Wrestlemania XXXI

There was a lot of discussion leading up to Wrestlemania about the lack of build up for the show and it was certainly understandable, as most of the major matches on the show involved part time preformers that weren't on TV every week to promote the storylines, but the show itself has received mostly solid reviews. As for the promotion of the event, Brock Lesnar earned his new contract when he appeared on ESPN last week to announce that he was retired from mixed martial arts and had signed a new deal with the WWE, which gave the WWE main stream media coverage for the pay-per-view. As I've said before, there's easier money on the table for Lesnar working a limited schedule in sports entertainment than training full time for the UFC so it wasn't a surprise that he will continue wrestling, but it gave WWE free advertisement on ESPN for the pay-per-view. Granted, ESPN had a ratings spike for the Lesnar appearance so it was a win-win situation.

The show opened with the IC title ladder match and while it seemed a little rushed, it was a great opener with alot of action to start the show. Daniel Bryan retrieved the the IC title to win it and in some ways, it could be considered a "consolation prize," so to speak since Bryan give the main event spot that many fans said he deserved after the Royal Rumble. Regardless, it was a great match and Byran as IC champion creates the possibility for some good title matches, which was seen on Raw when Dolph Ziggler challenged for it. The Randy Orton/Seth Rollins match was next and it was a solid match, which isn't easy to do, considering they had to follow the spot fest of the ladder match. The RKO finish was impressive and Rollins doing the job actually helped make the events later in the show more unpredictable.

 I was somewhat surprised that Triple H/Sting was the third match on the card, considering it was one of the major matches promoted, but considering Sting's age and how the match was booked, it's understandable that it took place earlier in the show. The match itself was decent, nothing spectacular, but not terrible either. While the run ins of the NWO and DX were fun, the match became somewhat of a cluster and the finish was a little goofy. Triple H hit Sting with part of a sledge hammer and then they shake hands after it. Why would Sting shake hands after being hit with a sledge hammer? I didn't agree with Triple H beating Sting, mostly because he didn't really get a "Wrestlemania moment" to complete his career and at the same time, it almost seemed like another jab at WCW. I was somewhat surprised that Sting did the job because one of his main reservations about signing with WWE originally was that he thought that the company down grade former WCW talents, but it's possibly there are future plans.

The divas tag match was decent, but nothing great. However, the divas division as a whole has improved drastically over the past year and if the WWE wants to spotlight it, there are divas on the roster with the skills to have good matches. The US title match was solid and John Cena winning the title was a good way to give him a main role on WWE TV, while freshening up the main event picture and with as strong as Rusev has been booked, dropping the title won't diminish his status.

I don't want to be too negative here because the event was really solid, but the following segment halted the momentum of the show. It wasn't the content of the promo, but rather that it was a 20 minute segment that could have been done in half the time frame. The Rock appearing is always a plus on any show because of the star power he brings, even if it's just a promo, but the verbal exchanges between The Rock and the authority were just too lengthy. Rhonda Rousey getting involved was a cool surprise and it will be interesting to see if she makes another WWE appearance.

The Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt match was one of the more anticipated matches on the card, especially since it was The Undertaker return after the streak ended. It was reported that Bray Wyatt had an ankle injury prior to the match and there were a few flat points during it, but it was an entertaining contest. The Undertaker got the win and it was the right decision because nobody wanted to see him lose at Wrestlemania again. Bray Wyatt still hasn't gotten a career defining win and hopefully the WWE will book him for a storyline that will boost his profile on Raw.

The main event was a brutal bout and Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns deserve a lot of credit for it. The only problem with the match was that Reigns didn't get much offense and when he did, they were repetitive moves. How many super man punches is he going to throw? He many times can he spear an opponent? Doesn't it water down a finisher if it's used several times during a match? While Reigns had a good performance, the match didn't really showcase him and it didn't necessarily elevate him to the next level. There seemed to be more of a focus on Lesnar as the dominate champion and it could have been the purpose of how the match was booked. The finish of the match was brilliant because most of the time the money in the bank cash in is after the match, but Rollins cashing in during the match made it more of a surprise. Reigns took the pin and it keeps Lesnar strong, which could indicate a Rollins vs. Lesnar match in a few months. It will be interesting to see how Rollins does as the WWE champion and the directions of Reigns as well. Roman Reigns is in a tough spot because the WWE assumed he was going to be the next top star, but the audience didn't buy it so what does the Reigns do from here? A heel turn would make sense and provide some intriguing TV, but who does Reigns feud with on Raw?

Overall, Wrestlemania was a solid event and an entertaining pay-per-view. Some people have called it the greatest Wrestlemania of all time, but I wouldn't say that. However, it was still one of the better Wrestlemania events of the past few years and there were some great matches.

What's next for Alberto El Patron?

Last August, Alberto Del Rio made headlines when he was abruptly fired from the WWE after he slapped a social media employee for making a disparaging joke about Mexican heritage. First, I don't blame Del Rio for slapping someone that made a rude comment and the social media person deserved to be slapped, but the WWE is a corporation so the release was probably more to avoid a lawsuit than anything. That being said, the dismissal from WWE was actually a chance for Del Rio to rejuvenate his career, as he was somewhat lost in the shuffle in the months prior to his release and it seems like the WWE didn't really know what to do with him for storylines.

Almost immediately following his departure from WWE, Del Rio returned to Mexico, where he was a major star before signing a WWE deal and his return to AAA was a major draw for the promotion. Without the restrictions of a WWE contract, Del Rio began working multiple promotions and the start of 2015 was very lucrative for him, as he was announced to work for Ring Of Honor and Lucha Underground. Under the name "El Patron," he made great money in AAA, where he won the Heavyweight title, worked regularly the past few months for ROH, and had the TV exposure in the United States from Lucha Underground. Along with AJ Styles, Patron is probably the most in demand freelancer in the world in recent months. Plus he made a few appearances in Japan and with the Japanese wrestling scene getting a resurgence since the expansion of New Japan, there's definitely the potential for money to be made there as well.

Ultimately, Alberto proved that there's a legitimate career outside of the WWE and that money could be made working independently for a variety of promotions. Obviously, the WWE exposure elevated his profile in the United States, but the point is Patron remains relevant on the global scene instead of a competitor taking bookings specifically because they're a former WWE star. The international scene continues to generate some buzz among fans, as Rey Mysterio was announced to appear for AAA after his WWE contract expired. At the press conference for the Mysterio announcement, Patron appeared along with Mistico, the original Sin Cara and it was announced that they would be a team for an upcoming tournament in Mexico. With Rey returning to AAA and his debut for Lucha Underground, Alberto could be an important element, as it gives Rey another major star to start a feud and it could be based on their previous history in the WWE. An Alberto/Rey feud could draw major money in Mexico and it could be used to bring more notoriety to Lucha Underground.

However, it was reported that Alberto suffered an injury last week and he was limited during in ring action at an independent show this past weekend so one of Mexico's biggest stars could be on the sidelines. Some reports suggest that it could be a torn quad, but it hasn't been confirmed. If Alberto did actually tear a quad, it could be almost a year before he could return to the ring and it would have a major effect on the plans for AAA. Patron has had a good run since his WWE departure and hopefully it's not a major injury because it's great to see a competitor continue their career as top stars outside of the WWE. It should also be noted that Patron's success as an independent performer makes wrestling better because there are more options for the fans, which helps the entire wrestling business.