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.