WWE WrestleMania 31 Review

Match 1: Intercontinental Championship - Ladder - Bad News Barrett (c) vs. Daniel Bryan vs. Luke Harper vs. Stardust vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Dean Ambrose vs. R-Truth
WrestleMania has a proud lineage of Ladder matches and this one kicks off the show under the California sun with Daniel Bryan being the first to enter. This is a great idea to have these guys find spots on the card but after seeing these types of matches done to death, they hardly get any more exciting than the last one. We've seen all these spots done before that even the crowd or the commentators don't really get too excited over things. I guess that really isn't so much the point as they are mainly just getting these guys on the card as they set up the rest of the night. The main spot came when Luke Harper drove Dean Ambrose through a ladder outside as both Ambrose and the ladder snapped in half. This was the beginning for Daniel Bryan to score the victory by taking out Dolph Ziggler on top of the ladder with a series of headbutts. Bryan ends WrestleMania XXX with a title victory and opens up 31 with another one.
Winner: Daniel Bryan
Rating: ***1/2

Match 2: Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins
This match definitely seemed to be the one that has been forgotten about on a pretty stacked card. Two guys who Triple H has taken under his win go at it on the grandest stage. Seth Rollins comes out to the fantastic pairing of Jamie Noble & Joey Mercury as Randy Orton walks alone. This match just reminds me of how good Orton is and how overlooked he is in the ring. So smooth, so smart and everything done at a fluid pace. They had a great feud coming into the night and everything carried over nicely here. They told a great story from the start to the finish, you felt the hate from the two and you felt the desperation from Rollins who pulled out every move in his arsenal. The ending was fantastic as J & J both got nailed with RKOs for their efforts while Rollins looked to hit a second Curb Stomp before getting it reversed into the sickest RKO I have ever seen. It was cool live and it was just as cool watching it on DVD. In any other occasion, I would be mad at Orton scoring the win over Rollins but since this is WrestleMania, the good guy gets the pass. Rollins loses but I'm sure he'll be a winner by the end of the night.
Winner: Randy Orton
Rating: ***1/4

Match 3: Sting vs. Triple H
It's 1999 all over again as WCW's franchise player in Sting goes up against Triple H. Both guys come out to elaborate entrances that included Triple H coming out with a Terminator-themed entrance which definitely brought the crowd to its feet. I legit do not know where to start with this. They used all the smoke and mirrors they could to cover up Sting's limitations and quite honestly, it worked. Triple H is a genius and showed us once again that no matter the age or situation, he is ready to work with anyone to an unprecedented standard. Things picked up when Sting looked to make Triple H submit with his Scorpion Deathlock before D-Generation X's music hits and out comes the old squad. Sting is able to take care of them and even dive outside the ring and on top of them. This eventually led to nWo coming out as the two teams clash on the ramp. Carnage is breaking loose as Shawn Michaels enters the fray and hits a Sweet Chin Music on Sting! Sting is still able to kick out! The two teams step aside to watch the two superstars clash as Sting breaks Triple H's sledgehammer in half with his baseball bat! However, Triple H is still able to use half of the hammer and bashes Sting over the head with it to score the victory. Afterwards, the two teams face off with Triple H shaking Sting's hands over some animated words. Great match with more style than substance. Sometimes, a match like this is needed for a show like this and this was a perfect opportunity for it. Sting was able to finally have his WrestleMania debut but only at the expense of a loss to Triple H. Many didn't agree with Triple H going over but in my opinion, it made sense. Triple H is on television every week and needs to remind the audience that he indeed is the boss.
Winner: Triple H
Rating: ***3/4

Match 4: Paige & AJ Lee vs. The Bella Twins
This is the bathroom break for the show as The Bella Twins face off against their foes in Paige & AJ Lee. AJ locks one of The Bella Twins in her Black Widow submission for the win. What else do you want me to say? The action was fine but nothing out of the ordinary. This also would end up being AJ's final month in the company. Alright.
Winners: Paige & AJ Lee
Rating: *

Match 5: United States Championship - Rusev (c) vs. John Cena
Rusev comes out to an incredible entrance, it almost makes me feel like I'm going back 30 years and watching a foreign heel make his grand entrance. John Cena was granted his rematch here at WrestleMania 31. It's still weird to see Cena not being in the marquee WrestleMania match. Last year with Bray Wyatt and here with Rusev for the lesser championship. I enjoyed with match, good action from the first bell to the last. Rusev is a great heel and Cena makes for the perfect pairing against him. Stiff and to the point with Lana being the wild card on the side. The crowd was awesome for this match as the Cena hate was loud and evident in the Bay Area. Lana gets on the ring apron where Rusev then inadvertently knocked her down which led to Cena hitting an Attitude Adjustment on him for the win. Rusev hilariously screams at Lana after the match as Cena celebrates his first United States Championship victory since 2005. This match won't blow you away but it all made sense for WrestleMania. From the epic entrances to Cena defending the honor of his country.
Winner: John Cena
Rating: ***

Match 6: Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker
As the sun begins to set in Santa Clara, so do the lights as The Undertaker returns to the squared circle. This is his first appearance since his loss against Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX. Bray Wyatt pretty much has the opportunity of a lifetime here. Is there really anything bigger than going against The Undertaker at WrestleMania? The entrances were grand but the match itself left little left to be desired. Undertaker looked like a shell of himself and the two just weren't able to get over the hump and really grasp the audience's attention. Although seeing Wyatt kick out of a Tombstone was pretty damn sick and that's what really got things going. After that, Undertaker kicked out of a Sister Abigail and like that, the race was on. However, Undertaker was able to reverse a second Sister Abigail into a second Tombstone to get the win. A dull match but at least it got The Undertaker a win and at least it got Wyatt on a great spot on the card.
Winner: The Undertaker
Rating: **3/4

Match 7: WWE World Heavyweight Championship - Brock Lesnar (c) vs. Roman Reigns vs. Seth Rollins
This. Is. It. The sun is gone and it is time for the main event of the night. One of the biggest main events in WWE history. No Triple H, no John Cena, no Undertaker, no Randy Orton, it's Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns. I recall watching this live and just seeing these two guys make their way to the ring. I felt the chills go up and down my body and I felt it again watching it on DVD. Lesnar looked dominant, suplexing Reigns all over the place and hitting a couple F5s early on. However, Reigns wouldn't let up and stayed alive. I should add that the shots they are trading against each other look stiff as hell. Reigns got leveled by Lesnar with a clothesline that sounded sick on the apron. Reigns was able to finally get Lesnar off his feet with a couple Superman Punches and a couple Spears. However, Lesnar would not give up and then bam, Seth Rollins' music hits and out he runs with his Money in the Bank briefcase. It is now a triple threat match. A Curb Stomp to Lesnar wasn't  enough. His opportunity was seemingly slipping out of his hands. Lesnar had Rollins on his shoulders for an F5 before out of nowhere, Reigns drills him in half with a Spear! Rollin is able to hit a Curb Stomp on Reigns to capture the win and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship! The thrill of the Money in the Bank briefcase isn't so surprising as before. However, when done in a situation like this, there's no way I can argue against it. Rollins comes off as a slimy heel and in the end, he walks out with the gold. Normally not a fan of the heel ending a WrestleMania, but this year gets the exception. It sets up for years of great stories and quite honestly, it's the start of seeing The Shield reverends closing out WrestleManias.
Winner: Seth Rollins
Rating: ****1/2

Overall Show Thoughts and Rating:
One of my personal favorite WrestleManias of all time. Aside from the Divas match, everything made sense and everything spelled out WrestleMania. Nothing, aside from the damn Divas, felt like a chore to watch and the main event closed the show off with a bang. Seth Rollins pulled off the heist of the century and while many questions were answered here, many more were made left to answer in the years to come.
Rating: 9.5/10