Twitter Reacts to Ronda Rousey, Brock Lesnar, More WWE WrestleMania 34 Results

Four years after WWE WrestleMania XXX, the Mercedes-Benz Superdome was host once again to The Showcase of the Immortals, the biggest night of the WWE year. WrestleMania 34 looked to be a huge night with a ridiculous card featuring all the top stars in the company.

The WrestleMania weekend leading to Sunday was already incredible, with some even wondering if the night had reached its climax with Saturday’s NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. As Cultaholic’s Adam Pacitti put it:

Unfortunately, this ‘Mania could not live up to NXT’s example with a show that fluctuated wildly over the seven-hour experience. There were serious highs and shocking lows, with surprises at every turn on a card that did not go as expected.

This jam-packed event was something to behold, and dissecting the reaction to WrestleMania 34 is its own epic adventure, beginning with the main event.

Brock Lesnar Does Not Go Down for Roman Reigns

The Beast Incarnate and The Big Dog fought once before in an excellent blend of styles, leading up to a shocking cash-in by Seth Rollins. This time, there was no one left to get in their way. This was meant to be the big clash of titans WWE had been building to for years.

In short order, the match shocked an unimpressed crowd that refused to give Reigns and Lesnar an ounce of its attention. As the crowd was knocking around beach balls, The Big Dog was bloodied and battered before losing to his opponent.

In what was supposed to be Reigns’ crowning victory, walking away with the Universal Championship, Lesnar retained and continued his year-long reign.

As Podcast One’s Wade Keller made clear, the result was in front of us the whole time—we just did not realize it:

Even if the “spoiler” was right in front of us, it came off as an all-time swerve. The crowning moment shattered with WWE’s top guy felled like so many others. CBS Sports’ Nick Kostos did not mince his words with fans who were frustrated by the result:

The frustration, though, was not over Reigns losing but rather the match being given such high attention on a stacked card. Cageside Seats caught the huge negative response from a crowd that was not having any of a match that was solid overall:

The only thing left for fans to consider was that someone else could come out of nowhere to take Lesnar down. One name many fans brought up was the speculated-to-be-signed Bobby Lashley:

Whatever happens next, WWE has thrown a major curve ball here, with it looking like Lesnar may be around for the long haul and Reigns may not be the guy the company is behind anymore.

Ronda Rousey Impresses in Her Debut

Serious expectations surrounded the debut of one of the biggest stars in WWE’s history. The Baddest Woman on the Planet may have dominated the UFC, but she was going into a brand new sport with little training in a first match on the biggest stage.

Luckily, the first match out was a complete success. Rousey dominated and never looked too out of place against longtime veterans, Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. This fun bout was a great showcase of her talent and impressed the fans in attendance.

Everyone came out to heap praise on Rousey’s performance her first time out. That included Carmella and Becky Lynch, who worked earlier in the Women’s Battle Royal:

It was clear the crowd was into it, but it was even more impressive to hear about the reaction from someone in attendance.

Voice actor Martin Billany, aka LittleKuriboh, described the intense experience of the crowd’s excitement:

Ultimately, this was everything it needed to be. Kurt Angle and Triple H got in their best shots, while Rousey dominated everyone in her path. The Game even bumped for Rowdy Ronda. In the end, there was only one way to describe it, given by WhatCulture Wrestling:

The Undertaker Squashes John Cena

There was some concern we might not see The Deadman at WrestleMania even with all the buildup to get here, and no one wanted it more than John Cena. The Cenation Leader, though, must not have been ready for Taker when the time came.

The Phenom caught Cena completely off guard, running over him in an impressive fashion that looked like the old Taker. He hit his biggest moves and planted his opponent with a Tombstone to take the victory in a shocking two-minute squash.

The decision surprised many, as we have rarely seen The Champ lose so quickly. The build to get to this dream match was massive, but the end result was not a prestigious moment.

Most accepted it as a necessary move, though, including Botchamania’s Maffew Gregg:

Some even praised it as a brilliant move to save Taker, who is far from being in ring shape these days. Daniel Hardcastle from NerdCubed and WrestlingGifs both gave the contest major props for its construction:

Perhaps even more important was that this came against a top star such as Cena. For The Face That Runs the Place to lay down for Taker, he had to be willing to take away some of his dominant shine. One fan wanted to make sure to give Cena praise:

It will be interesting to see what comes next for both men after this. Will Taker now retire or begin a new run in WWE? Will Cena be able to handle such an embarrassing loss at such a crucial point in his career?

Daniel Bryan Looks Great in His Return

One of the biggest stars of the modern age, Bryan has finally returned to the ring, and he hardly looks like he missed a step. The “Yes” Man was on fire after getting the hot tag from Shane McMahon, and he never looked back.

Bryan had the whole crowd on his side in an impressive victory, rolling over Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Obviously, the crowd in attendance was cheering for every second, but the fans at home were also roaring. Noelle Foley certainly made her voice heard:

Others made clear just how huge it was to see The Beard at it once more, ready for a new chapter in Bryan’s career.

Daily DDT called it a perfect showing for Bryan, while Polygon’s Griffin McElroy was just ecstatic to see his signature kicks again:

Regardless of the match quality as a whole, it was nice to see Bryan back in the ring. Hopefully, we will soon see him going all out in singles matches.

Charlotte Flair Ends Asuka’s Undefeated Streak

In a shocking moment, Charlotte put an end to Asuka’s undefeated streak by making her tap out to the Figure-Eight. Afterward, The Empress of Tomorrow declared that The Queen was ready for her, and the two hugged, a moment no one could have expected.

The match itself was as good as many anticipated it to be. Charlotte and Asuka had impressive chemistry and went move-for-move in an excellent clash of technical stars. It was easy to praise the action as one of the best women’s matches in recent memory.

With this match coming so early in the night, it was especially impressive just how much time it got to be a show-stealer.

Inside the Ropes’ Kenny McIntosh pointed out the position of the match on the card just showed how packed the show was:

No one was quite sure what to make of the result, with various reactions to the booking. Everyone wanted to give the match itself credit, though:

Some fans were more direct with their criticism. Voice actress Erika Harlacher had some biting criticism for the decision to end Asuka’s streak so suddenly:

It is hard to say if it was the right decision. Charlotte is a worthy opponent to finally overwhelm Asuka, but this was an important moment in The Empress of Tomorrow’s career. Tapping to The Queen could be damaging to the rest of her career if not followed up properly.

Shinsuke Nakamura Reaches His Breaking Point

Shinsuke Nakamura went into WrestleMania smiling with complete confidence. He was convinced he would defeat AJ Styles as he did in Japan. Most fans expected he would do so. Instead, The Phenomenal One emerged victorious, and The Artist lost it.

The Japanese superstar low-blowed Styles and stomped him repeatedly into the mat and then the floor. It was a huge turn from just 20 minutes prior when Nakamura’s entrance had captivated the crowd.

The Los Angeles Times‘ Jen Yamato was in attendance to capture the energy:

While the reaction to the match was somewhat mixed, with many a bit disappointed it could not reach the highest of highs, the heel turn certainly caught everyone’s attention. Many fans were going wild for the moment:

The fans were instantly speculating over what this heel turn could mean for SmackDown going forward, with one huge match coming up. What a Maneuver! made it quite clear what should be the next step for Nakamura:

Hopefully, this is only a chance to get even more great work from Nakamura and Styles as they get a stronger story and larger spotlight to steal the show down the line.

Opener Steals the Show

With all these big moments, the wrestling was still a major highlight, and The Miz vs. Finn Balor vs. Seth Rollins started it off with a bang. The action-packed Triple Threat was a true opener classic with all three men going all out.

Fans appreciated it and had high praise for the bout. Even new WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray had some big statements to make about the opener’s quality:

Meanwhile, many fans were seriously excited for Rollins’ victory. Some were just happy with The Architect getting a new championship, while others pointed out he was now the latest Shield member to become a Grand Slam winner:

While many matches would follow this clash, including many excellent bouts between top stars, no one quite topped the pure wrestling excellence of Miz, Balor and Rollins.

Nicholas-Mania

Ending this show, it’s important everyone gives some appreciation to the true star of the event. He is completely undefeated at WrestleMania and has now captured a title few have carried. He is Nicholas.

His legacy will live on, and he will walk into the Raw after WrestleMania with Braun Strowman as the only one worthy of teaming with the giant.

Writer Robert Florence is already starting the count for Nicholas’ march to beat The Deadman’s streak:

His legacy will live on in the annals of history. Sheamus perhaps put the whole odd experience that was this year’s WrestleMania best in one simple word:

Nicholas, indeed.

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