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WrestleMania 35 is now behind us and was an immensely successful show. This took place last Sunday on April 7, 2019. It started live at 7 PM on the WWE Network with the Kickoff Show starting live at 5 PM.
The match card included the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, the women's battle royal, Buddy Murphy vs Tony Nese for the Cruiserweight Championship, The Revival vs Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder for the Raw Tag Team Championships, The Usos vs Aleister Black & Ricochet vs Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura vs The Bar for the SmackDown Tag Team Championships, Seth Rollins vs Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship, AJ Styles vs Randy Orton, Shane McMahon vs The Miz, The Boss and Hug Connection vs Beth Phoenix & Natalya vs The IIconics vs Nia Jax & Tamina, Kofi Kingston vs Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship, Samoa Joe vs Rey Mysterio for the United States Championship, Roman Reigns vs Drew McIntyre, Triple H vs Batista, Baron Corbin vs Kurt Angle, Demon Finn Balor vs Bobby Lashley for the Intercontinental Championship, and Becky Lynch vs Charlotte Flair vs Ronda Rousey for the Raw Women's Championship in the first ever all-women main event of WrestleMania
#1 Buddy Murphy vs Tony Nese
Result: Tony Nese defeated Buddy Murphy to win the Cruiserweight Championship.
Grade: B+
Analysis: This was another great showing for the cruiserweights. They consistently have one of the best (if not the best) matches of the show.
This was another great match and was a perfect match to kick off the kickoff show. Buddy Murphy has quietly proven to be one of the most consistent champions on the main roster with several classic matches against the likes of Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, Hideo Itami, Kalisto, and Akira Tozawa.
The two had a great match that proved that both Superstars are set to have breakout years this year in WWE. Tony Nese has really won over a lot of people this year due to his performance in the tournament to crown the number one contender for the Cruiserweight Championship and put on another great match.
Nese truly pulled every single trick out of his hat as he hit moves such as the Dudebuster and even a Reverse Rana.
Meanwhile, Buddy Murphy hit his normal hard-hitting offense and when he hit Murphy's Law, nobody saw the rope break coming as the type of pin that he used made it look like the ropes would be out of reach for Tony Nese.
When Nese finally scored the feel-good victory, his hometown exploded as it was a much-deserved one.
Tony Nese has been a part of 205 Live since the very beginning so it is only fair that he gets a chance at championship success. He can now move on to opponents like Oney Lorcan, Drew Gulak, and even Mike Kanellis.
#2 Women's Battle Royal
Result: Carmella won the battle royal by last eliminating Sarah Logan.
Grade: C+
Analysis: It was nice to see Kairi Sane and especially Candice LeRae be given the opportunity. It is unfortunate that these NXT stars were eliminated so early that they were not able to make a huge impact.
It is also unfortunate that Ember Moon's return from injury was not even mentioned by the commentary team. She did have an impressive performance as she hit several variations of the Eclipse but unfortunately she was eliminated early in the match by Lana of all people.
It is also unfortunate that other fan favorites like Naomi and Nikki Cross were eliminated extremely early in the match. Especially since the crowd seemed really into another showdown between Asuka and Nikki Cross and they would have made an ideal final two Superstars in the match.
It was nice to see superstars like Dana Brooke and the Riott Squad get an opportunity to shine. Mickie James, Mandy Rose, and Sonya Deville also shined and it was particularly nice to see one half of Fire N'Ice make it to the final four.
Asuka honestly should have won the match but the crowd at least seemed interested in the Sarah Logan tease. Carmella at least got a well-deserved WrestleMania moment.
#3 Raw Tag Team Titles: The Revival (c.) vs Curt Hawkins & Zack Ryder
Result: Curt Hawkins and Zack Ryder defeated the Revival via pinfall to win the Raw Tag Team Titles.
Grade: A-
Analysis: Even though it was seen as an afterthought, this was still a great feel-good moment. This was a pretty solid match in which The Revival hit every move that they had to try but were not able to put the two underdogs away.
The Revival showed excellent tag team skills in keeping Zack Ryder isolated. When the hot tag was made to Curt Hawkins, things started to kick into second gear. It then started to look like the underdogs could actually get the victory.
The sequence at the end was great with Dash Wilder hitting Zack Ryder with a Tornado DDT off the apron, only for Curt Hawkins to lay out Dash Wilder with a Spear, only for Scott Dawson to knock out Curt Hawkins with a brainbuster. Curt Hawkins then got the much-deserved victory.
#4 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
Result: Braun Strowman won the battle royal by last eliminating Colin Jost.
Grade: C+
Analysis: This was one of the better editions of the battle royal. Colin Jost and Michael Che participated in the match but did not take too much of the spotlight away from the actual superstars as they only got involved in the end.
This likely would be graded even harder if EC3 was not tossed out in the very beginning of the match like a jobber. Other talented Superstars like the Lucha Houseparty, Bobby Roode, Tyler Breeze, and Shelton Benjamin were unfortunately tossed out of the ring like jobbers as well.
Jinder Mahal of all people lasted longer than all of the names listed before. At the very least, underrated Superstars like Apollo Crews, Andrade, Ali, and Harper lasted for a long amount of time in the battle royal.
The Hardy Boyz also had admirable teamwork and it is a relief that WWE didn't have Colin Jost and Michael Che somehow manage to eliminate Braun Strowman and finally gave the Monster Among Men a victory at WrestleMania.
#5 Universal Championship: Brock Lesnar (with Paul Heyman) (c.) vs Seth Rollins
Result: Seth Rollins defeated Brock Lesnar to win the Universal Championship.
Grade: A
Analysis: This was not much of a match. However, this did not need to be much of a match. It is more important that Brock Lesnar is finally no longer Universal Champion and will likely not be a part of the Championship picture for the foreseeable future.
Brock Lesnar has had a chokehold on the Universal Championship for the past few years and his reign is now finally over. While it is unfortunate that Seth Rollins did not get a clean victory, turnabout is fair play given the fact that Brock Lesnar brutally attacked him before the match could even begin.
We now have a workhorse as Universal Champion and it will be interesting to see superstars like Drew McIntyre, Bobby Lashley, and any other Superstars that are moved to Raw be given an opportunity at the Universal Championship.
#6 AJ Styles vs Randy Orton
Result: AJ Styles defeated Randy Orton
Grade: B
Analysis: While it took a while to kick into second gear this was a pretty technologically sound match. The two had a great match that had a lot of focus on the out of nowhere danger of the RKO.
While they worked at a slow pace, there were several innovative counters and spots that made this match great.
The two hit their normal spots including AJ Styles' springboard 450 splash, Randy Orton's superplex, The Phenomenal One's calf crusher, and Randy Orton's draping DDT.
There were also several innovative counters including countering a Phenomenal Forearm into RKO counter, an Avalanche RKO counter, and a top rope RKO counter.
When Randy Orton finally did hit an RKO on AJ Styles, it was shocking when he kicked out. All in all, this was a much-deserved victory for AJ Styles and it is interesting to see if this feud will continue.
#7 SmackDown Tag Team Championship: The Usos (c.) vs Aleister Black & Ricochet vs Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura vs The Bar
Result: The Usos defeated the Bar, Rusev & Shinsuke Nakamura, and Aleister Black & Ricochet to retain the SmackDown Tag Team Titles.
Grade: B+
Analysis: It is only fair that the SmackDown Tag Team Champions were finally given a chance to steal the show at WrestleMania as SmackDown's Tag Team division has been one of the most consistent divisions in all of WWE.
Every single team had an admirable performance and it seemed like any of these teams could get the victory.
Cesaro and Ricochet specifically stood out as The Swiss Cyborg swung Ricochet around the ring more than 30 times while The One and Only managed to land on his feet after an incredible modified version of the Tower of Doom.
The Usos were the right team to prevail in this match as they finally got a WrestleMania moment on the main card.
#8 Shane McMahon vs The Miz
Result: Shane McMahon defeated The Miz
Grade: C+
Analysis: It was nice to see The Miz be so aggressive in this match as he completely destroyed Shane McMahon for a majority of the match.
Things really started to take a turn when Shane McMahon busted The Miz open with a monitor only for The A-Lister's father to try and get involved. This led to Shane McMahon attacking the Miz's father. The Miz was then extremely aggressive and beat Shane McMahon up all over the arena.
However, it was ridiculous that Shane McMahon kicked out of some of the moves that The Miz hit including a Skull Crushing Finale and pushing him off of an eight-foot LED board. The superplex at the very least was impressive but it would have been nicer to see the Miz get a much-deserved signature win at WrestleMania. This rivalry will obviously continue and will likely end with The Miz getting the victory.
#9 WWE Women's Tag Team Championships: The Boss and Hug Connection (c.) vs Nia Jax & Tamina vs The Divas of Doom vs The IIconics
Result: The IIconics defeated the Boss N Hug Connection, Nia Jax & Tamina, and the Divas of Doom to win the WWE Women's Tag Team Championships.
Grade: B+
Analysis: This was a pretty good match and all four teams were given a lot of time to shine. Nia Jax and Tamina were dominant monsters and played their parts well. The tease of Nia Jax hitting a dive off of the top rope was done well and thankfully this match did not rely on Nia Jax & Tamina doing a lot of wrestling as they instead just picked their spots.
Most of the action actually relied on the IIconics taking control for a short amount of time and confrontations between the Boss N Hug Connection and the Divas of Doom. Some of their encounters in the ring were really good with some reversals like the Glam Slam reversal were amazing.
Other fun spots hit during this match were the double sharpshooter on Sasha Banks and Bayley by Natalya, the Diving Elbow Drop/Frog Splash combo from Sasha Banks & Bayley, and the Avalanche Glam Slam done by Beth Phoenix on Bayley. The IIconics were perfect as heels that stole the victory and they truly did deserve this win as the only true women's tag team in the WWE.
The IIconics have become incredibly popular lately and it is only fair that they are given a shot at the top. However, it could be argued that the Boss and Hug Connection deserved a signature win at WrestleMania more than the IIconics deserved this victory.
#10 WWE Championship: Daniel Bryan (with Rowan) (c.) vs Kofi Kingston (with Big E and Xavier Woods)
Result: Kofi Kingston defeated Daniel Bryan to win the WWE Championship.
Grade: A+
Analysis: This is a legitimate match of the year contender. This feud between Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston has been perfect. Kofi Kingston has been great as the underdog that the fans just want to see finally win the big one while Daniel Bryan has been amazing as a detestable heel.
There was really no wrong way for this match to end as both men are incredibly talented but Kofi Kingston winning was the right decision. Given how much Kofi Kingston has been cheated lately, it would only be right for him to finally be given a WrestleMania moment. There were two specifically great moments in the match.
The first moment was when Daniel Bryan countered the Trouble in Paradise into the Running Knee and Kofi Kingston somehow kicked out. The second moment was when Daniel Bryan locked in the Lebell Lock and it looked like Kofi Kingston was going to pass out.
When the referee lifted up his hand and went to see if it would drop when he let go of it, the entire crowd went crazy. It looked Daniel Bryan had the match won by knockout but in a great moment, Kofi Kingston made a fist a fought out of it.
He then got the much-deserved victory and is the first man that was born in Africa to become WWE Champion. He is now a Grand Slam Champion as well.
#11 United States Championship: Samoa Joe (c.) vs Rey Mysterio
Result: Samoa Joe defeated Rey Mysterio to retain the United States Championship.
Grade: B
Analysis: The injury that Rey Mysterio suffered must have made it impossible for The Master Of The 619 to have a long match without worsening his injury. However, given the fact that this match only lasted for a minute, it was a pretty good match.
The two men fit all of the action that they could fit into that minute and it was actually pretty technically sound match. It looked like Rey Mysterio would get another quick WrestleMania victory but instead suffered that himself.
That lightning-quick counter from Samoa Joe into the Coquina Clutch was amazing. That victory along with other wins from Samoa Joe has helped to make the Coquina Clutch look like one of the most dangerous submissions in all of WWE.
Samoa Joe now looks so dangerous that it seems possible that he will defeat Braun Strowman if they have a feud with each other.
#12 Drew McIntyre vs Roman Reigns
Result: Roman Reigns defeated Drew McIntyre
Grade: C+
Analysis: There was nothing specifically wrong with this match. However, it was pretty slow and had a general formula of Drew McIntyre dominating for most of the match only to come up short at the end.
This at the very least was a really good feud as Drew McIntyre dominated in the build up of this match as he destroyed all three members of the Shield at some point. He defeated Dean Ambrose two times in brutal fashion, scored a win over Seth Rollins and completely destroyed Roman Reigns multiple times on different editions of Monday Night Raw.
However, it was only right for Roman Reigns to win his first match back in WWE and it now seems likely for him to continue to go further up the card before being given a rematch for the Universal Championship.
#13 No Holds Barred: Batista vs Triple H (if Triple H loses he must retire from in-ring competition)
Result: Batista defeated Triple H
Grade: C+
Analysis: This was a very long Triple H match, as usual. This was, in fact, the longest match of WrestleMania which is unfortunate given the fact that other matches like the main event or even the SmackDown Tag Team Title match could have used some more time.
At the very least, this match was successful in using smoke and mirrors. The No Holds Barred stipulation was necessary. This match was great in letting us see Triple H's sadistic side again.
The match started to kick off into second gear at the end as both men kicked out of each other's finishers. Ric Flair helping Triple H was definitely the right decision and this was also the perfect choice for Batista's last match.
#14 Baron Corbin vs Kurt Angle (Kurt Angle's last ever match in WWE)
Result: Baron Corbin defeated Kurt Angle
Grade: D+
Analysis: It is unfortunate that Kurt Angle lost his final match in WWE to Baron Corbin of all people. It would be one thing if Kurt Angle lost to a Superstar like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Drew McIntyre, Chad Gable, Rusev, Shinsuke Nakamura, or even Cesaro and passed the torch to that person.
However, for Baron Corbin to be given this moment is ridiculous. Many of the fans did not want this match to happen and demanded him to be removed from this match altogether and be replaced by a superstar like John Cena instead.
If Baron Corbin had to be the opponent, then he at least should have been given the feel-good victory. However, there was instead an underwhelming result for an underwhelming match.
#15 Intercontinental Championship: Bobby Lashley (with Lio Rush) (c.) vs Demon Finn Balor
Result: Demon Finn Balor defeated Bobby Lashley to win the Intercontinental Championship
Grade: B
Analysis: This was a pretty good sprint of a match. It would not have made much sense for this to be a long match and had a perfect run time.
Demon Finn Balor controlled most of the match while Bobby Lashley had a few moments where he had control. His spinebuster was impressive as always. His suicide spear to the outside of the ring followed by his rolling spear was incredible and it looked like Bobby Lashley had the Demon beat for a second.
Finn Balor's powerbomb on Bobby Lashley was impressive and his win was much deserved as we now have a workhorse as Intercontinental Champion. This was a good match and more importantly, Finn Balor finally got a WrestleMania victory.
Winner Takes All (Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships): Raw Women's Champion Ronda Rousey vs SmackDown Women's Charlotte Flair vs Becky Lynch
Result: Becky Lynch defeated Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey to win the Raw and SmackDown Women's Championships
Grade: A-
Analysis: While this was not the best match, it was still a pretty good match. It was a pretty action-packed match in which all three women were given a lot of time to shine. There was everything from tables to double submissions to double finishers.
While there were a few botches, it was still great. Ronda Rousey's various armbars, Charlotte Flair's double Natural Selection and spear, and Charlotte Flair's moonsault were all great spots.
The double hip toss into the table was innovative as well. While it is unfortunate that Becky Lynch's victory was controversial she at the very least won a good match that left room for a rematch between Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey.
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