'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
WrestleMania 35 is officially in the books. The 2018 edition of WWE's Superbowl emanated from the Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey with a jam-packed crowd of over 80,000+ people. The event had its ups and downs but overall it was one of the most memorable WrestleMania in recent history.
Unlike previous years, the company actually listened to its fans and gave them what they wanted. From Seth Rollin's shocking win over Brock Lesnar to Kofi Kingston becoming the WWE Championship, almost all of the crowd favorites won their respective matches. In addition to that, there was some genuinely heart-stopping moments throughout the night which shocked and awed fans in the crowd and those watching it on TV.
Here are three things from WrestleMania 35 that fans will remember for years to come:
#3 Women main eventing the biggest show of the year
The women of WWE have come a long way, from having 2-3 minute matches on RAW and pay-per-view to being in the main event of WrestleMania 35. And all this wasn't handed to them, they have earned every bit of it. Sure, the "Give Divas A Chance" campaign helped in drawing the management's attention, but ultimately it was the female superstars who took it upon themselves and proved that they could even give their male counterparts a run for their money.
Superstars like AJ Lee and Paige laid the foundation of what would be known as the 'Women's Revolution'. Then, came the four Horsewomen of WWE, who changed the game forever. Sasha Banks, Bayley, Charlotte Flair, and Becky Lynch became the torchbearers of this evolution during their time in NXT. They put on excellent matches with the crowd getting behind them to such point where the management was forced to give them their due and put them in the main event spot. The result was the main event of NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn I which saw Sasha Banks and Bayley face off against for the NXT Women's Championship in what can be best be described as "pathbreaking".
The triple threat "Winner Take All" main-event match at WrestleMania 35 between Ronda Rousey, Becky Lynch, and Charlotte Flair is something which will be remembered for years to come. Although the finish of the match left to be described, the very fact that women were in the main event of the biggest show of the year of WWE was truly historic.
#2 The Animal's last ride
One of the biggest stars during WWE's Ruthless Aggression Era, Batista is one of the few WWE superstars to have successfully transitioned into Hollywood. He has already garnered worldwide fame following his role as Drax The Destroyer in Marvel's Guardians of The Galaxy series. The former WWE Champion will next be seen reprising the role in the upcoming Avengers movie, which hits the theaters next Friday.
Batista has always been open about the way he wanted to end his career. He stated in multiple interviews prior to his return that he would like to end his career following a feud against Triple H. Although their No Holds Barred match at WrestleMania did drag a bit, Batista was outstanding throughout the match, with his selling being one of the highlights of the match.
After the match, The Animal officially announced his retirement from wrestling, thanking the fans for their love and support. Batista was a very important figure in the mid to late 2000s and he played a huge role in building the company following the departure of stars like The Rock and Steve Austin. WrestleMania 35 was essentially Batista's swan song and is something which the fans will remember for years to come.
#1 The brilliance of Daniel Bryan vs Kofi Kingston
One of the best stories heading into WrestleMania 35 was Kofi Kingston's ascent to the top. The New Day member has for long been known as a workhorse and locker room favorite. Kingston had a decent run as a singles competitor winning the Intercontinental and United States Championship on multiple occasions but was never pushed as a top-tier talent. In fact, the last time Kingston had a major feud was way back in 2009 against Randy Orton.
Ever since then, Kingston has firmly been placed as a mid-carder and has gone on to have a great run with The New Day and became a staple of WWE's tag team division. But, something changed earlier this year.
One of the biggest ironies of professional wrestling or rather sports entertainment is that despite being a pre-determined sport, some of the best storylines in the business are ones which aren't planned in advance. From the Summer of Punk to the Yes Movement, sometimes the fan reaction is so strong that it dictates the course of action that the company is going to take.
Kofi's ascent to the top was another instance of things falling in place and the fans getting behind the New Day in a big way. The match between Kingston and Bryan was wrestling at its best with both the superstars playing their roles to perfection. The finish of the match saw Kingston pin Bryan after hitting him with a Trouble in Paradise as the fans in Metlife Stadium erupted at the sight of Kofi finally winning the WWE Championship.
