It may sound like a marketing ploy, but WrestleMania is truly the ultimate extravaganza.
Over 75,000 people from all over the world flock to one location for nearly an entire week of epic sports entertainment. It’s an incredible experience that is hard to put into words.
It was only fitting that Orlando, Florida hosted this year’s festivities, as the atmosphere so far has been nothing short of magical.
WrestleMania 33 was a lot of things.
It was a journey. It was an achievement. WWE delivered one iconic and legendary moment after another, and I truly believe they hit a home run with this year’s show.
The action on the kickoff show was entertaining, although it was disappointing to see so many talented performers relegated to the pre-show.
The anticipation surrounding the Austin Aries and Neville contest for the Cruiserweight Championship was high, yet they somehow exceeded expectations and had one of the best matches of the night.
The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal was what it always will be: something fun and different. It was nice to see Mojo Rawley get the victory.
I love seeing WWE give their younger stars the spotlight, and Rawley seems like a great person outside of the ring, so we unashamedly cheered when he got the win.
Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin could have been so much more, especially if those two got the opportunity to shine in an environment similar to that of a street fight. They did manage to beat the holy hell out of each other for about ten minutes, which was fun to see.
AJ Styles and Shane McMahon served everyone, including myself, a huge plate of crow, as they had one of the best matches of the night.
I was somewhat startled when this match opened the show because the opening contest is extremely important to the overall success of a wrestling event, but they tore the house down and got the crowd excited for the rest of the evening.
A little mimicry early on from The #Phenomenal @AJStylesOrg! #WrestleMania @shanemcmahon pic.twitter.com/iix3VBCka7
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) April 2, 2017
Kevin Owens and Chris Jericho went to war in the middle of the ring.
Their match was good, not great, but I think it got the job done. Kevin Owens was victorious, which was the right choice, as his run as United States Champion should be fun to watch.
The fatal 4-way for the Raw Women’s Championship suffered due to lack of time, but was pretty enjoyable nonetheless.
I feel like WWE may be giving Bayley too much too soon, as her meteoric rise to the top spot somewhat tarnishes her role as the ultimate underdog.
However, seeing four badass women get the WrestleMania treatment during their entrances for a world championship match is never not going to put a smile on my face.
The tag team ladder match was phenomenal.
The match itself was truly the ultimate thrill ride, as all eight men managed to cram a lot of exciting moments into a very short match. The arrival of the Hardy Boyz was probably my favorite moment of the night, and I could not have been more excited to see my childhood heroes return home to WWE.
#HardyBoyz won a #Fatal4Way #LadderMatch to become your BRAND NEW #RAW #TagTeamChampions! #WrestleMania https://t.co/abCizPggDp pic.twitter.com/opoCnuL8D9
— WWE WrestleMania (@WrestleMania) April 3, 2017
I firmly believe The Miz and Maryse should have gotten the win in their match versus John Cena and Nikki Bella. I’m a big advocate of taking care of the talent that will be around every week.
Not to mention the entire match was built around John Cena proposing to Nikki Bella, which could have just as easily taken place without a John Cena and Nikki Bella victory.
That said, the proposal was a neat moment, and I’m happy for Cena and his bride-to-be.
Seth Rollins versus Triple H wasn’t a let-down, but I, along with the crowd, was exhausted at this point. Seth Rollins defeating Triple H at WrestleMania is a huge moment, and I hope WWE will treat it as such.
Hopefully, Rollins can build off this victory and work his way back into the title picture sooner rather than later, because he truly is one of the best performers in WWE.
Although the concert got an overwhelmingly negative reaction, I was glad that the cooldown segment was a concert and not a match.
It allowed fans to get up, stretch their legs, refuel, even actually watch the concert, if they felt so inclined, without missing any wrestling, which is what we all wanted to see.
Randy Orton versus Bray Wyatt was a huge disappointment.
The match was lackluster, the wrong guy won, and I don’t really understand the reasoning behind the decision. Wyatt projecting eerie images into the ring was interesting but other than that, this entire segment was a dud.
The show does indeed go on, so we’ll see where WWE goes from here this Tuesday on SmackDown Live.
Unlike Bray Wyatt versus Randy Orton, Goldberg versus Brock Lesnar exceeded my expectations. The crowd was on their feet for the entire length of the match (albeit a short amount of time), which is all you can ask.
I really enjoyed this match for what it was, although it is disappointing to see two world championship matches last a combined 15 minutes.
Brock Lesnar is our new WWE Universal Champion, but don’t be surprised to see him relinquish that title in the near future. The question is, who is going to slay The Beast? We may find out tonight on Monday Night Raw.
Brock vs Goldberg was EXACTLY what it needed to be.#WrestleMania version of Hagler vs Hearns.
A quick WAR…good job!!
— Bubba Ray Dudley (@bullyray5150) April 3, 2017
The SmackDown Live Women’s Championship match, in similar fashion to the Raw Women’s Championship, suffered due to a shortage of time. Be that as it may, it’s always great to see the women of WWE shine on the biggest stage, and I couldn’t be happier for Naomi.
Her victory in front of a hometown crowd at WrestleMania was one my favorite moments of the night.
The main event match was awful if I’m being honest, but that did not overshadow the significance of the conclusion to the incredible story that was The Undertaker’s career.
The Undertaker is, in my opinion, the greatest WWE character of all time. To say that the end of The Deadman was a somber moment would be an understatement.
I am glad that ‘Taker is calling it quits, as his in-ring work, as well as his health, aren’t what they used to be, and I don’t want his memory tarnished in any way. I hope to see him headline the 2018 Hall of Fame class in New Orleans.
Roman Reigns did not win the match in controversial fashion, and I do not get the sense that WWE is interested in a full-on heel turn for The Big Dog.
As disappointing as that is, I am very intrigued to see where Roman Reigns goes from here, as I don’t know if his character has ever been more credible than it is right now.
#ThankYouTaker for every tour, match, entrance, & moment…for the leadership, mentorship, & most importantly, your friendship. #EndOfAnEra pic.twitter.com/UZXuqTYe7o
— Triple H (@TripleH) April 3, 2017
All in all, last night’s WrestleMania event was an absolute blast. There will always be booking decisions that I don’t agree with, but the overall excitement and energy that I felt throughout the night was amazing. WWE managed to give me multiple WrestleMania moments, great professional wrestling, and a spectacle that only they can produce. Seven hours is a marathon, but with how much talent they currently have, I don’t see any other way for WWE to format WrestleMania.
Let the countdown for next year’s WrestleMania 34 event in New Orleans begin!
What do you think? Did you enjoy last night’s WrestleMania 33 pay-per-view? Let us know on Twitter, @TheRumbleRamble.
