If there is one lesson WWE fans learned on Sunday, it is to never, ever undermine the company’s creative process. For weeks, fans-myself included-bashed the product for too many promos, a glorified tug of war and part-time wrestlers taking up too much of the spotlight. However, the company stepped their game up yesterday and produced what could be considered one of the best WrestleMania’s of all time. The jam-packed Levi Stadium, the huge stage and unpredictable moments really lived up to the WrestleMania name. Lets take a look at some of the takeaways and questions following the WWEs Super Bowl.
Best RKO Ever?
First off, lets start off by saying the Randy Orton/Seth Rollins matchup was a great in-ring contest. Arguably the show-stealer of WrestleMania, if it was given more time it could have ventured into the “classic category.” Their chemistry together is apparent, with each move and counter were performed to near perfection. However, the talk coming out of the match was the finish. Rollins set up his former finisher, the Phoenix Splash, which Orton moved out of the way for, and with Rollins rolling onto his feet, he countered an RKO and set Orton up for the Curb Stomp. As Rollins went for the Stomp, Orton shot him up off of his back, setting him up for a masterfully done RKO. Up to par with the RKO on Evan Bourne, this move will be one of the highlights of this WrestleMania.
WWE Fails the Sting Experiment
When the WWE decided to go with the “WWE vs. WCW” route in the bout between Sting and Triple H, it was obvious that it would not bode well for The Icon (sorry, The Vigilante is a terrible nickname). In what ended in late 2001, the rekindled rivalry between two companies was, well, unnecessary for Sting’s first appearance inside of the WWE ring. Sure, the nostalgia was cool; DX facing off against the nWo in a West Side Story like standoff was a nice visual and something the fans were excited for. However, it really took away from Sting’s WWE moment. With an abrupt end and a Triple H victory, it seemed as though all of Sting’s questions and concerns with how he would be represented in the WWE came true. Lets hope this isn’t Sting’s only in-ring appearance with the company.
Is Prestige Finally Brought Back to IC, US Titles?
One thing all fans can agree on is how sad the United States championship, and even more so the Intercontinental championship, have become. Both titles have become mere props on WWE television, as lazy booking and poor decisions drove the once prestigious titles into the ground. However, on Sunday, did the WWE decide to revitalize the secondary belts? Top performers won each title, as John Cena captured the United States title from Rusev while Daniel Bryan escaped six other participants in a Ladder Match to claim the Intercontinental championship. While many have complained, especially with the Cena victory, what more can you ask for? Two wrestlers who, quite frankly, are below the titles they own, will try their very best to make the championships mean something again in the world of the WWE.
What Happens Next with Bray Wyatt?
At first I was going to include Rusev as well, but he is in a better position than Wyatt. After all, the opponent he lost to will be around to continue their feud. Unfortunately, the same cant be said for the Eater of Worlds. This is why I had a problem with this match at WrestleMania; it was a lose-lose situation. Wyatt losing to a returning Undertaker wouldn’t have been a big deal if the Phenom was appearing on WWE shows each week. However, with the Undertaker going back home, where does that leave Wyatt? Some would say Wyatt sharing the ring with the Undertaker at WrestleMania will elevate him. But after weeks of calling out, taunting, then failing to beat the Deadman, where does that leave Wyatt in the coming weeks? Only time will tell.
Does the Undertaker Have One More Match in Him?
Speaking of the Undertaker, one thing was for certain in his WrestleMania 31 bout: he looked way better than he did a year ago against Brock Lesnar. Sure, he wasn’t at the level of his classics against Shawn Michaels, or even his encounter with CM Punk two years ago. But for a guy who has been wrestling since 1984 and is 50 years old, he performed as well as someone can at this point in his career. One thing everyone was looking for in this matchup was to see if ‘Taker was truly done, or if he had some fuel left in the tank. From the looks of things, I’m expecting a proper sendoff next year, with a last match and possible Hall of Fame induction at next years WrestleMania, which happens to be held in his home state of Texas. Could we finally get the Sting/Undertaker showdown?
Getting the Main Event Right
The buildup for the main event of WrestleMania 31 was weak at best; it seemed as though the WWE kept Lesnar and Roman Reigns apart so the crowd wouldn’t be so against Reigns. However, it was evident by the time the main event started that Lesnar was the sure-fire favorite. Now, to be clear, I wasn’t totally against the idea of Reigns winning. However, if he did, I was hoping for Paul Heyman to aid him in victory, as I wrongly predicted before the match began on Twitter. It wasn’t Reigns failing to win that the WWE got right; it was simply, everything. Brock Lesnar continued to look like a badass by beating up on Reigns and not getting pinned. Although Reigns did take most of the beating, his laughing and asking for more from Lesnar made him look more legitimate by the second. And having Rollins cash in his Money in the Bank contract-although to the delight of fans-continues his rise as a slimy character that will do anything to win; like a true heel. This ending gives the WWE various avenues to drive down; Brock never got pinned so he has his gripe. Reigns will surely want some of Rollins who interrupted what should have been his shining moment. Hell, even Randy Orton should want a piece of Rollins with the title as a new reason to go after him. The WWE really made the best decision with the outcome.
All in all, in my opinion, the WWE did a great job with the entire production of WrestleMania. From top to bottom there was excitement, great decision-making and interest. Here’s to hoping that the company can continue the momentum for the weeks to come.
What did you guys think? Let me know in the comment below or tweet me @DarraghWV. Until next week, cheers.
Dan Federico is a writer for PWMania, SportsBlogNewYork and Split the Uprights. Follow on Twitter @DFBlogger