On WrestleMania 41 Sunday, the wrestling world witnessed a historic moment as John Cena defeated Cody Rhodes to capture his record-breaking 17th world championship, surpassing Ric Flair’s long-held record. However, not everyone was impressed with the execution of the moment.
During the latest episode of his “83 Weeks” podcast, WWE Hall of Famer Eric Bischoff offered candid criticism of the match, saying the main event failed to evoke the level of emotion expected for such a monumental occasion.
“I have to believe when both those guys watch this match back, they’re going to go, ‘We missed it. We missed the mark,’ because that match just didn’t create emotion,” Bischoff said.
The former WCW President emphasized that the shortcomings weren’t the fault of any one performer, but rather a broader issue with storytelling and chemistry.
“The responsibility is equal among the parties. The chemistry wasn’t there. I don’t think the story was there to begin with. The heel turn was soft. I’m not saying it was bad, but it was soft. It wasn’t compelling.”
Bischoff doubled down on his assessment, insisting the program between Cena and Rhodes lacked the fire and originality fans expect from a WrestleMania main event.
“There was nothing that felt different than a million other turns we’ve seen before. Yes, for all of you people who say I never criticize WWE, please pay attention. That story missed the mark from the get-go. And we talked about it here. It just hasn’t gotten any better. I believe it had a lack of heat, just lack of a good story.”
While Cena’s record-setting win will go down in history, the polarizing reactions from fans and analysts like Bischoff suggest the storytelling leading into and during the match may not have lived up to the monumental stakes.
Stay with PWMania.com for more WrestleMania fallout and expert reactions.
