsault and went to the top rope with Lana knocking her off. Naomi thought she had it, but she fell right into a Yes Lock for the submission. Nikki Bella came out to celebrate the win with her sister in what was Brie's final match.
Analysis: This match got a full eleven minutes, and it never went anywhere. It was exactly as expected. Each woman got about one minute of time to perform, and they mostly spent it in domination mode. There were too many people involved in this mess. Brie Bella didn't even wrestle in the match until the closing sequence.
The closing minute was the only part of the match that really went anywhere, and that was really just sloppy execution of finishers that helped clear out the ring. There was nothing to this match. Brie got her moment (which is rare for retiring wrestlers who usually go out on a loss), and that was kind of nice even though the post-match celebration was clipped for more advertisements.
Eva and Emma went at it with Marie hitting a flying headscissors and back to back snap suplex. Eva then forced Natalya to tag in with Natalya quickly taking a hard slap and being isolated in the heel corner. Naomi hit her series of kicks and a dropkick but missed a splash and got taken out with Natalya hitting a Hart Attack with Paige on Naomi.
Paige hit a shining wizard then stopped a potential Naomi rally by dodging her charge and sending her into the ropes. Emma got the tag and hit a wheelbarrow suplex for two. Lana tagged in and began hitting a series of strong kicks before letting Tamina continue the dominance.
Team BAD tried to hit a double team move on Paige but were stopped by Natalya, allowing the action to spill outside and Paige to hit a flying crossbody off the top rope. Lana berated Tamina back into the ring to stop Paige tagging out. Paige finally got separation against Emma and tagged in Brie who went off on the heels.
Naomi took a Bella Buster and was saved by Lana breaking up the pin. Natalya took out Lana. Tamina took out Natalya. Eva took out Tamina. Summer took out Eva. Alicia took out Summer. Emma took out Alicia. Paige took out Emma. Naomi took out Paige. Brie then went for a running knee on Naomi but was blocked.
Brie then blocked a split legged moonsault and went to the top rope with Lana knocking her off. Naomi thought she had it, but she fell right into a Yes Lock for the submission. Nikki Bella came out to celebrate the win with her sister in what was Brie's final match.
Analysis: This match got a full eleven minutes, and it never went anywhere. It was exactly as expected. Each woman got about one minute of time to perform, and they mostly spent it in domination mode. There were too many people involved in this mess. Brie Bella didn't even wrestle in the match until the closing sequence.
The closing minute was the only part of the match that really went anywhere, and that was really just sloppy execution of finishers that helped clear out the ring. There was nothing to this match. Brie got her moment (which is rare for retiring wrestlers who usually go out on a loss), and that was kind of nice even though the post-match celebration was clipped for more advertisements.
Rating: 5.5/10
I hope the new contracts were worth it, Dudley Boyz, if this is what they promised you for a return to WrestleMania.
The Usos def. The Dudley Boyz
Overview: This began as a brawl as all four men fought in the center of the ring. Bubba threw out Jimmy then teamed up on Jey. Devon isolated Jey Uso in the corner and threw repeated punches then wrenched in headlocks. Bubba got into the match and taunted him about how he used to beat down Rikishi as well. Bubba finally took a kick from Jey who fought to the corner to get the tag.
Jimmy began a rally but was quickly taken out as The Dudleys hit the Whassup. The two seemed poised to grab the tables, but Jey returned to Superkick Bubba. Jimmy went for a Superfly Splash, but he ran into double knees. The Dudley Death Drop nearly took the win. Jey hit another Superkick on Bubba with Jimmy sealing it with his own Superkick for the win.
Afterward, The Dudley Boyz tried to get in a statement with an assault using tables, but The Usos fought back and hit double Superfly Splashes on the Dudleys through the tables.
Analysis: This match felt like it was over before it started. There was no rhyme or flow to the match with the ending just feeling like a rushed mess. Besides Bubba's trash talking and the post-match table spot, this felt completely useless and like a waste of its spot on the card. It also doesn't help that The Dudley Boyz felt like they were thrown to the wolves here.
The Dudleys not only did the job but also got destroyed after the bell. It was very odd booking that emphasized a one sided mindset by WWE booking. In this case, generally, you only book like this if one team is the clear favorite and has a big story coming. The Usos didn't really benefit from this.
Jimmy began a rally but was quickly taken out as The Dudleys hit the Whassup. The two seemed poised to grab the tables, but Jey returned to Superkick Bubba. Jimmy went for a Superfly Splash, but he ran into double knees. The Dudley Death Drop nearly took the win. Jey hit another Superkick on Bubba with Jimmy sealing it with his own Superkick for the win.
Afterward, The Dudley Boyz tried to get in a statement with an assault using tables, but The Usos fought back and hit double Superfly Splashes on the Dudleys through the tables.
Analysis: This match felt like it was over before it started. There was no rhyme or flow to the match with the ending just feeling like a rushed mess. Besides Bubba's trash talking and the post-match table spot, this felt completely useless and like a waste of its spot on the card. It also doesn't help that The Dudley Boyz felt like they were thrown to the wolves here.
The Dudleys not only did the job but also got destroyed after the bell. It was very odd booking that emphasized a one sided mindset by WWE booking. In this case, generally, you only book like this if one team is the clear favorite and has a big story coming. The Usos didn't really benefit from this.
Rating: 6/10
WWE finally realized what Zack Ryder had that made him special. He was one of the few guys on the roster they hadn't worked so hard they'd broken in half.
Zack Ryder def. Kevin Owens, Sami Zayn, Dolph Ziggler, The Miz, Stardust, and Sin Cara in a Ladder Match to Become the New Intercontinental Champion
Overview: Zayn and Owens started this match brawling over a ladder. Stardust took the ring for a second, taking out Cara, but Ryder took him out on a ladder. Miz took two ladders from Zayn and Ziggler with Zayn then hitting Dolph with a Blue Thunder Bomb. KO took out Zayn but walked right into a Rough Ryder. Ryder and Ziggler climbed up the ladder, but Stardust dropped them both off the ladder.
Zayn eventually got the ring alone, but Miz stopped him by grabbing the leg of the ladder. Zayn began a flurry, repeatedly taking out everyone. Sami had to stop Cara from climbing a ladder and tipped the ladder which allowed Cara to hit a sudden springboard senton bomb on the group outside.
Ziggler Superkicked Zayn which began a series of Superkicks on all the competitors. Stardust pulled out a special pocka dot ladder, but he got taken out, leaving KO alone with Zayn. Owens hit Zayn with a frog splash off the top rope on Zayn on a ladder. Miz and Ryder got into the ring, and Ryder hit an elbow drop off the top of a ladder on Miz.
Ziggler then had to stop Ryder climbing, taking him out but hurting his leg. Owens then hit the injured Ziggler with a pump up powerbomb. Stardust took out Owens then Cara took out Stardust, but Owens tipped the ladder and sent Cara onto Stardust through a ladder.
This left Zayn and Owens alone in the ring with Zayn taking out Owens with a ladder. Miz then tipped Zayn off the ladder. As Miz sat atop the ladder, gloating, thinking he had the win, Ryder snuck up behind Miz, knocked him off the ladder, and took down the championship. Afterward, Ryder celebrated with his father.
Analysis: This was a fantastic ladder match that kept on flowing with no delays. Everyone got their moment. Sin Cara came in with the least hype but has several of the match's biggest spots. Stardust was probably the least utilized, but he still got his shots. Sami Zayn was the star of the match for most of it.
The Miz got to play the sly role and was perfect in the finish. Dolph Ziggler's Superkick party during the match was close to the match's most memorable spot. Owens was pretty perfect every chance he got. Then we come to Ryder. I expected Ryder's big moment was going to be his top of the ladder elbow which was great.
I did not expect him to win, and I'm completely okay with it. The guy is a veteran who deserved his WrestleMania moment. He now is a two times singles champion in WWE, and it will be interesting to see how he's used going forward. I expect this will be more of a one off where he drops the title quickly, but you never know.
This was the perfect way to open the show and showed that anything could happen this year which was the right early message to send.
Zayn eventually got the ring alone, but Miz stopped him by grabbing the leg of the ladder. Zayn began a flurry, repeatedly taking out everyone. Sami had to stop Cara from climbing a ladder and tipped the ladder which allowed Cara to hit a sudden springboard senton bomb on the group outside.
Ziggler Superkicked Zayn which began a series of Superkicks on all the competitors. Stardust pulled out a special pocka dot ladder, but he got taken out, leaving KO alone with Zayn. Owens hit Zayn with a frog splash off the top rope on Zayn on a ladder. Miz and Ryder got into the ring, and Ryder hit an elbow drop off the top of a ladder on Miz.
Ziggler then had to stop Ryder climbing, taking him out but hurting his leg. Owens then hit the injured Ziggler with a pump up powerbomb. Stardust took out Owens then Cara took out Stardust, but Owens tipped the ladder and sent Cara onto Stardust through a ladder.
This left Zayn and Owens alone in the ring with Zayn taking out Owens with a ladder. Miz then tipped Zayn off the ladder. As Miz sat atop the ladder, gloating, thinking he had the win, Ryder snuck up behind Miz, knocked him off the ladder, and took down the championship. Afterward, Ryder celebrated with his father.
Analysis: This was a fantastic ladder match that kept on flowing with no delays. Everyone got their moment. Sin Cara came in with the least hype but has several of the match's biggest spots. Stardust was probably the least utilized, but he still got his shots. Sami Zayn was the star of the match for most of it.
The Miz got to play the sly role and was perfect in the finish. Dolph Ziggler's Superkick party during the match was close to the match's most memorable spot. Owens was pretty perfect every chance he got. Then we come to Ryder. I expected Ryder's big moment was going to be his top of the ladder elbow which was great.
I did not expect him to win, and I'm completely okay with it. The guy is a veteran who deserved his WrestleMania moment. He now is a two times singles champion in WWE, and it will be interesting to see how he's used going forward. I expect this will be more of a one off where he drops the title quickly, but you never know.
This was the perfect way to open the show and showed that anything could happen this year which was the right early message to send.
Rating: 9/10
AJ, you really should have talked to Sting before signed that multi-year deal. He would have told you what a TNA veteran gets at WrestleMania.
Chris Jericho def. AJ Styles
Overview: Styles and Jericho started with a lock up with Jericho working it into a side headlock. Styles though wasn't down long as he sent Chris over the top rope which angered Jericho as he paced outside even kicking the steel steps. Back in the ring, Styles one upped Jericho with an arm drag then the two began throwing back and forth chops. Jericho and Styles fought near the apron with Styles hitting a dropkick that sent Y2J to the outside.
Jericho then hit a dropkick as Styles flew at him to take back the momentum. Jericho kept it up with a neckbreaker on the second rope. Back in the ring, Jericho hit a delayed suplex and nonchalantly covered AJ for one. Locking in a headlock, Chris taunted Styles. Styles tried to fight back and fell right into a Walls of Jericho with AJ dragging himself to the ropes.
AJ got back into it, flying around the ring, leading to both on the top rope. Both fought for control as they landed in a facebuster off the top with it unclear who took the brunt of it. Jericho blocked a pele kick and turned it into the Walls again. When Chris stopped AJ from going any further, AJ fought out with punches and pulled out the Calf Crusher.
Jericho almost tapped then fell into a near Styles Clash. As both got very close to hitting finishes, Jericho pulled out a Codebreaker but was too slow to the cover with Styles kicking out at two. Jericho almost saw the opportunity to hit AJ with his own move, the Styles Clash, but Styles fought out. Styles suddenly hit his own Styles Clash with Jericho barely kicking out.
The two exchanged shots with Jericho falling into the knees on a Lionsault. Styles then hit a 450 Splash for another nearfall. Styles set up the Phenomenal Forearm which ran right into a Codebreaker for the win.
Analysis: This was a really well wrestled match, but it was hard to get excited about it. Maybe it was because we've seen it so many times recently. Maybe it was because it never really got a new element despite Jericho turning heel. Maybe it was because neither man went to the next level in the match. There were nearfalls and multiple finishers used, but the energy wasn't quite there.
Add to this that Jericho won against Styles in his first Mania match, and you have a rather disappointed if well wrestled contest. It would have been the perfect time to give AJ his clear stamp of approval in WWE, but the WWE clearly has more ideas for this feud and wanted to give Jericho his tying win.
Now we're headed for Styles/Jericho V as the rubber match which Styles will almost certainly win, but I can't really find myself too interested in seeing these two clash one more time. I just want Styles to move on to younger, more athletic talent.
Jericho then hit a dropkick as Styles flew at him to take back the momentum. Jericho kept it up with a neckbreaker on the second rope. Back in the ring, Jericho hit a delayed suplex and nonchalantly covered AJ for one. Locking in a headlock, Chris taunted Styles. Styles tried to fight back and fell right into a Walls of Jericho with AJ dragging himself to the ropes.
AJ got back into it, flying around the ring, leading to both on the top rope. Both fought for control as they landed in a facebuster off the top with it unclear who took the brunt of it. Jericho blocked a pele kick and turned it into the Walls again. When Chris stopped AJ from going any further, AJ fought out with punches and pulled out the Calf Crusher.
Jericho almost tapped then fell into a near Styles Clash. As both got very close to hitting finishes, Jericho pulled out a Codebreaker but was too slow to the cover with Styles kicking out at two. Jericho almost saw the opportunity to hit AJ with his own move, the Styles Clash, but Styles fought out. Styles suddenly hit his own Styles Clash with Jericho barely kicking out.
The two exchanged shots with Jericho falling into the knees on a Lionsault. Styles then hit a 450 Splash for another nearfall. Styles set up the Phenomenal Forearm which ran right into a Codebreaker for the win.
Analysis: This was a really well wrestled match, but it was hard to get excited about it. Maybe it was because we've seen it so many times recently. Maybe it was because it never really got a new element despite Jericho turning heel. Maybe it was because neither man went to the next level in the match. There were nearfalls and multiple finishers used, but the energy wasn't quite there.
Add to this that Jericho won against Styles in his first Mania match, and you have a rather disappointed if well wrestled contest. It would have been the perfect time to give AJ his clear stamp of approval in WWE, but the WWE clearly has more ideas for this feud and wanted to give Jericho his tying win.
Now we're headed for Styles/Jericho V as the rubber match which Styles will almost certainly win, but I can't really find myself too interested in seeing these two clash one more time. I just want Styles to move on to younger, more athletic talent.
Rating: 8.5/10
New Day, I would feel sorry for you, but then you came to WrestleMania dressed in Dragon Ball Z cosplay.
The League of Nations' Sheamus, Rusev, and Alberto Del Rio def. The New Day
Overview: The New Day came out for their entrance inside a giant box of Booty-Os cereal and dressed as Saiyans. New Day started out dominating until Xavier Woods got involved and was isolated. The League of Nations brutalized Woods with Sheamus even chanting New Day Sucks as he hit the Beats of the Bodhrán on Woods. The beatdown was brutal with Rusev and Del Rio repeatedly throwing devastating hits.
Woods tried to get the get the hot tag when he sent Del Rio over the top rope, but Sheamus took control and Rusev took out Big E outside. Kofi finally got the tag though and began rolling. Kofi hit both Del Rio and Sheamus with the Boom Drop. Sheamus caught the Trouble in Paradise and turned it into the Cloverleaf. With a Barrett distraction, Sheamus nearly got the win, but Woods made the save.
Big E finally for the hot tag and began rolling. Big E took out everyone and hit a shoulder tackle through the ropes onto all three men. Del Rio hit a vicious double foot stomp on Kofi outside which left Woods alone. Woods almost got the roll up on Sheamus, but he then took a Bullhammer from Barrett outside then Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick for the win.
Afterward, Sheamus bragged that his group was the best of all time which brought out three shocking returns as Shawn Michaels, Cactus Jack, and Stone Cold arrived. With the help of New Day evening up the odds to three on three, the three legends hit their finishers on the LON. They then celebrated with the New Day until Austin stunnered Xavier Woods and gave beers to his legend friends.
Analysis: This was not much of a match. For all the heated contests on the card, this one got the least time and delivered the least. The New Day were working a half baked match, and the League of Nations didn't do a whole lot either. The whole rivalry came in feeling very put on, and WWE did nothing to make any of this feel special.
The worst part was how WWE ended up treating New Day. The group has become beloved lately, and many expected they were taking another step up, getting a Mania moment here. Instead, they lost and were on the sidelines for the moments of others. In fact, this ended up being all about returning legends.
It was really cool to see Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Steve Austin getting physical again at Mania, but this felt so random and did not help anyone. It was a nostalgia segment that did nothing for the product, maybe even further diminishing both the LON who has some momentum from getting a win and the New Day who left with a loss and a Stunner to send them away.
Woods tried to get the get the hot tag when he sent Del Rio over the top rope, but Sheamus took control and Rusev took out Big E outside. Kofi finally got the tag though and began rolling. Kofi hit both Del Rio and Sheamus with the Boom Drop. Sheamus caught the Trouble in Paradise and turned it into the Cloverleaf. With a Barrett distraction, Sheamus nearly got the win, but Woods made the save.
Big E finally for the hot tag and began rolling. Big E took out everyone and hit a shoulder tackle through the ropes onto all three men. Del Rio hit a vicious double foot stomp on Kofi outside which left Woods alone. Woods almost got the roll up on Sheamus, but he then took a Bullhammer from Barrett outside then Sheamus hit the Brogue Kick for the win.
Afterward, Sheamus bragged that his group was the best of all time which brought out three shocking returns as Shawn Michaels, Cactus Jack, and Stone Cold arrived. With the help of New Day evening up the odds to three on three, the three legends hit their finishers on the LON. They then celebrated with the New Day until Austin stunnered Xavier Woods and gave beers to his legend friends.
Analysis: This was not much of a match. For all the heated contests on the card, this one got the least time and delivered the least. The New Day were working a half baked match, and the League of Nations didn't do a whole lot either. The whole rivalry came in feeling very put on, and WWE did nothing to make any of this feel special.
The worst part was how WWE ended up treating New Day. The group has become beloved lately, and many expected they were taking another step up, getting a Mania moment here. Instead, they lost and were on the sidelines for the moments of others. In fact, this ended up being all about returning legends.
It was really cool to see Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley, and Steve Austin getting physical again at Mania, but this felt so random and did not help anyone. It was a nostalgia segment that did nothing for the product, maybe even further diminishing both the LON who has some momentum from getting a win and the New Day who left with a loss and a Stunner to send them away.
Rating: 6.5/10
Who knew that Brock Lesnar's match with John Cena a year back was a precursor to Lesnar's moveset being whittled down to exclusively German suplex and F5?
Brock Lesnar def. Dean Ambrose in a No Holds Barred Street Fight
Overview: Brock Lesnar wasted no time as the bell rang, immediately hitting back to back to back suplexes. The third sent Dean Ambrose rolling out of the ring. Ambrose found a kendo stick outside to begin a comeback, but Lesnar squashed that. He stalked Dean and broke the stick in half, continuing the German suplex roll.
Ambrose tried to grab a new kendo stick, but Lesnar stepped on it and hit another suplex. Ambrose began throwing rights and knees but took another German. Lesnar dangled the kendo stick out in front of Dean, and Ambrose saw his opportunity, hitting a low blow than taking the stick to repeatedly start swinging.
Battling to the outside, Ambrose tried to use the chainsaw he got from Terry Funk, but Lesnar fought back. Ambrose hit a big shot with the television monitor and a steel chair. Lesnar though would not stay down. Ambrose had to use a fire extinguisher then the steel chair to begin rolling.
Ambrose went to the top rope and dropped the chair on Lesnar for two. When that wasn't enough, Dean began throwing steel chairs in the ring. Lesnar pulled out a sudden German then went for the F5, but Ambrose turned it into a DDT on the steel chairs for a very nearfall.
Foley's barb wire bat was the next weapon Ambrose pulled out which Lesnar dodged and hit a German on the chairs. He then hit an F5 on the steel chairs for the victory.
Analysis: This match is really hard to grade. I will say immediately I thought it was immensely disappointing; however, I also thought everything that was done in the match was near perfectly done. I loved the way that Ambrose struggled at first and began to rally. The use of weapons built with the story. It was exactly how I wanted it to go down.
Until the sudden ending. This was as if five to ten minutes of the match was cut out. Just as Ambrose was beginning to show that he could give Lesnar a fight, he took an F5 and lost. Suddenly, that made everything that came before feel weaker. Suddenly, instead of a building war, it was almost a hardcore parody.
I still think the match was well wrestled and done, but, if this was always the planned time for the finish, this match needed to develop much further than it did before the finish. Ambrose came out not looking nearly as strong and resilient as he came in looking. Lesnar meanwhile only really used two moves the entire match which is losing its novelty.
Ambrose tried to grab a new kendo stick, but Lesnar stepped on it and hit another suplex. Ambrose began throwing rights and knees but took another German. Lesnar dangled the kendo stick out in front of Dean, and Ambrose saw his opportunity, hitting a low blow than taking the stick to repeatedly start swinging.
Battling to the outside, Ambrose tried to use the chainsaw he got from Terry Funk, but Lesnar fought back. Ambrose hit a big shot with the television monitor and a steel chair. Lesnar though would not stay down. Ambrose had to use a fire extinguisher then the steel chair to begin rolling.
Ambrose went to the top rope and dropped the chair on Lesnar for two. When that wasn't enough, Dean began throwing steel chairs in the ring. Lesnar pulled out a sudden German then went for the F5, but Ambrose turned it into a DDT on the steel chairs for a very nearfall.
Foley's barb wire bat was the next weapon Ambrose pulled out which Lesnar dodged and hit a German on the chairs. He then hit an F5 on the steel chairs for the victory.
Analysis: This match is really hard to grade. I will say immediately I thought it was immensely disappointing; however, I also thought everything that was done in the match was near perfectly done. I loved the way that Ambrose struggled at first and began to rally. The use of weapons built with the story. It was exactly how I wanted it to go down.
Until the sudden ending. This was as if five to ten minutes of the match was cut out. Just as Ambrose was beginning to show that he could give Lesnar a fight, he took an F5 and lost. Suddenly, that made everything that came before feel weaker. Suddenly, instead of a building war, it was almost a hardcore parody.
I still think the match was well wrestled and done, but, if this was always the planned time for the finish, this match needed to develop much further than it did before the finish. Ambrose came out not looking nearly as strong and resilient as he came in looking. Lesnar meanwhile only really used two moves the entire match which is losing its novelty.
Rating: 8/10
Welcome to the throne of the women's division, Charlotte. Let's hope the division eventually gets more than three occupants though.
Charlotte def. Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch to Retain the WWE Women's Championship
Overview: Sasha Banks got a live music entrance with Snoop Dogg even there to rap for the track. The two women started off quick with a series of jacknife covers. Sasha and Charlotte began exchanged shots with Sasha hitting a hurricanrana but got taken down just as Becky got back into the action. Sasha got locked in a Becky armbar, but Charlotte broke it up and sent Sasha hard onto the floor.
This left Becky and Charlotte going back and forth. Becky tried to go to the top rope but was caught and slammed hard back against back, allowing Charlotte to begin dominating. Becky fought out of a figure eight attempt just as Sasha got back into it. Becky sent Sasha hard to the outside and began targeting Charlotte's arm, eventually locking in the Dis-arm-her which Sasha broke up.
Charlotte locked Becky in the figure four but had trouble bridging into the figure eight with Sasha suddenly hitting the frog splash on Charlotte for a nearfall. Becky fought back and hit a German suplex on Sasha. Becky pulled out a pump handle into a side slam for two on Charlotte.
Sasha tried to get back into it and almost got rolled up by Lynch. Just as Becky and Sasha were picking up steam, Sasha hit a diving senton through the second rope onto Charlotte. Becky made it even more of a fair fight by taking out Ric Flair. With everyone outside, Charlotte went to the top rope and hit both competitors with a moonsault.
Charlotte hit both competitors with the Natural Selection and tried to cover each with neither going down. Charlotte sent Becky shoulder first into the steel post then focused on Sasha. Charlotte had Sasha up for an electric chair drop with Becky taking both out. Becky then locked Charlotte in the Dis-arm-her.
Sasha broke it up and locked in the Bank Statement on Becky with Charlotte breaking it up. Charlotte locked in the figure eight on Sasha, but Becky broke it up. As each woman tried to rise, Charlotte tried to throw some chops but ended up getting beat up by both women. Sasha hit a straight right on Becky but ran into a Charlotte Spear.
Becky sent Charlotte to the top rope, continuing to throw fists. With Charlotte set up, Sasha fought back into it. Lynch stuck Sasha in the tree of woe then hit a Bex-plex off the top rope on Charlotte. When that wasn't enough though, Charlotte locked in the figure eight, and Ric Flair held Sasha's foot so that she couldn't break it up.
Becky taped out as Banks couldn't fight out of Flair's grasp. Charlotte then celebrated with her new Women's Championship and her father.
Analysis: I'll be honest, I think I might be underrating this match. It was that good. The women came out firing on all cylinders and never slowed down. This felt like a top cruiserweight bout with a plethora of creative spots and tons of triple threat usage that maximized everyone in the match.
Coming in, it looked like Sasha was absolutely the favorite, and Becky was made a bit of a third wheel. However, Becky was probably the best of the three women in the match as she kept on firing off big moves and keeping the energy rolling. That is not to take away from the other two as Charlotte was working at a higher than usual and Sasha was clearly fired up in everything she did.
I am struggling to put to words just how proud I was to see this kind of a match on the Mania stage. WWE finally made the changes they needed to make sure the women were seen as wrestlers just like the men with the new belt and the retirement of the "Divas" label, and the women here made them not regret it for a second with the showstealer of the night.
This left Becky and Charlotte going back and forth. Becky tried to go to the top rope but was caught and slammed hard back against back, allowing Charlotte to begin dominating. Becky fought out of a figure eight attempt just as Sasha got back into it. Becky sent Sasha hard to the outside and began targeting Charlotte's arm, eventually locking in the Dis-arm-her which Sasha broke up.
Charlotte locked Becky in the figure four but had trouble bridging into the figure eight with Sasha suddenly hitting the frog splash on Charlotte for a nearfall. Becky fought back and hit a German suplex on Sasha. Becky pulled out a pump handle into a side slam for two on Charlotte.
Sasha tried to get back into it and almost got rolled up by Lynch. Just as Becky and Sasha were picking up steam, Sasha hit a diving senton through the second rope onto Charlotte. Becky made it even more of a fair fight by taking out Ric Flair. With everyone outside, Charlotte went to the top rope and hit both competitors with a moonsault.
Charlotte hit both competitors with the Natural Selection and tried to cover each with neither going down. Charlotte sent Becky shoulder first into the steel post then focused on Sasha. Charlotte had Sasha up for an electric chair drop with Becky taking both out. Becky then locked Charlotte in the Dis-arm-her.
Sasha broke it up and locked in the Bank Statement on Becky with Charlotte breaking it up. Charlotte locked in the figure eight on Sasha, but Becky broke it up. As each woman tried to rise, Charlotte tried to throw some chops but ended up getting beat up by both women. Sasha hit a straight right on Becky but ran into a Charlotte Spear.
Becky sent Charlotte to the top rope, continuing to throw fists. With Charlotte set up, Sasha fought back into it. Lynch stuck Sasha in the tree of woe then hit a Bex-plex off the top rope on Charlotte. When that wasn't enough though, Charlotte locked in the figure eight, and Ric Flair held Sasha's foot so that she couldn't break it up.
Becky taped out as Banks couldn't fight out of Flair's grasp. Charlotte then celebrated with her new Women's Championship and her father.
Analysis: I'll be honest, I think I might be underrating this match. It was that good. The women came out firing on all cylinders and never slowed down. This felt like a top cruiserweight bout with a plethora of creative spots and tons of triple threat usage that maximized everyone in the match.
Coming in, it looked like Sasha was absolutely the favorite, and Becky was made a bit of a third wheel. However, Becky was probably the best of the three women in the match as she kept on firing off big moves and keeping the energy rolling. That is not to take away from the other two as Charlotte was working at a higher than usual and Sasha was clearly fired up in everything she did.
I am struggling to put to words just how proud I was to see this kind of a match on the Mania stage. WWE finally made the changes they needed to make sure the women were seen as wrestlers just like the men with the new belt and the retirement of the "Divas" label, and the women here made them not regret it for a second with the showstealer of the night.
Rating: 9.5/10
You know WWE would never let anybody on the roster do this, but Shane was only signed for one match so they just let him kill himself if he wanted to.
The Undertaker def. Shane McMahon in Hell in a Cell
Overview: Shane McMahon made his entrance with his kids then watched as Undertaker slowly made his way to the ring then shut the door of the Cell emphatically. Shane tried to fell out and find an opening against Taker in a near boxing match, but he got nothing, taking a few shots and being sent to the outside.
Every time Shane got in a few shot, Taker hit one big one. Shane finally got Taker off his feet when he took Snake Eyes but immediately pulled out a corkscrew elbow. Shane tried to gain an advantage by taking the ring while Taker was outside but got dragged outside and thrown into the Cell.
Taker hit a leg drop on Shane on the apron then hit the Last Ride for a nearfall. Taker pulled steel steps into the ring, but he fell right into a Shane triangle choke. While Taker managed to get Shane to break it, he looked dazed. Taker then hit a sudden chokeslam on the steps for another near fall.
When Taker went for an elbow, Shane dodged, and Taker went into the steel. Shane suckered Taker in and hit a DDT onto the steps for two then an elbow drop for two. Taker locked Shane in Hell's Gate with Shane turning it into a sharpshooter. Shane managed to trap Taker in the corner and grab a trash can. Shane then set up the Coast to Coast and hit it but took too long to get the cover, for only two.
Shane then chose to cut the Cell open with Taker fighting back and sending Shane right through the panel of the Cell. Taker then repeatedly slammed Taker into the Cell panel before setting up the main announce table then the Spanish announce table. Taker went for a tombstone, but Shane turned it into a sleeper hold.
Taker broke it up by flipping around and jumping back first through the Spanish announce table. Both men rose with Shane smacking the side of Taker's head with a toolbox repeatedly. Shane then sent a television monitor off Taker's skull before beginning to climb the Cell.
Shane looked down at Taker on the table and decided to hit a crazy elbow drop off the top of the Cell. Taker rolled out of the way just in time, and Shane went right through the table. Taker brought Shane back to the ring, and, after Shane taunted Taker to bring it, Taker hit the Tombstone Piledriver for the win. Afterward, Shane had to be stretchered to the back but raised his thumb as showing he was still okay.
Analysis: Similar to the legendary Undertaker vs. Mankind Hell in a Cell match years back, this match was a pure spectacle which makes it hard to tangibly grade. On one hand, it was not a well wrestled match. Shane and Taker spent the first ten minutes plodding, and the crowd was barely interested, still tired from the women's match.
As things ramped up though, the spots got stronger, and you could finally see how the storytelling pieces were all coming together. Shane's never give up attitude which kind of felt like the story that Dean Ambrose never got the chance to fully sell earlier was perfect to watch particularly as it became clear how far he was willing to go.
There were reports that a big spot was being rehearsed for Mania, and that was clearly the Shane jump. The Cell has been raised in recent years to make people even less incentivized to use the whole Cell as a weapon in matches, so actually having Shane jump off it was insane. Even if the spot went exactly as planned, that did not look good for Shane.
All in all, this was clearly the big moment of the show. The two went thirty full minutes and clearly weren't conditioned for that; however, they did exactly what they needed to do by telling a pure story and maximizing their spots. It was a match that may last longer than any other on this show.
Every time Shane got in a few shot, Taker hit one big one. Shane finally got Taker off his feet when he took Snake Eyes but immediately pulled out a corkscrew elbow. Shane tried to gain an advantage by taking the ring while Taker was outside but got dragged outside and thrown into the Cell.
Taker hit a leg drop on Shane on the apron then hit the Last Ride for a nearfall. Taker pulled steel steps into the ring, but he fell right into a Shane triangle choke. While Taker managed to get Shane to break it, he looked dazed. Taker then hit a sudden chokeslam on the steps for another near fall.
When Taker went for an elbow, Shane dodged, and Taker went into the steel. Shane suckered Taker in and hit a DDT onto the steps for two then an elbow drop for two. Taker locked Shane in Hell's Gate with Shane turning it into a sharpshooter. Shane managed to trap Taker in the corner and grab a trash can. Shane then set up the Coast to Coast and hit it but took too long to get the cover, for only two.
Shane then chose to cut the Cell open with Taker fighting back and sending Shane right through the panel of the Cell. Taker then repeatedly slammed Taker into the Cell panel before setting up the main announce table then the Spanish announce table. Taker went for a tombstone, but Shane turned it into a sleeper hold.
Taker broke it up by flipping around and jumping back first through the Spanish announce table. Both men rose with Shane smacking the side of Taker's head with a toolbox repeatedly. Shane then sent a television monitor off Taker's skull before beginning to climb the Cell.
Shane looked down at Taker on the table and decided to hit a crazy elbow drop off the top of the Cell. Taker rolled out of the way just in time, and Shane went right through the table. Taker brought Shane back to the ring, and, after Shane taunted Taker to bring it, Taker hit the Tombstone Piledriver for the win. Afterward, Shane had to be stretchered to the back but raised his thumb as showing he was still okay.
Analysis: Similar to the legendary Undertaker vs. Mankind Hell in a Cell match years back, this match was a pure spectacle which makes it hard to tangibly grade. On one hand, it was not a well wrestled match. Shane and Taker spent the first ten minutes plodding, and the crowd was barely interested, still tired from the women's match.
As things ramped up though, the spots got stronger, and you could finally see how the storytelling pieces were all coming together. Shane's never give up attitude which kind of felt like the story that Dean Ambrose never got the chance to fully sell earlier was perfect to watch particularly as it became clear how far he was willing to go.
There were reports that a big spot was being rehearsed for Mania, and that was clearly the Shane jump. The Cell has been raised in recent years to make people even less incentivized to use the whole Cell as a weapon in matches, so actually having Shane jump off it was insane. Even if the spot went exactly as planned, that did not look good for Shane.
All in all, this was clearly the big moment of the show. The two went thirty full minutes and clearly weren't conditioned for that; however, they did exactly what they needed to do by telling a pure story and maximizing their spots. It was a match that may last longer than any other on this show.
Rating: 9/10
The penultimate match of this year's WrestleMania: Big Show vs. Shaq with a bunch of extras.
Baron Corbin Wins the 3rd Annual Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Overview: With surprise entrants Tatanka, DDP, and Shaquille O'Neil, the match began with the ring clearing out for Big Show and Shaq. Show took out Fandango and Shaq took out Damien Sandow. The whole group remaining then banded together to eliminate the giants. The match cleared out slowly after that with Konnor taking out DDP.
NXT's Baron Corbin then eliminated Tatanka. The Social Outcasts began to realize their number advantage and took out both R-Truth and Goldust. SO though realized they were surrounded by monsters as Kane, Corbin, and Henry each eliminated a member.
Darren Young and Kane managed to eliminate Henry together, but Kane then took out Young and Bo Dallas at the same time. With Kane's back turned, Corbin snuck up on him and eliminated the Big Red Monster to win the battle royal.
Analysis: I have no idea how in all of WWE's wisdom they decided this needed to be on the main show. The whole battle royal was a disorganized mess after the first minute, and it was hard to tell what the point of it all was. Only one star was made here though that starmaking moment was pretty cool to see.
NXT Takeover: Dallas seemed to be a show where the brand was being reshaped. Stars were being shuffled out and brought in. I don't think anyone realized Corbin was also immediately on his way up as well. Having the NXT heavyweight get this win was cool and gives him instant bragging rights when he makes his official debut whether that's actually now happened or if he's going to wait a few more months.
NXT's Baron Corbin then eliminated Tatanka. The Social Outcasts began to realize their number advantage and took out both R-Truth and Goldust. SO though realized they were surrounded by monsters as Kane, Corbin, and Henry each eliminated a member.
Darren Young and Kane managed to eliminate Henry together, but Kane then took out Young and Bo Dallas at the same time. With Kane's back turned, Corbin snuck up on him and eliminated the Big Red Monster to win the battle royal.
Analysis: I have no idea how in all of WWE's wisdom they decided this needed to be on the main show. The whole battle royal was a disorganized mess after the first minute, and it was hard to tell what the point of it all was. Only one star was made here though that starmaking moment was pretty cool to see.
NXT Takeover: Dallas seemed to be a show where the brand was being reshaped. Stars were being shuffled out and brought in. I don't think anyone realized Corbin was also immediately on his way up as well. Having the NXT heavyweight get this win was cool and gives him instant bragging rights when he makes his official debut whether that's actually now happened or if he's going to wait a few more months.
Rating: 6/10
Oh sorry, did I say penultimate match? Sorry, I forgot The Rock got that honor. Well, if we can REALLY ever call that a match.
The Rock Gets Some Assistance from John Cena; The Rock def. Erick Rowan
Overview: The Rock, flanked by the Dallas Cowboys cheerleaders, came out with a flamethrower, setting his name on fire then marching to the ring. After he told the crowd that they had broken the WrestleMania attendance record with 101, 763 in attendance, Bray Wyatt and The Wyatt Family interrupted.
Wyatt told Rock he had been chosen for Wyatt's moment to eviscerate a legend on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Rock answered by actually putting over Wyatt and challenging him to a match. Erick Rowan wrestled the match with Rock Rock Bottoming Rowan into the mat for a WrestleMania record six second match.
John Cena then made a surprise appearance to help even the playing field, and they cleared out The Wyatt Family together with Rock hitting Wyatt with the People's Elbow. The two former rivals then stood tall together.
Analysis: This segment was the epitome of the mess this Mania was. For twenty minutes, The Rock talked and set up a segment with the Wyatt Family that felt so wasteful. While Rock clearly put over Wyatt's ability, he and Cena also sort of hurt the group's reputation again without there being a real reason why this happened.
I still don't quite know why WWE just randomly decided to have The Rock have a match and break the time record for shortest match in Mania history. Rowan is a fine performer who really doesn't need that on his resume even if he can now always say he faced Rock at WrestleMania.
Meanwhile, the worst part of all of this is that this just went too long. Rock's entrance was too long. His promo was rambling. By the time Cena came out, it wasn't much of a moment because it was more a question of what's happening with the main event. Apparently, WWE pulled a fast one on everyone, and they planned to make Mania five hours long with the main event getting the entire last hour.
Wyatt told Rock he had been chosen for Wyatt's moment to eviscerate a legend on the Grandest Stage of Them All. Rock answered by actually putting over Wyatt and challenging him to a match. Erick Rowan wrestled the match with Rock Rock Bottoming Rowan into the mat for a WrestleMania record six second match.
John Cena then made a surprise appearance to help even the playing field, and they cleared out The Wyatt Family together with Rock hitting Wyatt with the People's Elbow. The two former rivals then stood tall together.
Analysis: This segment was the epitome of the mess this Mania was. For twenty minutes, The Rock talked and set up a segment with the Wyatt Family that felt so wasteful. While Rock clearly put over Wyatt's ability, he and Cena also sort of hurt the group's reputation again without there being a real reason why this happened.
I still don't quite know why WWE just randomly decided to have The Rock have a match and break the time record for shortest match in Mania history. Rowan is a fine performer who really doesn't need that on his resume even if he can now always say he faced Rock at WrestleMania.
Meanwhile, the worst part of all of this is that this just went too long. Rock's entrance was too long. His promo was rambling. By the time Cena came out, it wasn't much of a moment because it was more a question of what's happening with the main event. Apparently, WWE pulled a fast one on everyone, and they planned to make Mania five hours long with the main event getting the entire last hour.
It's quite impressive WWE would have such a massive heel win in the main event of WrestleMania like that.
Roman Reigns def. Triple H in a No Holds Barred Match to Become the New WWE World Heavyweight Champion
Overview: Triple H had a grand entrance flanked by strange men holding the WWE Championship with a full introduction from Stephanie McMahon who declared The Authority's power and control absolute. When the match began, Triple H quickly grounded Reigns with a side headlock but got taken down by a shoulder from Reigns. Reigns tried to gain solid control but was thrown outside the ring by Triple H.
HHH then let Reigns steam then get back in the ring as the two locked back up, and Hunter began working Reigns' arm. Roman tried to fight through but kept getting knocked down as Hunter also targeted Reigns' nose. Reigns fought back and managed to hit the Drive By for two. He kept swinging at HHH until Stephanie distracted the referee long enough for HHH low blow.
After two inverted atomic drops, Triple H went for the cover for two. He continued to target the nose then hit a spinebuster for another near fall. The two battled to the outside, and HHH slammed Reigns' face repeatedly into the German announce table. Reigns returned the favor with his own shots against the table only to get thrown over the announce table into the German announce team.
HHH continued the attack with a swinging neckbreaker and then bringing Reigns back in the ring. Hunter laid out Reigns on the second rope and hit a running knee for two. Reigns tried to fight back but got sent over the top rope. Reigns then managed to get some momentum with a big right hand and a Samoan drop for two. Triple H then rolled out of the ring to avoid a Superman punch.
Reigns followed Hunter and hit a flying forearm off the steel steps then sent HHH into the steel. When Reigns tried to throw Hunter the steps a second time, Hunter countered and sent Reigns into the steps. Once more, HHH threw Reigns over the announce table, but Reigns immediately came back with a SPear that sent both through the barricade.
As he got close to the ten count, Reigns dragged Triple H back into the ring with both men clearly injured. Triple H turned a Superman punch into an armbar with Reigns making it to the bottom rope. HHH dragged him back to the center of the ring and locked it back in with Reigns having to power out with a sitdown powerbomb for two.
Reigns had to fight more pressure on the arm by HHH and hit another sitdown powerbomb. He then called for the Spear but ran into a knee. Reigns then stopped a Pedigree attempt and throws Triple H to the outside. Reigns tried to hit a big suicide dive but landed on a stiff right forearm. Back in the ring, HHH ran into a Spear, but Stephanie pulled the referee off before the three count.
This began an argument in the ring between Stephanie and the ref that got Stephanie a Spear from Reigns in the confusion. This made Triple H truly angry as he hit a Pedigree for a very nearfall. The two men in the ring traded blows with Triple H hitting a jawbreaker but falling into a Superman punch.
Triple H blocked a Spear with a running knee for another nearfall. As both men were down, Stephanie handed Triple H his sledgehammer only for HHH to run right into two Superman punches. Reigns then ducked a sledgehammer shot and nailed a Spear for the victory.
Analysis: It would be easy to compare this to the WrestleMania 22 main event between John Cena and Triple H. This was wholly a reverse crowd reaction situation for a while at least. The crowd wanted Hunter to win and wanted no part of Reigns for a while. That was until Reigns hit the big moments of this match.
While never won over the crowd, he had them cheering for him at several moments in loud fashion. First it was the Spear through the barricade. Then it was the Spear on Stephanie, the heel finally getting a bit of the comeuppance she deserves. Finally, the actual finish of the match got a pop. Each time, the crowd turned against Reigns soon after, but they clearly enjoyed the match.
This was a psychological bout with a lot of strong building tension throughout. It was very similar to Hunter's matches recently with both Ambrose and Ziggler though it had more the air here of Triple H feeling uncomfortable against Roman. He could never quite keep Reigns down and felt the momentum shifting.
I personally wanted more of these two brutalizing each other like they did in their final three weeks of build up, but I enjoyed the match quite a bit. The crowd wasn't always great for it, but it was a very well wrestled match. It just needed something more at the end as the spark which it never got. It was another case of the wrestling being strong but the match being hurt by underwhelming booking with no big moment.
HHH then let Reigns steam then get back in the ring as the two locked back up, and Hunter began working Reigns' arm. Roman tried to fight through but kept getting knocked down as Hunter also targeted Reigns' nose. Reigns fought back and managed to hit the Drive By for two. He kept swinging at HHH until Stephanie distracted the referee long enough for HHH low blow.
After two inverted atomic drops, Triple H went for the cover for two. He continued to target the nose then hit a spinebuster for another near fall. The two battled to the outside, and HHH slammed Reigns' face repeatedly into the German announce table. Reigns returned the favor with his own shots against the table only to get thrown over the announce table into the German announce team.
HHH continued the attack with a swinging neckbreaker and then bringing Reigns back in the ring. Hunter laid out Reigns on the second rope and hit a running knee for two. Reigns tried to fight back but got sent over the top rope. Reigns then managed to get some momentum with a big right hand and a Samoan drop for two. Triple H then rolled out of the ring to avoid a Superman punch.
Reigns followed Hunter and hit a flying forearm off the steel steps then sent HHH into the steel. When Reigns tried to throw Hunter the steps a second time, Hunter countered and sent Reigns into the steps. Once more, HHH threw Reigns over the announce table, but Reigns immediately came back with a SPear that sent both through the barricade.
As he got close to the ten count, Reigns dragged Triple H back into the ring with both men clearly injured. Triple H turned a Superman punch into an armbar with Reigns making it to the bottom rope. HHH dragged him back to the center of the ring and locked it back in with Reigns having to power out with a sitdown powerbomb for two.
Reigns had to fight more pressure on the arm by HHH and hit another sitdown powerbomb. He then called for the Spear but ran into a knee. Reigns then stopped a Pedigree attempt and throws Triple H to the outside. Reigns tried to hit a big suicide dive but landed on a stiff right forearm. Back in the ring, HHH ran into a Spear, but Stephanie pulled the referee off before the three count.
This began an argument in the ring between Stephanie and the ref that got Stephanie a Spear from Reigns in the confusion. This made Triple H truly angry as he hit a Pedigree for a very nearfall. The two men in the ring traded blows with Triple H hitting a jawbreaker but falling into a Superman punch.
Triple H blocked a Spear with a running knee for another nearfall. As both men were down, Stephanie handed Triple H his sledgehammer only for HHH to run right into two Superman punches. Reigns then ducked a sledgehammer shot and nailed a Spear for the victory.
Analysis: It would be easy to compare this to the WrestleMania 22 main event between John Cena and Triple H. This was wholly a reverse crowd reaction situation for a while at least. The crowd wanted Hunter to win and wanted no part of Reigns for a while. That was until Reigns hit the big moments of this match.
While never won over the crowd, he had them cheering for him at several moments in loud fashion. First it was the Spear through the barricade. Then it was the Spear on Stephanie, the heel finally getting a bit of the comeuppance she deserves. Finally, the actual finish of the match got a pop. Each time, the crowd turned against Reigns soon after, but they clearly enjoyed the match.
This was a psychological bout with a lot of strong building tension throughout. It was very similar to Hunter's matches recently with both Ambrose and Ziggler though it had more the air here of Triple H feeling uncomfortable against Roman. He could never quite keep Reigns down and felt the momentum shifting.
I personally wanted more of these two brutalizing each other like they did in their final three weeks of build up, but I enjoyed the match quite a bit. The crowd wasn't always great for it, but it was a very well wrestled match. It just needed something more at the end as the spark which it never got. It was another case of the wrestling being strong but the match being hurt by underwhelming booking with no big moment.
Rating: 9/10
You know a new championship's great when Lita looks at it like that.
Final Notes: Lita came out during the pre-show and announced the instatement of the new Women's Championship. Zack Ryder was interviewed about winning the Intercontinental Championship, saying he had achieved the moment that truly validated his career.
The crowd at this year's WrestleMania was supposedly record breaking, and they were generally pretty loud. However, they clearly were exhausted as time passed especially thanks to WWE failing to get people into the arena on time to start the show. It was a mess that probably affected the audience that wasn't quite as regularly hyped as you'd expect.
Conclusion: This is WrestleMania, the show of shows, the biggest night of the year. In most cases, giving our four nines for matches is a pretty big deal, but there was so much marring the show that those matches couldn't save it. This show was the epitome of WWE's problem right now. They can't get out of their own way.
The wrestlers are so high quality that despite so many injuries there was no doubt about the wrestlers doing their work. Besides Lesnar/Ambrose, the matches didn't really fail to deliver. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by much of the night. The women especially kicked it up an extra gear with one of the year's best matches.
However, this show was a mess of booking decisions and backstage writing that clearly struggled to come up with ways of utilizing that talent. The time distribution for segments and matches was all off. The show went an hour longer and truly felt that much longer. Nothing was done to make the results feel meaningful.
That's the real crux of this show. At the end of the day, you could have missed this Mania and just watched the Raw before and after, and you wouldn't be missing much in terms of story development. Mania is supposed to change the landscape of WWE each year. Instead, it kept the status quo and had very little surprises.
There are a number of matches I will return to watching again in the coming months, but I think they will all be served better by being isolated from this show which never quite felt like Mania except when WWE threw together some legends to have some big moments. The writers should know, more than anything, WWE needs to be about the current talent and making sure they aren't just wrestling well but feel exciting.
The crowd at this year's WrestleMania was supposedly record breaking, and they were generally pretty loud. However, they clearly were exhausted as time passed especially thanks to WWE failing to get people into the arena on time to start the show. It was a mess that probably affected the audience that wasn't quite as regularly hyped as you'd expect.
Conclusion: This is WrestleMania, the show of shows, the biggest night of the year. In most cases, giving our four nines for matches is a pretty big deal, but there was so much marring the show that those matches couldn't save it. This show was the epitome of WWE's problem right now. They can't get out of their own way.
The wrestlers are so high quality that despite so many injuries there was no doubt about the wrestlers doing their work. Besides Lesnar/Ambrose, the matches didn't really fail to deliver. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised by much of the night. The women especially kicked it up an extra gear with one of the year's best matches.
However, this show was a mess of booking decisions and backstage writing that clearly struggled to come up with ways of utilizing that talent. The time distribution for segments and matches was all off. The show went an hour longer and truly felt that much longer. Nothing was done to make the results feel meaningful.
That's the real crux of this show. At the end of the day, you could have missed this Mania and just watched the Raw before and after, and you wouldn't be missing much in terms of story development. Mania is supposed to change the landscape of WWE each year. Instead, it kept the status quo and had very little surprises.
There are a number of matches I will return to watching again in the coming months, but I think they will all be served better by being isolated from this show which never quite felt like Mania except when WWE threw together some legends to have some big moments. The writers should know, more than anything, WWE needs to be about the current talent and making sure they aren't just wrestling well but feel exciting.