6 Ups & 5 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 21
1. Animal Magnetism
It was all nearly perfect.
Dave Batista's World Heavyweight Championship ascension could have done without Triple H's ego getting in the way after 'The Game' had managed not to be at all like himself in the build-up. It didn't need Hunter having a far superior entrance than his 'Animal' opposition. It was outright hamstrung by the 21:34 runtime after months of watching Big Dave plough through foes in minutes.
But it spoke to just how ready the Challenger was for the role that fans looked past it all to enjoy his glorious coronation. The sense of celebration around Chris Benoit's victory the prior year was cathartic but temporary. Batista, meanwhile had ended the reign of terror from within. He'd prove his worth over and over again in the near-year he spent with the title, though his absence from the following year's 'Show Of Shows' spoke volumes of the grind.