Wrestlemania XXX Recap

Currently we are watching Wrestlemania XXX and this post is going to be a recap of what happens, as it happens. If you have not watched WMXXX and don’t want to see what happened until you get to watch it then STOP READING NOW!!! You have been warned!!!

In the Pre-Show, we got to see a Fatal Four Way for the Tag Team Championship. The Competitors in this match were the Real Americans vs RybAxel (still say that’s the worst team name ever and sounds like an allergy medicine) vs Los Matadores taking on the Champs the Usos! Not only that, but we found out just before the match that it was an Elimination Fatal Four Way. The match was pretty fast paced to start off, with the Usos in the match for most of the time it seems. Before the match, I jokingly posted that I thought Horswoggle and El Torito would get involved somehow and we would have them as new Tag Champs and while that was in jest, El Torito did end up getting involved. He did a double backdrop on Curtis Axel and the little guy was riding him downwards into ALL of the other contestants and they all landed on the ground. Shortly after this, the Los Matadores were out of the match. For a bit Ryback slowed the match down trying to do some sort of submission on one of the Usos but it didn’t take too long for Cesaro to take out Ryback and pick things back up again. A great highlight of the match was as the Usos and the Real Americans stare each other down Cesaro and Swagger put their hands over their hearts and a god amount of the crowd chant “We the People” along with them. The Usos looked at them and with a grin threw their heads back and called “Oooo” to which a lot of the crowd called back “SO!” The match kept a good pace after that with lots of exciting moments with the Usos winning.

After the match, Swagger started to yell at Cesaro for losing the match. To me it looked like once more the WWE was about to break up a tag team and now it seems like that won’t be too far away for these two. Swagger, after yelling at Cesaro, started to put the Ankle Lock onto him but Zeb stopped him and told him to go give Cesaro a hug and apologize, or at least the movements looked like hug. For a moment, it looked like Cesaro was going to accept the apology but then he hit swagger hard knocking him down and then grabbing his legs and the Cesaro Swing was started as Zeb looked on in horror from where he collapsed in the corner.

(Update 4/8/2014- Watching Monday Night RAW on Hulu+ we find that not only have the Real Americans split but that now Antonio Cesaro is a PAUL HEYMAN GUY!!!! That’s right Zeb is now out of the picture and the Paulrus has been brought in!)

The first match of WrestleMania was Triple H vs Daniel Bryan to see who would be the third man in the Triple Threat later in the night for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H tried to start the match with a handshake supposedly but Daniel Bryan, in a move that we think was smart on his part, kicked his hand out of the way. Bryan swiftly sent Triple H scrambling out of the ring to regroup. Triple H came back in after a few minutes and started to go after Daniel Bryan’s injured shoulder, but Bryan did not back down. While this match was not as fast paced as some of the ones we normally see Daniel in, it did keep a pretty good pace so as not to be boring. At one point shortly into the match, Triple H took apart the main announce table and while it looked like Bryan would get Pedigreed onto the table he did block that but then got his arm slammed down hard on the table instead. Daniel Bryan just made it back into the ring before getting counted out and Triple H to put an Arm Wrench move onto Bryan. After escaping, Daniel would send Triple H to the outside and then tried to fly though the ropes after him but Hunter caught him with a huge right hand when Daniel was halfway through the ropes. Triple H then slammed Daniel Bryan down hard on his shoulder on the edge of the ring onto his bad shoulder once more. Daniel once more got in at the last moment just to be put into a Crossface Chickenwing by Triple H. Bryan got to the ropes to escape and with the match slowed Triple H was able to take advantage. It wasn’t long though before Daniel tried to speed the pace back up. Some good fast paced back and forth before Triple H got him locked back into the Chickenwing once more. Daniel was able to counter and put Triple H into the Yes Lock but Triple H made it to the bottom rope to force the break. Triple H went out to catch his breath and Daniel flew through the ropes twice hitting Hunter both times. Triple H ends up hitting the Pedigree on Daniel Bryan just to have Bryan get his shoulder up at a two count. A swift roll up by Daniel Bryan then failed, the back and forth quite exciting as Triple H pulls Daniel into the corner and pounds on him until the Ref stopped him. Triple H then tries for another Pedigree but Daniel reverses it into a pinning slam. Triple H escapes and tries yet again just to be denied again and kicked in the face. Daniel got a good start and with a flying knee to Triple H’s face put him down for the three count! Daniel Bryan would go on to be the third person in the Triple Threat match with Randy Orton and Batista for the title.

After the match Stephanie got in the ring and slapped Daniel to cloak Triple H coming up from behind. Triple H then got Daniel down and pulled his arm next to the ring post and slammed a chair into Bryan’s injured shoulder. So we’ll see if he can even compete later like he should….

The next match started off fast and hard as Roman Reigns took it to Kane and the New Age Outlaws swiftly and painfully. Then Rollins and Ambrose got in on it and the bodies of Kane and the Outlaws were strewn everywhere. Outlaws went out on the floor and Rollins and Ambrose flew through the ropes to take them out. Reigns took out Kane with a spear and then a double Spear to the Outlaws. With a few quick tags, all three of the Shield were in the ring and Rollins and Ambrose held both Outlaws on Reigns shoulders so that he could powerbomb them BOTH at once! Then Shield Picked up the win in a VERY fast match indeed!

Next, we had the Andre the Giant 30 man Battle Royal. All 30 started in the ring at once and I have no clue how they could fight with all the people in there. Yoshi tatsu was the first out. Kofi and Cody were both hanging on the ropes and kicking each other trying to get them off but they were able to both pull back in. Brad Maddox was out next. Shortly Followed by Brodus Clay and then The Great Khali. Then 3MB took out Zack Ryder. Then they took out Darren Young. 3MB was then swiftly eliminated and then Show eliminates Mark Henry. Show then takes out Titus Oniel as Santino brings out the Cobra to go after the Miz. Xavier woods saves Miz and tries to send him out but Miz holds on but cannot get back in before being sent out. Santino then got sent out of the ring. Cody tosses Damien Sandow out and Goldust assists by pulling down the top rope. Justin Gabriel was next out by Big E. Otunga was next out. Big E and Fandango are fighting on the edge and Fandango hits a foot to Big E’s head to send him out and he starts dancing so Shameous grabs Fandango and starts his usual 10 beats but then hits him more like 20 times. Show gets rid of R-Truth as Del Rio sends out Sin Cara followed by Tyson Kid. Del Rio then sends out Goldust with a kick and then Cody goes shortly thereafter by him as well. Then after catching Mysterio’s 619 he dumps him over and then sends him out with an uppercut cutting Rey down to the floor. Kofi went over but his feet hit the stairs and never hit the floor like he did so he was able to go back in. Kingston hits just about everyone who’s left sending them down and then Cesaro grabs Kingston to swing him while everyone else tries to recover. Then Cesaro got Choke slammed by Show who then got Brogue Kicked by Sheamus who then eliminated Kofi with another kick. Del Rio then puts Sheamus into a cross arm breaker but he picks Del Rio up and both end up out leaving us with Cesaro and Big Show. Cesaro tries to go from the top buckle down onto show who slaps him in the chest. Amazingly enough Cesaro picked up Big Show and threw him over the top rope to win the Battle Royal. Big Show then motioned over Cesaro and offered his hand to shake giving Cesaro the respect he earned with picking the Big Show up.

We then see a voodoo priestess looking woman dancing with twin swords and fire spewing from barrels behind her just to see a new Titontron video of Bray telling New Orleans that they are there. After the lamp is blown out the Wyatt family comes out to a band playing their theme music live. Cena however didn’t do anything special for his entrance, simply doing his typical salute and run to the ring. Bray started the match by kneeling before John Cena and yelling at him to free the monster that’s inside and finish him (very Palpatine of him). Then the match started in earnest and Bray got John backed into the corner laughing and calling “He doesn’t want to fight me!” Finally John started to look pissed after Bray took several more moments of beating on him and then Cena took down Bray and pounded on him in seeming hatred as Bray laughed. Cena stalked a laughing Bray who was sitting in the corner and looked quite conflicted but still angry and then went right back after Bray in a way where the Ref had to break them up a few times. John then dropped to his knees in what seemed to be shame as Bray started to once more make a comeback. Finally, Cena started to fight back again but he still seemed hesitant to me, not as fast or sure of himself as usual. Finally after being taken down by some headlocks and taunted by Bray Cena fought back and got Bray down. Cena was about to deliver the 5 knuckle shuffle when Bray suddenly arched up into his upside down spider like pose. Cena stopped, creeped out as much as I was I think and then we got some good back and forth again as the crowed chanted “That was Creepy” about Bray. Cena goes to the top rope and tried to fly onto Brays shoulder in a seated takedown but Bray catches him and powerbombs him into a pinning predicament which Cena just kicks out of. There was more of Cena looking to get ahead but easily countered by Bray it seems for another near fall. Cena gets out on the apron and Bray follows, Cena grabs bray for the AA on the edge of the apron but Bray countered it into a devastating DDT. Bray started to pose in the ring after getting back in and almost the entire front of the ringside area started to sway back and forth in support of him like they used to in the NXT crowd. Cena escapes and gets to the top rope but is intercepted by Bray. He fights off Bray but then instead of taking advantage of it launches himself at Luke Harper and Erick Rowan on the outside. Bray then sends Cena into the stairs and then picks up the top of the steps attempting to hit Cena with them but then Cena counters. As the Ref counts (getting to 7) Cena picks up the top of the stairs and looking like someone hulking out holds them over his head but before he could squash Bray with them he tosses them aside in disgust and tosses Bray back into the ring. Theres some good back and forth and then the Ref gets distracted by Rowan which left Cena open for an attack from Harper. Cena is then out of the ring where Harper was stalking him until Cena spears Harper through the barricade into the time keepers area. Bray gets Cena back in and tries for Sister Abigail but Cena reverses into the STFU but Bray then makes it to the bottom rope. Bray then manages to get Sister abigail out of no where but Cena kicks out of it. Bray then leaves the ring and takes off the top of the Spanish Announce table but then instead of taking Cena out there he goes and gets a chair and then tosses it to Cena who was still on the mat. Bray then kneels once again and says “Finish me, and be the monster I know you are.” As Cena looks at the chair and then bray and then hits Rowan with the chair instead. Bray tries a roll up which failed and then tried to get the Sister Abigail again. Cena however was able to reverse the move and get Bray into the AA to win the match without falling to the dark side.

The next match we see Undertaker taking on the Prepubescent Pterodactyl…I mean ummm Brock Lesnar (Sorry but his screeching on the microphone is almost as bad as Paul Bearer’s was). Brock was his same boring self coming out and then Taker came out with the 22 coffins, each one having the name of his past victims, and the last one had Brock’s name on it. The coffin opened as Taker looked at it and then was set on fire shortly thereafter with just a wave of a hand. The two men stare each other down and as the bell rings Lesnar tries to strike first but Taker gets in the first hit. Taker ends up tossed out of the ring but lands on his feet. Some good back and forth started with no real upper hand given yet until Taker runs Lesnar into the ring post by his shoulder and then on the outside does it yet again. Taker tries for “Old School” but gets denied. Brock tries to spear Taker in the corner and hits the post with his shoulder yet again! Taker than slowly but methodically starts aiming at Brock’s injured shoulder. Taker went for an early Choke Slam and Lesnar reverses trying to do the F-5 which is also reversed. Lesnar then is thrown back into the turnbuckle on the bad shoulder. Lesnar then attacks Takers ankle against the ring post outside of the ring and takes control of the match for now attacking Takers leg. Lesnar keeps the pressure up on Taker keeping control for a while. Taker tried to fight back but got sent into the barricades outside the ring. Lesnar takes Taker back into the ring and continues for the moment to have his way with Taker. For several more minutes Lesnar controls everything with Taker not able to get in a shot until Lesnar whips taker to the ropes and Taker takes down Lesnar with a DDT. Finally the Undertaker seemed to rally and once more take control sending Lesnar into the turnbuckle head first and then a big boot to Lesnar’s face. Take gets the Choke Slam but Lesnar kicks out at 2. Brock then stops and slam and F-5’s Taker but is unable to pin him. Taker plays possum till Lesnar gets close and then locks in the Hells gate submission. Lesnar however somewhat picks up Taker and slams him down to the mat. Taker again suckers Lesnar into the Hells Gate and this time has it locked in even better but Lesnar picks Taker up again this time up over his head and slams him down again. Taker gets near Lesnar and Lesnar puts Taker in the Kimora Lock. Taker was able to reverse it and put it back onto Lesnar but Lesnar makes it to the ropes. Taker tries for Old School but Lesnar pulls him down and F-5’s him again. Undertaker however is able to kick out once more. Lesnar gains control again but as he mounts the ropes to pound on Taker he is then grabbed and hit with Takers Last Ride but he couldn’t capitalize. Taker then stalks Lesnar and hits the Tombstone Piledriver but Lesnar kicks out at 2. Taker then did the classic Undertaker situp and signals that the end is near. He tries for another Tombstone but Lesnar counters and turns it into an F-5 and gets what seems to be a 3 count on Taker. It seemed to me to be a quick 3 count and everyone in the audience just stared in shock. It took about a minute for the Ref to even call who won after doing the count leaving us all wondering and in shock. Once it was announced the Audience started to chant “Bullshit” and I have to agree with them. The ending of this match was crap. Most of this match was crap with Taker being on the mat for most of it. This was NOT the way to go about ending the streak.

I didn’t want to go personal with this post, I just wanted to call things…but WWE WHAT THE HELL WERE YOU THINKING!!!!! The Undertakers streak is legendary! So what do they give us for a match? One that’s subpar to say the best about it. That is not the way to say thank you to a man who has given more than 20 years of his life to the business and the fans! BAD FORM WWE!!!!

The Diva’s match was next and it was a match with one fall to finish with all 14 people in the ring at the same time is just too crowded in my opinion. I feel sorry for the single Ref that’s in the ring trying to keep track of this. When all 14 started in the ring the moves kinda sucked but once we had about 2 or 3 in the ring at a time they started pulling out some actual good moves. It has potential to see a new Diva become champion but the match became yet another disappointment as AJ Lee keeps the Divas belt with a Black Widow submission applied to Naomi.

Onto the last match now a triple threat for the WWE’s biggest Title between Randy Orton, Batista and Daniel Bryan. The match started out fast with Daniel Bryan trying to get things going in his favor fast but a quick slam onto his bad shoulder ended that fast. Orton and Batista then went at it having a pretty good back and forth with Batista taking charge when he used the stairs a few times with Orton’s head as the hammer. Batista tried to bomb Orton on the steps but Orton reverses to slam Batista spine first onto the steps. Daniel tried to get back up but Orton stopped that real fast before heading back to Batista. Randy was firmly in control for the next several minutes when Daniel Bryan suddenly comes out of nowhere landing a double missile drop kick onto Orton and Batista. Bryan took them both out with kicks and took Batista’s head almost off with one but got caught by orton who slammed him and tried to pin him. After kicking out Batista comes in to slam and pin Orton but it gets broken up by Bryan. Bryan then sent several flying kicks into both Batista and Orton who were in opposite corners. Daniel tries to cover Orton but Batista gets in the way. Then Daniel gets taken out on the outside and it’s back to Orton and Batista in the ring where orton superplex’s batista and then Daniel appears from nowhere again with his Flying Goat move. He gets Orton into a Yes Lock and then Stephanie and Triple H come out of the stands and pull the Ref out of the ring so Orton can’t tap. Batista then slams Bryan and tries to get the count on him as Triple H brought back the supposed “crooked” and supposed “fired” Scott Armstrong to try and get Batista the win. Armstrong tried to do something to Daniel but Bryan kicked him in the head and then dove out of the ring to take out Armstrong, Stephanie and Triple H. Triple H then gets the sledgehammer from under the ring and tried to get in but Daniel gets it and uses it on Triple H. Batista tries to get a pin on Bryan as the old ref makes his way back into the ring but Orton breaks it up. Orton then goes after Bryan on the outside and Batista starts to help. Orton slammed the top of the stairs into Daniels shoulder. Then Orton and Batista both start clearing the tops of the English and Spanish announce tables. Batista gets on the English announce table with Bryan and Batista Bombs Daniel into the Spanish announce table with Orton catching him halfway down to help out with an RKO. Orton however seems to have hurt himself doing that move. Batista then picks up Orton and tosses him into the barricades and then takes control of the match as Medics work on Daniel Bryan who hasn’t moved since being put through the table. Daniel is getting wheeled out of the Arena as Orton starts to fight back in the ring and plants Batista with a DDT on the outside. As Daniel gets to the ramp he awakens and unstraps himself from the stretcher. Oton then moves in to take out Daniel by tossing him into the steps and then tosses Bryan into the ring. Orton then takes a bunch of time to just stand in the ring and then pose giving the others time to possibly recover. Daniel gets up and Orton tries to get an RKO but Bryan gets him into a Yes Lock but that’s broken up by Batista who then gets caught in a Yes Lock as well. Unfortunately Orton then gets up and breaks up that one as well. Then Orton and Batista then go at it again. Orton tries to RKO Batista but is caught mid air and slammed. He gets an RKO on Batista but he kicks out. Orton got Batista down and tries to punt his head but runs into Daniel Bryan’s flying knee. Batista then grabs Bryan and tosses him out of the ring. Batista then slams Orton but Daniel gets in the way of a pin and once more gets the Yes Lock onto Batista and gets the win via submission as Batista taps out!

This was a Wrestlemania to remember- for good and for bad reasons!