The WWE Universe mourns the ending of Wrestlemania week, and with plenty of flat moments, it was a bit of a mixed bag to watch.
Wrestlemania took place on April 19-20th, and fans have differing opinions on what they’ve seen. There were so many great matches on paper, like the triple threat of Roman Reigns, CM Punk, and Seth Rollins, and championship scraps of John Cena and Cody Rhodes for the Undisputed Championship, Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte for the WWE Women’s Title, and Iyo Sky, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair for the Women’s World Title. With more star power in two nights than almost any show prior, Wrestlemainia should have been a hit, and in some respects, this was true.
One high point was the Intercontinental Championship bout featuring Bron Breakker, Dominic Mysterio, Finn Balor, and Penta. The four men put on a clinic of how a multi-man match should work, putting everything they had into the match in the way of athleticism before Dominic would walk out with the win. This was a result many fans are loving, and could signal a possible turn for Dominic’s career. As well as this, fans were very pleased with the women’s triple threat. The story mostly stayed between Rhea and Bianca, making it hard for Iyo to keep her foot in the door, even as the reigning champion. This all changed in the match as the two powerhouses showed why they are both main eventers, while still ending the match with Iyo as the proper winner.
Another fantastic spot of the show was the night two main events of Punk, Reigns, and Rollins. As a match many argue should have been the night two main event because of its significance, it is easily the biggest positive talking point of the weekend. During the lead up, Reigns’ resident manager Paul Heyman was forced to honor a favor for CM Punk, that favor ended up being in Punk’s corner for the match in question. In a shock ending, Heyman would betray both men and align with Rollins in a twist some are calling the betrayal of the century. Heyman and Rollins ended the night victorious, capping off in a perfect, and emotional end to the show leaving all wondering what was coming next.
It has not all been smiles for WWE’s creative department or for their superstars however, as there were a few low points still being discussed and being dedicated time on countless wrestling news outlets a week after the respective shows. For starters, The Women’s match between Tiffany Stratton and Charlotte was overshadowed by the fanbase’s questioning of real backstage heat between the two. The fight looked like both stars were taking liberties with one another and even Tiffany’s genuine remark at the media scrum on how she had been waiting for this match since being a superstar couldn’t hide how obvious the tension was.
The men’s matches had their rough spots as well, namely Cena v Rhodes, and Jey Uso v Gunther. In the case of the latter, it was clear the fan favorite and one of the leading merchandise sellers, Jey Uso was going to go over Gunther, and win the match. This was a sentiment with which the fans were happy, what confuses many is the ending of the match which saw Gunther, who’s been painted as one of the most formidable players in the WWE today, tapping out. This ending felt awkward and not in line with what many thought the ending should be, especially since it was being built up to be a much more physical encounter.
Finally, there’s Cena v Rhodes, in what many are calling a disappointing end to the weekend, it was a rough watch. Cena’s current persona has left him constantly saying he will ruin wrestling, but no one could have predicted this. The match was slow and plodding. Sadly this wasn’t helped by the lack of emotional depth. In the end one wishes there was more to say, but there just isn’t. As someone who is a firm believer in both men, and a lifelong wrestling fan, it was easy to be disheartened knowing the Rushmore status they are in the conversation to hold, wasn’t shown here.
In short, Wrestlemania this year was exciting, but not quite on the pulse of what those in attendance and at home were looking to see. Despite this, there’s still time to see where all these storylines go, and hope that the post-Wrestlemainia season proves naysayers wrong.
