Despite being an extremely long and tiring show, WrestleMania 33 was probably one of the best 'Mania of the last 15, 20 years. It was an event that tugged on your heartstrings in the right places, making it more than just a bunch of really good matches. Plus the stage was absolutely incredible.
Pre-Show Austin Aries vs Neville This was by far the best main roster cruiserweight yet. It was intense and athletic and it had enough starpower to feel like a big match. Neville won. 8/10 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Fun match with a lot of potential winners. Really surprised Mojo Rawley won. 7/10 Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin Good match between two great talents but nothing special. That counter from the end of days to the dirty deeds was awesome thought. Really happy Dean finally won a match at 'Mania. 6/10
Main Card AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon This match totally exceeded my expectations. AJ once again showed how phenomenal he is, and Shane brought his total A-game. There was mat wrestling, brawling, a coast-to-coast, an announce table spot, and Shane did a freakin' shooting star press. It was a brilliant opening match, and AJ ended up with the victory. 9/10
Kevin Owens vs Chris Jericho The build-up and story for this match was great, and while the match itself wasn't that special, it was still a great match between two amazing workers. I loved Kevin putting Jericho in the Walls of Jericho, and Kevin getting a rope break with just one finger. In the end, KO won the US title after a powerbomb on the apron. 8/10
Bayley vs Nia Jax vs Sasha Banks vs Charlotte Great match overall. Nia looked dominant because of the other three teaming up on her, including a triple powerbomb. Plus, they address the story between Bayley and Sasha in a very clever way. Charlotte eliminated Sasha, leaving Bayley alone to face her, so when Bayley finally beat Charlotte clean, it made her victory more meaningful. I would have preferred Bayley had just won the title first here, but this match was still great and all four women looked good. 8/10
Enzo & Cass vs Cesaro/Sheamus vs The Club Oh yeah, THE HARDYS ARE BACK. This ladder match was amazing with incredible spots, including a swanton bomb from a hundred feet. Hardys win, which is WONDERFUL. 10/10
John Cena/Nikki Bella vs Miz/Maryse In terms of in-ring action this was really disappointing. The match was very short,and was just Miz dominating until Cena tagged in Nikki and they mounted a comeback. Cena proposing to Nikki afterwards was a nice moment though. 5/10
Seth Rollins vs Triple H This was my personal favorite match of the night, because it was a solid combination of wrestling and storytelling. Plus, both Triple H and Seth had such awesome entrances, with a trike and a torch, respectively. This match had so great moments from the phoenix splash, Seth hurting his knee the same way he injured it in the first place, the struggle over the sledgehammer, and Stephanie going through a table. In the end, Seth won looking like a triumphant hero. 9/10
Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt Uh... this match was so weird. Maggots, Worms, Cockroachs, oh my, and Randy won. Ugh, Bray lost the title after a month, despite being so much more interesting than Orton. 6/10
Brock Lesnar vs Goldberg This match was so awesome. It felt like a true blockbuster match despite only being 5 minutes long. The two completely destroyed each other, with spears and suplexes galore, and Brock managed not only to kick out of the Jackhammer, but also he avoided a spear by leapfrogging over Goldberg. In the end, Lesnar got his win back with 10 suplexes and an F5, becoming the new champion.8/10
Six pack women's challenge (Smackdown) Really surprised this match came so late in the show. It didn't really have much to it, but it's nice to see Naomi win the title in her hometown. 6/10
Roman Reigns vs Undertaker This was one of the most heartbreaking matches in history, because it was the Undertaker last match, and seeing him being mauled and beaten to a plump by Roman was hard to watch. The actual in-ring action was a little bit clumsy, especially them botching the tombstone-reversal spot, but the storytelling near the end was absolutely brilliant. The Undertaker struggling to get up, and Roman begging him to stay down, gave the main event a very somber tone. After hitting FIVE, yes FIVE spears, Roman defeated the Undertaker, sealing his fate as the most hated man in the company, and the new big dog. Afterwards, the Undertaker left his gear in the ring and said goodbye to the fans. It was one of the most emotional moments in the wrestling history. 8/10
Final Verdict This was a WrestleMania that managed to be more than just good wrestling. The consistently high match quality, the storytelling, the spectacle, the witnessing the end of a true legend like the Undertaker, it was something truly special for me as a fan. The show may have been 7 hours long, but it had something meaningful at every turn, and something for any type of fan across the board. Don't let the fact that Roman won another WrestleMania main event distract you from the fact that from top to bottom, this was an absolutely fantastic Mania. Absolutely fantastic. Nights like these are why I will never stop watching.
Pre-Show Austin Aries vs Neville This was by far the best main roster cruiserweight yet. It was intense and athletic and it had enough starpower to feel like a big match. Neville won. 8/10 Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal Fun match with a lot of potential winners. Really surprised Mojo Rawley won. 7/10 Dean Ambrose vs Baron Corbin Good match between two great talents but nothing special. That counter from the end of days to the dirty deeds was awesome thought. Really happy Dean finally won a match at 'Mania. 6/10
Main Card AJ Styles vs Shane McMahon This match totally exceeded my expectations. AJ once again showed how phenomenal he is, and Shane brought his total A-game. There was mat wrestling, brawling, a coast-to-coast, an announce table spot, and Shane did a freakin' shooting star press. It was a brilliant opening match, and AJ ended up with the victory. 9/10
Kevin Owens vs Chris Jericho The build-up and story for this match was great, and while the match itself wasn't that special, it was still a great match between two amazing workers. I loved Kevin putting Jericho in the Walls of Jericho, and Kevin getting a rope break with just one finger. In the end, KO won the US title after a powerbomb on the apron. 8/10
Bayley vs Nia Jax vs Sasha Banks vs Charlotte Great match overall. Nia looked dominant because of the other three teaming up on her, including a triple powerbomb. Plus, they address the story between Bayley and Sasha in a very clever way. Charlotte eliminated Sasha, leaving Bayley alone to face her, so when Bayley finally beat Charlotte clean, it made her victory more meaningful. I would have preferred Bayley had just won the title first here, but this match was still great and all four women looked good. 8/10
Enzo & Cass vs Cesaro/Sheamus vs The Club Oh yeah, THE HARDYS ARE BACK. This ladder match was amazing with incredible spots, including a swanton bomb from a hundred feet. Hardys win, which is WONDERFUL. 10/10
John Cena/Nikki Bella vs Miz/Maryse In terms of in-ring action this was really disappointing. The match was very short,and was just Miz dominating until Cena tagged in Nikki and they mounted a comeback. Cena proposing to Nikki afterwards was a nice moment though. 5/10
Seth Rollins vs Triple H This was my personal favorite match of the night, because it was a solid combination of wrestling and storytelling. Plus, both Triple H and Seth had such awesome entrances, with a trike and a torch, respectively. This match had so great moments from the phoenix splash, Seth hurting his knee the same way he injured it in the first place, the struggle over the sledgehammer, and Stephanie going through a table. In the end, Seth won looking like a triumphant hero. 9/10
Randy Orton vs Bray Wyatt Uh... this match was so weird. Maggots, Worms, Cockroachs, oh my, and Randy won. Ugh, Bray lost the title after a month, despite being so much more interesting than Orton. 6/10
Brock Lesnar vs Goldberg This match was so awesome. It felt like a true blockbuster match despite only being 5 minutes long. The two completely destroyed each other, with spears and suplexes galore, and Brock managed not only to kick out of the Jackhammer, but also he avoided a spear by leapfrogging over Goldberg. In the end, Lesnar got his win back with 10 suplexes and an F5, becoming the new champion.8/10
Six pack women's challenge (Smackdown) Really surprised this match came so late in the show. It didn't really have much to it, but it's nice to see Naomi win the title in her hometown. 6/10
Roman Reigns vs Undertaker This was one of the most heartbreaking matches in history, because it was the Undertaker last match, and seeing him being mauled and beaten to a plump by Roman was hard to watch. The actual in-ring action was a little bit clumsy, especially them botching the tombstone-reversal spot, but the storytelling near the end was absolutely brilliant. The Undertaker struggling to get up, and Roman begging him to stay down, gave the main event a very somber tone. After hitting FIVE, yes FIVE spears, Roman defeated the Undertaker, sealing his fate as the most hated man in the company, and the new big dog. Afterwards, the Undertaker left his gear in the ring and said goodbye to the fans. It was one of the most emotional moments in the wrestling history. 8/10
Final Verdict This was a WrestleMania that managed to be more than just good wrestling. The consistently high match quality, the storytelling, the spectacle, the witnessing the end of a true legend like the Undertaker, it was something truly special for me as a fan. The show may have been 7 hours long, but it had something meaningful at every turn, and something for any type of fan across the board. Don't let the fact that Roman won another WrestleMania main event distract you from the fact that from top to bottom, this was an absolutely fantastic Mania. Absolutely fantastic. Nights like these are why I will never stop watching.