WrestleMania 33 lived up to the hype
April 6, 2017
“Give me the greenlight, cause I’m ready to go. Let’s have a good time, what you waitin’ for?”
Those words are the beginning chorus in Pitbull’s recent hit, “Greenlight,” which was also the theme song for WrestleMania 33. “Greenlight” is all about living up to the hype and having fun in the most imaginable way possible. WrestleMania 33 without a doubt had its fair share of moments that made it fun to watch.
Not only did the event feature a plethora of matches with a variety of beloved superstars, but it also resulted in several emotional and nostalgic moments that kept every WWE fan on the edge of their seats.
The main event match featured Roman Reigns defeating The Undertaker in what appeared to be “The Phenom’s” final stand. Other headliners included Brock Lesnar finally slaying his personal demons by beating Goldberg and capturing the WWE Universal Championship and 2017 Royal Rumble winner Randy Orton exacting his revenge on Bray Wyatt by regaining the WWE Championship.
There were 10 – yes, 10 – other matches on the show, but I’ll go over the major ones because I don’t want this article to be a drag.
So, here is a full breakdown of the major matches and overall rating of the “Show of Shows.”
Roman Reigns vs. The Undertaker: 6/10. “The Deadman” looked good early on, but once ’Taker took his first major bump, it went to show that Phenom’s don’t last forever. The Undertaker showcased his worst Last Ride signature in a while – a 300 pounder could not even fully lift a 265 pounder in Reigns – and it was just ragged. Reigns, who nine times out of 10 puts on exciting matches, could not even make that happen at parts because The Undertaker just cannot do it anymore.
One bad portion of the match did fall on Reigns because he could not lift ‘Taker in what looked to be Reigns’ version of the Tombstone. Ugh.
Once Reigns got in complete control of the match is where I really felt it took a unique plot twist. Reigns would deliver countless chair shots, superman punches, and spears – it took three spears – to dethrone “The Phenom.” I really thought it fit well with the story with WrestleMania being Reigns’ yard, because it clearly was once the bell rang.
Reigns winning was clearly the right move. It basically solidified that Reigns is going to be WWE’s top guy for the next decade or so, and The Undertaker would not have gained anything by winning this match. A lot of fans are not going to like it, but “The Big Dog” is on top of the food chain. Believe that.
This match was probably, if not already, Undertaker’s last. After Reigns celebrated with fireworks and a chorus of boos in the background, ‘Taker left his patented gloves, trench coat and hat laying the middle of the ring, signifying the end of an era. He even broke character for the first time in his career by visibly kissing his wife, Michelle McCool, before doing his signature pose on the ramp.
It was a very emotional and heartbreaking moment that will last a lifetime. It’s always depressing to see such a beloved character fade, but it’s got to happen sometime. Bottom line, The Undertaker is a one-of-a-kind wrestler who will be recognized as one of the greatest ever.
Goldberg vs. Brock Lesnar: 7/10. I don’t get why a lot of people are so critical on this one. Yes, it was short, but that was expected because neither superstar has moves that can carry a match for more than 10 minutes. Goldberg has a spear and Jackhammer, and Lesnar has a German suplex and F-5. What else do you expect?
I thought the match was well executed. Lesnar showed dominance early by suplexing Goldberg three straight times before Goldberg drilled Lesnar with four spears – even one through a barricade – and a Jackhammer. Lesnar was kicked out after going through all of that.
Then, “The Beast” feasted on Goldberg by suplexing him 10 times in a row and finishing him with an F-5. The match was less than five minutes, but it was very exciting. At least it wasn’t another minute long squash like many fans recall.
It was a simple story with a simple ending: Lesnar reclaiming dominance.
Bray Wyatt vs. Randy Orton: 4/10. My reaction to this one was as if I saw I failed an exam or something, because the match overall was just odd.
The build-up to the match was good. The match itself was not. And the crowd was never really into it, which that really says a lot.
Orton won with an RKO out of nowhere, and it made sense from a storyline standpoint for him to get redemption on his former brethren, but Wyatt’s first WWE Championship reign lasted for less than two months, so that was questionable. Wyatt is now 0-3 at WrestleMania, but who’s counting? (I am).
I thought the parts with the insects graphic in the ring were very creative, but that’s probably about it.
The Hardy Boyz coming back and winning the Raw Tag Team Championship was easily the best moment, one of the best in recent memory. Fitting, considering the match they returned in was a ladder match.
John Cena and Nikki Bella proved to be WWE’s “it” couple over The Miz and Maryse. Miz did a good job taking control of Cena at the start of the match, but once Nikki got involved, it was over. Cena even popped the question to Nikki after the match, which was sweet.
Neville and Austin Aries had one of the best matches of the night, despite being during the pre-show. But, it’s the biggest names that grab the most attention, so I get why the cruiserweight title match got bumped to the pre-show. Hopefully, the cruiserweights get a future spotlight on the main card.
Oh, yeah, and Seth Rollins and Triple H put on a good match because those two superstars have had a knack for putting on good matches throughout their respective careers. Rollins didn’t even put on his best match because of his “right knee” injury, but still made it exciting.
New England Patriots superstar Rob Gronkowski also made an appearance during the pre-show by helping his good friend, Mojo Rawley, win the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. Gronk assisted by plowing through Jinder Mahal.
Overall rating: 7.5/10. Overall, WrestleMania 33 was a pretty good show. Most of the biggest moments went astray from the main event bouts, which some may question, but it was good overall.
There were several other events that unfolded during the show, but the matches and moments discussed were the major ones that really defined this year’s spectacle. It was overall quite an “Ultimate Thrill Ride” as the tagline said.