Wrestlemania 31 Results – Never Sold Out, Only Bought In
Wrestlemania 31 just happened… and it was simply wonderful. Despite the lackluster build for most of the matches involved, we were once again reminded that WWE can also buy in to the hype. We have the full Wrestlemania 31 results inside!
Fatal 4-way for the WWE Tag Team Championship
Cesaro and Tyson Kidd def. The Usos, Los Matadores & A New Day
So another year comes and pass, and the tag team Fatal 4-way set the tone for the whole event. Highlighted by crazy action from everyone involved (yes, including Big E), it also cemented the fact that everyone in the match is a keeper. Jey Uso had to leave mid-match though due to an injury, and it proved costly in the end as there was no one to help his brother from being blind-tagged by Cesaro for the pin attempt. Relatively good starter match.
Big Show wins the Second Annual Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale
Well we did not get the proper payoff to the Miz-Mizdow angle (yet, I dare say) however with the way Big Show dominated the Battle Royal, it didn’t feel THAT bad. Yes, Big Show won, but we’re looking at The Giant here. Not the crybaby who lost his job and ended up being ridiculed by people smaller than him. Hopefully this gains traction.
The only thing that didn’t feel right here was #Axelmania being cut short and Hideo Itami’s relatively quick exit (despite taking out Bo Dallas prior).
Ladder match for the WWE Intercontinental Championship
Daniel Bryan def. Bad News Barrett, Stardust, Luke Harper, Dean Ambrose, R-Truth & Dolph Ziggler
The PPV proper started with the ladder match (no surprise there), and well it did end up being the clusterfuck that we were expecting it to be. Even the competitors were doing something well within their expectations: Stardust being looney as hell with his Mr. Sinister-inspired garb, Dolph selling like a fish out of sea, Harper being this athletic hoss, and Ambrose channeling his inner-CZW by plunging to his death. The finish was also an expected battle at the top between Bryan and Ziggler, which was eventually won by Bryan.
Randy Orton def. Seth Rollins
Not really much to say here, this match pretty much played how it’s supposed to play. A good quality match capped with another way to pull off an RKO OUTTA NOWHERE.
Triple H def. Sting
Well, they HAD to keep things interesting. And with all these references to WCW being made, there was only one thing that could keep things interesting (outside of the Terminator-sponsored HHH entrance) – book like it’s 1998!
This match was indeed a once-in-a-lifetime affair, a “what if” of sorts. And WWE just gave us a taste to answer of the biggest “what if” question of the Monday Night Wars: “What if Degeneration X and the New World Order came face to face?” Despite the fact that Sting just gave one of better performances of the past few years (quite better than most of his TNA matches imho), HHH managed to pull a fast one over the Stinger with the help of DX. The only thing that I didn’t like here was the lack of black-and-white during the nWo run-in. It was a very entertaining match that helped keep the crowd going.
Skylar Grey, Kid Ink, and Travis Barker performance
Probably one of the best Wrestlemania performances I’ve seen by far.
Tag Team Match
AJ Lee and Paige def. The Bella Twins
Now this is what happens when the Divas are given a chance. AJ continues to show her excellent “selling” prowess by playing dead for 3/4ths of the match. This has been the best showcase of The Bella’s improvement as well. And Paige is, well, Paige. Some sloppy parts here and there but it was pretty enjoyable overall.
WWE United States Championship
John Cena def. Rusev
John Cena has had a record of really interesting Wrestlemania entrances, but this year’s a bit lackluster. Especially if you bring in the fact that Rusev BROUGHT IN A FREAKING TANK. Rusev also continues his awesome heel portrayal by forcing Eden Stiles to say his name first.
This match pretty match continued what they had at WWE Fastlane, and Rusev continues to prove that he has what it takes to hang with the best of them. Especially when said “best of them” is forced to pull an awkward looking second-rope springboard Stunner to gain the upper hand. Cena also becomes the first to completely break out of The Accolade and makes use of the miscommunication between Lana and Rusev to give The Russian Super Athlete’s first defeat in WWE.
Rusev actually looked strong here, and hopefully the “Cena curse” that hit previous Cena opponents does not happen to him, especially with that tease at the end with him and Lana.
The Rock and Ronda Rousey messes up The Authority’s celebration
This actually deserves it’s own post here.
The Undertaker def. Bray Wyatt
Wyatt’s entrance was actually longer than Undertaker’s, for those interested to know. And the outdoor stadium didn’t do any favors to these two’s entrances either.
That aside, Taker actually looked a lot better here compared to his WM30 match. He was completely in this match despite reports of Bray suffering a right ankle injury the previous night. I felt that Taker and Wyatt’s styles meshed with each other and if this happened a few years back (and without time constraints) it would’ve been really grand. It was still a relatively good match that just had the unfortunate luck of following a crazy Rousey segment. Taker getting the win might be a boost to the potential Taker-Sting double retirement match as well.
WWE World Heavyweight Championship match:
Brock Lesnar (c) vs Roman Reigns
This can really be summarized by one hashtag: #SUPLEXCITY
Brock has been portrayed as an unstoppable Beast, and he just displayed that ever since the start of the match. And both Brock and Reigns were pretty much stiffing each other out, busting each other out at the process. And WWE also made sure to make Reigns strong: 2 F5s and a plethora of suplexes was not enough to end him. Reigns found an opening though, and managed to take down the Beast with 6 Superman Punches and 2 Spears. But it was still not enough to finish Brock, and Reigns ate a third F5 for his troubles… which lead to this:
Triple Threat Match for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Seth Rollins def. Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar
THIS WAS ABSOLUTELY WONDERFUL. Seth Rollins: the dipshit heel that he is, found an opening beneath the laying bodies of Brock and Reigns. The Architect cashed in, making the match a Triple Threat, and proceeded in Curb Stomping Lesnar with full force. But he knew it won’t be enough, so he tried to Curb Stomp Lesnar a second time, only to be caught in the air. Reigns saved him from a potential F5 though and Speared Lesnar. Rollins “thanked” Reigns for the save with the final Curb Stomp of the night and earning the 1, 2, 3. And with that sequence, everyone looked strong in the process. It also revitalized the importance of the Money in the Bank contract as a storyline device.
All in all it was a solid Wrestlemania from top to bottom. Surprised? I am too.
