Top 10 Best and Worst of Wrestlemania 35

This is a hard one to dunk on really, given everything that happened to Roman recently, but you can’t deny it fell a flatter than Batista did in his entrance. With Reigns’ big return match already out of the way at Fastlane, this one didn’t really have the same emotional investment and the in-ring product was no better. You can obviously forgive the two as this was more of a feel-good story rather than a wrestling clinic, but again there was honestly nothing noteworthy here and the finish was phoned in big-time. No Dean assist? No false finishes? All this managed to do was make McIntyre look bad and suck the air out of the arena.

Many may disagree with us on this one, but this was one of the few matches on the card that had that ‘big fight feel’. Awkward dad-trying-to-be-cool entrances aside, the two put on a visceral performance, with Batista taking some surprisingly nasty bumps throughout – though I guess his Hollywood healthcare can cover that. From nose-ring-extractions to broken tables, this certified boomer brawl kicked ass in ways we really didn’t expect… But at a strenuous 23 minutes long, we can’t put this any higher on the list.

Now, while a lot of the results in this show may have given you that warm, fuzzy feeling in your tummy – WWE really played it safe last night. Kofi and Becky winning the big ones were totally necessary outcomes but nothing really gave that ‘surprise factor’ that Wrestlemania has been known for over the years. Aside from an upset by the Iiconics, there were no swerves, no shocking outcomes, no crazy returns, and perhaps worst of all, there were no real ‘game-changers’ – meaning Raw and Smackdown might just feel like another day at the office this week. Professional wrestling needs spice, and if you took one look at this card and guessed every outcome correctly, it’s not really doing its job of suspending your disbelief.

Well, it’s been about 14 years since Cena was cheered at Wrestlemania but it finally happened – and all it took was him digging up his old thuganomics doctorate. Continuing their rivalry brewed at last year’s mania, Cena interrupted the Drifter’s rather self-indulgent performance… but this time with his old gimmick. Cena laid into Elias, spitting some straight fire that we’re pretty sure isn’t PG, talking about his bollocks and whatnot, with fans loving every second of it. It’s a firm reminder of why John simply is one of the best.

Well, what the bloody hell was the point of that? After an incredible 20+ year career, Kurt Angle, one of the best to ever lace up his boots, put on his ‘last match’ against none other than the charismatic black hole – Baron Corbin. When we heard that Corbin would be Kurt’s opponent we were all in disbelief, WWE even brought up the fact that the fans were disappointed, and yet they still went through with it. Chalk it up to putting over new talent, but does Corbin really have that much of a future with the company? Are we looking at a future world champion? It seems unlikely for a guy who can’t get over and receives nothing but go-away heat. What an awful end to an incredible career.

Shane’s known for his straight up bonkers spots at Mania and, surprise, surprise, he didn’t disappoint at 35. Say what you will about the match quality, but it provided a much-needed adrenaline shot to the audience, with already legendary moments Shane’s nasty fall and, of course, George Mizanin squaring up and getting blown the eff out. Shane is a shockingly good heel in this storyline, and the super-duper-plex off the scaffold onto a conveniently placed ten-foot thick foam pad was the perfect end to the match – allowing Miz to fight for his father’s honor and Shane O’ Mac to continue claiming he’s the “best in the world”.

Was it a botch? Was it a work? Either way, it was abysmal. For the first time in Wrestlemania history, women took the platform of the main event – and with three of the best ladies around how could it possibly go wrong? The match, although not amazing and riddled with botches, managed to keep the fan’s attention despite the late hour – with Becky fans anxious to see her big moment. But her big victory came with an incredibly flaccid finish, seeing Ronda’s finisher reversed into…a roll-up where her shoulders weren’t even on the mat. If this wasn’t a botch, it was still going to be a shoddy ending because it didn’t scratch that itch – If Becky was going over, she should’ve been made to look like a star by making Ronda or Charlotte tap out.
This is quite simply NOT the way you end such an important Wrestlemania main event.

We would take anything to get that belt off Brock Lesnar – and thank god Seth was the man to do it. Although disappointingly placed at the very beginning of the card, the Universal championship match was the right way to fire fans up.
Delivering a cheeky low-blow and three devastating curbstomps, Seth was able to pull off a victory getting the belt back on TV in a way that still managed to make the beast look like…well, a beast. Here’s hoping Lesnar stays real far away from championship gold from here on out.

Hands up in the room, who thought Wrestlemania 35 was just the right length? Alright now, who thought it went on too damned long? Thought so. Not including the pre-show, this event went from 7pm all the way past midnight, which is a huge ask for any type of wrestling fan. Watching from home felt like an eternity so we can only imagine how physically draining the experience must have been for the 82 thousand people in attendance. Quite simply there were too many matches and some went on way too long… For us poor souls who wake up early for work, this was just plain rude, Vince.
Just kidding the worst part of Wrestlemania was Kairi Sane losing.

While it didn’t headline the event, for many wrestling fans Kofi Kingston’s rise to the top was the story of the night. After fighting for 11 plus years to get his shot, Kofi’s was finally able to do so at the grandest stage of them all. With Daniel Bryan’s superb performance as the villainous bastard hell-bent on putting the brakes on Kingston’s WWE championship victory, this was wrestling storytelling at its finest. Kofi was able to secure the win, return the strap to its original form, and celebrate with both his children and his best friends in the center of the ring.
You can call it your match of the night, you can call it your main event, but chances are you’ll also be calling this the highlight of Wrestlemania 35.