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Credit: WWE.com
Twists, turns, shocks, disappointments and pleasant surprises. WWE WrestleMania 34 was one heck of a roller-coaster ride.
And like any good roller coaster, there were serious moments of thrill combined with rather sombre, slower areas which will have disappointed some sections of the WWE fanbase.
However, the overriding feeling heading out of Mania is one of unpredictability. WWE swerved its fans with a number of key results on the night, including the main event, where Brock Lesnar retained the Universal Championship to seemingly confirm he will be staying with the company moving forward.
Aside from Lesnar’s victory in a somewhat forgettable main event, what were the other top takeaways from this year’s WrestleMania?
Here’s a closer look.
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Was it a cool moment that Braun Strowman picked a child to help him win the Raw Tag Team Championships?
Probably. That’s what WrestleMania is about—moments that are different, stand the test of time and create history.
But it’s perfectly understandable why this booking decision has divided opinion. After all, there are a plethora of Hall of Fame inductees who never got their hands on the tag titles—and a child has now gone one better and actually won them.
The moment itself was great, especially for young Nicholas, but what happens next?
Strowman is surely going to have to find himself a proper partner or you suspect the Raw hierarchy will determine he can’t hold the belts.
Or is Nicholas going to show up on Raw on Monday and progress the story? The Bar will surely demand their rematch sooner rather than later—maybe even on Monday night.
It’s pretty confusing right now, and it’s a moment that will certainly split opinion. Perhaps Monday’s Raw will clarify matters.
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On a night of twists and turns, the undisputed biggest moment came early on in the night: Asuka’s streak is over.
The match itself was one of the best on the card. These were two heavyweights of the industry waging war on one another, and it didn’t disappoint.
Sure, Asuka’s streak had to end some time. She simply couldn’t go undefeated forever—that would have been a bad booking idea, not least because eventually the fans would have grown tired of it.
But has the company pulled the trigger too soon on her winning run? Perhaps.
It leaves The Empress of Tomorrow in an interesting position: Will she be traded to SmackDown Live to continue her pursuit of Charlotte Flair or slide back to Raw a beaten woman?
The next few weeks and months are going to be pivotal for Asuka’s momentum. While she may have lost on Sunday, the company has to ensure her star doesn’t fade in the aftermath of the surprise result.
The Empress of Tomorrow deserves so much more than that, after all.
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Admit it, who thought Ronda Rousey would be this good on her official WWE in-ring debut?
This was arguably the match that exceeded the expectations of fans the most. The prospect of two guys in their veteran years, coupled with a non-wrestler and a debuting Rousey, did not have the makings of a free-flowing, enjoyable WrestleMania bout.
But it was great. It was everything it should have been and more, and crucially it was booked to perfection.
Rousey wasn’t overly protected—not at all, in fact. She more than did her fair share of the work, and the moments building up to the end of the match were fantastic.
Stephanie McMahon pleaded for mercy—she even apologized. But when Rousey told her it was too late and almost broke her arm, it was a fitting end to a brilliant match.
So where next for Rousey? Hopefully, she makes a beeline for the Raw Women’s Championship and the rest of the roster.
Rousey has arrived—make no mistake about it. And she had a pretty successful first night at work, too.
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Let’s make no mistake about it: AJ Styles vs. Shinsuke Nakamura wasn’t a bad match.
But the problem here—and there was a feeling this would happen in the buildup to the bout—is when you remind the fans at every turn this is a dream match, it has to knock the rest of the card out of the park.
In one of several surprise results, Styles retained the WWE Championship, and for a moment it looked as though Nakamura was prepared to admit the better man won.
After the match, though, things finally kicked into gear, which it should give everyone hope the best is yet to come from this rivalry.
Heel Nakamura is a smart move. WWE should properly introduce The King of Strong Style now, the guy who tore through the rest of the wrestling world before arriving the company.
His antics after the bout should keep fans interested and excited about this feud.
The best is yet to come, thankfully.
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So, maybe Brock Lesnar isn’t heading off into the UFC sunset just yet after all.
WrestleMania’s overriding theme was one of surprise results and shock outcomes, but this one had to rank somewhere near the top.
The only issue? The main event almost stank the Mercedes-Benz Superdome out: from the CM Punk chants just seconds into the match, to the “this is awful” chants, to Roman Reigns repeatedly kicking out of multiple finishers.
WWE had the opportunity to tell a great story, but on a night when there were plenty of positives for the company, this wasn’t one of them.
Lesnar retained the Universal Championship, which means the intrigue surrounding who his next challenger will be should spark interest in the title once again.
A returning Samoa Joe? Finn Balor’s redemption mission for the title he never lost? There are lots of options for WWE, but Reigns getting another shot should not be one of them.
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