'%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)
This was the main event match before the 35th edition of WrestleMania. And for a show to end with Corbin vs. Mysterio was just a tad disappointing, in my opinion. I mean I don't mean to take away anything from either of the two men involved. But it just felt like a strange match before the biggest show of the entire calendar year.
Baron Corbin is, of course, scheduled to take on Kurt Angle in what will be his very last match ever. Fans have wanted Angle to face John Cena instead but to no avail. John Cena has followed the allure of Hollywood and is charting a new career in Tinsel Town right now.
But then, why did WWE book Baron Corbin to defeat a legend like Rey Mysterio before a big US Title match? This is something that made no sense at all, really.
But then, if you analyze it, maybe it does make a bit of sense.
#5 To build Corbin as a credible challenger for Kurt Angle
Baron Corbin has made huge strides since his time in NXT. I mean, there was once a point where the audience just would not accept him when he was in the ring with far more flamboyant independent stars. But now, he's a certified main-eventer who can hang with the best.
But truth be told, booking has not always been very kind to Baron Corbin. I mean he's the same man who lost to Apollo Crews in a throwaway match on WWE RAW not very long ago. And with all due respect to Mr. Crews, it does not seem like WWE has any plans at all for the man.
Is it any wonder that people aren't excited for Corbin vs. Angle at WrestleMania? For him to be taken seriously, Corbin had to win this one.
#4 So that Angle could attack him following the match
So, Baron Corbin had picked up arguably the biggest win of his career after pinning Rey Mysterio clean. He was celebrating his win and moving up the ramp, proud as a peacock. And then, out of nowhere, he was attacked by Kurt Angle, who delivered his patented submission move.
As a babyface, this was the only thing Angle could do, to send him off into the sunset on his final episode of RAW. Imagine if Corbin had lost the match and he was laid out in the middle of the ring. Kurt Angle would become a heel if he were to attack such a helpless man.
Usually, the man who's standing tall in the go-home show is the man who loses at the pay-per-view. I think that this is a pretty clear indication indeed that Kurt Angle will be losing at WrestleMania.
#3 Lack of investment in the US title picture
Rey Mysterio, unfortunately, suffers from what I dub the SmackDown syndrome in WWE. As gifted as the man is, he is from the B-Show, competing for a title that WWE honestly has no plans for, at all, truth be told.
I mean, you had R-Truth hold the title for the blink of an eye and you had Rusev and Nakamura do absolutely nothing with the Championship at all, back when they were Champions. Even if Rey Mysterio is going into a US Championship match, Vince McMahon probably thinks that he can afford the loss in momentum.
And this is a shame because Kurt Angle has also defeated the US Champion, Samoa Joe. So, in essence, both men involved in the SmackDown match have lost to the RAW non-title match competitors.
Can you judge why so many people are tired of this kind of booking yet?
#2 It's the job of WWE veterans to put over younger talents
It's been the way of the trade for as far back as one can remember, in all honesty. The seasoned veteran always puts over the younger talent, so as to keep a territory perennially ticking. And this tradition has carried over to WWE and WrestleMania, with Triple H consistently putting over younger talents like Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns.
Rey Mysterio sees promise in Baron Corbin and did the honors, to set the stage for the next generation to shine. Few have had a career as he has, and there's nothing left for him to prove in the company anymore. Rey Mysterio is certain to go into the WWE Hall of Fame in due time.
Will Baron Corbin become as much of a household name as Rey Mysterio has? Well, if he lasts twenty years in the business, who really knows?
#1 Mysterio was always scheduled to lose the match
So, the original plan was for Kurt Angle to take on Rey Mysterio on RAW. The match was pulled at the last minute, and Mysterio and Angle were shown as best friends during the episode instead. This would lead to Mysterio coming to Kurt Angle's aid, to take Baron Corbin on. Eventually, this would lead to the main event match.
If you notice, Kurt Angle has been winning every single match in his farewell tour since it began. I mean he even pinned Samoa Joe, the current US Champion, for crying out loud. I'm guessing that he would also have defeated Rey Mysterio had the original match taken place on RAW.
Because the plan was always for Mysterio to lose, presumably, the luchador lost not to Angle but his WrestleMania opponent. And the rest is history.
Do you think Angle will defeat Corbin at WrestleMania 35, in his last match?
