WrestleMania 29 also referred to as WrestleMania NY/NJ was the twenty-ninth annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by WWE, held on 7 April 2013 at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.
The attendance for the show was reported as 80,676 fans and this was also the second highest attended event in the history of WWE after WrestleMania III. The match card comprised of a total of nine matches.
After their match at WrestleMania 28, everyone expected that rivalry between The Rock and John Cena would continue for some more days but very few expected that this bout will be dragged on till WrestleMania 29 that is scheduled to happen exactly a year after that night.
This time around, the stakes are even higher as these two men fought for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. With all this said, let us have a look at some of the best moments from this event-
The Shield vs Randy Orton/Sheamus/Big Show
This was the time in the WWE during which the Shield had grown into a super indestructible force and that's what helped them to secure a spot in the WrestleMania match card.
They competed against the Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus in a six-man tag match. Things started well for the latter but it was their divisive attitude that cost them the match.
During the closing moments of the fight, Ambrose and Orton were fighting inside the ring and Rollins tried to disturb the proceedings by jumping onto Orton from the top rope.
The Viper responded in his own style by delivering an RKO out of nowhere to Rollins. Reigns quickly came into the ring and speared Orton and Dean Ambrose, the legal man covered him for the win. Show even knocked out both Sheamus and Randy in frustration after the match.
Alberto Del Rio vs Jack Swagger
The rivalry between Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger was very impressive in the months before WrestleMania. To finally settle their scores, Swagger and Del Rio competed in a singles match for the World Heavyweight Championship held by Del Rio at that time.
It was all Swagger right from the start of the match. Swagger delivered the Swagger Bomb and Gutwrench Powerbomb in quick succession but Del Rio still kicked out of both.
Swagger even went for the Patriot lock but Del Rio would not tap out. In the end, Del Rio went for a Cross Arm Breaker to which Swagger had no choice but to tap out.
Del Rio retained the title and walked out of Mania as the champion.
Brock Lesnar vs Triple H
This No Holds Barred match between the ‘Beast’ and the ‘Game’ came with an added stipulation that if Triple H lost the match, he would have to retire from the business.
Right from the start of the match, both superstars struggled for supremacy but that didn’t happen as the momentum kept shifting to and fro. Paul Heyman, Lesnar’s manager and Shawn Michaels, Triple H’s friend got involved in the mix. Michaels delivered Sweet chin music to Heyman and Lesnar delivered an F5 to Michaels.
Triple H, after trying various moves finally wanted to give Lesnar a taste of his own medicine. He applied the Kimura lock on Lesnar and followed it up with a Pedigree on the steel stairs and that was that for Lesnar. Triple H won the match and saved the retirement for later.
The Rock vs John Cena
This match between The Rock and John Cena was all about AAs, Rock Bottoms, STFs and People's Elbows. Attack- counterattack-kick out-repeat! That was the mantra throughout this match.
Some of the notable highlights from the fight were The Rock mimicking Cena's Five Knuckle Shuffle and getting caught in the Rock Bottom from Cena, The Rock and Cena going for the Rock Bottoms and AAs and none of them going down easy. This match lasted for 24 minutes and in the end, it was Cena that won the match after the fourth AA on the Rock and with this, he also became the new WWE Champion.
This was the last time The Rock competed inside the WWE ring and after the match Rocky appreciated Cena and congratulated him on his epic victory over the 'Great One'. With this, Cena also made it 1-1 between him and The Rock at WrestleMania.
The Undertaker vs CM Punk
The Undertaker finally got an opponent who can withstand the mind games of Taker and could give it back to the Phenom. CM Punk took on The Undertaker at WrestleMania 29 and in the weeks heading to the event, he psychologically tortured the Phenom by stealing his urn, mimicking Paul Bearer, attacking him from the back and what not!
Punk came to understand this complex subject of facing the Phenom at WrestleMania only after stepping into the ring with the Deadman and watching him closely.
Notable highlights from the match include Punk delivering an Old School to Taker, Taker going for the Hell's gate and Punk reversing it into an Anaconda Vice. The match came to an end when Taker delivered a Tombstone to Punk and pinned him for the win, eventually increasing his WrestleMania streak to 21-0.
