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Wrestlemania XXX Thoughts and Review

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By Andrew Snyder

I think Wrestlemania XXX will go down as one of the more memorable Wrestlemanias in history. There were some very happy moments, some confusing moments, and one downright shocking moment.  I look forward to talking about this show for years to come.

Starting at 6:00 pm EST was the Wrestlemania Pre-show that delivered a very fun match....

The Usos def. Rybaxel, Los Matadores, The Real Americans for the WWE Tag Team Championship

 This match delivered as for the Pre-show.  It was fast paced and had some fun moments.  The last few minutes were the highlight of the match.  The Usos won with a double splash on Cesaro. This then led to a post match face turn for Cesaro. Crowd was really hot for Cesaro's giant swing on Swagger.  Very good stuff. Rating: ***

The main show opened with a long but very fun intro with Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the Rock.  Hogan messing up and saying Silver Dome was hilarious, as was Steve Austin and the Rock making fun of it.  It was very cool seeing three icons in the ring together.  We then got to our first match....

Daniel Bryan def. Triple H
First off, Triple H's entrance was awesome, his outfit was extremely over the top.  It reminded me of Vader's old helmet from the early 90's.

This match opened the show and set a bar that was tough to meet.  This is probably my pick for match of the night.  Triple H and Daniel Bryan have a lot of in ring chemistry and they delivered a very good match.  This was treated like a main event, and Triple H made Bryan look like a million bucks.  The psychology was also there in this match.  Triple H worked Daniel Bryan's shoulder with precision and provided sympathy for Bryan.  The post-match beatdown was also well executed.  Match Rating: ****

The Shield def. Kane & The New Age Outlaws

This was a complete squash, which is what needed to happen.  This match signified a move to the future in a way.  Shield's offense looked good and the double powerbomb finish was really cool. Rating: *1/2 (this rating isn't derogatory, the match was what it needed to be)

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal-

 I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would have.  There were some cool spots, particularly the Kofi Kingston almost elimination.  The degree of difficulty on pulling off this spot was very high.

The big highlight was the finish with Cesaro showing his unbelievable strength by picking up Big Show for a body slam over the top rope.  Body slam over the top rope!!!!  I am extremely happy for Cesaro and am very happy to see the progression his career has made.  He deserves it.

Rating: ** (For a battle royal though this was top notch, so don't let the rating fool you)

John Cena def. Bray Wyatt

 This match is a strange one.  I enjoyed most of the match, with Wyatt showing a lot of personality.  He also had some fun reversals and utilized his crab position really well.  It should also be noted that the Wyatt Family's entrance was phenomenal, like really big production stuff. Strangely enough, Cena had no extra fanfare. The confusing part of this match was the finish.  I understood the story, but I question Cena winning here.  Cena has nothing to gain by winning any match he is in anymore.  He needs to lose something to win something back.  I think Bray can overcome the loss because he is so damn good on the mic, but he could have used this win to propel him to the moon. Oh well. Rating: ***

Brock Lesnar def. The Undertaker

 This may be the most shocking match and moment in Wrestlemania history.  The match itself left a lot to be desired.  This had a lot to do with the horrible build going into this match. There was no heat from the fans.  Nobody believed that Brock could win.  Nobody cared either.  Ultimately it led to the biggest shocker I've ever seen in wrestling.  You could hear a pin drop after the bell. WWE also took very little time to catch the shocked faces from the crowd on camera... one guy in particular will become famous for this moment.

We can debate the finish all day. I wish it didn't happen.  The STREAK is dead, and was slayed by a part-timer and a new star wasn't cemented.  That being said, this was for Undertaker to decide.  The STREAK is over and we need to deal with it.  The positive would be the priceless crowd reaction. Rating: **

21-1

Vickie Guerrro's Diva Championship Invitational

This match was what it was.  I am happy and surprised to see AJ win here.  Good for her. Rating: *

Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship

This match was awesome and may end up being my favorite after a re-watch.  This match had an amazing pace.  There was good drama and it picked up after Triple H and Stephanie made their presence felt.  Batista held his own here and it was easily his best showing since his return.  Orton also took a beating. He had a scary moment when he landed on a monitor during the biggest spot of the match.  Orton and Batista performed a Batista Bomb-RKO combo through a table. Insane.

The last few minutes of this match were magical.  The reversals and saves from each wrestler were awesome.  The near falls had me yelling at my television and pulling at my hair.  They got the fans really into the action and then boom.  Bryan hits the flying knee on Boo-tista.  That wasn't enough, he then put Bats into a Yes! Lock and then a miraculous thing happened.  Batista tapped out.
What an amazing moment. What an amazing talent. This is what needed to happen. This may be my favorite ending to a Wrestlemania all time. This was a wonderful moment that will be remembered for a long time. Rating: ****

Overall, this show was very memorable.  We had two classic Daniel Bryan matches. We had a fun battle royal with an amazing feat of strength. We had the single most shocking moment I've ever seen in professional wrestling in the death of the streak.  I can question some of the decisions from this show, sure, but I can't say I didn't enjoy the hell out of it. Also, I had very little issues with the stream tonight on the WWE Network.  This turned out better than many of us expected.  Kudos WWE Network, kudos.

Thank you for reading this. Please stay tuned for more coverage with RAW tonight, and my thoughts from a re-watch of Wrestlemania XXX.  So long!




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