Wrestlemania 28: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

This is the 28th 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. We are almost there!

In this thread we will be discussing.... Wrestlemania 28!

Wrestlemania 28 took place on April 1, 2012. It was held at Sun Life Stadium in Miami, Florida. There were 78,363 fans there that attended the event. Here are the results of the matches from the show:



0. Primo and Epico (c) (with Rosa Mendes) defeated Justin Gabriel and Tyson Kidd and The Usos (Jey and Jimmy Uso) in a three-way tag team match for the WWE Tag Team Championship during the Pre-Show (05:11)

1. Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan (c) (with AJ Lee) in a singles match to win the World Heavyweight Championship (00:18)

2. Kane defeated Randy Orton in a singles match (10:56)

3. Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes (c) in a singles match to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship (05:18)

4. Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos defeated Beth Phoenix and Eve Torres in a tag team match (06:49)

5. The Undertaker defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels as the special guest referee (30:50)

6. Team Johnny (David Otunga, Mark Henry, Dolph Ziggler, Jack Swagger, The Miz, and Drew McIntyre) (with John Laurinaitis, Vickie Guerrero, and Brie Bella) defeated Team Teddy (Santino Marella, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, Zack Ryder, The Great Khali, and Booker T) (with Theodore Long, Hornswoggle, Eve Torres, Nikki Bella, and Aksana) in a Twelve-man tag team match to determine the General Manager of both the Raw and SmackDown brands (10:38)

7. CM Punk (c) defeated Chris Jericho by submission in a singles match to retain the WWE Championship where if Punk had been disqualified he would have lost the championship (22:21)

8. The Rock defeated John Cena in a singles match (33:34)



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 28, 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 April 2012. 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 28 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!

 

[Wolf Pac]

Favourite match - Tough one to choose as all 3 main events were awesome, but I lean more towards Taker vs. Triple H on this one. Those two put on great fight, they told a great story, and there was pure emotion the entire match (I'll admit I shed a few tears during and after the match). I've always wanted to see the two masters of the HIAC match go at it in the Cell itself and they delivered. It's funny, if this match had happened back in the Attitude Era or the Ruthless Aggression Era instead, it would've been more about the action than the drama.

Least-Favourite match - The Divas tag. Probably the only weakest match on the card (Sheamus vs. Bryan doesn't count). That Maria Whatever the hell her last name is, had no business being in the ring.

This was a solid Wrestlemania, filled with classic moments (the YES! phenomenon taking off, the Cell match, Rock vs. Cena etc.). Probably the best Mania since X7. But as I mentioned in the last Mania thread, I thought the "Summer Of Punk" should have finished at Wrestlemania, so I'm changing the main event here. By changing the main event, I will also have to change a few other things around too. But even with my changes, I still think the PPV would turn out just as great.

1) Chris Jericho vs. Dolph Ziggler

Since I have Punk facing Cena in the main event, Ziggler would be an excellent replacement for Jericho. I know they would feud in the summer and they still could by starting it up again over the MiTB briefcase and Jericho's contract, but let them have their first match here on the grand stage. In fact, let them open up Wrestlemania and have Sheamus vs. Bryan go on somewhere in the middle of the PPV. Their rivalry could start at Wrestlemania and end at Summerslam in a Ladder Match for both the MiTB and Jericho's contract.

2) Kane vs. Zack Ryder

It may not be much of a Mania match but Zack was still pretty hot with the fans around this time, and Kane did target and put him in a wheelchair during his feud with Cena, so this would be Zack's opportunity to get some revenge.

3) Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Big Show for the WWE Intercontinental Title

4) Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Sheamus for the WWE World Title

The only thing that should be changed here is just the length of the match. The 18 second victory left a bitter taste in a lot of peoples mouths (I remember everyone on my last forum, complaining in the chatbox when we were watching it live), so let these two have a proper match.

5) The Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell In A Cell Match with Shawn Michaels as Special Guest Referee

6) Team Johnny (David Otunga, Mark Henry, The Miz, Jack Swagger, and Drew McIntyre) vs. Team Teddy (Santino Marella, R-Truth, Kofi Kingston, The Great Khali, and Booker T) in a 10-Man Tag Team Match

7) The Rock vs. Randy Orton

I may not have The Rock face Cena here but he could still wrestle at this event since Mania is in his hometown, and after having faced Cena the previous year (in my WM 27 fantasy card), The Brahma Bull can face the next best thing in The Viper here. Both are 3rd generation superstars, the youngest WWE Champions in history, this is a match some people are still dreaming about. I think it would be a great match.

8) CM Punk (c) vs. John Cena (c) to crown the Undisputed WWE Champion

Bringing Punk back with the WWE Title 2 weeks after Money in the Bank was a huge mistake. The whole thing was over before it could become white-hot. I watched a YouShoot with Shane Douglas last year and he came up with this killer idea, which had Punk taking the belt with him to indy shows and Cena showing up at the same events to try and retrieve the belt from him. This would go on for months but Punk would escape with the title everytime. Then around Wrestlemania season, Punk would finally return with the belt and they'd blow off the angle with a title match between Cena & Punk at Wrestlemania. Actually Shane didn't mention that part about Punk returning during Mania season and defending the belt against Cena at WM, I came up with that bit cause a huge angle like this is only fitting of coming to an end on the grandest stage of em all. While the belt was gone from the company, they could've put all the focus on the World Heavyweight Title and had that main event PPV's in the meantime. Or they could've had Cena beat Rey Mysterio to become the interim WWE Champion at Summerslam, then have Punk return before Wrestlemania, claiming to be the "real WWE Champion", leading to a match between the two to determine the one & only champion. Plus Punk would achieve his dream of headlining a Wrestlemania.

 

[The Brain]

WrestleMania 28 was a huge show. Awesome setting, great matches, and a huge main event. I look at the show in two halves. The first half was pretty underwhelming. The second half was spectacular. The three big matches delivered and when that happens the undercard doesn't matter as much. It's hard to pick a favorite between the HIAC and the main event. It would be the main event hands down had the result been different but despite that mistake I'm going to pick it anyway. One year of hype, two of the biggest names ever, and an excellent 30 minute match. The outcome will always leave a bad taste in my mouth but this was a true classic. My least favorite match was the diva tag match. Not because it was a divas match and not because it involved a celebrity. Because there was no build. I didn't know why this match was happening. You would think a match involving a celebrity would have some hype around it. Not this time, and that's why it was my least favorite match.

Even though the three main matches delivered big time I think the undercard could have used a little help. I would have done Zack Ryder vs. Kane. I would have done Zack Ryder vs. Kane. I typed that twice just so you would know that was actually what I meant. You're probably thinking Zack Ryder vs. Kane wouldn't have done much to help WrestleMania but you need a little imagination for this one. I was never on the Ryder bandwagon but if there was ever a time to give him a moment it was in early 2012. Since it was only two years ago you probably remember Ryder being involved in the feud between Kane and John Cena at the beginning of the year. Ryder was the victim of some pretty rough beatings from Kane and also the victim of a broken heart when Eve told him she liked Ryder "as a friend." Basically Ryder was a sympathetic figure. I would have liked to have seen Ryder put the goofy guy act on hold for a while and muster up the pride to challenge Kane to a streetfight at mania. Kane would brutalize Ryder for most of the match which would send Eve out begging Kane to stop. Kane would just laugh at Eve and shove her aside. This would light a fire in Ryder as he built an improbable comeback and would eventually sleigh the monster. After seeing Ryder take such a beating Eve would realize she really did care for him and wanted to be more than friends. The two would embrace giving us a happy ending and somewhat of a Savage/Elizabeth WM7 moment. I know Ryder is no Savage and Eve is no Elizabeth and the moment wouldn't have matched WM7 but I think it would have been a good story and given a little spice to the first part of the show.

This means Randy Orton would have needed a new match. I say just put him on Team Teddy to give that match a little star power but cut it down to an eight man tag. Twelve was too crowded. Orton, Kofi, Truth, & Santino vs. Otunga, Miz, Ziggler, & Swagger.

Now for the most important change. You may have heard me bitch about it before. John Cena should have defeated The Rock. Honestly, how could he not? Why would the guy representing an older era beat the top guy of the current era? Why let someone come back after not being around for eight years completely run down the current product and win a main event match basically say I told you so implying the present is inferior to the past? I just don't get it. If Cena would have won that match I would rank it among the best matches ever but the wrong result really hurts it.

 

[Dagger Dias]

This show will forever be tarnished by the ending, otherwise it was quite good. The main thing I would change is the ending to Cena VS The Rock. Cena needed to win the damn match, there is absolutely NO reason to justify Rock winning. That was the single worst booking decision in YEARS. Rock got NOTHING out of winning that match and they robbed Cena of what should have been the win in one of the most important matches of his career. If Hogan didn't beat Rock, then Rock shouldn't have beat Cena. I loved the year long build up for this show, but with that ending, it just destroyed everything. It's like watching a movie that's great up until an idiotic ending just leaves you feeling like you wasted your time/money on the experience. Cena would get the win he deserved in my first change to this show.

The second thing I would change is that the World Heavyweight Championship should have been further up on the card. You don't OPEN your biggest show of the year with a world title match. Let alone one that's shorter than most wrestlers' entrances. That was an insult to the competitors involved as well as the fans. I don't care if it helped Bryan become popular or assisted in further pushes of him. It was disrespectful and everyone involved deserved better. I'd have moved it to 3rd or 4th on the card. Sheamus still wins but in a longer match.

Favorite match was Taker VS Trips 3 in Hell In a Cell. That was just simply awesome. The inclusion of Michaels and the Hell In a Cell match type made it all the better. If you have not seen the match yet, I recommend it. My least favorite was the divas match, although I'm fine with it going the way it did. I'd have moved it up a few spots but it was ok where it was. It's not that big of a deal. Most everything else was good. With a couple of changes, this could have been one of the most memorable Wrestlemania events ever. Sadly I have very mixed feelings on it, and I'm sure others do as well.

 

[Aquaman6686]

Although much better than the previous year, I think WrestleMania 28 was a mediocre offering. There just wasn't enough on the card that screamed "special" to me. Other than Rock/Cena, this could have been any generic PPV.

Favorite match was Punk/Jericho. By far the best match on the card, and I still believe it should have closed the show. I also have a strong personal liking for Rhodes/Big Show, because I've always been a huge fan of Big Show and it was great to see him finally pick up a singles win at WrestleMania.

Least favorite match was the Divas tag. Utterly pointless as usual. Other than that, I also wasn't a big fan of Orton vs. Kane. Such a generic, boring match, that we've seen a thousand times before. Although I'll admit, I was incredibly shocked to see Kane pick up the win.

 

[Pedigree1]

WM28 was heads and shoulders better than WM27! There is some things i would do differently.. I really didnt like the fact the WHC match ended in 18 seconds,i felt it did a major disservice to both the Prestige of the title,and the competitors. We wanted to see Shemaus against the then heel Daniel Bryan.. Yes Chants were even echoing in the arena that night,it was a major slap in the face IMO.. Plus having the WHC match open on two straight WM cards again,does the title a major disservice.. Again I would have had this match higher up on the card,this is probably the one call that still gets me mad to this day.. Not that Daniel Bryan lost,but the fact how the match went down was a complete dishonor to both Sheamus and DB!

Again what was the point in having Maria Menounos on a WM card?? She had zero business in the ring,looked lost,and had zero athletic ability.. Instead of having that divas match which they could have saved for the pre-show i would have brought up the tag match from the undercard.. Favorite match definitely HIAC,what a grueling battle between two HOF'ers. Amazing match,five star quality. You could see the guts and determination out of that bout.. I actually watched that match again,on the Network!

Also what was the point in having Cena lose to the Rock?? They only gave the rock the nod,because WM was in his hometown.. He has no business winning the match,got nothing out of it a bullshit booking decision.. Cena deserved to win that match,he should have! Otherwise a pretty good WM,but with my adjustments it should have been one for the ages

 

[Zycho32]

...I gotta admit to being pleasantly surprised. I went into this thread expecting people to have "Once in a Lifetime" truly be a one-time affair AND still have Rock win the bout. Granted, there's all the time in the world for those guys to come out of the woodwork.

Honestly, I would go with the Zach Ryder/Kane match idea, then either have Randy Orton add his power to the Tag Team clusterfuck or just rehash a match with Cody Rhodes(having Cody go over Orton would do much more than having Big Show put him down). Beyond that, I'd leave things as they are, INCLUDING the 18 Second Debacle(which if nothing else got the collective bug up everyone's ass and had them up and rowdy for the rest of the night. Remember, lead-off matches can come in many shapes and sizes, so long as they get the crowd revved up).

 

[NthDegree23]

Favorite match: On first viewing, the HIAC, easily. But if I had to choose one match from this show to watch for the rest of my life, it would be Punk v. Jericho. In this, we see Triple H's and Undertaker's (perfectly fine) habit of allowing the audience's emotion to carry the pace and style. Their match was designed to be enjoyed most when the outcome was unclear. On repeat viewings it can seem slow, but their was not a dull moment on the first viewing.

Least favorite: I mean, I could go with something obvious like Sheamus v. Bryan being a slap in the face of the respect the fans had for Bryan, or the divas match being a divas match, but I'm actually gonna go with Rock v. Cena as my least favorite. I don't know who to attribute fault to, but both of their matches were done utterly perfunctorily. There was zero spark of personality to the match construction of either of their Mania main events, as we were supposed to be so blown away by the fact that they were wrestling that we should just enjoy them trading signature maneuvers with no flow in-between. (not a completely groundless viewpoint) I had a casual fan who watched it with me, and was most hyped for their match, but kept going on about how it was missing something and there was no heart. I couldn't bring myself to show him 29, when the crowd was totally sitting on its hands mid-match and there were somehow far less stakes involved than the first match when the title wasn't even on the line.

 

[AegonTargaryen]

I'm not sure if it's a curse but I've stopped enjoying wrestlemania from many years now, ever since I saw WM 26 with Shawn Michaels losing , Edge and him departing , Chris Jericho departing, Batista departing.( Not that I think Batista was ever central to Wrestlemania). I did watch Wrestlemania 28, but I could only watch the Jericho-Punk match, and Orton-Kane match and I avoided watching the HIAC except glimpsing through the predictability with those three men in the cell. Too much imagery from the past and the Undertaker having lost his hair and his prime didn't make me invest myself in the contest. It was obvious the streak would live on.

The undercard was obviously grotesque with that ridiculous team teddy and team johnny match with jobbers/jokes like Zack Ryder and Santino Marella in it. What was that? WWE'S way of wasting 20 minutes at wrestlemania?

The Rock-Cena thing was doomed to suck too, after watching how The Rock would repeat the same tune from 2003 in the Rock Concert and lame twitter BS and catchphrases. Call me a pessimist and a dismal dog but I think WM 28 was mediocre, with excessive reliance on the past and no novelty(even though Rock and Cena happened for the first time). The degree of my dislike, detestation, and denial of John Cena far exceeds my love/enthusiasm for Wrestlemania so that makes it worse.

My favourite match of the show was obviously CM Punk vs Chris Jericho. HIAC and Kane-Orton was tolerable and the rest of the card sucked. Worst match-Team teddy vs Team johnny. With that clusterfuck of a match involving 10-12 wrestlers, and the rest of the card seeming too perfect and proper to change, there's not much I can do to change it but I'll give it a try. Here's my card:-

1)WHC.
Randy Orton vs Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus. (I'd give this match 20-25 minutes)

2)WWE championship in a 2-out-of-3-falls match. (This match would be given 30 minutes at least, instead of 22 minutes)
CM Punk vs Chris Jericho.

3)Once in a lifetime travesty- John Cena vs The Rock .(This ends in 15 mins. Nothing makes it so worse as a bad wrestler like John Cena and a medicore wrestler who hasn't been a regular memeber of the roster in 10 years going at it for 30 minutes, especially when they're not Steve Austin and The Rock in 2003).

4)HIAC. Everything stays the same. Simply because I cannot conceive any other opponent for 'Taker, nor can I wish Shawn Michaels would be the participant instead.

I see practically no scope for meaningul feuds/stories for the undercard, especially with Orton involved in the WHC match. Team Johnny vs Team Teddy was one of the most idiotic ideas for a WM match right there with Michael Cole vs Jerry Lawler, and I have no idea what to do with the meaningful participants in that match and I'd not have R-truth or Zack Ryder be at WM. But what to do with Kane, Cody Rhodes, Big Show, Mark Henry, Wade Barrett, among others?

5)US title
Jack Swagger vs Dolph Ziggler

6)Total control of the WWE.
Representing John Laurinaitis:- Kane, Mark Henry, The Miz and Cody Rhodes vs Representing Teddy Long- Big Show, The Great Khali, Booker T, and Kofi Kingston.

This would be a decent 8-man tag team match with appropriate teams instead of the involvement of goofballs and jobbers like R-truth, Santino Marella or Zack Ryder. Kane and Mark Henry would unite to face the behemoths Big Show and Khali, Cody Rhodes and Booker T would have unfinished business, and Kofi Kingston is either replaceable or just the right candidate to balance the Miz. A 6-man tag wouldn't hurt either but this seems perfect. No matter what team wins, it gives everybody a chance to shine, especially Booker T.

7)Divas garbage match.

 

[MCMG]

I remember feeling rather underwhelmed after it finished. I was ridiculously exciting and then Rocky beating Cena which was a little unexpected. I wanted Cena to win and he almost certainly should of. WM28 set up WM28. They then decided to use WM28 to set up 29 which is an interesting choice. Two years in a row the here and now wasn't the focus.

The match itself had an epic feeling and was satisfactory. If The Rock had a more favourable schedule then this match could have been better. I loved the build-up throughout and they managed to keep me entertained even with The Rock not featuring each week. Punk vs Jericho was obviously a match of high quality. The feud itself was interesting and highlighted how good Jericho was/is.

The Team Johnny vs Team Teddy match was awful. Too many wrestlers and an absolute mess. A problem I had was there were talented heels: Ziggler, Swagger, McIntyre, Henry and The Miz. A team with a lot of ability whereas the face team was meh. Take out Otunga and Khali from each team and this match still would probably have been a mess with a rather poor storyline. There was no time and they got guys on the card so, overall, I can't complain too much.

Sheamus vs Bryan will prove to be one of the most influential matches of this decade. This is, I do believe, where the YES chants begun. I thought the 18 seconds thing was fantastic and it got Mania of to an exciting opening. Kane vs Orton was a pretty good match. Both were in awkward positions and this was a good solution. Maria Menounous could actually wrestle which is fantastic for a celebrity. Cody vs Show was a decent feud that I enjoyed and it was a good WM moment for The Big Show.

The match of the night for me was the Hell in a Cell. Perhaps, one of my favourite matches ever. It was compelling, brutal and it was a great way to end the "era". HBK as ref was a genius decision and him being conflicted throughout just added to the story.

Overall, I did like this Mania. Taker vs Triple H stole the show but there was a lot of good, memorable stuff. I'd probably take out Otunga and Khali from the tag match just so there was more time for the rest but other than that I did enjoy this Wrestlemania.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

Very much enjoyed this Wrestlemania. It seems that, of the 'Manias I have attended, the pattern seems to be: odd numbered WM = average; even numbered = very good (let's hope that continues this Sunday!)

I've never known a crowd so one-sided in my life as during Rock v Cena. I filmed the Rock's entrance, and for the first minute you cannot hear the Rock's entrance theme because the crowd are popping so hard! And considering it was Rocky's 2nd match in 8 years, it was a damn good contest.

My least favourite match was easily the WHC match. 18 seconds was just insulting. As was, for the second year in a row (thankfully not three-peated in NJ) the Royal Rumble winner opens Wrestlemania. I actually feel the crowd went flat for the first hour because of this match - not the result, just the nature of the match - and that's why the first hour doesn't hold up against the rest of the card, as, in reality, nearly every match was a solid wrestling contest. However, despite being a heel, Bryan's loss did effectively create the Yes! Movement - as anyone that was at Raw the next night can attest to (Bryan was THE most over wrestler on the show).

I agree that Kane should have faced Ryder, a logical conclusion seeing as Kane tormented Ryder for two full months before WM. Just switch Orton into the 12-man tag. As a previous poster said, it would add star power to that match - and can even serve to reignite the Miz, if he pinned Orton rather than Ryder - I don't think Orton had ever beaten Miz at this point, certainly not in major matches, Miz could have played on that. As it was, he disappeared after Mania and the angles from the match quietly dropped.

The only other thing I would change was the set. Usually I love Wrestlemania's sets. And this change is purely selfish/personal and would have no impact whatsoever on re watching the show. But get rid of those darn palm trees! From where my brother and I were sitting, a full third of the ring was obstructed. Particularly annoying during the already-awkward to watch HIAC, which I watched mainly in the big screens. As I say, just a minor point.

Very enjoyable show.

 

[The Fabulous Rougeau's]

Big step up from the previous year, but overall this card is only above average. The three main event matches were all good with Jericho/Punk being the best in my opinion. Trips/Taker 2 or 3 or whatever it is called was a good match but a downgrade from the previous year. It was too drawn out for my liking and I could have done with the drama turned down a notch. Rock/Cena was what it was. Not the best match, but it was entertaining as can be by the mere fact that Rock was wrestling his first Mania in 8 years.

But Jericho and Punk stole the show. The scary part is that they would top this match a month later. These three matches took so much time that as much as I would like to give Sheamus/Bryan a proper match where are you going to get the time from?

 

[Judah's Lion]

Mania 28 is a mixed bag for me and, judging from the responses thus far, for many others. Rock/Cena was a great build and match, but gave us the wrong ending. Sheamus/Bryan was a travesty of justice ending in 18 seconds, but gave us the Yes Movement. stuff like that makes it hard for me to rank this Mania. here are some changes...

Tag Team Titles: Primo/Epico vs. Uso's vs. Gabriel/Kidd. this match was on the pre-show but should have been on the main card. give it a few more minutes to tell a good story. Primo/Epico retain.

IC Title: Cody Rhodes vs. Goldust; Title vs. Career. how has nobody else mentioned this huge missed opportunity?!?! Goldie was a perfect challenger for the title at this point. i actually really liked the feud with Big Show and Show winning the IC Title at Mania to become a Grand Slam Champion is pretty sweet, but that could be pushed back a year in my opinion. Cody was heel, had held the IC Title in reality for several months (in my fantasy booking, he won the title one year earlier at Mania) and had just feuded with Booker T, Goldie's former tag team partner and friend. this match should have happened here. Dusty Rhodes can be the special referee if you want. either way. and Cody retains. Goldie can either retire for real or come back two years later and form the Brotherhood with Cody as he did. retirement angles in wrestling aren't legally binding as it turns out.

World Title #1: Punk vs. Jericho. the only thing i'd change about this is the build up a little bit. i'd have Jericho win the Rumble. besides that, the match was great and i loved the follow up match at Extreme Rules. keep this as is but with Jericho winning the Rumble.

World Title #2: Daniel Bryan vs. Sheamus; 2/3 Falls Match. 18 seconds is just crazy. again, i feel kinda mixed about it cuz of the Yes Movement, but i think a strong showing by Bryan and he could still have gotten the amazing fan support based upon his in ring performance and character. these two had a great match with this stip a month later. move that up to here with the storyline being Daniel Bryan claiming that every time he's lost, it's been a fluke. but nobody can beat him twice. so there's the stipulation added. he could even lose the first fall in 18 seconds. just not the whole match and World Title.

Cena vs. Rock. rather than doing "Once in a Lifetime" two years in a row, i'd simply make this match literally once in a lifetime. take all the best parts from the two matches and two years of building that we got and put it into one build and one match. oh yeah, let Cena win too. Rock got to win his dream match against Hogan. it's Cena's turn to win the dream match. simply reverse the ending by having Cena reverse the Rock's People's Elbow with an Attitude Adjustment.

i've got some holes in my card that i'm not sure how to fill. so here are some random ideas to round out the card...

Kane vs. Zack Ryder or Brodus Clay. storyline for Ryder was already set up, so that's an easy match to book here. my other idea is to have Brodus Clay, as the Funkasaurus, debut at the Rumble where he eliminates Kane from the match, thus igniting their feud. either match works for me.

Taker vs. Vince McMahon or Ted Dibiase Jr. i've already had Taker/Triple H inside the Cell (at Mania 26) so they need a new match. one idea is to have Vince say that he is bigger than the Streak since he created WrestleMania. they can have a match here then. or Ted Dibiase Jr since his dad brought Taker into the WWE and he's gonna take him out. or maybe even a match with Big Show or Mark Henry since both had recently held the World Title and had some good momentum going into the show. or pay Goldberg tons of money to come back for one match and put up his Streak vs. Taker's Streak? i'm not sure really what to do with Taker this year, so maybe write him off?

that leaves tons of talented guys off the card, such as Trips, Orton, Kofi, Ziggler, Swagger, etc. maybe a six man tag with Trips/Orton/Kofi vs. Henry/Ziggler/Swagger?

clearly my card has some issues, but i really do like my 4 big matches, so hopefully i get some grace as it relates to the rest of my fantasy booking lacking some big names at Mania 28. overall, the show we got was pretty good to great, with my primary issues being the lack of Cody/Goldie and Rock going over Cena.

 

[Mustang Sally]

My favorite match was Cena-Rock. Sure, there are many contests we anticipate and enjoy/not enjoy as we debate the merits. But Cena-Rock was an event more than simply a wrestling match. It was amusing to read folks on the forum talking about who the Rock might oppose if he ever came back to wrestle a match. We were hearing: Wow! "CM Punk against the Rock! Holy shit!" Or Randy Orton. Or the Big Show. .....C'mon, are you kidding me?

The only one on the roster big and important enough to oppose the Rock was John Cena.....at least as far as making the Rock's appearance worthy of a Wrestlemania. Sure, there might have been people who don't regularly view WWE who would buy the PPV because Rock was coming no matter who he was opposing.....but if you're going to put the best of the current roster against the best of the past, there was really only one choice.

The match itself was everything it could be. After 613 years away from wrestling rings, I was surprised Rock did as well as he did. Yes, he was gassed after a few minutes and I wondered if he'd be able to give us a quality showing after that......but he did. When you compare the Rock's ring repertoire to the oversized, plodding routines of many of the old-timers, you saw the speed Rock was famous for.....with which Cena was able to match up so well. The match worked because Rock did what he always did....and Cena did what he does so well; complement the style of his opponent by working with it. It was exciting and well-paced.....and I honestly couldn't tell you who was going to win until I saw Rock's hand raised.

That Cena jobbed to a former star who was no longer part of the wrestling world showed great character on his part. Yes, he was instructed to do it by WWE management, but Cena surely has the power in the organization to refuse if he chose to. Can you imagine Hulk Hogan in his prime jobbing to a returning legend like Bruno Sammartino?

As well, Cena is so established that the loss didn't hurt him. Is there a wrestler in the world who wouldn't like to have that condition tacked onto their personnel file?

*********

My least favorite match was Cody Rhodes against the Big Show......solely for the predictability of the match, given that it was occurring in a Wrestlemania. Yes, Show can lose to smaller men occasionally. After all, they're all smaller, and he has to lose some time, right?

Still, even though Cody was at that time in the midst of one of the most concerted efforts by the company ever seen to cast him as a star, who believed for one minute that he had a chance to top the Show?

It was a waste of a match, imo.

 

[Mac]

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 the Undertaker vs Triple H in the hell in a cell match. They told a great story from the buildup to the actual match itself. Nice touch with Shawn being involved. You notice the subtle things like a year earlier HHH destroyed Taker and left him stretchered out. A year later Taker destroys HHH and he needs help getting to the back. I never understood the "end of an era" theme for this match though.

My least favorite match was Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan, I have so many issues with this match. The first issue is that for the 2nd year in a row the World Championship is curtain jerking a WrestleMania. My 2nd issue is that they started to bury the World title and it just didn't seem as important anymore. This was a belt that main evented 3 WM's in years past. My 3rd issue is the fact that they made this match 18 seconds. That's a disservice to both men. And my 4th issue is that this match was the beginning point for the WWE's burial of Daniel Bryan. Just as they did the year before with the Miz by burying a promising young star. This match told you all you needed to know about how the WWE viewed Bryan. You don't have a future player lose in 18 seconds. Especially considering that he's your World Champion. Daniel wasn't fully established yet and this could've hurt him. Guys like JBL and the Honky Tonk Man can lose in short order. Their characters were established and one was on his way out and neither one was a young up and comer.

The only positive that came out of this was that the fans used that terrible booking decision as a rallying point in support for Bryan. The WWE caused this on themselves. Had they not booked Bryan to lose in 18 seconds, there probably would have been no "yes" movement. And that one stupid booking decision doesn't lead to the fans shitting on Batista and the WWE gets the main event that they wanted Batista vs Randy Orton. But I guess things worked out for the better.

As for this ppv this was clearly a step up from WM 27. This was a middle of the pack WM. The 3 big matches delivered (Cena/Rock, Punk/Jericho, Taker/HHH) the undercard had 2 solid matches (Orton/Kane, Show/Rhodes ) and everything else was forgettable (Sheamus/Bryan, women's filler, Team Teddy/Team Johnny). There are some changes I would've made to this show.

WWE Championship Match- CM Punk(c) vs Chris Jericho
This obviously stays as is. My change however is that this goes on last. Yes the Rock and Cena is a huge match. But you want to send the message that NOTHING is bigger than the WWE championship and you want to establish that CM Punk is THE MAN at this moment. Look at WM 19, Austin/Rock were bigger stars than Angle/Brock. But I always loved the decision to have Brock go on last. It sent the message that this guy is the man right now, and they were calling him the next big thing and their star of the future. And they showed that they were behind him. It also sent the message that Rock/Austin is big but that match isn't bigger than the WWE Championship. Punk retains the title to close the show.

Once In A Lifetime Match- The Rock vs John Cena
This stays as is and IMO the right man won. It would've ended WM on a shitty note had Cena won. Just think about the end of WM 23 and how deflated the crowd was after Cena beat Shawn. Had Cena won it would've been like that x2.

World Heavyweight Championship Match- Daniel Bryan(c) vs Sheamus vs Randy Orton
I'd throw Orton into the mix and make it a 3 way. I'd have Sheamus go over here.

Hell In A Cell Match- The Undertaker vs Triple H
This stays as is.

Intercontinental Championship Match- Cody Rhodes vs Big Show
This stays as is. And it was a nice story with Big Show finally getting a nice Mania moment.

WWE Tag Team Championship Match
This match gets on the actual show where it belongs.

Kane vs Zach Ryder
Ryder was hot at this time and this match made more sense. Considering what was going on leading up to Mania. But I guess the WWE had no faith in Ryder and they essentially punished him for having the audacity to be over without the WWE's consent.

Team Teddy vs Team Johnny
This stays as is. With no MITB at WM anymore this is a way to get some deserving guys on the show. Perfect opening match.

 

[James2293]

Totally agree Mac, i would also shorten the hiac match as that took too much time and get rid of the live performances.

 

[LODemolition]

Well, it goes without saying, but WM28 was a huge step up from the previous year. The set, the vibe, everything was amped up much more with the anticipated return to the ring of The Rock in his hometown of Miami. My favorite match, even though I saw no need for them to face for a third time, was definitely the HIAC match between Taker and Triple H. I feel this is how they should've done it at WM27, in the Cell, with Shawn as the ref. Punk and Jericho are a very close 2nd for me. My least favorite would've had to be the Divas match or Team Teddy vs. Team Johnny. I had no interest in either of those. As usual, here's how I'd rebook the card.

Dark Match:

1. Tag Team Championship Triple Threat: Primo & Epico (c) vs. International Air Strike vs. The Usos

They definitely got the teams right, as these were the best 3 at the time. However, I would've liked to have seen Kidd and Gabriel win the titles just once.

Main Card:

2. World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Sheamus

I loved everything about this personally. Some people complain that Bryan wasn't in the spotlight long enough, but this was executed perfectly to make it look like a fluke and give Bryan every reason to say he was cheated so that the feud could continue on. It opened the show with a bang.

3. Zack Ryder vs. Kane

I really thought they were going somewhere with Zack Ryder at this point in time. The feud seemed to be pointing straight to WM, then they suddenly switched gears and put Kane in a very bland program with Orton. Ryder was thrown into the 12-man tag and pretty much lost in the shuffle, although he did get to have the spot where Eve turned on him. I found the Ryder/Kane feud entertaining and thought it should've culminated here.

4. Six-Man Tag: Team Teddy (Big Show, Kofi Kingston & Booker T) vs. Team Johnny (Mark Henry, The Miz & Dolph Ziggler)

The concept was ok, with this match deciding 1 GM to run both Raw & Smackdown, but there were just too many people involved. I would've just cleaned it up and had a big man on each team, along with 2 athletic teammates.

5. Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes (c) vs. Randy Orton

Orton and Rhodes could've made for a great match at Mania imo. Yes, they'd fought before at WM26, but not 1 on 1 and not for a title. Rhodes was in a boring feud with Big Show at the time and Orton was in the same situation with Kane. I think their history together could've been used to make for a much more "must see" program and match.

6. The Undertaker vs. John Cena

As I said in the WM27 thread, I felt that dragging out the Cena/Rock feud for a year was ridiculous and hope it never happens again. I would've put Rock and Cena either 1 on 1 or in a triple threat (with no title on the line - my championship match was Orton vs. Punk). I saw no point for Taker and Triple H to have yet another rematch. Their HIAC match should've also happened at WM27 I think. This was the perfect time for Taker/Cena to happen.

7. The Rock vs. Triple H

This is a rivalry that could never get old. After The Rock announces he has a title shot at next year's Royal Rumble, Triple H confronts him and says there won't be a title shot just handed to him whenever he finds it convenient to fit it into his schedule. He'll have to go through him. The winner faces the WWE Champion at the 2013 Rumble and The Rock goes over. I would not have had Rock defeat Punk, for the record though. Punk should've lost it in the main event of WM29.

8. WWE Championship: CM Punk (c) vs. Chris Jericho

First of all, Jericho should've won the 2012 Rumble without question. It's the only thing missing from his resume and he got to face the WWE Champion anyway. So why not let him win it? This match could've finished the exact same way, only it deserved to go on last and truly main event the show. I understand it was in Miami, but the WWE Title match should always close WM. The only exception I've seen fit so far was Taker/Shawn at WM26.

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

This was probably the best WrestleMania since Mania 17. It had a main event I was actually excited to see, and the match ended up delivering. Cena vs. Rock was a true dream match and it's right up there in terms of the best WrestleMania main events in history. Two of the biggest stars ever, a great build that lasted for a year, a crazy atmosphere in the arena, and a good match in the ring. It really takes a special kind of cynical internet fan to hate on Rock vs. Cena.

Then you had a solid wrestling match between CM Punk and CHris Jericho for the WWE Championship, and the epic Hell in a Cell match between Triple H and the Undertaker. Jericho/Punk would've benefited from a stronger build, but the match was still very good. Undertaker vs. Triple H was a masterpiece of in-ring storytelling, and Shawn Michaels played his part as the conflicted referee perfectly.

So that's three big matches that were all great. You can nitpick the udnercard if you want, but you are going to find slight problems with more or less every WrestleMania. What matters is the big picture, and if you look at WrestleMania 28 as a whole it was a a great pay-per-view. People like to complain about the finish to Sheamus/Bryan, but that made Bryan a way bigger star than a regular match ever could, and it was a cool way to kick off Mania. The friends that watched the show with me all thought it was hilarious and awesome. Orton/Kane was solid, Big Show/Rhodes was solid and was an IC Title match at WrestleMania that actually had a storyline that was paid off, and the huge tag match was a fine excuse to get people on the card.

I think sometimes we become a little bit too jaded and cynical as hardcore wrestling fans, and we kind of forget why we got into wrestling in the first place. WrestleMania 28 had some incredible matches, cool moments and was a very entertaining show. It's definitely a landmark WrestleMania alongside the likes of 3, 10, 14 and 17.

 

[Cub McCallister]

This was a decent wrestlemania and it's getting hard to make changes to te card but I think that some changes are necessary such as:

Dark Match
20 Man Battle Royal Match
This is a nice tradition to have at mania so is have this instead

Main Card
1) Primo & Epico (C) Vs The Uso Vs Kidd & Gabriel
World Tag Team Title Triple Threat Match. I'd have Kidd and Gabriel go over here and win the titles as a nice opener for mania.

2) Zack Ryder (C) Vs Kane
United States Title Match. I'd have Ryder keep the title till mania and have him drop it to kane because kane was fresh from his return so they face off at mania instead of the original match that happened we have this which would still be good.

3) Diva Battle Royal
Have this match instead.

4) Cody Rhodes (C) Vs Big Show
Intercontinental Title Match. It was nice to have big show get his mania moment.

5) Team Teddy (Randy Ortan Kofi Kingston Booker T Santino Marrella) Vs Team Jonny ( The Miz Dolph Ziggler Drew Mlcyntyre Wade Barrett)
8 Man Interpermotional Elimination Match. I'd have this as an elimination match instead and make it 8 men which looks to have more star power
With Barrett getting the victory and going on to feud with punk after this.

6) Daniel Bryan (C) Vs Sheamus
World Heavyweight Title Match. I'd make this one last abit longer them what it did and sheamus would win a number 1 contenders elimination chamber to get here and then go on to beat Bryan for the gold.

7) The Undertaker Vs Triple HHH
Hell in A Cell Match with Shawn Michaels as Guest Referee. Same outcry but make it shorter.

8) Cm Punk (C) Vs Chris Jericho
Wwe Title Match. Same outcome except have jericho finally win the royal rumble and lose to punk so you can say he's done it all it was a great match.

9) John Cena Vs The Rock.
Once in A Life Time Match. Stays the same.

That's my card for mania and I think IMO it looks abit better obviously the card isn't stacked with basal pure star power but it could deliver

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

A great WrestleMania that left a lot of problems in its wake by virtue of the main event. Rock going over Cena demanded a rematch, and just as we knew the main event of this WrestleMania for an entire year, we knew the main event of the following year's WM and its conclusion. Two years devoted to two men, only one of whom was putting in his time in the ring on a regular basis during that same timeline.

I had proposed at WM 27 that Rock and Cena fight then, and felt it was possible to condense the entire Rock/Cena feud to a period of 6 month period including WM 27.

That said, this year's Main Event would focus on the 20-0 Streak. To my mind, there was only one man who should've been in that ring with the Undertaker. I had seen two years of Shawn Michaels (not totally complaining about that) but I did not need two years of Triple H against Taker as well. I'm not as enamored of those matches as others are as I've felt they've largely been finisher after finisher with multiple kickouts to build up the drama. Instead, I want to see a match at WM that we never really got except for a minor PPV back at Vengeance 2003: Cena Vs. Undertaker. To me, Cena should've done the honors for the 20-0 match.

So what of the Rock? Rock would've been back for WrestleMania as well but been paired up in a completely different feud with the criminally underused Randy Orton. I think a few more high profile programs the past couple of years would've done wonders for where Orton is now...the champ going into WrestleMania who is seen as having no chance of walking out with the title; a true paper champion.

For CM Punk, yyyyyeah....Chris Jericho was a good opponent, but c'mon. There was no chance that Jericho was winning that match, and I kind of felt that Jericho really didn't deserve to be in that feud. I'd much rather they continued and actually built upon the feud that they started between Punk and Triple H during the fall, not so much different from what they have today with Trips and Bryan, only with Punk in the face role.

Here's my card for the record:

The Main Event - Streak Match:
The Undertaker Vs. John Cena - Taker wins

WWE Title Match:
CM Punk Vs. Triple H - Punk retains

The Rock Vs. Randy Orton - Rock wins

World Heavyweight Title Match:
Daniel Bryan Vs. Sheamus - Give these guys a little bit more time, but I still think a bit of a squash was in order here.

Intercontinental Title Match:
Cody Rhodes Vs. The Big Show - Big Show wins

Team Johnny Vs. Team Teddy - Team Johnny Wins

Chris Jericho Vs. Dolph Ziggler - I loved their feud, and would've pulled Ziggler out of the Team Johnny team, made Jericho the face, and have them have their match here. - Let Ziggler go over here.

Last, some diva match.

 

[Rocky84]

This was the best Mania since 17 imo. 19, and 23 were close though. But this had that true Wrestlemania main event where it was the first meeting between two larger than life characters.

I don't get how people think that just because Rock beat Hogan, that it created this pattern that the old school guy needs to put over the younger guy. I couldn't disagree any more. If that's the case then why have the match? If we already know the younger guy is going to win, how could we get excited for it? That's a crummy way of thinking and thank god WWE doesn't see it that way.

Not only that, but hasn't Cena been put over enough already? When does it end? Also, when does he stop being looked at this way? He's been here since 2002...hardly someone who needs to be put over. This is a guy who's beaten HHH, and HBK at Mania already...clean, and tapped them both out. He's beaten Batista clean too. Same with JBL. I think that's enough.

I also don't get how people hate on Rock saying he did the same old things. That's bs. He came in with totally new catch phrases and gave Cena a new huge endorsement deal out of it. I don't ever remember hearing "Boots to Asses" before? Or "Fruity Pebbles"...how is that the same ol stuff??? "Team Bring It"...never heard that either. He totally was fresh and new as well as edgy in the middle of the kiddy PG era.

The main event delivered bigtime too. I was there live, and everyone was on the edge of their seats. Just like if Rock would've beat Austin in Texas at 17, if Cena beat Rock in Miami, the place would've rioted. There were signs even saying that, but we still didn't know who was going out on top. One of the best finishes I've ever seen. The match was A LOT better than what people give credit for.

The HHH-Taker match was by far the best match of the night though, and one of the best matches I've ever seen in my entire life. Sweet Chin Music followed immediately by a Pedigree??!! And a KICK OUT?????!!!!!! I almost shat myself.

Jericho vs Punk was a wrestling clinic. Simply amazing. Best in the world vs Best in the world. I can go on and on about these matches, but man oh man they made the card epic imo. This is my 2nd personal favorite Mania of all time.

Hell even the Cody vs Big Show build up was hilarious. I loved it.

Kane vs Orton was solid too. I liked Kane's comeback, and the finish to the match was really good.

Worst match if I had to pick one was the Divas match.

I wouldn't have changed a thing about this. It was perfect.

 

[HeymanHustler]

I think this was a decent WrestleMania, but not a great or even a good one. A lot of matches that looked good on paper but didn't really muster up much beyond that. The only match I really loved and find myself coming back to every now and again was CM Punk vs Jericho. And as for least favorite match...this is going to be controversial...HHH vs Undertaker in Hell in a Cell. I think it's one of the most overrated matches in Mania history.

Yep, that's right. To me, the so called Best Match of 2012 is the worst match on the card. For many reasons. For one, it felt too melodramatic. It felt more like a Dragon Ball Z fight than a match with the panting by Undertaker's part and HHH telling HBK "End it or I will!" and that cycle repeating every 3-4 minutes got repetitive fast. It's also probably because I came in on the match late to the party. It wasn't until about a month after the ppv when I was able to watch the whole show and in between that, I was hearing all these whispers and reading all these lists online where everyone (except a friend who hated the match more than I did, believe it or not) claimed "It was best match of the decade!" and "SO awesome!" and it really hyped up a match I wasn't even that excited for but then I see it, it disappoints. Not even a knock against the match itself. It's just when you hype something like that and act like it's the best thing since sliced bread for so long, it'll never live up to such high pedestal levels of expectations and that was the case for me. Also, the way this match was hyped by WWE itself, it was really just a repeat of their previous match from the year before, which I dug much more than this match. The Cell was basically non-existent.

Oh, and of course I've got to talk about Cena vs Rock. Contrary to popular belief, I think it was a really great match. Had that WrestleMania feel to it, which was lacking from most of the card which felt more like your average Raw matches instead of a Mania contest. I know everybody says Cena should have won, but I liked the finish. Hell of a lot better than their Mania 29 finish. I'm still a firm believer that Rock and Cena should have just happened the year before and save the pointless year worth of build up. With that said, I guess this is where I talk about how I'd change the card...

0. Pre Show- Triple Threat Tag Match- stays as is. Nothing special and was just a filler match to begin with so keep it as is.

1.Cody Rhodes (c) vs GoldustL Intercontinental Championship: First of all, huge missed opportunity. This would have made a great feud whether it resulted in a regular title match or a Title vs Career match. Brother vs Brother matches have a good history of being good and I'm sure this would be no exception. One of the most important things about a WrestleMania is the opening match. Something to get the crowd going early on and let them know they'll be in for a hell of a show from the start. I think this would really do the trick. Rhodes wins.

2. Kane vs Zack Ryder: Not much of a Mania profile match, but Ryder was really over at the time and the storyline was that Kane put him in a wheelchair so there's enough heat to stem a good match from a decent feud. Either guy can win. You can either have Kane dominate the whole match until Zack gets a roll up or it can go back and forth for a bit until Kane gets a chokeslam and wins.

3. Kelly Kelly vs Layla vs Beth Phoenix vs Natalya- Divas Championship: Maria Menounos is Special Guest Ref: I think we can all agree no one cared much for the match going in so lets make it a little important. Divas Title match. If you have to bring Maria in, make her special guest ref.

4. Team Teddy (Randy Orton, Booker T, Kofi Kingston, and Big Show) vs Team Johnny (The Miz, Drew McIntyre, Dolph Ziggler and Mark Henry): The concept was a decent way to put people on the show who needed to be on. Problem is there were too many people in the match who didn't. Shorten the time and the number of competitors and switch them with people with actual star power so it at least feels more important than it is.

5. John Cena vs The Undertaker- Career vs Streak: Since I still think Cena and Rocky should've went at it the year before at WM27 instead of some pointless buildup, I say give Rock the win at 27 and then, like how it basically went down in real life, you have Cena go through this losing streak and these dark times where his confidence was crushed since he couldn't get the "big win". He's losing all these WWE Championship matches (maybe one where the stipulation is if he lost he can never get another championship match for a year, just to really set his character off edge) and loses high profile matches in feuds with guys like Kane and Jericho; guys he used to mop the floor with years ago. Then he reaches his breaking point when he fails to when his promised desire to win the Royal Rumble. From then on, it looks like his character starts going through this depression. Not a drastic one, but think the character development AJ Styles went through in TNA in 2013. If you watch TNA of course. I myself sparingly watch it but he doesn't have the same fire and intensity and drive that he used to in his promos or in the ring. Then he cuts this promo revealing he feels he's letting his fans down by losing so often. He's going to make it up to them in a little "go home" match as he'll call it...by challenging Undertaker's streak. He says this is his last time to prove he's worth a damn and not just yesterday's news and if he loses, he has no career. Since everybody claims that the only believable threat to the Streak is John Cena so lets add some extra drama to it. We know that The Streak won't end, but at the same time we know Cena's career can't end so no one will really know what direction WWE would be going with this. Undertaker wins, then Cena retires. AKA Go on vacation for 5 months and then returns at SummerSlam. Cop out? Maybe. But remember, Macho Man "retired" at WrestleMania 7 and then defended the WWF Title at WrestleMania 8 so Cena can do the same thing.

6. The Rock vs HHH- End of an Era- I still think The Rock should have faced Cena the year before so if that had happened, I would say give him Cena this year.This always struck out in my mind as a match that made more sense to dub "End of an Era". Their characters started against each other as jobbers and then when it was DX vs Nation of Domination and then when they were in their prime as main event players. They both came in a little before the Attitude Era first began and they can end up as "ending the era" as the #2 and #3 guys from that era. The feud can stem from Rock announcing he wants to be in The Royal Rumble so he can have one more match for the WWE Title at Mania in his hometown. Fast forward to the Rumble, Rock is #30. His music hits, but no one comes out. We cut backstage (in a probably pre-taped segment) and The Rock is in his gear laid out. A few weeks later, he returns fully recovered and says that he didn't see who attacked him...but he knows what it feels like to get smacked in the back with a sledgehammer far too well and then accuses HHH. HHH denies for a bit, until he just pedigrees Rock. Then COO HHH (here you can give him a short heel turn if they don't wanna turn him until 2013) says he's sick of Rock hanging like a monkey on his back everywhere he turns. He was always in his way in the Attitude Era and he's in his way now. He thought he was done with Rocky when he packed his bags and fled to Hollywood. He tells he was always better than The Rock and he's going to prove it in one more match at WrestleMania. The Rock wins. If you don't want HHH to stay heel, you can have them both shake hands after the match. If I had it my way, this would be Rock's last match.

7. Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus- World Heavyweight Championship- Moved this down the card, but keep it as an 18 second match to serve as a cool down match. A part of me really wants to give them 18 minutes instead of 18 seconds, but I see this as the moment DB started to really get over and won over some sympathetic fans. Much in the same respect that Mankind won a lot of his fans after getting the hell beat out of him by the Undertaker in the Hell in a Cell. I think after DB lost in 18 seconds, people started seeing him as a guy who was screwed out of having a big Mania moment/match and then the IWC community started complaining and that started stemming slowly but surely into the crowds and then the YES chants started. The rest is history. Therefore, I think this was a very necessary thing to happen to DB and if it didn't happen, he probably wouldn't be as over as he is now. We'll probably look back on this as the defining moment of his career.

8. Chris Jericho vs CM Punk (c) for the WWE Championship- Stays as is, but moved to the main event. Perfect build up. Brilliant match. Match of the night. Sure, you can argue that the biggest stars should get the main event, but nothing should be bigger than the title. Hogan vs Rock was the biggest match going into WrestleMania X8, but that didn't stop Jericho from defending against HHH. Nor did it stop Brock vs Angle at WrestleMania 19 from main eventing over Rock vs Austin. For 19, WM19 was all the better for the decision.

 

[Elchicano15]

This was a pretty good Mania. It was a lot better than 27. I gave it a B+ here in the forum after the event. The "Yes" movement was born. Match of the night was CM Punk vs Y2J. I loved it.

I would make a couple changes yes. First of all the tagline "Once In A Lifetime" would be changed to "The People's Wrestlemania" as I thought it was going to be called that the day after WM 27. Had Wade Barrett not have gotten injured, I would've still have the MITB match with members of the Team Johnny & Team Teddy (minus Booker T) and with Barrett winning. I heard that because Barrett got injured they scrapped it. Sheamus/Bryan would not open the show, instead I would have had Show/Cody open then Kane/Orton and so on. I would have put Bryan/Sheamus later on in the card like 5th of course with at least 10 min and I would still have Sheamus go over. I would have cut down the "End Of An Era" match down to 15-20min. Taker and Trips were running out of breath and I do agree with HeymanHustle on how over rated that match was but I'm not sure who else would be a good challenge for Taker. Perhaps have Brock return earlier to make it more interesting.

 

[Hakushi]

What stands out the most to me about that Wrestlemania, is that it's the Mania that the re-birth of the IC Title was aborted. Cody's run (although I'm not really a fan of his besides the "mask" persona) made the IC Title relevant again after years of being throw away. The IC Title never reached the prestige it could have had that one booking decision changed

 

[Mitch Henessey]

No real complaints about this show, but I guess I'm biased, because this is my second Wrestlemania in person.

Rock VS Cena delivered as one of the few dream matches we have left, and Jericho VS Punk was amazing. The dq stipulation for Punk losing the title was a bit of letdown for me, but they delivered the match, where Punk finally had his chance to beat the crap out of Jericho at Extreme Rules.

Taker VS Triple H in the Cell was extraordinary, and the near falls were believable. To top it off, the iconic image of Taker, Shawn, and Triple H standing on the ramp together is really special, because there's a good chance we'll never see all three men standing together under similar circumstances and on the Wrestlemania stage again.