So, WrestleMania 35 was a good show; however, my problems with the event are reminiscent of the ROH-NJPW G1 show on Saturday, in that the pay-per-view was just too damn long.
I understand that there are people who love that WrestleMania is nearly 8 hours, but the core of the issue is that it drains the crowd by the end of the night. Also, most matches don’t get the proper time to tell a strong story or become the classic they could’ve been.
Baron Corbin vs. Kurt Angle, Drew McIntyre vs. Roman Reigns, Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio, and Sasha Banks and Bayley vs. Beth Phoenix and Natalya vs. Nia Jax and Tamina vs. Peyton Royce and Billie Kay for the WWE Women’s Tag Titles, could’ve been saved for another show, arguably Summerslam.
Those matches could’ve used the extra months to heat up their respective feuds, with the culmination of these rivalries ending at the biggest party of the summer. WWE needs to start realizing that not everyone can be part of the showcase of the immortals. WrestleMania should be the climax of long-term feuds, not the destination where random multi-matches or barely built bouts take place, just so everyone can be on the card.
If the company is dead set on having so many matches at 'Mania, then why not make it a two-day event for both Saturday and Sunday? I understand business wise that this is a risk, but WWE should at least try this approach once to see if it’s successful or not.
Despite the ridiculously long show, the highlight of the night was Kofi Kingston winning the WWE title. First, what an excellent match-up between Kingston and Bryan.
While I feel the match should’ve gotten at least five more minutes (yes, I’m well aware it was nearly 25 minutes long), the build-up to Kingston finally getting the three count was really good and after a long 11-year journey to the top, it was hard to not get emotional when Kingston finally grabbed the WWE title, along with his adorable kids coming in and celebrating.
Seth Rollins winning the WWE championship was a hot way to start WrestleMania. It was a typical Brock Lesnar match, nothing but big moves and suplex city, but that’s not a negative as I find Lesnar’s style of matches to be fun and different in the current WWE landscape.
The Triple Threat main event between Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair was a really good match that was damaged a bit by the flat ending. Becky pinning Rousey wasn’t built up well enough so it just felt like it came out of nowhere. I wasn’t a fan of the so-called “controversial” finish with Rousey’s shoulder being up; however, I’m hearing reports that the finish of the match was actually botched, so I won’t dive into a rant on a finish that may have been a mistake.
All three women worked hard and should be proud of what they accomplished. The match was by no means perfect, but it never felt out of place headlining the event. However, it would’ve been nice if Lynch had gotten a flashier WrestleMania entrance.
The no holds barred match between Triple H and Batista was fine, but it over-stayed its welcome. While Batista didn’t exactly have a hot final match, the guy should be very happy with his overall WWE career.
Lastly, Kurt Angle. Look, it was obvious that Corbin was going over from the beginning. What I wasn’t thrilled about was how lackluster the build to Angle’s final match was, which is why I ultimately believe that the company should’ve saved the bout for Summerslam.
No offense to Baron Corbin, but he’s just not main event material in my eyes. If Vince is going to continue pushing the part-time TGI Friday’s manager, then the company could’ve put some nice heat on him by actually taking out Angle during the pre-show.
Play up the following months that Angle’s career is done after Corbin’s vicious attack, while building the former RAW GM up as a violent heel until Angle returns around the time of Summerslam. Then, they could’ve had a solid, but well-built match with heat going into it.
But hey, what’s done is done. Kurt Angle has had a remarkable career regardless of his lackluster end and I hope Corbin does get a nice rub from beating the Olympic Gold Medalist going forward. I may not care for the guy, but his win over Angle shouldn’t be wasted.
Overall, this was a good show that was plagued with the long runtime and some matches that didn’t need to be on the card. Nevertheless, it was an enjoyable pay-per-view and the direction of the WWE looks promising at the moment with Kofi, Becky, and Seth all at the top.
Oh, and for the love of god, can we please get to the point of Lacey Evans on the main roster. WWE isn’t a beauty pageant, so her walking up and down the ramp does nothing for her. It’s not compelling or intriguing because she’s been literally doing nothing since her Royal Rumble debut.
Do something with Evans that actually adds layers and intrigue to her character or send her back to NXT, simple as that.