Wrestlemania 30: A Retrospective Look

[Dagger Dias]

Three years ago I ran a thread series on the first 29 Wrestlemania events to look back on each as we headed into Wrestlemania 30. Now that some time has passed I would like to bring it back for the Wrestlemania events that have taken place since then. During this month I will post one topic per week until we have covered Wrestlemania 30, 31, and 32. With Wrestlemania 33 upon us this seemed like a good time to do it. So, let's start.

In this thread we will be discussing.... Wrestlemania 30!

Wrestlemania 30 took place on April 6, 2014 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (not the Silverdome lol) in New Orleans, Louisiana. There were 75,167 fans in attenance. Here are the results of the matches from the show:




0. The Usos (c) defeated The Real Americans (Cesaro & Jack Swagger with Zeb Colter), RybAxel (Ryback and Curtis Axel), and Los Matadores (Diego and Fernando with El Torito) in a Fatal Fourway Tag Team Elimination match to retain the WWE Tag Team Championship. (16:13)

1. Daniel Bryan defeated Triple H (with Stephanie McMahon) in a singles match to gain entry into the World Heavyweight Championship match later in the evening. (25:58)

2. The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns) defeated The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) and Kane in a six man tag team match. (2:56)

3. Cesaro won the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. (13:25)

4. John Cena defeated Bray Wyatt (with Luke Harper and Erick Rowan) in a singles match. (22:25)

5. Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) defeated The Undertaker in a singles match. (25:12)

6. AJ Lee (c) defeated Aksana, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Cameron, Emma, Eva Marie, Layla, Naomi, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes, Summer Rae, and Tamina Snuka in a Vickie Guerrero Invitational match for the WWE Divas Championship. (6:48)

7. Daniel Bryan defeated Batista and Randy Orton in a triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship. (23:20)




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 anything about Wrestlemania 30, what thing(s) would you change 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 2014. 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 30 in this thread. Any posts regarding other events but do not address Wrestlemania 30 will be considered spam and you risk getting an infraction.

Discuss!

 

[@smarkmouth]

First off, I want to say that I feel that this was a REALLY strong WrestleMania. probably my favorite since 18. It's hard to change any single element without drastically effecting the entire card, so I feel that these hypothetical changes have to be surgically precise.

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most?
Definitely the main event. WWE caught lightning in a bottle with Daniel Bryan, and the amplified it up to 12. The build was perfect, the atmosphere was palpable, and the match itself was a damn solid story!

What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?
"Worst" is a loaded adjective, because no match was particularly bad. By default, I feel like it has to be Shield vs Kane & the Outlaws. It was short, but it served a purpose in being as short as it was. Shield looked like a million fucking dollars.

Honorable mention is the Andre the Giant Battle Royal, but I popped for the finish. Cesaro winning by bodyslamming Big Show over the top was pitch perfect.

If you could change anything about Wrestlemania 30, what thing(s) would you change and why?

First, I would have redone John Cena's WrestleMania 25(?) entrance, where all the John Cena's come out and line the rampway. Except they're all wearing Sheep Masks, and it's Bray Wyatt's entrance.

I have always said that Bray Wyatt doesn't need to win matches to win feuds. His character has never seemed concern with wins or losses. His character is best effective when he causes his opponent to challenge himself. That was the crux of his feud with Cena. "All praise be to the virtues of hustle, loyalty and respect," Bray would claim sarcastically. He wanted to show the world who Cena really was.

That being said, both Bray and Cena could have won that night.

It's simple really; have Cena pull out all stops and be unable to stop Bray Wyatt. AAs, Avalanche-AAs. Nothing should have worked. Until Cena loses it. Relentless assault on Bray. That vicious clothsline he does. Fists and fists. Bray Wyatt gets busted open, falls limp, and Cena wins by KO. Cena can leave distraught at what he has done, not making eye contact with anyone in the audience, pushing cameras out of his face, etc. Bray Wyatt can leave on a stretcher, with a big ass smile on his face.

 

[The Life Of Pablo Ren]

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 main event for obvious reasons. The match itself was great but then when you add the story on top of it, it made for maybe the greatest main-event in over a decade.

Worst match? Well I feel like what they did with The Shield was a big waste so I'd probably say them vs. The New Age Outlaws.

If you could change anything about Wrestlemania 30, what thing(s) would you change and why?

I would change the result of Cena vs. Wyatt for again, obvious reasons. I don't think I really need to explain myself much. Wyatt winning that match would've been huge.

Overall I thought it was a great show. The way it started off with Hogan/Rock/Austin was amazing. The opening match between Bryan vs. Triple H was great. It ended with a great main event. And of course, the ending of the streak. I've never been shocked more by anything wrestling related in my life and I still can't believe it when I watch it and for that, I'm chalking it up as a positive. You can argue it wasn't the right time or the right opponent, that Lesnar didn't need it and I wouldn't call you wrong but the moment that it created will in my opinion never be duplicated.

 

[roipdh123]

I would have booked the show in a much different way.
First of all the 2014 Royal Rumble Winner should have been Daniel Bryan, after last eliminating Bray Wyatt (turning on him) to win the match.

The card would have looked as follows:

Kickoff: The Usos def. The Real Americans ©, The New Age Outlaws and The Wyatt Family (Luke Harper and Erick Rowan) in a Fatal 4 Way Elimination Tag Team Match to win the WWE Tag Team Championship.
1.Daniel Bryan def. Triple H to determinate the 3rd Man in the Unification Title Match later on.
2.RyBack © def. Damien Sandow to retain the WWE United States Championship.
3.Cesaro won the Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal by last eliminating The Big Show to become the No.1 Contender for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
4.Brock Lesnar def. Batista
5.Bray Wyatt def. Sheamus (C) to win the WWE Intercontinental Championship.
6.The Shield def. The Undertaker in a 3 on 1 Handicap Match. (*)
7.AJ Lee © def. Naomi in a Lumberjill Match to retain the WWE Divas Championship.
8.Daniel Bryan def. John Cena © and Randy Orton © in a Triple Threat Match to unify both the WWE and World Heavyweight Championships into the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.

(*) - Kane was originally Taker's tag partner, but he was attacked by The Shield during the kickoff show, making the match 3 on 1.

 

[ShinChan]

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

A tie between Daniel Bryan Vs. Triple H and Daniel Bryan Vs. Randy Orton Vs. Batista. Daniel Bryan Vs. Authority is the greatest feud ever for me. The story which started at Summerslam when Triple H screwed Daniel Bryan and then ended with Bryan defeating 3/4 of Evolution in one night and that too at Wrestlemania. The quality of both matches was damn good and I loved them.

What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?

Brock Lesnar Vs. The Undertaker. Worst result. Bad execution. Wrong timing. And what not.

If you could change anything about Wrestlemania 30, what thing(s) would you change and why?

Two results for sure. The Undertaker 's streak doesn't break at the hands of Brock Lesnar. And Bray Wyatt defeats John Cena again.

P.S: One of the better Wrestlemanias of all time.

 

[Aeon Mathix]

Don't get me wrong, I am not the biggest Daniel Bryan fan in the world and this was labeled "YESmania" for a reason as it was all about Bryan which didn't make it the most exciting event for me. I completely understand the reasoning of it and they would have been fools not to go the route they did with Bryan. I just wasn't very interested at the time.

I personally would have had John Cena vs The Undertaker but I have been saying that for years and years at every WrestleMania and thought 30 would have been perfect for it. There's nothing I can say about Brock Lesnar ending the streak that hasn't already been said. I picked my jaw up off the floor roughly 20 minutes after it happened. The most shocked I've ever been as a fan and watching that and the 70,000 in attendance's reactions was unbelievable.

Looking back at the card Dagger posted I thought to myself "that's all that was on that show?". It seemed like a lot more when I was watching it as I believe it was roughly 4 hours long. At least compared to this upcoming Mania which looks to have like 15 matches total. I remember reading reports of Batista winning the Rumble and challenging Orton for the title at Mania and laughing. That pretty much set the tone from then on out as far as me believing the reports around Mania time. They ALWAYS come true.

Wyatt vs Cena was meh. I've never been big on Bray's feuds or matches as the whole thing didn't make any sense and led to Cena beating him decisively throughout the next few months with no mention of it ever again by Wyatt. I didn't care about Cena winning, and this is one of my only gripes about Cena is that I wish he would sell more after a match. Like just barely be able to stand or crawl out of the ring and give your opponent some more credibility. The guy spends 20 minutes in a match gets the hell beat out of him, hits an AA and cheers like he just won an Oscar and is all smiles every time. Showing Wyatt took him to the limit or something would have done a lot more good.

So not my favorite Mania ever, not by a long shot, but that's personally preference and I understand the appeal of the Bryan storyline and it was executed to perfection. If nothing else one of the most Memorable Manias ever which will fill highlight reels for years to come.

 

[MWRedskins]

What was your favorite match on this show, and why did you like it the most?
like most, my answer is both the Daniel Bryan matches and i cant pick one because i feel that one was needed for the other due to the story. the only way for Bryan to get a title match was to beat Triple H and then when he got into the triple threat, he HAD to win. at the time, he was the most over star in the WWE. even Punk couldnt match Bryan's cheers. So both Bryan matches were my favorite.

What about the worst match of this show, why did you like it the least?
ok, some say the Brock vs. Undertaker match, but i'll get into that in the next one....same with the Shield match....so to me the worst one was the AJ match only because i hated the idea of AJ vs. everyone. At the time, Vickie was a heel, yet, she hated AJ and that was so stupid. that and this felt like a get all women on the card match and AJ wasnt booked in a real feud. i felt like Paige's debut should've been earlier and Paige vs. AJ should've been the match.

If you could change anything about Wrestlemania 30, what thing(s) would you change and why?
what would i change about the show....well for one, the Undertaker and Brock match should've been booked MUCH better. the fans gave Brock a 0% chance of winning. WWE should've made Brock out as a real threat, but instead the booking was bad and that's why the Undertaker loss fell flat. WWE should've brought up the fact that Undertaker cant beat Lesnar and that Lesnar is an unstoppable monster, he should've destroyed people in 20 seconds (including former world champions). something else i would change was the AJ title match (as i wrote above) also, i would've booked the Shield in the tag team title match instead of the Outlaws and i would've had a Usos vs. Shield vs. Real Americans tag team title match and have Kane screw the Shield to continue their feud with the Authority.

 

[Deoxyribonucleic A.C.I.D.]

Worst match - The Divas match. I understand that it was a bathroom break, but putting some many women in the same ring with the result coming from a pinfall can only result in a trainwreck.

Best match - The main event of course. Great match wrestling wise. Many emotions going into this.

What would I change - First of all, I remember a lot of people felt indifferent for Brock vs Taker and that's bad. Everybody was so focused on Daniel Bryan and CM Punk and also many people had lost faith in the company at that time. So they should have done a better job building Taker vs Lesnar. Taker's victory was almost a guarantee in many fans' eyes so many people saw this as a routine. That was wrong in my opinion and they should have done something to hook the fans' attention for this one.
Also, why have the Wyatts interfere if Bray's going to lose? You want him to lose, then have him go down like a man. You want them to interfere then have him win. Simple.

 

[HBKperfect23]

This was an awesome wrestlemania and the last time I was really invested in a storyline. The Daniel Bryan run to the title from the summer until mania was done very well......even if it wasn't planned to play out that way. I love that it seemed like Lesnar had no chance to beat taker. It made the streak ending a true surprise.

What I didn't like was the fallout of wrestle mania 30. Bryans run with the title (and essentially his career) was prematurely ended just months later. It was heavily debated which wrestler would be the first to beat Lesnar clean and launch their career to new heights and it ended up being a returning veteran.

Favorite Match: The main event. Not just because of the result. One of my favorite triple threats ever.

Least Favorite Match: The divas match is the easy answer but I wish the shield had a better match.

What would I change: I'd give Ambrose a singles match and have the shield in a tag title match with Rowan and Harper.

Even though I like how it played out, I do wonder how a not so far fetched storyline would play out.
Thet delay the title merger to mania and its a four man tournament.
World Champion CM Punk vs (RR Winner) Batista
WWE Champion Randy Orton vs (EC Winner) Daniel Bryan. Bryan wins and defeats the authority
WWE Champion Daniel Bryan defeats World Champion CM Punk in the main event to merge the titles. This would kind of be like the Eddie/Benoit moment at WM20 having two of the best workers of their time finally make it to the landmark WM closing the show together.

I think CM Punk would have stayed for this. The titles were merged just months prior. The biggest problem I see with this being realistic is HHH is the odd man out.

 

[Elchicano15]

Nice. I remember when you did these. Wrestlemania 30. It was a pretty good event that got the sour taste of the mania before, outta my mouth. 29 was alright, but 30 got better.

My favorite match, was Daniel Bryan vs Triple H. A great opening match that set the tone, on what's to expected for the night. The yes movement was in full force and triple H still ended up looking good.

It's hard to say what would have been the worst match of the show. Looking back I want to say Taker/Brock. Their build up was great, I loved the entrances, but after recently re-watching that match again, it looks like Taker was on, Death's Door Step (No Pun intended) Brock probably wouldn't have been the wise choice for Taker to face just yet especially since Taker had 2 more wrestlemania wins left in him going forward. I would have given Taker an opponent that wouldnt be as stiff to handle the fragile dead man, like Jericho or Sheamus. Or have Brock lose, and continue the feud as what would have happen.

As to what I would change, definitely keep the streak going, until Taker actually has his last match and I would have totally let Bray Wyatt go over on Cena. I don't know why they didn't let Wyatt win. He was already over with the crowd, it's his first Mania and it was in a top notch feud. If Cena can put Miz over at Mania 27, he sure as hell could do it for Bray. They were clearly going to feud after so I would have had Cena end the feud at Payback. I also wouldn't have had the event at the Superdome. It should have been Metlife Stadium to keep that NY/NJ tradition going on every decade.

 

[Dagger Dias]

Great responses, guys. I'll throw my own out as well.

My favorite match at this show was the main event followed closely by the opener. The two matches went perfectly together in the storyline. Loved it when Bryan got his big win. The worst match for me by far was Lesnar VS Taker. Not just for the result, but the match itself sucked. Lesnar was the worst possible candidate for ending the streak. I would have had the streak remain intact so that it can be ended by someone else who could actually benefit from it, so Lesnar is defeated by Taker. The match would remain mostly one-sided in Lesnar's favor up until the end where he loses so that the feud could continue into their Hell In A Cell match that finally ends it with Lesnar still winning that. I would also have had AJ's Divas Championship be against Emma who would have won a battle royal for the contendership on the pre-show against each of the girls who were in the actual Vickie Invitational. This was one of the best Wrestlemanias ever despite the few changes I would have wanted and I look back on it very fondly.

 

[Jeff Deliverer of Mail]

Best match of the show: The main event. It gave Daniel Bryan fans that big moment they've been waiting for since DB started gaining steam a year earlier. It continued the story of his first match of the night vs HHH.
He seemed to get a bigger pop for beating HHH, especially when he hit the running knees, place blew up like Steamboat just pinned Macho Man at WM 3.

Worst match of the night The Shield squash of Kane and The New Age Outlaws. No point in it at all, we already know The Sheild are a force to be reckoned with. Why bother building the match at all if its going to go down like this? Like a shit Raw match that didn't need to be on the card.

 

[Navi]

I only just saw this.

My favourite match of the night would definitely have been the main event. Daniel Bryan climbed a mountain that night, and everyone in attendance appreciated the effort he put in. Sad in a way it shortened his career somewhat as didn't he retire shortly afterward, but it was a wonderful moment and the kind of things that dreams are made of.

Worst match and moment I would have changed are the same thing. Brock beating Undertaker. It was a horrible moment and I felt so bad for the guy. Lesnar didn't need the rub and it should have gone to someone else, but we knew as soon as the match was announced what the result would be. Still wish they could have come up with something better, but it is what it is.

Another thing that shocks me the amount of wrestlers on that card that are no longer with the company. Swagger, Colter, Ryback, Billy Gunn, Layla, AJ Lee, Rosa Mendez, Cameron and Batista all gone from the WWE. And others like Eva Marie, Tamina and Summer Rae seem to have disappeared. Amazing that almost half that card is gone now. Wonder who'll be missing in three years time from this year's card.