Over the course of the month of April, a number of stories stood out and captured the attention of wrestling fans around the world. A few of these stories emerged from a particular event, and understandably so as that event featured a couple of incredibly noteworthy moments. This month, certain stories gained steam either on social media or on television, and the buzz has followed over the last few weeks.
This month, the news relates to a particular annual event, the return of a legendary tag team, a former WWE superstar sharing his opinions about his past employer, one of today's most notable commentators departing WWE and the presumed departure of a certain phenom.
The majority of this past month's most notable events are tied to the WWE; three out of the five were all linked to the promotion because the stories were gaining tremendous traction on various platforms. What made the IWC collectively raise an eyebrow? Which stories turned heads above all else? Here are the five biggest and best moments in professional wrestling for the month of April 2017.
#5 Alberto El Patron doesn't really think kindly of the WWE/ reportedly refused a return offer
It's been a rather interesting month for the superstar who wrestled in WWE as Alberto Del Rio. Shortly after joining Impact Wrestling, he captured the main title of GFW, a promotion Jeff Jarrett started a few years ago that has now merged with Impact. It should be a time of celebration as he is now a flagbearer for his new company, in the role of a title holder. However, that isn't quite all he has managed to garner attention for during this period of time.
He even claimed WWE (Vince McMahon in particular) reached out to him for a WWE return, which he respectfully (or maybe not) declined.
In diatribes that he broadcasted on Periscope, he made indirect comments about a certain company that used to employ him and hasn't shied away from stating how he feels. He has added to this by making statements about WWE Head of Talent Relations Triple H as well. We can appreciate that he is quite pleased with his new employer, but it is notable that he is also expressing his opinions about his past one.
#4 WrestleMania 33
The month began with what has often been called the ‘showcase of the immortals,' and indeed Wrestlemania proved to be that once again. The event exceeded four hours of actual show length and was over six hours when including the preshow. Those watching the preshow witnessed Austin Aries and Neville kick off a program for the Cruiserweight title.
Big main show matches included Shane McMahon and AJ Styles going head-to-head with one another, and Brock Lesnar getting revenge for past defeats by not only beating Goldberg but also capturing the Universal Championship in the process. There were numerous other matches featuring superstars from both Raw and SmackDown Live.
It was a welcome moment to see Naomi recapture the SmackDown women's title after her return from injury. These matches built to what was the climactic end of the event, the match between Roman Reigns and The Undertaker.
#3 The return of the Hardy Boyz
At Wrestlemania 33, one of the most notable moments was without question the return of the Hardy Boyz, Matt, and Jeff. The brothers returned as a surprise fourth entrant in the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship Ladder match, turning a triple threat into a fatal four-way.
When the brothers made their surprise entrance, the decibel level at the Citrus Bowl turned up several notches. In doing so, the Hardyz were able to bring a little of the personas they developed elsewhere to the current WWE product. Matt, with his now signature bleaching of the hair on the left side of his head, came to the ring making the ‘DELETE' motion, and the fans were proudly following suit.
Their return was even more noteworthy as the brothers captured the championships. They have been welcomed with open arms by the WWE Universe. It has been quite the past few months for the brothers, who were TNA, Ring of Honor and now WWE tag team champions within a period of about six weeks.
Also read: 5 Rare WWE matches that happened only once
#2 Mauro Ranallo and the WWE part ways
One of the more disappointing stories to come out over the course of April has been the departure of WWE SmackDown Live announcer Mauro Ranallo. Ranallo has long been heralded for his MMA, Wrestling and Boxing commentary and his knowledge of those sports as well. It initially appeared that the veteran announcer was on a sabbatical to deal with mental health issues, but things then took a more sinister twist.
Several publications began to speculate that his leave was brought on by bullying at the hands of his co-commentator, former world champion John ‘Bradshaw' Layfield. Coincidentally, during this same time, former ring announcer Justin Roberts released a book in which he identified JBL as being guilty of such actions towards him in the past.
The speculation about bullying by JBL was supported by vague comments tweeted by Ranallo and his close friend, former MMA fighter Bas Rutten. Near the end of the month, Ranallo released a formal statement that said his departure was not related to any action by JBL. In any case, Ranallo is wished well on whatever path he chooses to pursue.
Also read: 6 of the longest storylines in WWE history
#1 #ThankYouTaker
The match between The Undertaker and Roman Reigns wasn't necessarily the best match of the show. However, it was intended to represent a changing of the guard, a transition between generations. Despite The Undertaker's best efforts, it was evident that he was slowing down, and his time in the ring was coming to an end.
When Reigns hit The Undertaker with a spear and pinned him for the count of three, fans had a feeling that this could be the end. As Reigns left and The Undertaker laid in the ring, fans continued to applaud the effort of the fifty-two-year-old.
The Dead Man returned to his feet and dressed once again in his jacket and hat, but then removed them and left them in the centre of the ring along with his gloves, as his music played. After walking out of the ring, he kissed his wife, who was sitting at ringside and walked off into the sunset.
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