I'm back from Philly and it's probably bias because this is the only Wrestlemania I've attended but I think it's my favorite. It was a genuine statement show for not only the company, but Triple H and all the wrestlers involved. The energy was off the charts for pretty much everything.
Night one was great. Enjoyed the opener, especially Rhea's entrance with Motionless in White.
The ladder match was some of the most fun I've ever had watching a wrestling match. Just the right amount of chaos and the R-Truth hot tag was one of the best moments over both nights. I'm glad they split the titles as I hope they can breathe some new life into the tag team division on Smackdown.
The Rey/Andrade vs. Dom/Santos match was just fine. It wasn't spectacular but it had some cool moments like the Rey/Andrade dive and Lane Johnson and Travis Kelce coming out.
I was disappointed in the Jey vs. Jimmy match. I really thought they'd kick it into another gear for their first clash but I felt they never really got there. Even with all that, the crowd was still loving Jey, including me. Every time we got the chance, it was "YEET" and the arm movements. So fun.
The six women tag match was a great showcase for Jade, Bianca, and Naomi. They all looked like stars, especially Jade. Jade has had her presentation down since AEW but I think this WWE run will take her to new heights and I'm excited for what the future holds for her.
Zayn/Gunther was incredible. I'm a huge Sami fan but even I was doubting the decision to have him face Gunther at Mania over Gable, but I don't think it was a bad one. The match was full of emotion and every time they'd show Sami's wife reacting to her husband being beaten down it just got me more and more invested. Eventually, I just kind of gave up thinking Gunther was going to beat Sami into oblivion but the comeback was amazing.
The main event was everything it was advertised to be. Aura is the best word to describe it as. Every entrance felt like they were stepping into the most important fight of their life and the atmosphere was tremendous. In my section, people were doubting the Rock would even take real bumps at first but they were brought into the match when it became clear The Rock was there to put on a show.
Night two was my favorite. Immediately starting the show with CM Punk's entrance got everyone super hyped early. I have to rewatch the match for his commentary though, I'm disappointed I missed it. The match was interesting. It didn't feel like the typical Seth match and I think that it has to do with the story of the wear and tear on Seth becoming too much to overcome. Drew came out swinging and looked to beat the crap out of Seth and Seth answered with his biggest moves which didn't have the same impact they usually did. For as excited as the crowd was to see Seth, they were just as excited to see Drew win, and then just as excited to see Damian Priest cash in. It was a great moment for everyone involved and did a lot for storyline progression with Seth respecting Drew's victory and Drew falling to the MITB once again, while also bringing back some legitimacy to the MITB briefcase.
The Philly street fight was what it was. I'm glad Bobby and the Profits got to be on the card but it's annoying when the biggest pop of the match was for Bubba Ray Dudley.
I was a bit disappointed in Knight/Styles. It wasn't bad by any means but I was hoping it went on longer and I thought they could've taken it to another level before they just wrapped it up.
The US Title triple threat was fun. Logan Paul is fully committed to wrestling and it shows. He gives it his all for every aspect of his presentation. His gear, his entourage, his entrance, and especially his wrestling, are all great. I was hoping Owens would win to get him and Zayn both the IC and US belts but it is what it is.
Bayley/Sky was amazing. Both these women are top tier wrestlers and it showed in the match.
Cody/Roman was a genuine moment in history. I was adamant about Cody winning last year heading into the show and questioned him losing afterwards, but I'd say the past year and how much stronger support for him has become has shown that it was the right decision. It only made the moment bigger and didn't hamper Cody in the slightest like many believed would be the case. I'm so glad Cody finished the story. I've been a fan of his since his first WWE run and even through ups and downs with WWE as Stardust and in AEW with weird feuds and less than ideal booking, I stuck with him and his return to WWE has been one of the most crucial career decisions anyone has ever made in wrestling. He became a genuine face of the company guy and helped take WWE who was already climbing to new heights to an even bigger boom period. Everything in this match: the entrances, the callbacks, the interference and help, and the finish, was just so good. It was the perfect way to close the chapter of history that was Roman Reigns' reign as champ. I saw
tylerbreezee describe it as feeling empty and that is so correct. So much happened during Reigns' time as champ and there is a genuine emptiness that I feel when I remember Reigns is no longer champ. But I don't think there's a guy more suited to carry on as champion than Cody Rhodes.