10 Wrestling Matches That Were Way Better Than Anyone Expected
9. AJ Styles Vs. Shane McMahon - WrestleMania 33
Shane McMahon can be a polarizing character for wrestling fans, but even the most ardent Shane defenders were let down by his match with The Undertaker at WrestleMania 32. "'he Boy Wonder's' first bout in seven years, that Hell in a Cell contest saw McMahon (and his awkward-looking offense) portrayed as the equal of 'The Phenom'. Undertaker's win put a merciful end to the contest.
McMahon looked even worse in his next contest, a Raw versus SmackDown match at Survivor Series that saw him beat Chris Jericho to a pulp with reckless punches. When rumors began to swirl in early 2017 that Shane would likely be wrestling AJ Styles at WrestleMania, fans were annoyed on behalf of 'The Phenomenal One', who had been WWE's MVP in 2016.
Thankfully, some smoke and mirrors - and the immense talent of Styles - managed to lead to quite a good opener at WrestleMania 33. Carefully planned spots (like McMahon catching a Styles 450 Splash with a triangle choke) made the match feel exciting, and when Styles eventually did win with the Phenomenal Forearm, his victory felt well earned.