Wrestlemania XXVIII

Wrestlemania XXVIII Review


I know I've done this one a couple of times now, but I hate the original review and I find the re-done version quite messy so I'd rather just do it over properly this time. Besides after the nightmare that was December to Dismember I'll need something to remind myself that wrestling is awesome.




Sheamus vs Daniel Bryan
The World Title is on the line. Bryan goes to give AJ Lee a kiss and one Brogue Kick later we have a new World Champion. Quite obviously this rubbed a lot of people (including myself) the wrong way at the time and it is still talked about to this day as one of the biggest disappointments ever. However, I would say that it is now quite a positive moment as it led directly to the Yes! chants becoming a thing, and starting off the Yes! movement that would go on for another two years. If this match hadn't taken place or if it had been an average contest who knows what would have happened to Bryan. I'm not gonna rate it since it's only 18 seconds long, but it's a match I now enjoy.



Randy Orton vs Kane
This riveting feud started when Kane attacked Orton randomly on Smackdown. Well I guess feuds have been started for worse reasons. The assumption was that this would be a boring match but these guys actually showed some chemistry and attempted to put on a good show, even with a still pissed off crowd chanting for Daniel Bryan. Truth be told this was pretty fun and I enjoyed it. It was also Kane's first good match in a while. Kane gets the upset win with a chokeslam from the second rope. A surprisingly entertaining contest. ***



Cody Rhodes vs The Big Show
The IC Title is on the line. This doesn't sound like a proper Wrestlemania match, but the build up for it was actually very good. The story focused on Rhodes bringing up Show's most embarrassing Mania moments and there were quite a few of them. There was a nice bit of storytelling in the match as Show tried to embarrass Cody by giving him a stink face. The match was pretty short but it was entertaining while it lasted and Cody looked pretty good too. Show has a nice emotional moment as he wins his first IC Title and becomes a Grand Slam Champion. **



Eve Torres & Beth Phoenix vs Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos
And here we have our celebrity match for the evening. Hey at least it's not Snooki and someone that is actually a big fan of wrestling. Plus I heard that she had cracked ribs going into this match which shows just how dedicated she is to the sport. Any other celebrity would have backed out so I have to give her props for that. This was a surprisingly good divas match as Eve and Kelly were both very improved at this point and Beth was always awesome anyway. By divas standards this was pretty damn good. **



Triple H vs The Undertaker : Hell in a Cell
It's the End of an Era. I still don't get what that means but damn if it doesn't sound cool. By the way the fact that the Cell got its own intro music featuring Metallica is AWESOME. At the time I wasn't sure if this one would live up to the hype, but once those two locked eyes with the Cell coming down around them and Shawn Michaels looking on, I knew that we were about to see something special. This was an absolutely epic war between two titan-like figures and it blew away everyone in attendance and those watching at home. HBK was terrific in his role as the referee as he respected both men and didn't want them to destroy each other. The superkick into a Pedigree might be the greatest nearfall of all time as even I thought it was over at that point, but these guys were far from finished. They tore each other to shreds with chair shots and more signature moves until the Deadman finally came out on top with a second Tombstone. All three guys embracing after the match was something special to watch and a fitting end to their long story. One of the greatest matches in wrestling history featuring just about everything you could want from a wrestling match. *****



Kofi Kingston / Great Khali / R-Truth / Booker T / Santino Marella / Zack Ryder vs Dolph Ziggler / The Miz / David Otunga / Mark Henry / Jack Swagger / Drew McIntyre
Ah yes the 'Get everyone who doesn't already have a match a payday' match. These guys had absolutely no chance following that stunning classic. This is Team Johnny vs Team Teddy with the winner gaining the General Manager job over both brands. The crowd was obviously pretty dead here. The match was a bit of a clusterfuck at times as there were way too many guys involved, but it was pretty fun to watch towards the end. Everything leading up to that was boring. The stuff with Zack Ryder at the end still pisses me off as it signaled the end of any push he may have had. The most forgettable match on the show, but still a nice cool down from the Cell match. *1/2



CM Punk vs Chris Jericho
The WWE Title is on the line. This has now got to be my pick for the most underrated Mania match ever as it used to be HBK/Jericho but everyone seems to be realizing how awesome that one is. It did have a hard place on the card as it was just about sandwiched between two unforgettable encounters, but these guys showed why they're both known as The Best in the World as they turned a near silent crowd into a very loud one. I love the story for it. Jericho tries to get Punk DQ'd by angering him, but Punk shows that he's strong enough to keep it together, so Jericho switches his strategy to wrestling starting with a massive dropkick out of the corner and then a vicious suplex from the apron to the floor. He puts Punk through so much pain but Punk still fights on and out-wrestles Jericho and makes him submit to prove that he is the Best in the World and a true WWE Champion. This is why I'm a wrestling fan folks. You won't find stories like that anywhere else. ****1/2



John Cena vs The Rock
"Once" in a lifetime. All kidding aside this is one of the biggest (if not the biggest) matches of all time and was built to spectacularly. We the fans had over a year's worth of anticipation for this epic confrontation and it delivered on all fronts. They gave us a superb battle worthy of some of the biggest matches of all time as they fought for thirty minutes, building and building to a brilliant crescendo in which The Rock came out victorious. Some people don't like this match, some like it and some love it, but you have to admit that you were all excited to see these two faces of two generations colliding. Sure it may feel a little less unique with their sequel at Mania 29, but it still feels special on its own. A fantastic clash between two of the biggest stars ever and one of the greatest Mania main events of all time as well as just being one of the best matches ever. Hercules conquers The Marine. ****3/4



9.5/10. No doubt about it, this is one of the greatest Wrestlemania events ever. Some may frown upon the undercard, but I found it to be a lot of fun. The Yes! Movement was started here, Kane and Orton had a surprisingly fun match, Big Show had a nice moment and won his first IC Title and the divas match was surprisingly decent. The three main events speak for themselves as three of the best Mania matches you will ever see. A Once in a Lifetime event.