Unfortunately there is no way for WWE to hide that result. No way the Rock would agree to come back for a match just to lose, it's not like he needs money. So it was obvious he had to win. I was just surprised that he's still in such a great shape.
Spoiler 4/1 Powell's WWE WrestleMania 28 results and review: The Rock vs. John Cena, The Undertaker vs. Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels as special referee, C.M. Punk vs. Chris Jericho for the WWE Championship The Rock defeated John Cena in 30:35. Powell's POV: A great main event. They worked their asses off. Cena got in a ton of offense early and doesn't lose anything by losing the match, and the majority of the WrestleMania live crowd (and presumably the pay-per-view audience) went home happy. No handshakes, no hugs, no Brock Lesnar. I love it. Don't get me wrong, I'm still hoping we'll get Lesnar on Raw, but it was great to see WWE deliver a clean and decisive finish to such a big match.
Results: Dark Match: Primo & Epico (c) defeated Justin Gabriel & Tyson Kidd, & The Usos via pinfall to retain the WWE Tag Team Titles Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan (c) (with AJ) via pinfall to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 18 seconds Kane defeated Randy Orton via pinfall The Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes (c) via pinfall to win WWE Intercontinental Championship Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos defeated Beth Phoenix and Eve via pinfall The Undertaker defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels as Special Guest Referee Team Johnny defeated Team Teddy CM Punk (c) retained the WWE Championship as he d. Chris Jericho via subission The Rock d. John Cena via pinfall For detailed results, go here
May as well do a mini review Sheamus defeated Daniel Bryan (c) (with AJ) via pinfall to win the World Heavyweight Championship in 18 seconds What the heck were they thinking putting a match like that as the opener? Took the heat out of the crowd, basically insulted the abilities of the wrestlers and further devalued the title. Even if they were going to pull a stunt like this, at least put it in the middle of the card where it wouldn't have had such a big impact on the show. 0 stars Kane defeated Randy Orton via pinfall Couple of spots but about it really. Hard to get invested in a hastily put together match-up and was amplified by the match before. Kane getting the win was a big surprise however. *1/2 The Big Show defeated Cody Rhodes (c) via pinfall to win WWE Intercontinental Championship This probably could have done with being 18 seconds, would have made more sense to have Cody being embarrassed at WM after mocking Big Show of his previous failing, but meh. Pretty much the best it could be when taking the size and role differences between the two. *1/2 Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos defeated Beth Phoenix and Eve via pinfall Match kinda dragged on despite being relatively short. Kind of sad that the best worker of the face duo was the celebrity and it reflected onto the quality of the match despite Beth and Eve being pretty good workers. * The Undertaker defeated Triple H in a Hell in a Cell match with Shawn Michaels as Special Guest Referee An absolute overbooked mess...yet was again another masterpiece produced by the three. Just like last year it won't be mistaken for a technical showcase, but the psychology and storytelling was off the hook and it legitimately felt like this was the final battle they would endure. This match saved WM28 from descending into a stinker. **** Team Johnny defeated Team Teddy Crowd kinda crapped over this understandably after the epic before, and it did start slowly, but it turned into a nice little match that will have future implications for months to come. **1/2 [Side Note] Anyone else thinking they are building up Zack Ryder for a serious underdog push? CM Punk (c) retained the WWE Championship as he d. Chris Jericho via submission Really enjoyed this one, had everything you'd expect from these two in a big event situation. Really digged the start with Jericho doing everything to try and get Punk disqualified, and like UT/HHH earlier it felt there was more at stake than just a match, it felt like the climax of an intense personal rivalry. ***1/2 The Rock d. John Cena via pinfall Rock still has it. Very good match and real happy that Rock did win because I really thought they'd take the "Cena wins, earns Rock's respect, they hug" route as the stadium boos their lungs out. One gripe I had with this match, and I hate to be a typical internet smark, but it irked me seeing Cena smiling his way through that match, how hard is it to show some frustration and intensity? Especially as the build up involves him saying he has to win the match. The last thing most people would do in a high pressure situation is laugh, smile and joke. I spose in the grand scheme it's minor, because it was very enjoyable and great to see The Rock kicking butt. ***1/2. Other notes: Brodus Clay.....that was something else. Went on a bit too much but can't deny that I did lol at the absurdity of it. Flo Rida and MGK are freaking awful performers, embarrassed for them as well as sickened that it's how they make their money. Overall I would say it was a pretty good Mania, the first hour was poor but the rest of the show really made up for it.
I am still steaming over the Daniel Bryan/Sheamus match. That crowd was HOT for Bryan. He was even getting cheered at the ROH shows this weekend, his "Yes!" chant has taken off. That end was beyond bullcrap and unfortunately it's what you have to expect from a company that hates wrestling. HHH/Taker was epic even though some of the HBK stuff dragged a bit in the middle of the match. Punk/Jericho was a physical match and the spot where Punk took a suplex over the top rope and onto the floor must have hurt like hell. Overall it was a good show but the first hour was dragged down due to crapty booking. I do like however that you still were getting a "Daniel Bryan" chant deep into the show.
