WrestleMania 33 has been left in Orlando for a couple weeks now, but there's no doubt that the events of that 7 hours still rings in the minds of fans. It was a successful 'Mania in my opinion, featuring some of the best in the business battling each other, a proposal, legends finishing their long-dormant rivalry, and a tear-jerking final match of a beloved wrestler. Today, I will go over all the memorable moments of the matches, including the pre-show, and give my opinions on each one. For the championship matches, the one holding the title going into the match will be listed first.
Let's take a look at the Ultimate Thrill Ride.
Cruiserweight Championship: Neville vs. Austin Aries- I didn't tune into their feud often, but both are pretty good wrestlers. At one point, Aries may have had a head-to-canvas impact, but I think it may have been nothing more than a little brain rattle. The connection glitches near the end of the match, so I didn't see how it ended, but Neville retained his title. That's alright, I like Neville, and it gives a reason to continue the feud.
Andre the Giant Battle Royal- Meant to commemorate a legendary wrestler, this battle royal was a little on the boring side. The real surprise was that the three biggest men in the ring, Braun Strowman, Big Show, and Mark Henry, were all eliminated. The last three standing were Killian Dane, Jinder Mahal, and Mojo Rawley. Mahal made a bad mistake in messing with the ringside guest star American football player Rob Gronkowski (who was probably paid to wear Rawley's merchandise), and the large Indian threw Rob's drink in his face. When Mahal went back to beat up Rawley some more, "The Gronk" intervened and ran into Mahal, knocking him down. Rawley was able to eliminate both Dane and Mahal and won the battle royal. I mean, congrats, but I don't really care for him. Good build to the ending, though.
Intercontinental Championship: Dean Ambrose vs. Baron Corbin- Decent match between two guys who just don't give a damn. It was a bunch of hard hits, kickouts, and crazed determination. At one point, it looks to be that Ambrose may have injured his ribs. Even after the harsh beating Corbin dealt to the Lunatic Fringe, Ambrose was able to get the pin and keep his title. YES! I love Ambrose.
United States Championship: Chris Jericho vs. Kevin Owens- After months of teaming together, Owens betrayed Jericho's friendship, stating that they had never been friends. In this culmination of their feud, Jericho made a flashy entrance complete with a light-up scarf and the gold around his waist. The best moment was when Jericho had Owens in a submission hold, Owens took the opportunity for a rope break, reached out, and gently touched it with his fingertip. Owens ended up coming out on top. That's okay, all I needed was that hilarious rope break.
AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon: Shane! You're 47 with a wife and three kids, stop throwing yourself around like that! Though I shouldn't make a comment, seeing as Styles is a married man pushing 40 with four kids. Regardless, this was a good match, from the Coast-to-Coast to the Shooting Star press. Styles was victorious, but I've got to give credit to good ol' Shane O'Mac for still doing some stunts at his age.
Raw Women's Championship Fatal Four-Way: Bayley vs. Charlotte vs. Sasha Banks vs. Nia Jax- Decent match! The entrances set the tone for their characters, Bayley the bubbly and confident one, Banks showing her inner diva by riding on the back of a car down the ramp, Jax powerfully strutting her way to the ring, and Charlotte taking a page out of her father Ric Flair's book by dressing in a robe adorned with glitz and peacock feathers. My personal favorite, Bayley, remained the champ, but I would've loved to see Sasha turn her back on her friend or for Nia Jax to pull a surprise win.
John Cena & Nikki Bella vs. The Miz & Maryse- To be honest, I could've cared so much less about their feud and the short match itself, but it was the bit after the match that got me. Cena talked about the time he had reminded Nikki that he was going to marry her, then got down on one knee and popped the question in front of 75,000 people. I had to force back tears to avoid crying in front of my dad.
Raw Tag Team Championship Fatal Four-Way: Gallows & Anderson vs. Sheamus & Cesaro vs. Enzo Amore & Big Cass vs. the Hardy Boyz- I want to live in the moment of joy I felt upon seeing Jeff & Matt Hardy return after years of absence. And as much as I wanted Enzo & Cass to win, I am so glad the Hardys took the belts. Jeff diving off a ladder into Cesaro and Sheamus laying across a couple ladders was the best taste of a bygone era of wrestling that I ever got.
Non-Sanctioned Match: Seth Rollins vs. Triple H- I cannot voice how on edge I was during this match. The feud itself was a harrowing back and forth between two excellent performers in the ring and on the microphone. Watching Rollins redeem himself with a weak leg (no storyline BS there, he actually had a previous knee injury re-stressed during this feud) was the moment I had been waiting for since Triple H had screwed Seth out of a shot at the top title on Monday Night Raw. More on how this personally affected me on a later date, so I can exude pure sappiness about my favorite wrestler.
WWE World Championship: Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton- Not gonna lie, this match was a letdown. The only real wow factor was the projector-screen grossness that happened about three times when Wyatt did his signature backbend. While now I understand why Bray lost the title, it's still very disappointing to have Orton as champ when Wyatt is gaining popularity.
SmackDown Women's Championship Six-Pack Challenge: Alexa Bliss vs. Carmella vs. Becky Lynch vs. Mickie James vs. Naomi vs. Natalya- A shot of insanity and I am SO glad that this match got moved from the pre-show. I was rooting for either Naomi or Alexa, and my girl Naomi pulled the hometown win!
WWE Universal Championship: Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar- Good match of two big dudes hitting their big moves in a short period of time. Glad that Lesnar won, even though he's not my favorite.
The Undertaker vs. Roman Reigns- And kids, this is the story of how Roman became the most hated man in wrestling. The match was laced with emotion and a sense of finality, and you can see that Reigns even had a hard time doing the deed of retiring one of the most beloved wrestlers of all time. Farewell, Undertaker, thanks for your dedication.
...Okay YEAH, I did cry by the end of the show. There! I said it! Goodnight!
