When looking back at the great Wrestlemania’s of all time, WWE fans look to the likes of 17 and 30, with defining nights jam-packed full of incredible action. There are also certain editions of Mania that fans look to as the worst in the show’s history, and one of the top entries on that list is usually WrestleMania 27. However, is the show actually better than some fans think, or is it really down in the dumps as one of the most unattractive events of all time?
The Show Opened With Some Exciting And Solid Action
On paper, the card isn’t completely up to scratch, with some very clear low-quality names and duds of matches. The show itself opened with The Rock cutting a promo as the host. He brought a lot of buzz to the event after being away for so long, and it was a fine enough way to open up the show. The first match of the night featured World Heavyweight Champion, Edge, defending his belt successfully against Alberto Del Rio. In hindsight, Del Rio as the top contender after winning the Rumble wasn’t the best of choices. Their match was shorter than most world title affairs, but the action was all strong, and it kicked the show with a bang, with the crowd being massively into it.
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Following on from this, Cody Rhodes took on Rey Mysterio. Looking at where Rhodes was at the time, this didn’t perhaps feel like a WrestleMania-worthy contest, but upon a rewatch, their match was pretty entertaining, and it made Rhodes feel much bigger as an individual – something which probably should have happened the year before. Looking at how WWE squandered Rhodes following this moment, the win feels insignificant, but as an individual match and victory, it was impressive. The next contest had some issues. The thrown-together team of Big Show, Kane, Kofi Kingston, and Santino Marella defeated The Corre in 90 seconds, even with the latter holding the Intercontinental Championship and Tag Team Titles. This was a complete burial and waste of everyone’s time.
The Middle Of The Card Had Ups And Downs
The show picked back up again with Randy Orton taking on CM Punk. This feud had been brewing for months, with the genesis of the rivalry going back a few years. This was just before the Summer of Punk, but he still felt important in this match. Their match was a brilliant display of professional wrestling and was one of the stand-out matches of tonight, with perhaps the only downside being that Orton went over as the winner.
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The following match may be one of the worst in WrestleMania history and is certainly one that brought the whole event down. Michael Cole and Jerry Lawler’s painful feud led to this slog of a convoluted match, which would set up a trilogy of matches that no one wanted to see. It took a lot of life out of the event, even with the addition of “Stone Cold” Steve Austin. Thankfully, the show managed to bounce back with Triple H and The Undertaker going back and forth in a phenomenal display of physicality and storytelling.
HHH and Taker are two legitimate professionals and main eventers, and this match proved just that. In the realms of No Holds Barred, they waged war on one another, with an emotional display, and powerful performances from both men. This truly stole the show and was the highlight of the night. Following this, the event took a much-needed breather with a celebrity match featuring Snooki, and the return of Trish Stratus. It wasn’t the best match in the world, but it was in the spot before the main event, which is always needed to cool down the crowd and let everyone use the bathroom.
The Main Event Let A Lot Of Fans Down
The main event featured John Cena and The Miz, and many fans see this as one of the worst main events in Mania history. The match itself is fairly underrated, with The Miz putting in a good performance, with the crowd getting into it. The ending of the match was overbooked, as it was used to build to the following years’ WrestleMania, but the moment of The Rock turning on Cena was something which popped the crowd hard, and what better way to build next year’s show than starting it a year early – and fans do always clamor for long-term storytelling.
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All in all, the show was average, but many of the matches were good, with one of Undertaker’s better WrestleMania matches. The presentation of the show felt huge, with yet another great stage and grandiose entrances, with a focus on different and new stars, with names such as Del Rio, Rhodes, Punk, and Miz all in featured spots, and WWE should be commended for trialing with new stars. Is the show as bad as people say? Probably not. But is it up there with the best Manias? Not at all, with there being one too many negatives.
