6 Shocks That Happened At WWE WrestleMania 34
Swerve City.
WrestleMania 34 wasn't perfect (far from it, in fact), but it was perfectly WWE.
Delivering its usual blend of stunning, breathtaking highs and bewildering lows, this year's Show Of Shows was exactly the kind of all-out, maximalist spectacle fans expect from the pay-per-view. Quality is subjective, but while there was plenty to complain about, even the most curmudgeonous fan should be able to find something enjoyable within its seven bloated hours, and there were plenty of high-level matches and angles throughout.
A highly effective season finale, 'Mania 34 shook things up in a major way. The night was littered with huge developments, from the bottom of the card, all the way to the top. Odds were defied, critics were dumbfounded, and the internet was set ablaze.
It was one of the event's most shocking offerings in recent years. As Michael Cole might say, "the landscape has shifted," and while your mileage may vary on a number of these big surprises, the company at least deserve credit for keeping the audience guessing throughout.
So which moments left our jaws agape, pulses racing, and our minds utterly bamboozled? Let's dive into them...
6. Ronda The Natural
While Ronda Rousey hasn't exactly made a smooth transition from MMA to professional wrestling in terms of microphone and character work, she displayed an astonishing level of aptitude between the ropes last night.
Her mixed tag match with Kurt Angle, versus Stephanie McMahon and Triple H, was an absolute triumph. Ronda was tremendous. Sure, her suplex execution wasn't perfect, but her striking was so sharp that she even looked credible wailing on 'The Game' - a man with literally twice her body mass.
More importantly, Rousey carried herself like 'The Baddest Woman On The Planet.' Locked into "KILL" mode, she wore a mug mean enough to strike fear into even the hardiest souls, and tore around the ring like a gnashing pitbull, laying into the corrupt McMahon duo at every opportunity. She's a star, a natural, and while truer tests will come when Ronda's tasked with carrying the load in long singles matches, she passed the first with flying colours.
'Match Of The Night' is subjective, but with Nakamura vs. Styles slightly underwhelming and Lesnar vs. Reigns playing out before a disinterested audience, Ronda's debut is a credible pick.