Quick Wrestlemania XXVIII Thoughts

Michael Cole signed off the show telling me I just watched the greatest Wrestlemania ever. I wouldn't agree with him by a long shot. But it was a pretty fun show, and all the matches I was looking forward to ended up delivering. It was a super-hot crowd. There was tons of energy during the big matches. It was full of all the pageantry and hype that you expect from the biggest wrestling show of the year.

I ended up going 5 for 8 with predictions, but in some cases, I am more than happy to be wrong. Especially in the main event, where WWE proved part of my column wrong, and now has me curious where the next direction will be. I guess, they deserve kudos for that, since there job is to get me to want to keep on tuning in. They have at least piqued my interest enough to check out tomorrow's Raw, and see how they move forward with tonight's results.

Sheamus over Daniel Bryan: The Rumble winner finally takes the title, after several years where he has fallen short. I predicted that these guys would try to steal the show, and I was proved completely wrong. It wasn't any fault of their own. It looked like WWE wanted an 18 second comedy routine rather than a match. Yes, it was funny that Bryan got a "good luck kiss" only to turn around to a Brogue kick for the loss. It helped get Sheamus over as a new star. It was a bit of a bummer that Bryan didn't get to prove what a great wrestler he can be, and got squashed in his Wrestlemania debut instead. On the other hand, these guys were likely always going to get short changed, so at least it helped to strongly establish the start of Sheamus' reign and push forward the Daniel/AJ friction storyline.

Kane over Randy Orton: I'm surprised Kane went over, but clearly, they want to keep this feud going until the next PPV. The match wasn't anything special, but the top rope chokeslam finish was pretty awesome.

Big Show beat Cody Rhodes: This was a great chicken heel try to take down the strong face type match. Rhodes tried many sneak tactics and got a decent amount of offense. This was a pretty fun match, and it had the proper finish. Show proved he can win at Wrestlemania, and finally got revenge over Rhodes. It was a satisfying face finally takes out the cocky heel ending with the knockout punch. Plus such a big name winning the Intercontinental title helps make that title mean a little more.

Maria Menounos & Kelly Kelly defeats Beth Phoenix & Eve: Remember when the women's division had wrestlers like Trish Stratus, Lita, Jazz and Molly? Well, this match sure wouldn't remind you of those days. If I cared about the women's division, I'd be disappointed the champion got pinned by an injured celebrity.

Undertaker beats HHH: Awesome. Simple as that. My wife even got into this match, and she can't stand wrestling. There was so much emotion, and the crowd really got into it. This wasn't a match all about high spots. Instead it was a brutally intense match that also told a story. Michaels was torn over if he should call the match straight, or help his friend break the streak of the man who ended his career. He even lost it at one point when he superkicked 'Taker and allowed HHH to hit the pedigree. They tricked me at a few moments when I thought they were going to end the streak. They even intensified things by finally allowing a bit of blood (first time in a few years). It was just a really emotional and intense match up that ended perfectly. Undertaker goes to a perfect 20-0, and shakes hands with Michaels to show hard feeling are over and then pays respect to HHH by helping him out of the arena. Great stuff. The crowd was hot all the way through, and if this is the end of both guys' careers, it was a fitting last hurrah.

Hall of Fame Tribute: I loved the standing ovation Edge got. He even shed a few tears over the massive display of fan appreciation. I'm going to miss Edge, but it was a nice tribute. It was also cool to see Arn Anderson get respect even if it was in the form of inducting the entire Four Horsemen group. But man, Flair is looking like he aged 10 years since I last saw him two years ago. I love this segment, and I wouldn't mind tracking down the entire HOF ceremony.

Team Johnny beat Team Teddy: It had a few cool spots, but it wasn't anything special. I think, the Money in the Bank matches were better use of several wrestlers in one match. It had a few high spots, and it furthered the GM story. I'm guessing, Teddy might be getting knocked off TV, and now we got some heel GM goodness to enjoy for several months now.

CM Punk over Chris Jericho: It started off a little slow and the crowd was quiet, but when this thing picked up, it was pretty awesome. They totally had the crowd in the palm of the hands for the last half. This was a great world title match, and it felt like a true main event. It wasn't the finish I wanted, but I came out a bigger Punk fan with this match. There were some pretty cool reversal segments, and they filled the last bit with many believable close falls. I thought Jericho had the match when he turned the hurricanrana into a Walls of Jericho, but then there was some more reversal goodness. The crowd erupted huge to the finish, and I think it made Punk look like a bigger star. Plus he is on a roll defending the title, which helped elevate both the title prestige and himself as champion. I'm sure we have a rematch lined up still.

Dancing Grannies and Stupid Skits: Every skit was stupid. The dancing grannies were a waste of my time. They could have cut all the crap out, and gave us a good Bryan and Sheamus match.

Rock beat John Cena: I knew Cena would win. I knew it. When Cole went on and on about how Cena had to win, this made it even more clear to me. Then he didn't win. I'm shocked. I'm super happy. I've always seen The Rock as the good guy in this feud, and Cena has come off as a crybaby to me. I paid to see the Rock, and I really wanted him to get another glorious win. So, I'm shocked, but very satisfied with the win. But where do they go after this? Rock leaves for the movies, and Cena now has to carry the company as the loser of two straight Wrestlemania main events. As for the match, it was incredible. The energy was unbelievable. The crowd was hot for the whole match, and they were into all the near falls. I thought it was going to end at many points. I love the fact it ended with Cena making the mistake of trying to mock Rock's finisher, and then getting caught in the Rock Bottom. Poetic justice. It was a great ending to a really fun show. It definitely reminded me why I used to be a wrestling fan, and that sometimes WWE can still get it right.

I also want to mention that it was super cool they brought out Jim Ross for the 'Taker vs. HHH match. I have a feeling the two guys specifically asked him to call the match. His voice added to the action, and reminded me he is still the best in all of wrestling.

It was a good show. If you missed it, it is definitely worth trying to track down the replay. I felt like my money was well spent, and it delivered everything I wanted out of it. If I have anything else to add, I'll throw it out tomorrow. For now, this is how a feel right after enjoying a great Wrestlemania XXVIII.