Shane McMahon has always been an overachiever in the ring. He has been a part of some good matches over the years with the likes of Kurt Angle, Kane, and most recently, the Undertaker.
Considering that he’s never been anything close to a full-time wrestler, it’s impressive that he manages to be a draw whenever he’s competing.
So logically, if he’s a draw, that means he should be on the card at WrestleMania 33, right? Wrong. Shane McMahon should be left to his normal managerial duties at the Show of Shows this year, rather than having him participate in a match.
One of the main reasons is that his match with the Undertaker last year, while memorable, was lacklustre from a wrestling perspective.
Shane’s age and lack of experience showed in that match. His unbelievably weak strikes and reliance on falling from the top of the cell to make the match stand out showed that he has very little left in the tank.
This isn’t meant to be a roast of Shane. He gave incredible effort in not only his match with the Undertaker but several others over the years. Unfortunately, an incredible effort for a 47-year-old businessman won’t cut it most of the time.
But let’s go back to him jumping off the cell last year. That was an iconic moment, one that will likely define WrestleMania 32 for years to come. But it comes with one small caveat.
Whenever Shane steps into a ring from here on out, people are going to be expecting something like that. And that’s a recipe for disaster.
This issue actually began last year, but it will extend for Shane’s in-ring career until the end of time. Why is it an issue? Because whenever Shane has a match, one of two things are going to happen.
Either the fans are going to be disappointed because he didn’t risk his life with yet another death-defying stunt, or a man who is nearly 50 and has three kids is going to actually attempt a death-defying stunt. There’s no winning there.
We saw the implications of this at Survivor Series when Shane actually attempted a more tame move compared to what he’s used to. He tried to hit a coast-to-coast on Roman Reigns who popped up at the last second and speared him out of mid-air.
Shane’s head bounced off the mat and he was left concussed as his kids watched from the front row. Obviously, WWE Superstars risk injuries like this all the time, it’s just part of the job.
But for someone who doesn’t wrestle very often and is more prone to doing crazy things in the ring, Shane is always at a higher risk of getting hurt, and that just doesn’t need to happen anymore, especially on a stage like WrestleMania 33 where he would be expected to pull out all the stops.
Also read: WWE Rumors: Shane McMahon could wrestle AJ Styles at Wrestlemania
But the injury risk isn’t the only reason Shane should stay off the card at WrestleMania. There’s also the fact that his rumoured opponent, AJ Styles, deserves a lot better than facing someone like Shane on the Grandest Stage of Them All.
Again, Shane has overachieved in the ring in the past. But AJ Styles is arguably the best technical wrestler in the entire world. He deserves to face someone who will bring out the best in him, and Shane McMahon is not that.
This is exactly why so many fans are hoping for a miracle match to take place. They want to see Styles face someone like Finn Balor or Shinsuke Nakamura. They want to see Styles go toe-to-toe with someone who can match his technical ability.
If Shane is the one to step into the ring with Styles in Orlando, it would be a massive missed opportunity for WWE to show off a man who is quite possibly the best wrestler in the world today.
Furthermore, a potential Shane vs Styles match would likely have an awkward buildup that WWE should probably avoid. Right now, the build seems like it will involve Shane taking away Styles’ WrestleMania title shot now that Randy Orton wants to face Bray Wyatt after turning on him.
Assuming WWE doesn’t plan to turn Shane heel (considering he spent months denouncing Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, two heel authority figures), this build won’t make much sense.
How can WWE expect anyone to side with Shane if he takes away Styles’ title opportunity? After all, he earned it, and he already has tonnes of fans on his side as it is.
It ruins the heel-face dynamic of the match and makes it incredibly awkward. Fans don’t naturally want to root against Shane, but logically they probably should. It’s best to avoid it altogether.
Overall, Shane McMahon just does not need to be on the WrestleMania 33 card. He’s past his prime and his position on the card could be put to much better use. He’s better off staying behind the scenes rather than lacing up his Jordans for yet another match.
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