Wrestlemania XXXI was good and....(Review)

[OrionDown]

I want this to be as fresh as possible. I want to see my review later and have second thoughts after it has settled with me and watch Raw tomorrow night. Here is my fresh review of the Wrestlemania XXXI

PRE SHOW

Fatal Four Way Tag Team Match for the titles.

Overall, I enjoyed this. I went in knowing about Jay's injury, and I was very delighted to see that he still got to be with his brother at Mania, even if it wasn't for long. I really enjoy that Jimmy got a nice hot streak. Match was a mess at times, and hard to tell who was legal or not, which is almost pointed out about the announcers. Also, Cesaro, why is he not a real deal yet? Great spots in the match, very fun, very entertaining. Downside was the mess, and my lack of care of new day and Los Matadores. Makes me sad for the division as it goes on a weird up and down with teams, but I am loving the team of kid and Cesaro.
3 in half out 5 stars

Battle Royal

Look, Im not into this at all. I dont know what it does for a superstar. Last year Cesaro won and look what happened to him, it almost ruined him. Big Show wins this year and all it does it give Big Show a battle royal win under his career but realistically...what does the win mean? I didn't pay much attention to this match, this was where made conversation with friends and got food ready. Overall the ending was funny, and adds to story for Miz and Sandow, and good for Big Show, but I just don't care.

1 in half out of 5 stars

WRESTLEMANIA STARTS

IC Title Ladder Match

Good thinking to start here. Great energy from the crowd with the opening of Mania, great performance from everyone. Saw your typical big ladder match spots, nothing really new, but just seeing some truly amazing performers work together was worth it. I still think stardust was the oddman out, it showed in the match, but nothing bad here to say. No bothces (or ones i noticed) DB winning was a litle predictable, I was rooting for Ziggler to win over Bryan to get a feud out of them. Ether way, get the crowd going and happy.

4 out of 5 stars.

Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton

I was looking forward to this match. I predicted it months and months ago, I think everyone did. Rollins is the new Orton and the video package showed that. Orton was once taken under the wing of Triple H, and great things happened with Orton. Now, Orton, without any titles, lost to Seth awhile back and Seth climbing the ladder with the help of Triple H. I enjoyed this match. I enjoyed this mania more too when I realized it was established guys working with new talent (Sadly most of them lost tonight) Good back and forth, interference made sense, and awesome re playable RKO ending

4 out of 5 stars

Sting Vs Triple H

I went in thinking this match wont be much, its just what the match means. I think some people are upset with it, but I got what I wanted and more. In the ring, it was meh. Saw nothing really. Some back and forth, basic stuff. It was all about the story of WCW vs WWE, even though Sting said it wasnt about that, it was all about taking down the Authority, which got lost IN A HUGE WAY. So DX comes out, I marked out. NWO came out, I MARKED OUT. AND THEY TOOK A BUMP...WOW. HBK shows up, Sweet chin music. I LOVED IT. Though, everything got lost, and long time fans started to chill out from marking out, and thought...whats going on? Most these NWO guys are friends with Triple H, and NWO and sting? Hell we have seen Nash and Hall on raw with Triple H plenty of times. It felt...odd. The ending was odd. Not Sting losing, which was weird too, but the handshake. TERRIBLE. Triple H used a sledgehammer (also did I miss that this was a no DQ match?) and he offers the handshake? WHY? Sting came here to take him out, and screwed up over plenty, and he offers it? WHY? Sting accepts...so Triple H a good guy? NOPE, still bad after the promo later...just..weird.

2 in half out of 5 stars

AJ and Paige vs Bella Twins

You can never go into a WWE divas match with much hope. This isn't NXT, this is the big leagues...so...you think they would be better...but...well...they are ok? This match was long, nothing special, Faces wins...yay. THE END.

2 out of 5 stars

Rusev Vs John Cena

This was one of the big matches I was looking forward to the most next to the main event. I love the story, very Rocky 4 ish. I thought this match would be very hard hitting, but it was a copy of their last match with some new moves here and there. Nothing too great, I was hopping Rusev would look better, kick out of a AA or something, but it was straight forward. Their last match was better. Cena wins, makes sense, hopefully their feud goes on and I get the match I wanted.

3 out of 5 stars

Taker Vs Wyatt.

Taker is in good shape and his stupid mohawk is gone. THANK GOD. Taker is up in age but still can perform. Didn't see all his signature moves, but for what he did with where he is at, I'm happy with it. These two were back and forth, which was a surprise, I thought Wyatt would control most of it. I am happy Wyatt kicked out of a tombstone, he needed to, its great for him. Happy Taker won, looks like he might be around longer. Sting vs Taker next year? Also, i do hope Wyatt is paired up with someone who can really hold a great feud with Wyatt. Ambrose was a disappointment, but Wyatt can perform, second last match of the night, and its with taker, only the greats face Taker at Mania. So lets see where he goes next.

3 in half out of 5 stars

BROCK VS REIGNS

Everyone is against Reigns, I AM NOT. Is he ready? Not fully, but he is now. He held himself in the ring better then Cena. It was a typical Brock style, which I AM BORED OF. He needs to do more, or I'll just care less. He signed on for another 3 years, he needs to do more. Cena does more moves than Brock. Still this was entertaining. Reigns took some hard hits, so did Brock but Reigns took some very hard hits. He got up, took 3 F5's and kicked out. Not even Taker did that last year. Thats huge. HIS A MAIN EVENT. This match was a brawl, a Fight. Nothing fancy from anyone here. Reigns almost had it near the end. Brock was busted open from the post, which i marked out about, BLOOD IN A MAIN EVENT A MANIA, the good ol days. Reigns looked like he had it won, superman punch after another. 2 Spears. Brock kicks out, and than SETH ROLLINS. I truly believe Roman was going to dodge the curb stomp and hit rollins with a spear and win. MEANING, he didn't beat Brock, and he did win, but...not against Brock. Seth winning was just as good, JUST, not less or more, just as good as Reigns beating Seth. I like this though. This leaves a lot open, Brock never lost his belt, Reigns got screwed, and Seth is the champ backed by the Authority. Also, remember, Orton beat Seth tonight. So, this could lead to something big, really big. I think Seth will hold it till Summerslam, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE Dean vs Seth vs Reigns for the belt. It could happen. That is when Reigns will win. I do believe Reigns will be Champ this year, and deserves it. Everyone who says otherwise is just in the trend. His built like a main event, his got main event blood, his ready. His skills in ring and mic approve so rapidly. Look back even a year ago. His come a long way. His next in line for greatness. Just let it happen

4 out of 5 stars

Wrestlemania 31 was good, truly was but nothing stole the show. In the ring, we saw nothing really. No amazing spots happened. It was all about what was happening around the ring, outside the ring. The story. Rock and Triple H's promo. NWO Vs DX, Seth Rollins cashing in. The stories were great, the build and bookings were great. I loved this year was not as predictable as last year. Overall I had fun, but nothing stood out in the ring, no one stole the show. Well maybe Rock and Ronda.

Overall 3 in half out of 5 stars.

 

[Navi]

I thought this was one of the best Wrestlemania in a couple of years. Lot's of surprises and solid matches. Now I wish we had gone, but maybe Dallas next year. How did I feel about the show, well I'll tell you.

Fatal Four Way Tag Team Match for the titles.

Normally I hate tag matches, especially fatal 4 ways. This one surprised me a lot, and I really enjoyed it. One thing for sure New Day either has to go or change their gimmick up, they just can't connect with the crowd. Too bad Jey Uso was taken out early. My favourite moments were Nattie putting the sharpshooter on El Torito, and the fact that the champions retained. Lot's of fun and a great way to open the show.

Battle Royal

The start was awesome with Axle being bodysurfed out of the ring. After that it went downhill. Was really hoping that someone would have crawled out of that clusterfuck with a chance at getting a push up the roster, but no Big Show, the up and comer had to win. Thankfully it didn't go too long, and was one of my least favourites of the night.

IC Title Ladder Match

Lot's of talent, and a superb match. It was predicted that either Bryan or Ambrose would win, and when Ambrose when through the ladder outside and didn't reappear it was all but certain Bryan would win. All in all I enjoyed it, and JBL made me laugh out loud, when he was talking about Harper being a helicopter wearing the ladder. I can't remember who knocked Harper over, but when JBL yelled "Blackhawk down Blackhawk down" I spat out my coffee.

Seth Rollins vs Randy Orton

Probably the match that stole the show tonight. Both were ready and put on a clinic. Orton double DDTing J and J Security was hilarious, and winning clean over Rollins was appreciated. Randy isn't getting older, he's just getting better.

Sting Vs Triple H

Even though we had lot's of surprises in this one with DX and the NWO coming out, it was one of the most disappointing matches of the night. I still can't believe that HHH went over Sting. Sting by the way looked like a deer in headlights when he first came out. I don't think he's ever wrestled in front of that many people but he put out a great effort none the less.

Can't help but feel that Vince was in the back smiling and thinking "I just put the final nail in WCW".

AJ and Paige vs Bella Twins

Good match and glad to see AJ and Paige triumph over the mean girls. It was longer than most Diva matches, and lot's of nice spots. Not as good as a Woman's NXT match, but it was probably the best that the WWE can come up with on the main roster right now. We need Charlotte and Sasha Banks pronto.

Rusev Vs John Cena

Pretty predictable with Cena kicking out of almost everything put in his way. That being said, they did bring it and even though I'm not a fan of Rusev's, I don't think Cena should have been the one to beat him. A 15 time World Champion is the last person to end Rusev's streak, it should have been Reigns.

Taker Vs Wyatt.

Taker looked amazing, much better than last year. He seemed to have some ring rust on him, but worked through it. Both of them did a wonderful job, and the look on Wyatt's face when Taker sat up was priceless. Nice to see Taker win, and I hope to see him again next year in Dallas. I think he's put all his critics to rest.

BROCK VS REIGNS

Okay Brock is a beast, there is no doubt about it. He threw Reigns around like a rag doll. Brock was pretty bloodied but that's something he's used too coming from UFC, so it didn't seem to bother him. Reigns made a decent showing for himself and hung in pretty well, but it was obvious who the better fighter was. Rollins cashing in saved the match and put a perfect ending too it. Lesnar still hasn't been pinned, and Reigns was half dead. So the whole thing worked.

All in all this years Mania was entertaining from beginning to end. It was a bit weird for me watching them wrestle with the sun shining down, I'm used to seeing it happen either at night or in a closed stadium. It took away from some of the pyro's and changed the atmosphere a little.

I really noticed it when Wyatt came out. You couldn't see the cell phones with the sun still shining and that is a big part of his entrance. Also the crowd noise was weird when Reigns was announced. They must have muted the crowd mics. When every other wrestler was announced, you could hear the fans even with the commentators talking. When Reigns came out though there was kind of a strange silence. It picked up again when Lesnar showed up. So wonder what was up with that.

I totally enjoyed the show though and thought the WWE pulled out all the stops this year.

 

[MartialHorror]

All in all this years Mania was entertaining from beginning to end. It was a bit weird for me watching them wrestle with the sun shining down, I'm used to seeing it happen either at night or in a closed stadium. It took away from some of the pyro's and changed the atmosphere a little.

I really noticed it when Wyatt came out. You couldn't see the cell phones with the sun still shining and that is a big part of his entrance. Also the crowd noise was weird when Reigns was announced. They must have muted the crowd mics. When every other wrestler was announced, you could hear the fans even with the commentators talking. When Reigns came out though there was kind of a strange silence. It picked up again when Lesnar showed up. So wonder what was up with that.

I totally enjoyed the show though and thought the WWE pulled out all the stops this year.

This. The whole bit with those scarecrow zombies could've been creepy, but in broad daylight, it just ended up looking silly.

I thought the show was good overall. I love the Big Show and thought he impressed in the Andre the Giant Battle Royale, but I don't get why he won. This was the perfect breakthrough opportunity. Somehow, I think this will hurt the legacy of this gimmick. Maybe they shouldn't even bother next year.

Then again, Cesaro fell apart after going over last year, so obviously it doesn't guarantee your career will go anywhere anyway.

 

[laodaron]

After a first viewing, I would have been happy to pay $75 for Mania. This PPV was something phenomenal, and infinitely better than even Wrestlemania 30. In addition, this was the least smarky crowd I've seen in a LONG time. They did exactly what they were supposed to do, and it enhanced the viewing for those of us at home.

Fatal 4-way Tag Match:
This match should have been so much more. Instead, it was an Indy spotfest with literally zero psychology in the ring. My wife's (who doesn't watch wrestling) first comment upon seeing this match was "This is stupid, they're just running around and acting crazy, and there's no way to know who is doing what."

I love seeing Tyson hold a belt, the guy is just a natural small heel. I liked the way they took Jey to the back, made some sense. All in all, not a bad showing for New Day OR The Matadores. Drop the bull, drop the masks, and I'd probably love to see Primo and Epico back in the tag division.

Battle Royal:
I hated seeing them rehash guys from the tag match. Bring up more NXT guys, if I'm bring honest. I would have liked to see Ryback win, I would have liked to see Sheamus as a surprise entrant. I'm happy to see the Mizdow breakup, that's good for a few PPVs as a feud. Big Show winning, meh, whatever.

IC Ladder Match:
Solid Ladder match, Cody Rhodes taking that Superplex was incredible, I rewound it a few times. I figured DB was winning, which was great. This really opens up some feud options with a bunch of guys. Maybe a Ziggler heel turn, if the smarks let it happen.

Orton v. Rollins:
Orton's clean win really surprised me. J&J security being knocked out for so long surprised me. No Kane or Show surprised me. Extremely solid textbook match from a well established veteran of the WWE style, and a fairly young WWE style guy. Randy's body language sold the whole thing.

Sting v. HHH
Surprise win of the night. I can't imagine a single person really believed that HHH was going to go over Sting. This match was mark-city. If you were watching, and didn't mark out to Sting coming out and losing his shit nearly to 76k people, didn't mark out to DX, didn't mark out to NWO and WCW, didn't mark out to Shawn Michaels, and didn't mark out to the corny-ass "bat breaking hammer" spot, then I can't imagine you've been watching wrestling very long. I assume HHH went over to "officially kill WCW," but I don't see that it does Sting any favors. (On a side note, how about HHH's thigh after smacking the ring apron on his "flip over the turnbuckle" spot?)

AJ and Paige v. Bellas:
I actually watched a Divas PPV match. And I mostly enjoyed it. However, I personally believe that AJ was the weakest wrestler in the ring last night. Her whole thing looks to have traces of CM Punk's last months in the WWE when he didn't give a shit, wasn't working out, wasn't trying hard, etc. I'm hoping she just had a clumsy evening, because I'm a big fan of hers. But shit, the Bellas are getting better weekly.

Cena v. Rusev:
What a phenomenal match. I didn't used to think Rusev had a chance at making it long-term in the WWE. Last night showed me that Rusev is a mainstay in the WWE. He MIGHT have gotten the biggest heel pop of the night (except HHH and Stephanie's brilliant promos). I expected and REALLY wanted Cena's win, because he had to touch the belt to make this feud worth it. However, we need a good gimmick match for these two at ER, and Rusev needs the US Title back.

HHH and Stephanie v. Rock and Ronda:
Brilliant textbook promos by Stephanie and HHH. Intense pop for The Rock. Mark all day long. That slap was nice. Bringing in Ronda was great (man, she's attractive). Ronda getting over on HHH and Steph was all in good fun. It also makes you think that Brock going to the Rousey match a few weeks ago was a 1 for 1 for Ronda coming to the WWE.

Undertaker v. Bray Wyatt:
This was the worst match of the night, which was to be expected at this point. The Undertaker did his part, Bray did the best he can do, he just isn't very comfortable or something in the ring. I was SUPER surprised at the finish, but, Bray's gimmick doesn't really need wins, as that would diminish the heel parts of his gimmick. Undertaker looked TONS better than last year, which makes me feel better about his Wrestlemania 32 match and retirement and HOF bid. Also, I LOVED Undertaker's old fashioned minimalist entrance to fight Bray.

Brock v. Roman Reigns:
Eat shit, haters. Roman Reigns looked as great as Brock in this match. He looked EASILY as good as Cena did against Brock. This match had ALL of the psychology of the night, their in-ring work was spot on, it was a stiff match, Brock got to bleed (and made it look hard-way instead of bladed). The story was so well executed. I really couldn't tell who was going to win. They both looked so good. Rollins cashing in the way he did was perfect. I have ALWAYS wanted to see someone interrupt a match with the case to win the belt. However, I really do hope that this is the end of the MitB concept. It's played out, and there's just no way to ever cash in originally again.

This was just a great performance. I'm going to watch it again some time this week, so I can catch all of the entrances and all of the matches again. This Wrestlemania was better in every way than 30.

 

[FromGlasgow]

I think it was the best Wrestlemania for a long time, From start to finish it was great, World title match was unexpectedly good and wasn't expecting the outcome, Sting and Triple H match that I had been looking forward to the most ended up being better than I thought and nice touch with the added NWO and DX. Undertaker looked a lot better than last year and had a good match with Bray Wyatt.

 

[Jack-Hammer]

I don't think it was as good as last year's show, but WrestleMania was a much better show than I was expecting.

WWE Tag Team Championship Fatal Fourway - This match was a bit of a train wreck in terms of fast paced action but considering what type of match it was, that's what it needed to be. There were some fun spots and all the guys involved worked hard. This match was part of the kickoff show and there were already a lot of fans in the stadium and they were definitely into the action. I thought that was a good sign as it indicated that this was a crowd that, while heavily smarky, was there to be primarily entertained. It didn't hurt things that the right team won the match with Cesaro & Kidd retaining. ***1/4

Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal - As a whole, I thought this was pretty close with last year's battle royal. The last 5 or 6 minutes were especially entertaining with Miz & Mizdow helping to tell an entertaining story. Big Show ultimately winning did bring things down a bit as it would've been a fun moment to see Mizdow get himself a little bit of WrestleMania glory, but he & Big Show were entertaining to watch and told a great story. **3/4

WWE Intercontinental Championship Ladder Match - While I don't think this ranked as an all time great ladder match, I thought all 7 guys worked hard. Again, the crowd was definitely into the action here and the right guy came out on top. WWE kept Bryan out of most of the big spots in the match, which is a sensible decision considering that he's only been back in action for about 2 months now, and his exchange on top of the ladder with Ziggler at the end was great. He's got the strap, now let's hope WWE does something with him while he has it. ***1/4

[Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins[/B] - I thought this was a very good outing from both men and while I would've preferred no shenanigans from J&J Security whatsoever, their interference was minimal. There were some cool spots in the match, some great storytelling and some believable near falls. The closing segment with Orton "playing possum" and luring Rollins in for a huge RKO after countering the Curb Stomp looked really cool. Since Orton lost to Rollins clean on Raw the night he was "injured" I wasn't surprised to see Orton go over here. ***3/4

Sting vs. Triple H - I might be in the minority on this, but this match pretty much bored the crap out of me. I don't know, I guess I'm just not in a very nostalgic frame of mind right now as I would've preferred to see a straight up match between them. At the same time, this may have been the best they could do as it was obvious that Sting was nowhere close to his prime. So, overall, maybe the smartest thing to do was turn the match into something of a spectacle with DX vs. the nWo surrounding the whole WWE vs. WCW angle. I know the live crowd loved it and I'm sure a lot of other people did as well, but this just really didn't do much for me. **1/4

AJ Lee & Paige vs. The Bella Twins - A better match than I was expecting and all four women put forth a good effort. While not an all time classic, it felt like an actual match that was given a pretty decent amount of time. The live crowd was pretty into the match, they weren't raving over it and the match was mostly a buffer to give them a breather after the nostalgic romp that was Sting vs. Triple H, but they weren't sitting on their hands either. I wouldn't have minded to see the twins pull off a win and for the tension with Paige & AJ to rekindle, but I thought it was pretty decent. **3/4

WWE United States Championship: Rusev vs. John Cena - While I don't think this match was as good as their first one at FastLane, it was still a good effort from both men that told a good story. While I think most people had a strong sense that Cena would come out on top, which may have hindered the match a little, it was still entertaining. Surprisingly, WWE actually protected Rusev just a bit with Lana jumping up on the apron, but the protection wasn't remotely enough that it hurt Cena or made his win look like a fluke. ***

The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt - A much better outing than I was expecting. While it's obvious that Taker wasn't in his prime, he looked FAR better than he did last year. He was in much better shape physically and he just flat out looked healthier. The match told a good story and the live crowd was definitely more into this match than the crowd was into Taker vs. Lesnar last year. When Wyatt hit Sister Abigail's Kiss, I thought it was over and it was a good near fall. I thought Taker did a good job of selling through the match and his facial expressions helped tell an interesting story. There were points in the match where Taker used his expressions to give the sense that he was fatigued, not in a physical sense but in conveying a weariness of spirit. Personally, I would've preferred Wyatt come out on top here, I think it would've been the best choice, but it was at least cool to see Taker in shape and just generally looking healthy again. ***

WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns - This match was extremely damn physical and it exceeded my expectations. I think they ultimately did what they needed to do in this match in order to really make it work: they basically turned it into a brawl with Lesnar dominating a determined, never-say-die Roman Reigns who engaged in a brief flurry of offense from time to time. The crowd was pretty hostile to Reigns, but nowhere near what I thought they'd be. They made Reigns look like a determined guy with a lot to prove, though I think it would've worked even better had they showed this sort of passion from him during the build up. The match told a helluva good story and had a lot of strong psychology to back it up. Lesnar hitting the post bleeding after he'd already been cut open slightly on the left cheek and the lip during the match fit perfectly with the story of this being a physical match. Lesnar sold it really well by staggering about, having the glassy eyed look, yet beast even when taking Superman Punches from Reigns. Rollins cashing in the way he did was great timing in my eyes as it protected both men. The steel post shot & the Superman Punches put Reigns back in the fight a bit and while there was still the notion that Lesnar was gonna win, there was just a slight inkling of doubt. As both were recovering, Rollins' music hits, he runs down to the ring like the Devil himself is snappin' at his ass and cashes in. Ultimately, I think a lot of fans got what they wanted:

1. A WWE World Heavyweight Champion who'll be on TV each week.
2. Roman Reigns didn't win the title after a big comeback victory
3. Both Reigns and Lesnar were protected very well during the match.
4. A wide open title picture with Lesnar, Reigns and even Randy Orton lurking about as challengers

A strong main event, much better than I was anticipating, that I think ended in a way that most everyone will be happy about. ****1/4

Overall - Again, while I personally didn't feel it was as good as last year's show, it was definitely a strong outing. It felt more "Hollywood" this year than last year, which I thought detracted from the show. The musical performance didn't do anything for me and I thought the 20+ minute promo segment with Triple H, Stephanie, The Rock and Ronda Rousey was hit & miss. While it was a cool moment, it ultimately came off as one of these celebrities making wrestling personalities look like a couple of chumps. Overall, most of the matches on the card were 3 star and above with the main event genuinely stealing the show partially because of a combination of intense physicality, great storytelling, great use of psychology and a great ending. Overall, I give last night's show a B+.

 

[laodaron]

I also forgot to mention a single spot that probably marked me out the most, and that was Scott Hall prepping for the Razor's Edge and taking a solid bump on the outside mat. Dude is getting healthier, and it just makes me happy to see him not swimming in destruction like he used to.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

I went into this expecting Wrestlemania Eleven all over again... so I had lower expectations than normal and for the most part it wasn't an A+ show or even an A... but they did some very cool things and it showed WWE's long forgotten strength in being able to so stuff on the fly that works better than than what they had planned.

The Tag Match was VERY good... almost too good, it definitely seemed like a lot of guys in there decided "Fuck this, we're stealing the show NOW" and they nearly did. But the flaw in the logic was that so many of them had to then follow their own good work. Were they sent back out there as punishment? With the exception of Cesaro it sure felt like it.

The Big Show winning was not a shock, not disappointing, it was, coupled with his Rumble performance his "golden handshake"... Every year that passes could be Show's final Mania and if it ends here for him as I think it will, then he has ended it on as much of a high as he could. I can't see him in "one more big match" now, that was it. Any guy his age and size is not going to go forever, logic dictates and and Kane will be gone soon along with Henry. The Mizdow turn was done well but seemed almost pointless as it wasn't referred to on the main show till right near the end when they recapped. Surely a promo or something was due? Or even a match between them.

As for the show itself, before I judge it harshly it is clear that Bray getting hurt screwed some stuff up. They had to not only try and stall for darkness but also for him to get treatment to compete. The timing of the show seemed very off in places, like they had to cut the Taker match shorter than planned and it had a knock on effect.

The Ladder match wasn't "epic" but it was amongst the better ones. Everyone involved did well, Barrett was excellent despite the scary superplex... that wasn't him botching, that was just the risk that comes with that kind of move.. it was terrifying how he and Cody both rolled over on their heads, but it worked. Harper shouldn't catch heat if Ambrose was hurt either, it was a risky spot and Ambrose has experienced worse, however it did seem like a relatively serious injury and affected the finish I am sure.
Bryan wasn't so much a "worthy" winner as the right winner, as much as I wanted BNB to retain.

Orton... wow, what is wrong with that guy? He failed to "bring it"... was it cos he was pissed he knew what was coming for Seth later? Was it jealously or did he just have an off night but that match seemed to be all Rollins until the finish... The RKO is super over, but it's in danger of overtaking Orton in the same way the Stunner did Austin... Stone Cold had a legit reason cos of his neck, Orton doesn't... is his attitude getting in the way again? Either way there is no way Orton deserves any credit in my eyes...he phoned it in and Rollins managed to compensate admirably. If they were on the fence about the cash in, I think them watching how he salvaged that match made their minds up for them. Such a shame, I want to like Orton as an "elder statesman", but as Vince once said to Flair, "Every time you get close to greatness, you go and do something like THIS..." Strictly a B performance from Orton.

I'm not American, and not a Putin lover... but something about that Rusev entrance "got me". I think it was the "Rocky 4" vibe of it, the anthem part of that movie was where you see how much of a hero Drago is to HIS people...and the Russian anthem is dramatic as hell. it lends itself to things like this. I was in full Rusev to win mode once I saw the tank. Cena genuinely seemed shocked that the fans were heeling him and a buddy of mine at the show felt the same. The match was strong, the ending very believable and the outcome sets up very cool things... Lana becoming a face and Americanised... it won't be with Cena, but she'll be a very good manager for someone... I can't help thinking they might take a punt with her and Adrian Neville. Rusev stays a monster, he lost but with an excuse...no one stays unbeaten forever, not even Undertaker and now the loss is "out the way" it'll be business as usual. You can see WWE have a lot of faith in him.

The Divas did well with their extra time, Paige arguably did the best bearing in mind it was her first Mania, the division is fine with her at the top and Charlotte on the way, whatever happens with AJ and Punk and those darn Bellas.

Bray... poor kid, he did SO well building this thing and getting hurt on the day is a real shame. Daylight didn't help him either, you could just tell he was thrown... but he pulled it round and for once Taker had to carry the ball like the veteran he is, rather than rely on others to do so as he has for the last few years... and it worked!

First off, I was pissed no American Badass... it was crying out for it... he even had the look, perhaps they planned it and nixed it at the last moment. But he was IN SHAPE... compared to last year, Taker was a different man, it lends credence to Vince making the call in response to that rather than anything else on ending the streak. Taker was ready to work and stepped up to help the kid who carried his end despite being in pain the whole match... 3 or 4 time his ankle just went and he kept going, Taker talked him through it and regained a lot of that aura he lost last year. Not as the deadman, but as the most respected pro in the biz... Wyatt won't lose out here, he gutted it out, did his best and was able to hang, his time is coming and despite his injury maybe causing some timing issues on the show... Vince loves guys who will deliver no matter what...and Bray and Taker both did.

Sting... why people are shocked is beyond me... It was clear he'd have to lose one on the way in... the fact he has done means he is likely sticking around so you get wins for him down the line... DX and the NWO? Seemed a little contrived but Sting didn't lose to some kid or on an ego trip, even Brock had to lose to Cena on the return... he didn't suffer for it. Sting lost to arguably his direct counterpart in the WWE ability and successwise, someone who a loss to won't hurt too bad once all the other stuff is factored in. Had he lost to Taker first time out? Problem... and was it just me or did Nash really tear his quad again lol... or was he ribbing the IWC, he defo sold it on the HOF bit.

The dual use of Trips was the biggest indicator of timing problems... Were they stalling for darkness, injury to Bray to give him as much time as possible or because they didn't quite have enough time to have Miz/Mizdow or a Sheamus squash. The whole segment seemed like it was decided on the day or even as the show was on air. Dana White claiming "no knowledge" of Rhonda being involved may lend credence to it, or perhaps WWE and UFC are gonna start working together a bit more rather than against each other, after all whatever WWE's issues with Punk are, Dana needs his WWE fans to crossover to make it pay, letting Rhonda get involved is a smart step.

Steph did well and it was good to see her heeling to the max in contrast to all the Connor's Cure stuff that had gone on in the prior days. It's great they do that, but come the main show, she needs to be a bitch... Rock did his job very well, he filled time like a pro and didn't let himself do too many plugs for his movie... Can't help but feel however that this was originally gonna be Austin and whatever problems they are having (apparently he is pissed off Jericho's podcast is now on the Network...what?) meant Rocky got the call instead. Rhonda popped the crowd and piqued interest...if a deal can be worked out to get her on Summerslam then the Rock and Rhonda vs Trips and Steph is a great idea... maybe that's part of the deal for Punk's UFC show...Rock shows up or Trips...

The Main Event... First off, I like everyone was secretly praying for a cash in... It wasn't a shock but what was a shock was how well the match prior was going and was put together. Brock had clearly thought this through and made the relevant decisions... he had told Roman "I dominate, like usual, but when you get a shot, you shoot..." Every hit Roman made bloodied Brock more, there was no fake punching, he only got a few in but they were full force...the goose egg on Brock's eye in the first 5 minutes, the ringpost shot... it played beautifully into Brock's "only weakness", Concussions at Mania...

Brock was on form, looked great, sold being pissed at Reigns for potatoing him and justified the last part of this deal and why he's got a new one.

Roman... still a work in progress, that much was on display...but he HAS improved a lot and it would be wrong to pretend otherwise. He desperately needs tuning up in terms of moves and look though... Get in a bit better shape, lose the Shield vestages and get a couple of new moves, including a submission and he's very much in business.

Rollins... Well it was basically the perfect cash in... done in such a way neither Brock or Reigns loses anything in losing the title or the match respectively. We'll never know if it was planned all along or not, if this is what Brock got hot about or the response to it but it was the first REAL Wrestlemania moment that wasn't based on nostalgia or shock value. There was nothing shocking about it, it was the most logical thing in the world and the right guy walked out of Mania the champ. The only thing you can say is that the commentators twice spoiled it... once with the stupid "The WWE Champion is on the Today show", that was a massive signal Rollins would be that guy and then JBL with his stupid "Who can capitalise?" comment. but hey ho...

What we now have is a total reset of the WWE in one night...

Blood and violence are not only back but at the forefront, the bat and hammer were not for nostalgia, neither were the Ladder bumps or blood in the main event... If anything this seemed to signal that WWE is now willing to push things a bit more, maybe not to full on TV-14 but as close as they can go in PG.

The titles are arguably the biggest part... there is no "IC title is the workhorse belt..." now ALL the titles are held by workhorses... yes even Cena. Every title is held by someone who can go and will be contested by guys who can go. There was talk of the mid card titles being the focus, nope ALL the titles will be the focus going forward... Rollins will not defend every month, I am sure he will get Heyman in his corner who will exploit all the loopholes he did with Brock to keep the belt on Seth...but when he does wrestle it's gonna be strong. Same for Bryan, whoever he actually feuds with now it's gonna be good and Cena will probably hold that US title for the longest ever... but he'll have strong matches doing so. The Tags? The Briscoes on the way in, the NXT guys doing so well? Plenty of teams who can help Kidd and Cesaro rule that division.

You have older talent starting to transition out, Big Show got his farewell, Kane got his at the Rumble... pretty sure we don't see those guys at Mania next year... Henry the same, he'll get something this year and that'll be it... but the newer talents did their part.

Look at it this way, of all the matches on the show every match other than Sting and Trips had someone involved who was in their 1st 3 Mania appearances, be it Ambrose, Rollins, Rusev, Paige, Bray, Big E or Itami. Next year there will be even more people ready for their first Mania... the reset begins now...and not a moment too soon.

 

[Kelsey2101]

I thought Wrestlemania was great! Only downside to me was the Rock, Ronda, Triple H & Steph segment going too long. Would've rathered see a couple more backstage segments and have the time on them cut back a little bit.

Intercontinental Ladder Match: Great match. Was hoping it would be a little longer with more spots, but overall it was good. Expected Daniel Bryan to win, but was really pulling for Ambrose to win. Hopefully this sets up some good feuds and elevates the IC championship.

Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins: Solid match; expected both these men to deliver and they did. Was surprised when Orton went over, but knowing the ending of the show now it makes sense.

Sting vs. Triple H: Was kind of disappointed with this match. I was no WCW fan so while I appreciated it was a big match, I don't have a real connection with Sting that many others do. He seemed like a deer in headlights to me in his entrance, and showed no emotion. Is that supposed to be a part of his character? If so then that makes sense, but otherwise it just seemed strange to me. Also I understand the hectic nature of the match was very much like the Attitude era and WCW, however NWO coming to the aid of Sting was so strange and didn't make much sense. Didn't expect Triple H to go over here at all, and hope more comes out of this. I liked the handshake at the end but admit that it didn't make much sense, and will be even more puzzling if Trips & Steph bash Sting on RAW tonight. Overall I think the booking for this match could have been much better.

AJ Lee & Paige vs. The Bella Twins: Bella twins surprised me here! They looked better than expected. It was slightly annoying to me that AJ was down on the outside for half of the match, and I would've liked to see some solid back and fourth action for the duration. The match was better than expected and is a far cry from the Divas division of the past few years. Glad they seem to be finally getting some time & being able to showcase some wrestling.

United States Championship: Rusev vs. John Cena: Thought this match was great. Excellent back and fourth action, and I enjoyed seeing a couple of new moves from Cena. Also loved the Lana interactions & thought the ending to the match was a great way to ensure Rusev didn't look weak. Hope to see more from this fued.

The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt: Undertaker is by far my favorite superstar, so seeing him wrestle again made my night. He looked so much healthier than last year, and showed that he still got it. Taker's selling was fantastic and I thought he would lose on more than one occasion. His selling of sister abigail was outstanding, even to the way he looked before Bray hit it. I'm also a huge fan of Bray and think he did an awesome job building this match basically on his own. I was bummed to hear that he injured himself and I truly believe that if he hadn't, then this match could've stole the show.

WWE World Heavyweight Title: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns: Much better match than I expected. Loved Roman's stiff shots on Lesnar. Great psychology here with Brock taking some legit hits & bleeding. I was sure Lesnar would retain here, but when he hit the post and Roman started gaining momentum I doubted it. Also I was somewhat expecting a Rollins cash in if Reigns won, but was totally shocked to see him cash in to make it a triple threat! I was a bit nervous for a minute and thought he may be the first unsuccessful cash in. Very glad he pulled it off. Excellent ending that didn't hurt the credibility of any of the men & sets up many fueds for the months to come.

Overall I thought this Wrestlemania was excellent, and would rate it an A!

 

[CharlesKane]

It amazes me how the Rose colored glasses go on the second the wrestlemania ends.

The tag title match was a mess

The battle royal was hopefully just meant to be a send off for the Big Show but came at the expense of Sandow.

IC ladder match was an alright spot fest, not on the level with most money in the banks, certainly not a classic or a show stealer.

Seth vs Randy, finally a good match but no one will remember it in a month's time because of how the night ended.

Sting vs Triple H, started as solid match, turned into an illogical clusterfuck. Why would the NWO of all people help Sting??? Would have made more sense if it were Flair, Booker and DDP, not that it would have helped that much.

The Divas put on a decent match, not great not bad.

Rusev Cena was the best match of the night, thank god that kid Cena is finally getting a push, clearly long overdue.

Speaking of guys needing pushes, let's make sure we find more young guys with talent to lay down for a 50 guy on his last legs. Taker works 1 match then rests for the next year, the next year will also be spent building Bray back up. Fantastic decision making.

Lesnar vs Reigns was pretty much the same match that Reigns had against Big Show over and over again, take a beating come back with his two moves (that is it, other than the flurry in the 1st 30 seconds, 2 moves was Reigns entire offensive attack). Got worried for a second we would see another Reigns come back against Rollins for the pin, but Rollins leaves with the belt.

I'd give it a 4/10, illogical booking and nostalgia mixed with some decent ring work doesn't make a great ppv.

 

[Waylon Mercy]

I didn't have to see WM XXXI to know I would have loathed the Sting / Triple H "match". From a logical standpoint, everyone getting involved and taking sides would have appeared as a contrived mess to me.
As one other poster pointed out, all these guys (NWO & DX) are buddies with Triple H, and have made that abundantly clear with their appearances over the years on Raw and various events. Guys like Hall and Nash would never have sided with Sting over Triple H. Maybe Hogan, but even that would have been a stretch. Actually, it would have made much more sense for Shawn to superkick Triple H, as a swerve. After all, Shawn and Sting are both devout Christians and they have their faith in common.
As for the handshake afterwards, it ruined the whole build-up and justification for this encounter a moot point. Sting came after Triple H because he is the Authority, and he was abusing his power. Nothing was solved in that sense with Sting losing. Why would he then turn around and shake hands with Triple H?

 

[Sexcellence of Sexecution]

This was a pretty good WrestleMania, that definitely made up for its lackluster build. It is a shame that the Road to WrestleMania wasn;t stronger because it would've made the payoff that much better, but it's too late for that now. Telling a good wrestling story is like telling a good joke, there's a set-up and a punchline. WrestleMania 31 was all punchline with a weak set-up.

The match of the night was definitely the main event. That match was booked perfectly, with the perfect finish. Rollins making it a triple threat match and pinning Reigns was such a smart move. It puts the belt on Rollins, the top heel in the company, and keeps Lesnar as an unstoppable force. Lesnar's response at WrestleMania was overwhelmingly positive and I think they're onto something big with him as a monster babyface. Now he's positioned to chase the Title. Reigns also took a shitload of punishment in that match and kept kicking out, so he was made to look very strong as well. You genuinely didn't know who was going to win, and I was on the edge of my seat for most of that match.

Rollins also had a great match with Orton early on, ending with that highlight reel RKO. Orton going over was the right call, the babyface got his revenge at WrestleMania and now that Rollins has the belt he has a potential challenger lined up in Orton. This was probably my second favorite match, despite it having the unenviable spot as the second match of the night.

The Ladder Match was exactly what I thought it would be. A hot opener with some cool spots. Dean Ambrose died, and Daniel Bryan went over. It was a good way to start and got the crowd fired up. Not a show stealer but still a lot of fun.

Cena vs. Rusev was also solid, and Rusev had more heat than pretty much anybody. Rusev also had the best entrance in my opinion. Cena winning was the right move. With Cena as US Champion and Bryan as IC Champion you have two guys who will elevate the people they face and that's a good thing long-term because the WWE lacks depth. That's why they need to rely on guys like HHH, Sting and the goddamn Undertaker at WrestleMania.

Undertaker vs. Wyatt was a match. That's pretty much it. Nothing special at all. I still don't see what the point of it was. Undertaker winning was the right call, but either way it was a pretty bad outcome. At least Undertaker still has the single WrestleMania loss, to amke Brock's win actually seem special. It would've been even more special if we never saw Taker again, but whatever.

Then we had Triple H vs. Sting. Silly Terminator product placement entrance aside, it was pretty good. When DX and the NWO came out it was impossible not to smile as a wrestling fan. Sting is 56 years old and looks great, Taker is younger than him and looks like he has a foot in the grave. That's what Jack Daniels will do to you kids. NWO helping Sting pretty much made no sense, because the whole point of the NWO was that it was an invading force from the WWF. It was even more dumb because Hall and Nash are such well-documented friends of HHH. Whatever. I rationalized it in my head by saying that the NWO and Sting had some kind of mutual respect from their feud. It still didn't really make much sense.

Oh yeah and Triple H went over, making this the second time he's taken a shit on WCW at WrestleMania. From the get-go I thought it was fucking stupid to focus on the WWF vs. WCW thing in the build-up, because the WCW died 14 years ago and it makes Sting looks petty and ridiculous to still be fighting that war. Then Sting cut promos saying he wasn't here to fight for WCW...but the match was still about that. In any event, the real-life pettiness was shown when Triple H went over. Apparently Vince is still a fucking carny deep down, and he just could let the WCW guy beat the WWF guy. Then Triple H shook hands with Sting for some reason...which is obviously a babyface move...but less than an hour later he's out there talking shit again as the number 1 heel. The Rousey segment was awesome though, definitely another highlight of the show.

When I watch WrestleMania I usually have a bit of a get-together at my place, and some of the people there aren't always wrestling fans. So they provide an interesting casual audience perspective on the product. Here are some quotes from throughout the night...

During the Ladder Match: "Someone's going to die in this thing."
During Rollins/Orton: "That Seth Rollins guy is so hot."\
During Rollins/Orton: "What does that briefcase do again?"
NWO comes out: "Who are these 3 old men?"
During the HHH/Sting Match: "I don't understand why all these people are here."
During the Divas Match: "BRIE MOOOOOODE" *slams beer*
During Rock/Rousey segment: "Triple H looks like a goblin. Do you think the Rock would marry me?"
During Cena/Rusev: "There's no way he's fucking that blonde lady..."
During Cena/Rusev: "This seems like something from the 80s."
During Undertaker/Wyatt: "Is that old man having a heart attack?"
During Undertaker/Wyatt: "He's 50? I legit thought he was 80."
During Lesnar/Reigns: "Brock Lesnar looks like a turtle, I hope the hot guy beats him."
MITB cash-in: "Hey! I know what that briefcase does!"

 

[Elchicano15]

I thought it was an excellent Wrestlemania. I think it may have been better than last year's and I thought last year's was awesome. I had very low expectations going into this event and during and after the event I ended up enjoying the show.

The ladder match was an amazing opener. I had a feeling that this was opening the show. I was very pleased to have an actual match start the show this year then having a host giving a 15 min promo. Those are cool and all but traditionally speaking I would rather have a match start the show. What a brilliant performance from all participants. The suplex Barrett did on Stardust was insane. To see him try and get back in the match later on was pretty cool. I almost thought "Wow Barrett may actually have a chance?". I really was pulling for Ambrose to win but had a feeling DB would win.

Randy Orton vs Seth Rollins was easily match of the night. Soon as they were up, I, like most, and my friends that came by knew that Rollins was cashing in. It made a whole lot of sense for Orton to get the win because it at least made him look strong on his first PPV back in the ring since his time off. It also branches off to many more post mania story line options which I'll get to at the end of this post.

Triple H vs Sting. I had a feeling Triple H was going to win this and I know a lot of people are perhaps bitter Sting should have gone over. I'm sure Sting had a hand in the decision of Triple H going over in this match when it was being planned. Triple H going for the win made much more sense. If you noticed through the build up Triple H was made to look weak and the underdog come Mania then he gets his victory at the end of the match. Seeing DX side with Triple H had a nice nostalgia feel I was a lil confused with the NWO appearance - as cool as it was to see them as a unit again - Especially since the headliner of this year HOF was on the opposing and losing end of it. Someone mentioned it should have been former WCW legends like Goldberg, Flair or Booker T which I think would have been a better idea.

The Diva's match. I'm going to be honest. I just cared about seeing the entrances which I did see. Then I stepped out side for a toke. I mean Smoke LOL and by the time I got back the match was over.

Rusev/Cena Cool entrances. It was awesome to see Lana return. It's going to be interesting to see what happens between the two as we go forward. Cena winning the U.S title is somewhat interesting. I can't help to wonder if their's a possibility of unifying the U.S and I.C titles in the near future. I was glad to see these championships on the line at Mania. It brought some kind of legitimacy to the championship and I think it's also one of the factors on why this was an excellent Mania.

Rock/Triple H segment was nicely done. Its possible they may go with a year long feud or plan for a match next year. I think tonight on RAW we'll find out. Their defiantly is going to be road to WM 32 match I'm sure.

Undertaker/Wyatt. Great to see Undertaker. He looked like in much better shape then he did the last 2 years. The shaved head look does nothing for him. He looks more aged when he has his hair cut. I honestly thought we were going to get the American Badass. Only because a few weeks ago when Taker answered Wyatt's challenge he said "The Man comes around at Mania" I always thought it would be The DEAD man comes around. So when I saw that just the Man comes around I thought the badass returns. Still an awesome performance by the two and huge props to Wyatt for working through the pain. I know we didn't get to see the firefly lights for Wyatt's entrance but that's probably why those Scarecrows were their to symbolize his followers.

Roman Reigns/Brock Lesnar. The main event delivered. Roman Reigns really impressed me on how far he can go. He ended up kicking out after - what I thought and counted - 4 F5s. I think even without the cash-in I still wouldn't have been disappointed, but the cash-in still made the ending to a great Mania. We also had the I.C belt and the U.S belt which brought more prestige into the titles once again by being defended at the big event and look who the current champs are now.

Tonight's RAW should be very interesting because we are about to see where all these post-mania story lines will take us. I see many branches. Rollins is going to have a lot of people after him for the title. There's Orton who beat Rollins yesterday, and never go his rematch for the title from last year. Now that Rollins has it the timing is perfect. We also have Brock Lesnar that is still in line for a rematch and never got pinned. Where does this take us? Will we perhaps see a Lesnar/Orton match for possibly the #1 contender spot? I have a funny feeling we may have a year long build once again to a Mania Match. It could be Sting/Taker or maybe Rock/Triple H? Rock/Lesnar who knows but tonight should be a good one. Who's going to feud with the new I.C and U.S champ? What's next for Roman now? What did the handshake with Triple H/Sting mean? Just a Mania moment? RAW's back in the SAP Center so we're going to hear the crowd loud and clear as opposed of being outdoors.