Wrestlemania XXX Coverage: The Beginning of the Yes Era

Although the Undertaker’s streak is over at the hands of Brock Lesnar and Hulk Hogan couldn’t remember were the show was, Wrestlemania XXX was a success.

It won’t come without its share of controversy however.

With no CM Punk, Sting, Rob Van Dam and silly appearances by The Rock and Stone Cold, this was a straight-ahead show and a case of the WWE telling you this is a new era, one where they will not pay older stars to come back just to make a splash in the ring- that they want to develop what they have instead.

Brock Lesnar, The Shield and Antonio Cesaro, as well as new WWE World Heavyweight Champion Daniel Bryan appear to be at the top of that list.

This week’s Monday Night RAW should be an interesting one.

Matches:

Pre-Show: WWE Tag Team Champions Jimmy and Jey Uso vs. Jack Swagger and Antonio Cesaro w/Zeb Colter vs. Los Matadores vs. Ryback and Curt Axel: The WWE can talk all it wants about the depth of the Tag Team Division, but the fact that this match was during the pre-show and not on the main card, says volumes. Although all four teams put on a good show, the Usos ultimately got the win with a double Splash from both turnbuckles. After the match, Cesaro and Swagger exchanged finishers. It appears the Real Americans are finished.

Daniel Bryan vs. Triple H w/Stephanie McMahon: This was a crazy one that saw both competitors “bring it.” Bryan and Triple H both kicked out of each other’s finishers, but Bryan got the win with his Running Knee to send the crowd into a frenzy. After the match, Stephanie McMahon and Triple H beat on Bryan’s already injured shoulder.

Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal: Aside from Rey Mysterio standing in the corner most of the match, this was a high-octane battle royal with plenty of craziness. Of course Kofi Kingston had his moment and Alberto Del Rio surprised a lot with his stamina. Ironically however, the three mystery entries…who were they? Regardless, the match had its Wrestlemania moment, as Cesaro managed to lift The Big Show out of the ring to win. Big things have to be on the horizon for him.

WWE United States Champion Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins vs. Kane Billy Gun and Road Dogg: A surprisingly short match that saw The Shield Triple Powerbomb the New Age Outlaws at the same time for the win.

John Cena vs. Bray Wyatt w/Luke Harper and Erik Rowan: Throughout the match, Wyatt tried to goat Cena into a dark world- from using a steel chair and the ring steps on him, but Cena wouldn’t oblige. A back and forth affair, Cena ultimately squeaked out a victory after Cena managed to take care of Rowan and Harper long enough to hit Wyatt with the Attitude Adjustment.

The Undertaker vs. Brock Lesnar w/Paul Heyman: This was a long match to watch, but was made extra painful by extreme lagging on the WWE Network. The two traded offense forever, with each kicking out of signature offense and finishers. Undertaker was tough, but wasn’t nearly as crisp. His ineffectiveness rubbed off on Lesnar, who appeared to be on a slower gear than normal. After Lesnar countered the Old School, it was an F5, the third of the night, for the win. The streak was over. The crowd was silently shocked. It’ll be interesting what’s done with Lesnar’s character from here.

Divas Gauntlet Match for the Divas Title: A mess of a match that should have been much earlier in the night. Regardless, AJ Lee, the only diva worth a damn right now and the only one being used relatively properly, kept her title. That’s what mattered.

WWE World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton vs. Batista vs. Daniel Bryan: This just felt weird. There was very little cohesion among the competitors. Batista and Orton beat on Bryan to the point where a stretcher was called out. The move that brought the medics out, a Powerbomg, Neckbreaker combo through the announce table was sick, but appeared to hurt Orton as well. After Triple H and Stephanie McMahon interfered and even had referee Scott Armstrong try to officiate, Bryan managed to take care of all of them and send Orton out of the ring long enough to slap on the Yes Lock and win the WWE World Heavyweight Title.