Wrestlemania 26: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

This is topic number 26 of 29 threads looking back on previous Wrestlemania events. Every couple of days I have been submitting a new one and will continue until all of the past Wrestlemania events have been discussed, leading up to the big day in April where Wrestlemania 30 will take place.

In this thread we will be discussing.... Wrestlemania 26!

Wrestlemania 26 took place on March 28, 2010. It was held at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. There were 72,219 fans who attended the event. Here are the results of the matches from this event:






0. Yoshi Tatsu last eliminated Zack Ryder to win a 26-man Interpromotional "Pre-WrestleMania" battle royal as the dark match. (08:34)

1. ShoMiz (The Miz and Big Show) (c) defeated John Morrison and R-Truth in a tag team match to retain the Unified WWE Tag Team Championship (03:24)

2. Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase in a triple threat match (09:01)

3. Jack Swagger defeated Christian, Matt Hardy, Kane, Drew McIntyre, Kofi Kingston, Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, Montel Vontavious Porter, and Evan Bourne in a Money in the Bank ladder match (13:44)

4. Triple H defeated Sheamus in a singles match (12:09)

5. Rey Mysterio defeated CM Punk (with Luke Gallows and Serena) in a singles match where if Punk won, Mysterio would have had to join the Straight Edge Society. (06:30)

6. Bret Hart defeated Mr. McMahon by submission in a No Holds Barred Lumberjack match with Bruce Hart as the special guest referee (11:09)

7. Chris Jericho (c) defeated Edge in a singles match to retain the World Heavyweight Championship (15:48)

8. Michelle McCool, Vickie Guerrero, Alicia Fox, Layla, and Maryse defeated Beth Phoenix, Kelly Kelly, Mickie James, Gail Kim, and Eve Torres in a 10-Diva tag team match (03:26)

9. John Cena defeated Batista (c) by submission in a singles match to win the WWE Championship (13:31)

10. The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels in a No Disqualification "Streak vs Career" Match (23:59)




Now, here are some discussion questions concerning the event:

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

If you could change a few things about Wrestlemania 26, what would it be and why?

You may only use wrestlers who were available at the roster at that time or make changes that could have realistically taken place in March 2010. Please keep in mind the situations going into the show such as who could actually have been pushed into a title match, or what songs existed back then if you wanted to change the show's theme music, and so forth.

You may only discuss Wrestlemania 26 in this thread. The remaining Wrestlemania events will be getting their own retrospective threads shortly, any posts regarding other events will be considered spam and you risk getting an infraction.

Discuss!

 

[The Brain]

WrestleMania 26 was a strong show that had a very good build. Most of the matches had a very good storyline and were heavily anticipated. I have a hard time picking a favorite for this one. Everything was good but nothing stood out as great. I still enjoyed the show very much but maybe my expectations were a bit too hight. I guess I'll go with John Cena vs. Batista as my favorite but probably more for the names involved and the build than the actual match. The match was good but could have been a lot better with a few more minutes. It was a little too short for such a big match. My least favorite was the diva match. Big surprise, right? Ten women thrown together for no reason at all. If I remember correctly this match wasn't even announced ahead of time. It was just thrown together at the last minute.

This is the hardest one to make any changes to since the very early mania cards. Believe it or not I wasn't crazy about Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels again. They had a great match at WM25 and I just didn't see the need for a rematch. I didn't think it was going to live up to the year before, and it didn't. I was having a hard time buying the story. Why was Michaels so obsessed with beating Taker at mania? Because he thinks he's Mr. WrestleMania? So what. He didn't obsess about losing to Angle or Cena. Why did he care so much about the loss to Taker? At the time I wanted Michaels vs. CM Punk. HBK could have simply announced he was retiring and mania was going to be his last match. This was when Punk was leading the Straight Edge Society and we all know about HBK's past. Punk could have brought up HBK's past and called him out as the ultimate hypocrite. "God may have forgiven you but I have higher standards." You get the idea. They could have delivered some great promos and put on a great match. A fresh match instead of a rematch. My only problem is I don't have an idea for an opponent for Taker. Of couse Cena comes to mind but his story with Batista was too good. I guess Michaels vs. Punk just wasn't meant to be.

As for an easy change I would have scrapped the diva match and given that time to Cena vs. Batista. Another five to ten minutes would have made a big difference and made that the match it deserved to be.

 

[Aquaman6686]

I seem to be in the minority, but I LOVED WrestleMania 26. I thought it was easily one of the three best of the past ten years, after WM24 and WM20. My only two complaints are that some of the matches were a little short, and I felt that the match order was a little odd. Here are my changes:

Remove the Divas Tag match, have that on the pre-show after the Battle Royal. Use the extra 6 minutes or so to give more time to Cena/Batista and Jericho/Edge.

Fix the order of the matches. I think the card would have been even stronger if the order had been different:

Pre-show: Battle Royal

Pre-show: 10-Diva Tag Team Match

1 - Unified WWE Tag Team Championship: ShoMiz vs. R-Truth & John Morrison

2 - Money in the Bank

3 - Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton

4 - Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

5 - No Holds Barred: Mr. McMahon vs. Bret Hart

6 - Sheamus vs. Triple H

7 - WWE Championship: John Cena vs. Batista

8 - World Heavyweight Championship: Chris Jericho vs. Edge

9 - Streak vs. Career: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

So, a few minor complaints, but overall I thought this was an amazing WrestleMania. Personally I'd put it in the Top 5 best WrestleManias ever.

 

[Mac]

This was a solid Mania and the last decent one they've had since.

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most? What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

My favorite match was Batista vs John Cena, this was a well built match between two top stars and it delivered. These guys had good chemistry and in the end the right guy won.
My least favorite match was Bret Hart vs Vince McMahon. I thought they could've had a match similar to Hogan/Vince from WM 19. But this was one big fail. They should've made this match quick and to the point. This is easily the worst match in Mania history.

As for this show it's hard to make changes to this considering that this was a solid show. One of the few changes I'd make is to have Shawn face HHH instead. Don't get me wrong Taker/Shawn was a classic and IMO was a step up from the year before. But around this time they were teasing some dissension between the two. If they wanted to have a retirement match why not let it be against HHH? They have history together. And on top of that they never faced each other at a WrestleMania.

Another change I'd make is to the winner of the MITB ladder match. Swagger didn't deserve it, and at that time I thought Christian should've won it. And considering that they ended inserting Swagger into the Jericho/Edge feud. Christian would've made a lot more sense. He has history with both guys. IMO that was a missed opportunity.

Another change I'd make is to the Bret/Vince match. It still would've happened but it would've been quick and to the point. Bret clearly was in no condition to wrestle and Vince is Vince so they should've considered the limitations of both guys and booked a better match.

So since I did HHH vs Shawn at this WrestleMania that leaves Undertaker and Sheamus without a match. I would've had Sheamus face the Undertaker. Taker gives Sheamus a star making match and makes him look legitimate.

 

[Judah's Lion]

Mania 26 had some high spots and i liked the show more than most. the matches and their builds were all pretty solid, so few complaints from me. still, it should come as no surprise to anyone following along with this thread series, but i've got quite a few changes for this card, and some of them are pretty major.

US Title: Miz vs. Morrison. they were already in a match, albeit for the Tag Team Titles, but a singles match for the US Title would have made sense too. i'm a big believer in defending the titles on ppv and these guys had a lot of history coming in, so this works for me.

IC Title: CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio. i liked this feud and the match here was good. the only change i'd make is to add the strap to the mix and make the match longer. let two supremely gifted athletes do what they do best.

mad props to Brain for suggesting CM Punk vs. HBK. i'd never thought of that and do think it would have been an amazing feud. the promos and ring work would have been unbeatable. too bad i had HBK retire the year before at Mania 25.

Triple Threat Match: Orton vs. Dibiase vs. Rhodes. the match was better than most give it credit for, possibly because of the finish, and the build up was logical. honestly, anyone could have won this match and i would have been satisfied. really fun match and one of my favorites from the night.

MITB: i like the match and i like the participants. it's not just hindsight, but there's no way i book Swagger as the winner here. nope. my gut on this is to have Captain Charisma take home MITB and announce that he's gonna cash in at the next year's Mania. he can then begin a slow burn into a full-fledged heel for a year to build up his momentum and credibility.

Tag Team Titles: Hart Dynasty with Bret Hart vs. Cryme Tyme with Vince McMahon. McMahon and Hart had very infamous history and deserved closure. considering the medical condition of Bret and his extremely limited ability, there's no sense in having him in an actual match, especially one as long, drawn out and horrible as the one he was given. book this similarly to when it was Trump vs. McMahon at Mania 23 but have teams represent each man instead. Hart Dynasty is the clear choice for Bret and McMahon can buy off Cryme Tyme, even give them the Tag Team Titles, turning them heel. in this match, Hart Dynasty goes over, wins the Tag Team Titles and clears the ring of Cryme Tyme. then, in the moment that was needed for closure, Hart Dynasty surrounds McMahon and force him into the ring in the waiting arms of Bret Hart. Bret hits his atomic drop and locks in the Sharpshooter. i think this would have worked much better than what we actually got in the Tag Team Title contest and the Hart/McMahon fiasco.

Sheamus vs. Big Show. i love both of these big guys and think both are highly underrated inside the ring. give them some time to have a slugfest and give Sheamus a much needed win in his Mania debut to recoup some of his lost steam.

World Title #1: Edge vs. Jericho. absolutely perfect build and match. i'd leave everything about it as is. loved the fact that these guys were tag champs before Edge's injury and return to the Rumble. these are two of my all time favorites so it's an extra fun match up for me.

World Title #2: Cena vs. Batista. this is another match and build that i'd leave the same. some have suggested that they should have faced off at Mania prior to this, but i thought this was the right time. and Batista's heel turn was really well done here. this is probably my favorite stage of the Animal's career. loved the spotlight entrance. perfect for his theme song. anyway, great build and really good match.

Hell in a Cell: End of an Era; Taker vs. Triple H. this is my biggest change to the card. as i said earlier, i had HBK put his career on the line at Mania 25 so he's retired now. like Brain said, the rematch of Taker/HBK didn't live up to the first match and the build was kinda silly. this is the only repeat match i have for Taker in his Streak. but it's been nearly 10 years since he faced Triple H so i'm okay with that. like i did with Mania 25 in combining the 2 builds and matches that Taker had with HBK, keeping the best of both, i'd do the same here with Triple H. take the best of both builds, moments and match points and let them have their amazing Hell in a Cell match two years earlier.

i'm sure i'll get some hell for my reworking of this event, especially the Taker Streak, but there's a method to my madness. personally, i've never cared for the fact that Taker has faced Kane twice, HBK twice and Triple H thrice (how often does anyone ever get to say that word?) at Mania.

 

[Pedigree1]

WM26 was good.. Not as bad as people make it out to be,a solid card with a nice buildup. While the rematch HBK Vs Taker match,wasnt as good as the year before it still was a good match between the two. Seeing MR WM retire on the grandest stage of them all,after he retired Flair 2 years earlier was the proper sendoff. Looking back i would have had Mysterio join the SES! Going back to the WCW days,we all have seen mysterio unmasked i dont think it would have been that big of a deal..

Mysterio joining the SES,would have been totally unexpected and no one would have seen it coming... Having Triple H go over was the right move IMO,as Sheamus later on would beat the living snot out of him and essentially I believe this was the last year,as Trips as a full-time competitor..

Unless its a spectacular Divas match especially when multiple divas are involved,they dont belong on a WM card. I understand its filler and you cant have great matches for four straight hours. But Batista and Cena at least should have been given more time. This was batista's best work ever. He was a full-blown heel,full of himself,and destroying everything in his path. Batista this is the guy i miss. He was motivated,cared about his craft,and made us believe it. At least put the divas match on the opening segment if you insist on having one. Really no changes other than the ones i posted

 

[Aquaman6686]

I forgot to mention my favorite and least favorite match.

Least favorite was Hart vs. McMahon. Even as a big Hart fan, that was just painful to watch.

Favorite was Chris Jericho vs. Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship. It was a great match, had a great build, and had such an amazing "Big Match" feel that too many "big matches" are lacking. I still believe that match should have been immediately before Undertaker/Michaels. It had a much better build than Cena/Batista in my opinion and most people I know were much more hotly anticipating Jericho/Edge. Plus there's the fact that Edge won the Royal Rumble, not John Cena. While I was ok with HBK/Taker headlining the show over them, there was no reason for anything else to be booked over Jericho/Edge.

 

[Wolf Pac]

I'm with Mac on this one. I thought they should've swapped Triple H and Taker's matches around, and had Taker vs. Sheamus and Shawn vs. Triple H. I always think wrestlers should go out to the guy they have the most history with, it just makes for a more perfect ending to their career. I would've built Shawn vs. Triple H similar to Shawn vs. Flair at 24, with Shawn announcing that he's retiring at 26 and he calls out Triple H, asking him to be his last opponent. At first Triple H refuses but after constantly being called out by Shawn and even getting called a "coward" by him, Trips finally accepts. Also, I wouldn't have had Triple H go full on heel for the match but I would've had Trips show signs of it in the build up by bragging about his accomplishments, the superstars he's defeated and put out (Mick Foley), and telling Shawn that he guarantees he will end his career on a bad note. Maybe after the match, it could lead to a heel turn and an ego thing the next year, where Triple H confronts Taker for a match at 27 and since he's retired Foley & Shawn, he believes can put an end to Taker and his streak.

Another change I would've made is adding a Hair vs. Mask stipulation to Mysterio vs. Punk. It would've given the match a bigger feel. Why would anyone give a shit about Mysterio joining the SES, had he lost? Losing either your mask or your hair is the ultimate humiliation, not being forced to join your rival's stable. Rey and Punk ended up having the Hair vs. Mask match at Extreme Rules, but it would have been better off happening at Wrestlemania. I remember wanting the Hair vs. Mask stip at Wrestlemania, was disappointed when they announced the stip was that Rey had to join the SES instead if he lost.

This was still a good Mania anyway, with a good build up.

Favourite match - Batista vs. Cena, but like The Brain more for the build up than the actual match. I really dug Batista's new "rockstar" character. Some of the finest work of his career.

Least-Favourite match - I can't say the Divas match cause I actually fast forwarded through that, so I'm going with Hart vs. McMahon. But to be fair, we all knew Bret couldn't go as he used to and he even admitted it weeks before the match, so I didn't have any high expectations for the match. The McMahon paying off the Hart Family and them turning on him bit was stupid as fuck though. I would've cut that out of the match and let McMahon & Hart go it alone. They didn't need to be involved and it wasn't believable anyway. I knew The Harts were playing Vince as soon as he told Bret that he payed them to help him.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Average Mania for me. My favorite match was the Edge/Jericho title match. Two of my favorite wrestlers from their era I was happy to see them in a title match at Mania. They put on a good match and I remember how surprised I was that Jericho won the match. The spear post match on the announce table was awesome.

There really isn't much to change on the card. Both title matches made sense and Shawn/Taker 2 while not better than the original served its purpose of sending Shawn off. And while the Bret/Vince match was nothing special it was a fitting end to the screwjob. The undercard also delivered with good matches between Mysterio/Punk and Legacy. The stories were better than the matches but they still delivered.

Nothing on the card stands out and that is the biggest reason why this card is average or maybe above average.

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I liked this WrestleMania, all told. It wasn't the greatest, but it was a step up from last year's in which all WM25 had going for it was Michaels/Taker 1. This had their rematch -- which admittedly wasn't as good, but had the extra drama of Michaels retiring. My favorite was Cena and Batista. I loved the build they had for that feud -- WrestleMania 21's favorite sons were finally going to get it on, and they were bringing up each other's rise to the top in the promos. Good stuff all around even though I also think the match was a bit short.

Least favorite: Divas. Duh. I mean WTF is the point.

 

[LODemolition]

WrestleMania XXVI gets about a 6.5 or 7 rating from me. My favorite match is close between Edge vs. Jericho and Taker vs. Shawn, but I'll take the latter. Even though it didn't measure up to their match from WM25, it was still the best match of the night. My least favorite had to be the tragedy that was Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon. By this time, the novelty of seeing Vince square off against guys who used to be at the top had gotten pretty old. Vince hadn't stepped in the ring at Mania in 4 years and he should've kept it that way. I would think Bret wouldn't want to tarnish his legacy and also not compete if he knew he couldn't perform at a high level. I think Bret should've been in Cena's corner and Vince should've been in Batista's corner and they should've left it at that. Things could've obviously gotten physical between them during or after the match, but it never should've gotten it's own match, especially for as long as it went. It seemed like time stood still.

So, here's my rebooking of WrestleMania XXVI:

1. Intercontinental Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Kofi Kingston

Oh, the days when McIntyre's future looked promising. I've gotten on my soapbox before about IC or US champs competing in the MITB match instead of defending their title at WM. I'll say it again. McIntyre should've been given his own match, even if it was the dark match. It's better than pretending the title doesn't matter.

2. Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Jack Swagger vs. Christian vs. Kane vs. Evan Bourne vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. R Truth vs. John Morrison vs. Mark Henry vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. MVP

Without a shadow of a doubt, they made a mistake by having Swagger win instead of Christian. Edge should've gone on to win the WHC and Christian should've held the briefcase and cashed in on him. Possibly even the same night. Swagger is the 2nd worst choice for the MITB winner in history behind Mr. Kennedy.

3. Tag Team Championship: ShowMiz (c) vs. Hart Dynasty

I didn't mind Morrison and R Truth as a team, but Morrison was always a bit too good to not be on his own imo. I understand why they booked it the way they did, with Miz and Morrison being former teammates, but I always liked Kidd and Smith together. I believe this would've made a much better match.

4. Triple Threat Match: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase

This was solid booking with the split of Legacy. Wouldn't change anything here.

5. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

I liked this feud, but I wouldn't have minded seeing Punk in the MITB match going for the 3-peat. This was fine how it was though, so I wouldn't chance this either.

6. Triple H vs. Sheamus

I'm not a fan of Sheamus, but thought he should've probably gone over here to propel him as a serious threat. Yes, he had already been WWE Champion, but a win over Triple H at Mania could've been huge for him.

7. World Heavyweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Edge

As I mentioned above, I think Christian should've won MITB, so that means I would've given Edge the win here and possibly had Christian cash in on him directly after. Nobody had ever cashed in the same night at WM. In fact, it's only been done once when Kane did it, but this was when MITB got it's own ppv. Imagine the pop they could've gotten from the crowd if they scripted a same-night cash-in between 2 long time friends and former tag partners.

8. Divas Championship Fatal 4-Way: Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Gail Kim vs. Natalya vs. Mickie James

The 10-diva tag tag team match was just lazy booking, much like this year with the "Vickie Guerrero Invitational." Having a championship match between the best 4 female wrestlers they had to offer might have made them look like less of a joke.

9. WWE Championship: Batista (c) w/ Mr. McMahon vs. John Cena w/ Bret "Hitman" Hart

See above in the first paragraph. Cena wins and Bret takes care of Vince when he tries to pull his shenanigans.

10. Streak vs. Career: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Well done here. It ended Mania on a sad, but necessary note. Shawn's time had come and he deserved to have his last match headline the biggest event of the year.

 

[Cub McCallister]

This wrestlemania was pretty decent tbh but I'd still make a few changes to do this one such as:

Dark Matches
26 man Battle Royal Match
Beth Pheonix (C) Vs Mickie James (C)
Women's Title Vs Diva's Title Unification Match

Main Card
1) Shomiz (C) Vs Hart Dynasty Vs Kosloz & Jackson Vs Cryme Tyme
Wwe Tag Titles 4 Team Fatal 4 Way Match. Sounds lacklustre but it's the only decent teams I could find and I'd have the hart dynasty winning the gold.

2) John Morrison (C) Vs Christian Vs Jack Swagger
United States Title Triple Threat Match. I'd like to see this match happen for some strange reason tbh and I'd have Morrison go in as champion and have Swagger win the belt.

3) Drew Mclntyre Vs Kane Vs Cody Rhodes Vs Shelton Benjamin Vs Evan Bourne Vs Dolph Ziggler Vs MvP Vs Kofi Kingston
Money in The Bank Ladder Match. I'd have Drew win this one and go onto win the world title like he deserved to

4) Randy Ortan Vs Ted Dibiase
I believe they were going to go with this match originally so I'd have this one where they could have a show stealer

5) Cm Punk (C) Vs Rey Mysterio
Intercontinental Title Match. I'd have this for the title because if Mysterio loses he joins cm punk if he wins he wins the ic title and in the end is have punk retain the title and mysterio has to join the Straight Edge Society.

6) Sheamus Vs Triple HHH
Stays the same

7) Chris Jericho (C) Vs Edge
World Heavyweight Title No Dq Match. I'd have Jericho retain the title after a great match against edge and then have Mclyntyre come out of nowhere and cash in his contract and become champion that same night.

8) Vince Mcmahon Vs Bret Hart
Street Fight Match. Stays the same

9) Batista(C) Vs John Cena
Wwe Title Match. Stays the same

10) The Undertaker Vs Shawn Michaels
Streak Vs Career Match. Stays the same wouldn't change a thing.

 

[Dagger Dias]

I love this Wrestlemania, it is one of my all time favorites. Every single match other than the divas match delivered. In many ways it did things right that Wrestlemania 25 screwed up on. The only real change I would make is that the divas match should have been a title match. Michelle McCool VS Beth Phoenix for the Womens Championship would have taken place a month earlier, with their Extreme Rules match still happening as a rematch. Michelle would retain. The divas match was obviously my least favorite, since it is the one I am changing. It still served its purpose though. A chance to relax in between the bigger matches. Some might dislike the Bret Hart match, but I personally enjoyed it. Bret got his much deserved revenge on Vince.

My favorite match was the main event. HBK VS Taker II going on last made sense, in a rare case of the world title not needing to close Wrestlemania. Cena VS Batista for the WWE Championship is a close 2nd, but even that with the title involved and the two wrestlers who were in said match could not live up to the Michaels & Taker sequel. Their match at Wrestlemania 25 is the greatest match of all time in my book, and this match came just shy of replicating that score. It ranks quite high on my list and the build for it was simply amazing. It's a match no one should miss out on, and I'd argue this Wrestlemania as a whole (except the divas match, you can skip that) is one you don't want to miss if you didn't get to see it 4 years ago. It's the best one since 19 in my opinion.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

I'm not sure why some people here are saying they are in the minority of liking this Wrestlemania because I've never read anything bad about it. It was a good show top to bottom. As for minority, I really think Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels at Mania 25 is probably the most over rated match ever and I might just be alone in that, but this thread isn't for that. I might elaborate if I have time to get to the Mania 25 thread though.

As for this one, I wouldn't really change anything at all. Least favorite matches are the divas match and Hart vs McMahon, but those don't count as bad because they served their purpose. No one cares about the divas and I constantly read on these boards how they just waste space and should go away, but they are a perfect filler between main events. That's all they are ever viewed as so why waste time creating a storyline or whatever for them when no matter what if the divas aren't Trish or Lita, no one is going to give a shit?

As for Hart/McMahon, what were you all expecting? Some 5 star techincal clinic? It was perfect the way it was and the bitching is ridiculous even some going so far as to say it's the worst Mania match ever? Fucking really? The whole point of the match was Bret getting his revenge and making Vince submit to the sharpshooter. If anyone thought or expected it to be anything more than that you are an idiot.

Probably the only thing I would change is giving Punk vs Mysterio extra time. They had great matches at the next 2 pay per views and easily could have had a great one here with more time. Their six minutes wasn't bad at all though.

World title matches stay the same.

I personally would have just had Shawn retire last mania or at least not have him face Taker at this one. Like I said, the Mania 25 match is over rated, and this in my opinion is better even if we knew who was going to win. The action in this was just awesome. Hell I may as well just say what problem I have with the Mania 25 match. The match was great until Taker botched his dive. After that the match stalled then it went into finisher, kickout, finisher, kickout etc. There was never any doubt in my mind Taker was going to lose. I think people just say how great that match is because of how below average the rest of the card had been up to that point.

 

[Hitman80]

I think people forget Bret Hart had not only suffered a major concussion but also a major stroke. I appreciate and respect Bret came back at all to be honest. It was never going to be a great wrestling match but anyone that knew the situation should have known that.

This was about the story and for me fifteen minutes of my life so Bret could have his moment of being there despite a few years earlier not being able to move or talk is time I'll happily give up because this was something he would have thought impossible whilst laying in that hospital bed.

Was it a typical Bret Hart match? Of course not but appreciate it for what it was considering the limitations in place. To have got there for Bret is an inspiring story and something if you've read recent interviews that he still very emotional about to this day.

 

[myGiant]

First Off I want say I was a fan of Edge especially when he won first WWE TITLE. I also liked Christian and 2005 should a been a big year for him. But I do not agree the hype everyone gives them including Y2J who I never cared for. I think they are overrated and thats that.

WRESTLEMANIA 26 easily top ten best.
Wouldn't Change Nothing

 

[JJV]

A good, not great show. I would have booked it like this:

ShowMiz vs John Morrison & Kofi Kingston (Kofi and Morrison would have been a better pair than Truth and Morrison)

Christian or Drew McIntyre wins MITB

Rey Mysterio def CM Punk

Mickie James def Michelle McCool
(Royal Rumble match was sh*t, but the build up was great. This match should have got some more time and it definitely was a WM worthy divas match)

Randy Orton def Ted Dibease and Cody Rhodes in a triple threat match

Batista def John Cena in a singles match
(After Cena lost the elimination chamber, while Batista had a minor feud with Edge and defeated him at the PPV, Batista begins his feud with Cena)

Triple H def Sheamus for the WWE Championship
(Triple H wins the elimination chamber and Sheamus invokes his rematch clause. This match was a better choice for the world championship and it would have been good for Sheamus. The feud ends the same way it did, with Sheamus winning the championship at Extreme Rules, instead of a cheap win at Fatal 4 Way. Seeing Cena in a championship match always and winning it sucks. Seriously, there was no point in Cena defeating Edge and Big Show at 25 and Batista at 26. Tbh, I wanted HBK to defeat Cena at 23. It would have been a great moment for HBK. Cena has so many achievements to talk about, so HBK winning the championship one last time was a better option at 23)

Chris Jericho def Edge for the World Heavyweight Championship

The Undertaker def Shawn Michaels

The only match I would scrap from the PPV was Bret Hart and McMahon's match. That match was unnecessary. I would have given the Cena-Batista and the Triple H-Sheamus match some more time instead.

WrestleMania XXVI gets about a 6.5 or 7 rating from me. My favorite match is close between Edge vs. Jericho and Taker vs. Shawn, but I'll take the latter. Even though it didn't measure up to their match from WM25, it was still the best match of the night. My least favorite had to be the tragedy that was Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon. By this time, the novelty of seeing Vince square off against guys who used to be at the top had gotten pretty old. Vince hadn't stepped in the ring at Mania in 4 years and he should've kept it that way. I would think Bret wouldn't want to tarnish his legacy and also not compete if he knew he couldn't perform at a high level. I think Bret should've been in Cena's corner and Vince should've been in Batista's corner and they should've left it at that. Things could've obviously gotten physical between them during or after the match, but it never should've gotten it's own match, especially for as long as it went. It seemed like time stood still.

So, here's my rebooking of WrestleMania XXVI:

1. Intercontinental Championship: Drew McIntyre (c) vs. Kofi Kingston

Oh, the days when McIntyre's future looked promising. I've gotten on my soapbox before about IC or US champs competing in the MITB match instead of defending their title at WM. I'll say it again. McIntyre should've been given his own match, even if it was the dark match. It's better than pretending the title doesn't matter.

2. Money in the Bank Ladder Match: Jack Swagger vs. Christian vs. Kane vs. Evan Bourne vs. Shelton Benjamin vs. R Truth vs. John Morrison vs. Mark Henry vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. MVP

Without a shadow of a doubt, they made a mistake by having Swagger win instead of Christian. Edge should've gone on to win the WHC and Christian should've held the briefcase and cashed in on him. Possibly even the same night. Swagger is the 2nd worst choice for the MITB winner in history behind Mr. Kennedy.

3. Tag Team Championship: ShowMiz (c) vs. Hart Dynasty

I didn't mind Morrison and R Truth as a team, but Morrison was always a bit too good to not be on his own imo. I understand why they booked it the way they did, with Miz and Morrison being former teammates, but I always liked Kidd and Smith together. I believe this would've made a much better match.

4. Triple Threat Match: Randy Orton vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Ted DiBiase

This was solid booking with the split of Legacy. Wouldn't change anything here.

5. Rey Mysterio vs. CM Punk

I liked this feud, but I wouldn't have minded seeing Punk in the MITB match going for the 3-peat. This was fine how it was though, so I wouldn't chance this either.

6. Triple H vs. Sheamus

I'm not a fan of Sheamus, but thought he should've probably gone over here to propel him as a serious threat. Yes, he had already been WWE Champion, but a win over Triple H at Mania could've been huge for him.

7. World Heavyweight Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Edge

As I mentioned above, I think Christian should've won MITB, so that means I would've given Edge the win here and possibly had Christian cash in on him directly after. Nobody had ever cashed in the same night at WM. In fact, it's only been done once when Kane did it, but this was when MITB got it's own ppv. Imagine the pop they could've gotten from the crowd if they scripted a same-night cash-in between 2 long time friends and former tag partners.

8. Divas Championship Fatal 4-Way: Beth Phoenix (c) vs. Gail Kim vs. Natalya vs. Mickie James

The 10-diva tag tag team match was just lazy booking, much like this year with the "Vickie Guerrero Invitational." Having a championship match between the best 4 female wrestlers they had to offer might have made them look like less of a joke.

9. WWE Championship: Batista (c) w/ Mr. McMahon vs. John Cena w/ Bret "Hitman" Hart

See above in the first paragraph. Cena wins and Bret takes care of Vince when he tries to pull his shenanigans.

10. Streak vs. Career: The Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels

Well done here. It ended Mania on a sad, but necessary note. Shawn's time had come and he deserved to have his last match headline the biggest event of the year.

This is a pretty good card actually.

 

[Elchicano15]

This is my favorite Mania of the PG era. We were starting to have a big youth movement at the time with a lot of great stars making their Mania debut and scratching for their Mania moment. We had closure to the Bret Hart/VKM feud with the obvious payoff of Bret Hart getting his revenge. Another fantastic match between HBK & Taker which saw HBK's last match. That of course was the match of the night.

The only outcome I would change would be making Drew Mac the winner of the MITB. It was pretty wasteful to make Swagger the winner when they're pushing Drew Mac to the moon to be a top heel. This whole chosen one gimmick I thought, was going to make him a world heavyweight champion but instead they had Swagger win it and win the belt a few days later on SD. It made no sense, and it didn't really help Swagger because his reign was like a blur and didn't help Drew Mac at all. IT's like they build him up just to make him fall.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

Very enjoyable Wrestlemania - just a shame it took so long to get to Glendale!!

Match-up wise, wouldn't change anything; I do feel that Bret v Vince took up too much time though, that would have been better allocated elsewhere. Keep the match, just a lot shorter

 

[MCMG]

This was a very good Mania with a lot of star power. They book matches that make sense and were given time.

The last MITB at Wrestlemania delivered as per tradition. Punk/Rey was a great match with a superb story. I thought Triple H vs Sheamus was solid but nothing spectacular. The Legacy triple threat was a great way to end the stable and this was a decent match. Edge/Jericho and Cena/Batista were strong main-events.

Hart vs McMahon probably went on too long. I understood what was happening and why but they could have cut of a few minutes.

HBK and Taker obviously stood out. The retirement of "Mr Wrestlemania" in what was a true Wrestlemania moment. The match probably wasn't as good as the previous year but it was still great and the perfect way for Shawn to go out.

Loved this Mania and if I had to change something it would be taking time of the Hart vs McMahon match. Otherwise, a terrific Wrestlemania.

 

[HeymanHustler]

I really liked this WrestleMania. I personally think it's a lot better than people give it credit for and I enjoyed the hell out of it. There isn't much about this one I'd changed and the changes I would make mostly have to do with winners, time, and storylines.

1. Give Money in the Bank to Drew McIntyre: I think giving it to Swagger was a big mistake and he just wasn't ready at the time for the main event. I'm not saying McIntyre was the best choice either, but he was getting good heat at the time, and it was heat that put him over as a heel. He was pretty good on the mic and he was pretty nice in the ring too. I remember reading that they wanted to put the briefcase on Drew, but apparently people in the locker room thought he was too green for the push. Which doesn't make sense to me since Sheamus won the WWE Title after 6 months in WWE (a month or 2 if you just count his stint in ECW as developmental). It wouldn't hurt McIntyre to at least have a briefcase for a bit. Put him in a high profile feud or two (maybe with Edge) before he cashes in and if it turned out Drew wasn't ready for the big leagues, then make Drew the first guy to cash in and lose. Then just start over with his character from there.

2. Give Punk and Mysterio more time and a better feud: I always thought this needed a better feud. You knew these two could put on a show, but I always thought Mysterio's motivation of "I wanna fight Punk because he ruined my kid's birthday party" was lame. Maybe have Punk attack Mysterio because he thinks Rey gives too many hopeless fans hope or simply he asks Mysterio to join SES and Rey declines so Punk attacks him and makes a match so if he loses, Mysterio has no choice but to join. Maybe put the Intercontinental title on Rey and make it Title vs SES Membership. And give this match an extra 2 or 3 minutes, which believe me would make all the difference. They had a little more time at the next PPV, Extreme Rules, and it resulted in a better match.

3. Shorten McMahon vs Bret: I get they wanted to emphasize how Bret wanted to punish Vince for 15 years of frustration, but they could have cut it to less than 5 minutes on the show. Maybe as soon as the bell rings, Bret has a chair so Vince flees the ring. Then once he gets to the top of the ramp, he's met by the whole Hart Family, who proceed to attack him a little bit before throwing what's left of him back in the ring. Then Bret immediately locks in the Sharpshooter and then Vince taps. The whole thing could've been done in 4 minutes tops.

That's really it. Other than that, again, great Mania. Favorite match was (you guessed it) HBK vs Taker too. Least favorite was the divas match, but I didn't mind it too much.

 

[klunderbunker]

It's Batista vs. John Cena for the WWE Title at Wrestlemania. Do you really need anything more than that? Yeah Shawn retired at this show and that had to close things out, but people forget about the showdown that WWE had been wanting at Wrestlemania for years leading up to this show. They ran it into the ground afterwards, but the second ever meeting between those two worked to perfection.