I'm not sure if this was the best Wrestlemania ever...but it very well could be. A match by match breakdown and my opinion on them
4 Way Elimination Tag Title Match
This was a hell of an opener on the pre-show. The Usos really shined here, and the crowd was red hot for The Real Americans (especially Cesaro). The Usos winning was the smart move and Cesaro turning on Swagger was perfect, and set him up later in the show to shine.
Opening Segment with Rock/Austin/Hogan
Putting the three biggest stars in WWE history together to open the biggest wrestling event ever was genius. They had some great back and forth and it got the show off to a rocking start. Loved the visual of all 3 of them in the ring.
Daniel Bryan vs Triple H
This was a great story told and the match Bryan has been waiting for in storyline for 8 months, so to have him get revenge, and to also have HHH create more sympathy for Bryan later in the show with a post match attack, was perfect booking. The match itself was very well done (as almost any Bryan match is these days) and I applaud HHH for setting ego aside and not only opening WM, but jobbing clean to Bryan. It needed to be done and I didn't think he'd do it, so kudos.
The Shield vs Kane/Outlaws
This was a complete squash...and was again the right call. The Shield looked like total badasses and nobody needed to see Kane or The Outlaws get in any offense or show The Shield having vulnerability. They beat down the veterans and will get a boost from it.
Andre the Giant BR
This was chaotic as most BRs are, but it did it's job by showcasing good spots (Kofi's again), made Big Show look badass, and most importantly, I feel it made Cesaro into a star. The image of him picking up Big Show and lifting him over like it was nothing will be replayed for years and it gives him the feeling of this guy is really important now. Battle Royals are supposed to showcase talent and make at least 1 guy look amazing coming out of it, and this did that. Anxious to see where Cesaro goes from here.
John Cena vs Bray Wyatt
This was a solid match IMO, not great, and I found the story of Cena trying to keep his "inner beast" from exploding was a little cheesy. Cena going over clean was expected from me beforehand, so I don't take issue with it (as many others will) because that's who Cena is. Wyatt should continue to blossom from here though. A title feud with Bryan for Summerslam would be ideal.
Brock Lesnar vs The Undertaker
The most shocking moment in WWE history (no exaggeration at all), Brock ends the streak in Taker's (almost certainly) final match. The match itself was the nights big clunker and was way too slow paced, a sign that Taker is probably going out at the right time. I am shocked they would give a part timer like Brock the big rub here, but Brock is a bad ass and Heyman will be able to play this up for however long Brock remains in the WWE to make Brock look even more badass. I look forward to seeing everything Heyman does with this win. Sad to see Taker and the streak go, but it's a good time for the former, while the latter can be debated to death.
Divas Match
The crowd was still shocked from the streak ending, so putting this as a bridge between that and the main event was smart. The match itself was pretty solid, not too long and had some very strong spots. AJ retaining is the right move
Main Event
This was the match quality that shocked me the most tonight because I'd say it was MOTN by the end. Credit goes to Orton and Batista for stepping up their games big time (the Powerbomb into a RKO table combo was unique and executed perfectly). I got pissed the authority came out again, but Bryan dispatching them worked out well and Bryan coming back from the stretcher to win was great booking once again. Bryan's deserved this title since Summerslam and I am glad to see the WWE finally agrees. I thought that the match would be a letdown going in because the fans would still be in shock from the streak ending (and the fans were quiet early on) but when the action picked up and Bryan got beaten down, the fans rallied behind him and came alive. The ending was perfect and the result was what needed to be done. Bryan's the face of WWE now and I couldn't be happier about it.
Overall, there was only 1 disappointing match (Taker/Brock) but I'd say the rest was top notch quality. The WWE should get praised for this entire PPV and I'm hopeful this is the start of a new, great direction.
