WrestleMania 37 came to a close Sunday evening in Tampa, so we wrap it up here too. It’s time for Sunday night’s hits and misses to be revealed.
Or, at least, what I considered to be Sunday’s hits and misses. After all, such things can often be rather subjective.
Then again, there are plenty of things that can be so bad (or good) that it’s hard for anyone to object.
For example, even if you hated the matches last night, I’d bet just about any wrestling fan in the world was happy we had WrestleMania in front of live fans once again.
But, it is subjective, so my hits and misses may not be your hits and misses.
As with those for Saturday night before it, we are going to start with the bad and end with the good.
So, here are Sunday’s hits and misses revealed!
First out of the gate…
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Seriously…WWE should have made someone walk the plank…
The misses
The live themes tonight
Maybe I am getting out of touch, but I wasn’t really into the live entrances this year. Some just work better than others.
I loved Nakamura’s a couple years back. John Cena has had a couple over the years too.
The live themes for Big E and Rhea Ripley? I just wasn’t into them as much.
Women’s tag title match
So many issues with this match.
I like Natalya, but lately she’s been a heel…and yet, so have Nia Jax and Shayna Baszler. That didn’t really change for the match.
Meaning, heel versus heel does not always work.
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Also, my disdain for Tamina is well documented.
I think there were other teams and stories to tell here.
Riott Squad redemption? Lana finally really gets one over on her 2020 bullies?
Two nights…
Part of me likes the two nights…but a lot of me doesn’t. I didn’t mind last year because, well, it was an entirely different situation, and most were thrilled to have some escape.
Now, while it’s great to not have a 17 hour show like a couple years before…I think having an all-day event is part of the big game feel (making WrestleMania shine much like the Super Bowl).
Though, it’s nice to see the show start and end on Sunday…so there’s that.
The United States Championship bout
For the guys that have the experience, especially Sheamus, there were some high profile botches.
One, the failed White Noise off the top rope? That could have been disastrous.
Granted, Sheamus made chicken salad out of that chicken s#$!, but it was still ugly. The match had some good…but it just didn’t click for me.
Also, would have liked to see more with RVD, outside of the backstage segment. But I am an RVD fan, so this is definitely one of my more subjective takes.
Wasted Bayley, and no Becky
Bayley was just a wallflower. Annoying, that person that photo bombs everyone…all weekend.
Rumor pointed to something getting Becky Lynch back into action, attacking Bayley. That did not happen.
Perhaps they saved it for RAW or SmackDown…or it was nothing more than someone’s hopeful rumor.
Either way…seems awfully odd to not have more for Bayley to do on the biggest weekend of WWE’s year.
My “I dunno” would be…The Fiend.
On one hand, I was pleasantly surprised by the rebirth of The Fiend as he walked to the ring and came out of the Jack In The Box.
I believe we were all left confused by the end, however. Alexa Bliss, bleeding black from the top of the box, costs The Fiend the match…and then they disappear.
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Is that the way we see The Fiend shut down for a while, and we get creep kid show host Bray back?
Plus…I did want to see WWE finally use Bo Dallas with Bray…but that was wishful thinking at it’s best.
But, it’s not all bad…it never is…
The hits are here!
Here’s one I honestly didn’t think would be here…
Logan Paul’s involvement.
When it was set up just a couple weeks ago, it seemed so random and weird. It probably still kind of was…but it actually worked.
Celebrities and WrestleMania are always a thing…doesn’t mean they always work…this one went better than expected.
As it all unfolded, to me that was the moment when Kevin Owens truly became the latest version of Stone Cold. That stunner was exactly what Austin would have done, and I think it was fun.
The match wasn’t bad either…even if we didn’t see Owens do the long-rumored pirate ship spot that we had expected for over a year.
New champions
Several changes, and I will even go back to Saturday too.
Bianca Belair started the refresh in the women’s ranks on Saturday…and Rhea Ripley finished it Sunday.
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Apollo has a new friend…
I believe his name has been trademarked, Azeez, but it’s the former Dabo Kato. We have not seen him since the last draft, when he was selected but never deployed.
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Down side, it meant a dirty finish, which I don’t love on the biggest show of the year…but given the match stipulation, such a move was predictable. If Omos can be something, why not Dabo?
Most of the main event…
We ended night two as we started night one…with a championship match.
As with the WWE Championship, the Universal Championship was also retained.
The match itself? Better than I expected, and I think that was clearly why they added Daniel Bryan.
I do not think that match hits that level without Bryan.
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That said…not sure I like seeing both champions leave with the title. I wonder though, could we see some curve?
Like, Reigns pinned both men…but technically, Edge pinned Daniel Bryan too. Probably a reach…but we’ve seen matches in WWE built on far thinner premise.
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So, that’s it. WrestleMania 37’s Sunday night is done.
BTW…so good to have the fans back…
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WrestleMania 37 weekend is done. WWE may very well be on it’s way back to more shows in front of live fans…maybe?
Either way, this wraps up Sunday’s hits and misses, and WrestleMania 37 as well.
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