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Wrestlemania 34 is over, the stage has been torn down, the smoke from pyros has drifted away. Yet the fallout from the biggest night in sports entertainment is still with us, and will remain heavy upon the wrestling landscape for a long time to come.
On a night that saw many swerves and shocks, let's not lose sight of the fact that the WWE delivered on wrestling action. No less than six hours of wrestling--counting the preshow events--took the New Orleans Superdome by storm, and none of the finishes were mired in screwjob controversy.
Some things worked and the crowd went wild; Others fell flat and resulted in a less than enthusiastic audience. Here are the highs and lows of Wrestlemania 34, and what it all means to wrestling fandom.
High: Cedric and Ali delight with dazzling aerobatics
As expected, the cruiserweight title match between Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali did not disappoint. From technical wizardry to heart-in-your-throat acrobatics, this match had it all.
Cedric has been diligently working his way toward a Wrestlemania moment for years now. His heart and courage were matched by a very game Ali, and the two brought out the best in each other in what was possibly the best pure wrestling contest of the night.
Low: Meaningless Intercontinental Title match
From the main event to curtain-jerker, Seth Rollins has seen his stock fall from upper card all the way to mid-card hell.
His match with the Miz and Finn Balor seemed thrown together and poorly thought out. The three athletes were game and performed to the best of their ability, but there wasn't sufficient build-up to this match to make it significant or special.
While it's nice to see Rollins with the Grand Slam champion accolade, this match received a mostly lukewarm response.
High: Bludgeon Brothers devastate
It was a night of dominance by big men, and that was spelt out no better than by the Bludgeon Brothers.
Silencing critics who believed they would never outlive the Wyatt Family gimmick, Harper and Rowan proved that there is still a place for Road Warriors-type power and brutality in the tag division. The Brothers looked fantastic and easily dispatched both the Usos and the New Day.
Low: Short and simple US title match
In another match that seemed tossed together, Randy Orton, Rusev, Bobby Roode, and Jinder Mahal put on a brief but adequate struggle for the US title.
Rusev was a late addition, mostly put into the contest due to his rising merch sales. Randy Orton and Roode both belong in the main event, so it was little surprise when Jinder Mahal captured the gold after a Kallas to Rusev.
While the match wasn't bad, it was too short to get the crowd truly invested in the outcome, and had little dramatic build-up prior to 'Mania.
High: Ronda Rousey delivers
For those who feared Ronda Rousey would be another phone-it-in part-timer like Brock Lesnar, her performance at Wrestlemania 34 should put them at ease.
Rousey displayed not only tremendous athleticism--including surprising strength--but an ability and willingness to sell, which is a great sign for her future in the sport.
Rousey's wide smile and pure joy when she walked out for her first match was infectious, and everything from her entrance music to her Roddy Piper-inspired attire was perfect. The era of Ronda has begun. Long may she reign!
Low: The Bar lose to a kid and Braun Strowman
The WWE is not the first federation to make the questionable decision to feud a tag team with a singles wrestler. It does very little for Strowman to beat both Sheamus and Ceasaro as he's already been built up to be a monster. However, it does considerable harm to both the tag team champions and tag team wrestling, in general, to have the Bar lose to one man, no matter how powerful and massive.
The WWE doubled down on that formula at Wrestlemania, however, and had Strowman's much-anticipated partner turn out to be...some random kid.
While we're sure it's a moment Nicholas will never forget, and a unique point in wrestling history, it barely livened up a match that was adequate at best.
High: Asuka's streak broken in grand style
In the night's best match--five star quality from bell to bell--Charlotte finally puts an end to Asuka's legendary two-year undefeated streak.
The match had everything you could hope for, as two of the best women athletes on the planet gave each other absolute Hell between the ropes. From Asuka's superplex outside the ring to Charlotte's Flux Capacitor off the top rope, the match dazzled and delighted from start to finish.
The ending was a shocker, with the powerful, proud Asuka forced to tap to the Figure 8. Both women embraced the decision, and the crowd gave a standing ovation to the best match from Wrestlemania 34.
Low: Shinsuke's heel turn
Nearly everyone expected this to be Shinsuke's night. Despite a stellar performance by both men, the end was a shocker when AJ cleanly pinned Nakamura to retain the Smackdown championship.
Fans could have dealt with that stunning disappointment, had it not been for what happened next; Nakamura snapped and turned heel, attacking AJ after the match was over.
A heel turn for one of the most popular babyfaces EVER makes little sense, and may fall flat on its face; Many still cheered for Nakamura as he cockily left AJ in a heap. One is reminded of WCW's failed attempt to turn Sting into a villain which resulted in fans signs such as; EVIL STING RULES.
High: An emotional Nia Jax takes her place as champion.
In a match that was just right, Nia Jax defeated Alexa Bliss to win the WWE Raw women's championship.
Nia was fraught with emotion for the whole match, selling the sense of betrayal and feelings of inadequacy that were hallmarks of their build-up feud. Nia even bellowed "I LOVED YOU" to Bliss at one point in the match.
As soon as Nia won--with a super Samoan Drop, no less--she burst into tears, because beating up someone who used to be your best friend should be painful. Her tears of sorrow turned to tears of joy as she was handed her new title belt, and led to one of the night's brighter spots.
Low: Brock beats down Roman in a one-sided match
In a sloppy, poorly booked match, Brock Lesnar beat Roman Reigns senseless and bloody to retain the Universal title.
This was the night's biggest shocker; Nearly every wrestling fan knew going in that Brock was considering a return to MMA, and would not re-sign with the WWE when his contract expired.
Not only did Brock defeat Roman, it was one of the most one-sided beatdowns ever seen at a Wrestlemania. After putting Roman through a table and cutting him open with an elbow, Brock finally finished the Samoan after multiple F5s. Brock's german suplexes during this match can only be called lazy, and he didn't even seem in championship condition, with noticeable flab around his midsection.
The shocker ending and brutal, squash type beatdown were puzzling and, for the most part, quite dull, which the live crowd confirmed by chanting 'this is awful.'
Conclusion: What does it all mean?
Critics who claim the WWE doesn't have enough in ring product should be silenced by the event, which featured loads of wrestling content. However, it seems that the era of big men is either returning or never truly left, with dominant performances by the Bludgeon Brothers, Braun Strowman, and Brock Lesnar.
Asuka losing her streak seemed apropos, and Charlotte was certainly a worthy athlete to do so. This bodes quite well for the future of women's wrestling both on WWE and in general, since the duo put on what was, without question, the best match of the night.
Surprisingly, there was little in the way of spectacle or special entrances, with many of the athletes simply walking out to their usual music and lights. Whether this was a budgetary decision or simply one made to preserve TV time on an already long event is unknown.
What we can take away from the event is this: Wrestling action is still the final word in WWE, Big men are going to dominate the wrestling scene in the coming year, and the women have officially eclipsed the men in terms of in ring ability and psychology.
There you have it; Wrestlemania 34's highs, lows, and what it all means. See you at 'Mania 35!
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