The History of WrestleManiaBy Dan Smith| April 2, 2014 WWE Blogs Previous Page This Wrestlemania was saved by what some call the greatest wrestling match of all time, Undertaker vs Shawn Michaels, who between them had been the stars of the last few Mania’s. The pressure was on them to steal the show after viewing a card which was underwhelming considering this was the event’s silver anniversary. While the build-up was good, Randy Orton Vs HHH was a main event fans had seen numerous times on Raw, let alone on pay per view, while there was a failure to create interest in Cena vs Big Show vs Edge due to the amount of times the trio had already met in their careers. Rey Mysterio was given just a minute to beat JBL, whilst Matt Hardy vs Jeff Hardy should have been better than it was. So by the time the two legends made their entrances there was even more pressure for the two to deliver, the fans wanted their money’s worth. It is one thing to match expectations, it’s another thing to blow those expectations out of the water. Running out of headliners and with Undertaker wrestling less and less fans found it believable that this might be the night the streak ended. Who else would Mark Callaway want to lose the streak to then a wrestler as respected as HBK? The two told a great story as they both kicked out of their respective finishes. When Michaels kicked out of a second Tombstone, Taker’s face was priceless, like he was doubting himself. Fans chanted ‘This is Awesome’ in an atmosphere to rival Rock/Hogan from Wrestlemania 18. While fans that night reacted out of nostalgia and respect on this night the buzz was all about the art they were witnessing in the ring. As Undertaker finally defeated his challenger with a third Tombstone, I couldn’t help get emotional. I remember thinking we will never see another Undertaker or Shawn Micheals again, I’m emotional writing this now. If fans in 10 years ask me how special these two were, I will simply show them this match. The undercard to this pay per view was so average it didn’t deserve to be connected to such an epic main event. I originally thought it was a mistake to have a Undertaker vs Michaels rematch. It was near impossible to better their match from the year before, a lot had changed in a year. Undertaker had only made a couple of special appearance in squash matches on Raw since the Mania before and now effectively was a part timer, who would only come back for Wrestlemania season. Michaels meanwhile had only just returned at Summerslam and had mostly worked tag matches with DX buddy HHH to protect his failing knees. Even with their reputations it was asking a lot for both men to get anywhere near their five star match the year before. This time though they were not let down by the undercard, there were other aspects to this Mania that were must see. Batista was doing the best work of his career in his heel run against John Cena, while a heel CM Punk and Sheamus were new character’s being introduced. I have never understood why the Bret Hart vs Vince McMahon match has been so heavily criticised. Hart wasn’t able to have physical contact to the head so was never going to be able to have a classic match. What made it special was the idea of the Hitman being back at Wrestlemania again, something no one thought they would see after the Montreal Screw job. I have always found it ironic that Hart wrestled his first WWE match in 13 years on the same night his bitter rival for so long Shawn Michaels wrestled in his last. To compensate for any potential ring rust, WWE added drama to the bout by putting HBK’s career on the line. Suddenly it was must see, we would either see the end of the streak or the end of arguably the greatest ever. It worked… The crowd was just as electric as before and with the added drama the match was just as good as the year before. When Undertaker pinned Michael’s (who had sold his obsession to end the streak brilliantly) it was the perfect way to end the perfect career. Unlike Ric Flair Micheals has had more respect for himself to fight any urges to come out of retirement. He is smart enough to let his legacy be remembered for having two of the best ever Wrestlemania matches back to back with the Undertaker. Not that his legacy needed it. I was never a massive Rock fan but I marked out more than anyone when he turned out to be the Special Guest Host of Wrestlemania. When he returned on Raw, it was again a reminder of how special the attitude era was. Indeed despite being away for seven years The Rock cut a promo that most in the locker room could only dream of, it just comes naturally to him. While I got emotional when the Rock said, ‘I am back and I give you my word, I am never going away’ and while adult male fans enjoyed the Rock laying into John Cena I can’t say I was overly bothered about his role at Mania, it was just cool to see him back. After all Dwayne Johnson had not wrestled in seven years and while not becoming the movie star WWE would lead you to believe he is, he has earnt enough money to never have to wrestle again and had led us to believe that was his exact attitude. So apart from the odd promo what could Rock offer Wrestlemania? Once nostalgia wore off, my queries grew to concern. While I certainly enjoyed his weekly debates with Cena the idea of a man, no matter how much of a legend, who had no interest in wrestling again overshadowing so many younger talent did not sit comfortably for me. And it should be pointed out it was clear that if there ever was a time WWE needed to push as much talent as possible it was now. On the night, my fears were realised. Sheamus’s (World Champion a year before) USA title match against Daniel Bryan (incredibly over with fans) was relegated to the dark match, Why? Their time was given to the Rock, who took about five minutes to walk to the ring and pose before he actually started to speak, in which he said nothing that made any difference to the show. Imagine what Bryan/Sheamus were thinking. Other Rock promo’s meant that talents like Dolph Ziggler and Johnny Nitro were put in a six person match with the Diva’s, Jack Swagger (another former World Campion) was only good enough to be Michael Cole’s trainer while The Core (made up of members of Nexus who had dominated Raw for months) were pinned in seconds in a eight man tag. Meanwhile Alberto Del Rio’s (winner of the Royal Rumble) title match with Edge (it would turn out to be Edge’s last ever match) was on first! The worse to be affected though was the Miz, who in reality had proved so many people wrong to go into Mania in a position where he was a defending WWE champion. The biggest night in his career was overshadowed by the Rock who helped Miz win after Rock Bottoming Cena. Miz was not even allowed to celebrate his famous win, he was soon flattened by the Rock as well. The one match that was allowed to stand out on its own and got some creative attention was HHH vs Undertaker, as The Game tried to do what his best friend couldn’t do the two years previously. WWE faced the same problems as the year before. Undertaker hadn’t wrestled in exactly a year and if not for the value that the streak held would of retired by now while HHH worked more in a suit then he did in the ring. Effectively two part timers past their best, were being asked to keep up the level of Undertaker matches, dating back to Wrestlemania 23. If this wasn’t the best match of the night fans would be disappointed, that was the standard Undertaker had set himself. Of course they received as much booking assistance as possible, notably a no holds barred stipulation. It was never going to rival Undertaker/Micheals but it was good in its own right, in many ways telling a better story in terms of believing HHH was going to end the streak. A HHH Tombstone on Taker had this writer believing it was the end of the record. When Undertaker locked on Hells Gate HHH had the sledgehammer in hand but just could not find the strength for a final swing, the idea being that the margin of how close the streak was to being over was minimal, they sold this brilliantly. By having HHH, not Taker able to walk away explained another year away from television for the Dead Man and set up a rematch whenever both men were interested for it. So yet again Wrestlemania was rescued by a veteran who is no longer a full time member of the roster, not a young up and comer. Meanwhile, The Rock got to give the opening promo on the show, a Rock Bottom to Cena, a People’s Elbow to The Miz and for the closing image of the night to be him standing tall. Even the most die hard Rock fan has to admit this was overbearing. The Rock also got a Raw to celebrate his birthday, a brand new DVD, a Tag Team Match at Madison Square Garden, and despite at best two matches per year, a main event spot at Wrestlemania 28 which will be followed next year by a main event match at Royal Rumble and Wrestlemania 29. Yes to the shock and joy of every one The Rock was returning to the ring to fight John Cena. While the announcement the night after Wrestlemania 27 hardly created an atmosphere like Rock’s famous challenge to Hulk Hogan (fans in the arena rightly felt that the Mania in their home town was now little more than a storyline enhancer) it was intriguing to know what the main event would be a whole year in advance. I’m not even a big fan of either but this was another match which you never thought you would see, you couldn’t miss it. When it became clear that we would also see a Undertaker vs HHH rematch It was safe to say that the idea of Wrestlemania had changed. With no serious competition to challenge him Vince McMahon can afford to make Mania a one off super show every year, it no longer mattered that out of the four headliners only one was a full time wrestler. Where previously Mania could have a star breakthrough to become the face of the company, Warrior at 6, Hart at 10. Michaels at 12, Austin at 14, Cena/Batista 21, etc. this is no longer a priority. In many ways the superstars who carry the company though the year may become irrelevant once the road to Wrestlemania begins. Until WWE gives someone the chance they will keep having to rely on bringing back stars from the past. At the moment they want to, it creates a one night buzz, a big fight atmosphere but long term it’s harmful. Look how over Daniel Bryan was as he made his way to the ring. Look at the ‘Yes’ signs in the crowd. What was the World’s Champion’s reward for getting himself over, a loss in 18 seconds. While Sheamus of course would be delighted to win the title at such an event, this damaged the titles value, something it hasn’t yet recovered from. Miz and Dolph Ziggler, two heels fans wanted to see in the main event picture were put into a card filler 10 man tag, Cody Rhodes was made to look weak in his feud with Big Show. Basically no young star benefited from the show, yet the night after they were expected to continue on carrying the show until Undertaker, HHH and Rock come out of semi-retirement again. The only matches not hindered by time constraints were the matches involving the four already mentioned. Don’t get me wrong, these matches were special, I just worry long term, on the night they had the desired reaction. HHH vs Undertaker was supported by the Hell in The Cell gimmick and Michael’s being the Special referee. Even as a referee HBK can tell a story and add emotion to a match. His reaction’s to respective near falls was priceless, he genuinely looked mentally exhausted, not wanting his friend to get punished but also respecting the Undertaker. There were so many near falls which were believable, mainly the Superkick, Pedigree sequence. In the end Undertaker dominated The Game, which was out how the feud should of ended. There are a very few wrestlers HHH would lose to so convincingly. It was emotional at the end, three men who had between them stolen the show since Mania 23, most likely never to be in the same ring again. The Rock wrestling again was a moment in itself, fans had been told for years and accepted it would never happen. I assumed Cena, as the full time wrestler had to go over. That way The Rock, after a year of trashing the character could put Cena over with a hand shake the next night on Raw before going off to shoot more movies. I should have learnt not to count out the Rock. Rock did win and the next night said he wants to be champion again. Okay he wrestles Undertaker’s schedule but was he here for the long run? The answer came the next night of Raw when the Rock made it clear he wanted to be WWE Champion one last time. This didn’t mean he was sticking to the promise he made on his return two years earlier, ‘That I’m back and I give you my word, I am never going away’. In reality Rock was yet again setting up his WrestleMania season a year in advanced so he could go off and fulfil his movie schedule. It was the sight of Rock becoming WWE champion at the 2013 Royal Rumble which was a step too far for some fans, not helped by the fact that it ended CM Punk’s historic year long title reign. Fans could no longer ignore the fact that the likes of Daniel Bryan’s, Dolph Ziggler’s and Cesaro’s talents were routinely being overlooked by veterans coming back part time. Ziggler and Bryan were thrown into a rushed tag match while the likes of Cesaro, Cody Rhodes and Damien Sandow did not even make the card. The fans the next night on Raw would make their feelings clear. In management’s opinion though these were the, ‘internet’ fans. It was like their voices didn’t count, WWE almost went out of their way to antagonise the ‘smart’ fans, making them almost another character in the show. Vince McMahon’s argument was the two Mania’s headlined by Rock vs Cena saw Mania 28 garner 1,217,000 buys, making it the most purchased wrestling event in history with global gross sales in excess of $67 million. The event also set a new record for the highest grossing live event in WWE history, grossing $8.9 million, while Mania 29 set a new record for the highest grossing live event in WWE history, grossing $72 million. In other words Dwayne was a man who for all his critics, people were willing to pay to see. Financially it was a success for all parties, even if it has tainted The Rock’s legacy. The Rock seemed to lose interest almost as soon as he became a 7 time World Champion. It was like after three years of having fun he realised the time had come to finally put someone over. Suddenly life in WWE didn’t seem so appealing. Both in terms of build-up and match quality he seemed unmotivated against Cena (to be fair the two had run out of ideas). The Rock will not take part this year which may be a blessing in disguise, I’m confident the mood of the WWE universe at the moment would boo him out of the building. All WWE fans want to see is some sorts of balance, have your veterans involved but not at the expense of the likes of CM Punk or Daniel Bryan. Instead WWE have continued to play it safe over the last few events. The matches that were meant to sell delivered in quality while the undercard would not of been out of place on a regular Raw or Smackdown. As long as the numbers stay high that won’t change.
