Nostalgic wrestling followers all the time say they need the Angle Period again – it seems, they only needed The Rock.
The return of the Hollywood megastar to WWE programming, and his determination to pivot from the long-planned match with long-time world champion Roman Reigns and go heel, has sparked one of many hottest WrestleMania predominant occasions in current historical past.
You would need to return at the very least half a decade, when the starpower of Becky Lynch and Ronda Rousey compelled the primary ladies’s Mania predominant occasion, or perhaps a full decade, when Daniel Bryan’s outstanding fan-forced rise was capped off in New Orleans, to see extra fan pleasure over the principle occasion scene.
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It comes as WWE enjoys one in every of its hottest intervals in a long time, however in a star-driven enterprise, that’s primarily due to the blokes on the prime – Rock, Reigns and the primary actually-successful white-meat babyface in years, Cody Rhodes.
You possibly can even argue WrestleMania 40 is a one-match present… a match that isn’t really occurring.
The rollercoaster construct since The Rock’s January return has led us to Reigns and Rhodes that includes in the principle occasion of each nights at Philadelphia’s Lincoln Monetary Subject; on night time one (Sunday AEDT), in a tag match, pitting Rock and Reigns in opposition to Rhodes and secondary world champion Seth Rollins. The results of that match will affect the stipulation for night time two’s finale, as within the match followers agitated for and obtained, Reigns’ reign certainly will come to an finish as Rhodes ‘finishes the story’.
However should you tuned into the final month of WWE TV, you’d be forgiven for questioning why the match they appear to be constructing – The Rock vs Cody Rhodes – isn’t going down. (But, anyway.)
Since turning heel and becoming a member of forces with Reigns, The Rock’s all-time charisma has seen him take over each section and present he’s been a part of, with rankings hovering every time he’s on display and big curiosity from lapsed followers who’re being reminded of what they fell in love with again within the 90s and early aughts.
On the web site Cagematch, which permits followers to evaluation and fee matches and exhibits throughout wrestling historical past, you’ll be able to sum up the curiosity from WWE followers, who’re declaring a brand new period is underway – prematurely, in fact – primarily based on one episode of Uncooked.
The March 26 version was capped off by a dramatic Rock and Rhodes section, the latter left bloody outdoors the world with very conspicuous product placement within the background. Mixed with an thrilling, unscripted CM Punk and Drew McIntyre promo section – one other match that isn’t occurring at Mania, for what it’s price – the present has gotten rave evaluations. The remainder of this system was the standard WWE fare with little in-ring motion to get enthusiastic about but followers have at present rated that Uncooked because the thirtieth best present in professional wrestling historical past, and the eleventh best in WWE historical past – above legendary pay per views like Survivor Sequence 2002, ECW One Evening Stand 2005 and plenty of nights of New Japan’s Wrestle Kingdom.
That’s maybe a bit rash. However it speaks to the unimaginable curiosity within the WWE product proper now, and explicit within the Rock and Rhodes parts of the Mania construct.
However, once more, there’s the entire ‘they’re not wrestling one another’ factor.
Sure, they’re going through off within the night time one tag match. And it could make sense for Rock to pin Rhodes in that match, constructing the percentages in opposition to Rhodes for the night time two predominant occasion, and establishing a match down the road – maybe at SummerSlam, or every time Rock can get break day his film profession once more.
If there’s a long-term plan in thoughts, this makes some sense, but it surely does depart Reigns out within the chilly just a little bit.
The presentation of the world champion over the previous few years has been effectively executed; amid frustrations over his restricted appearances, and what it’s meant for the corporate’s prime belt to be successfully unreachable, it’s nonetheless been an effective way to show an unsuccessful babyface into a really profitable heel.
The Bloodline story has been central to the corporate for the reason that coronary heart of the pandemic, although the final 12 months have been questionable at instances. The choice to let Reigns cheat to beat Rhodes in final 12 months’s WrestleMania night time two predominant occasion was unusual on the time and even moreso when Reigns did little or no of observe for the remainder of the 12 months, outdoors of a disappointing SummerSlam predominant occasion in opposition to Jey Uso.
You may argue that was all price it to get to a WrestleMania in 2024 that feels this sizzling; however then you’ve the issue of Reigns feeling just like the third-most essential wrestler heading into the present the place, theoretically, his historic title reign ought to lastly conclude.
Rhodes’ recognition compelled the post-Rumble change of plans, which might have seen him battle Rollins for the secondary world title as Rock fought Reigns – Rhodes bizarrely giving up his spot to Rock, after which taking it again days later, has been reminiscence holed – whereas every time Rock and Reigns are within the ring collectively, it’s very apparent who the largest star is.
In spite of everything Reigns has by no means been at Rock’s heights within the charisma division – as a result of principally no person in wrestling historical past has – and it was his presentation as a dominant heel champion (regardless of the actual fact he was all the time dishonest) that made him really feel so essential. That may’t overcome the sheer weight of The Rock’s starpower.
That thrilling ending to Uncooked, the place Rock beat down Rhodes, was simply extra proof of that. As a result of Reigns didn’t even seem on the present; it was all concerning the pairing that isn’t capping off one of many hottest WrestleManias of all-time.
However that kinda sums up the place WWE is at proper now; the prioritisation of pleasure over logic.
It’s unusual that the largest present of the 12 months is getting used to construct up a match occurring another time – however in a enterprise that by no means stops, and is traditionally pushed by star energy on the very prime, that’s most likely the correct name.
WWE WRESTLEMANIA 40 MATCH CARD
NIGHT ONE
Saturday April 6 US time – Sunday April 7 from 9am AEDT
The Rock & Roman Reigns vs Cody Rhodes & Seth Rollins
If Rock and Reigns win, Evening 2 predominant occasion is Bloodline Guidelines aka No DQ. If Rhodes and Rollins win, Evening 2 predominant occasion sees Bloodline members barred from ringside
WWE Ladies’s World Championship: Rhea Ripley (c) vs Becky Lynch
WWE Intercontinental Championship: Gunther (c) vs Sami Zayn
Jey Uso vs Jimmy Uso
Undisputed WWE Tag Workforce Championship six-pack ladder match: Finn Balor & Damian Priest (c) vs Johnny Gargano & Tommaso Ciampa, The Miz & R-Reality, Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods, Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate, Grayson Waller & Austin Principle
Jade Cargill, Bianca Belair, & Naomi vs Asuka, Kairi Sane, & Dakota Kai
Rey Mysterio & Dragon Lee vs Dominik Mysterio & Santos Escobar
NIGHT TWO
Sunday April 7 US time – Monday April 8 from 9am AEDT
Undisputed WWE Common Championship: Roman Reigns (c) vs Cody Rhodes
WWE World Heavyweight Championship: Seth Rollins (c) vs Drew McIntyre
WWE Ladies’s Championship: Iyo Sky (c) vs Bayley
WWE United States Championship: Logan Paul (c) vs Kevin Owens vs Randy Orton
LA Knight vs AJ Types
Bobby Lashley, Montez Ford & Angelo Dawkins vs Karrion Kross, Akam & Rezar (Philadelphia Avenue Combat)
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