8 Ups & 2 Downs From WWE WrestleMania 24
1. Shock Of The Lighting
WWE used up John Cena's WrestleMania-sized Pop Of The Year when he returned at 2008's Royal Rumble but it highlighted a new problem the company would encounter with 'The Champ' for several years before embracing the reality of the situation they'd created. He had become substantially bigger than the titles he allegedly craved.
Cena's mere presence held more weight than any belts he could have won, and fans had gotten their fill of him throughout his January/February run with Randy Orton. Triple H, in the meantime, wasn't ever the lead babyface he pretended to be, and felt oddly purpose-free in this battle between the alleged Austin/Rock pairing of their era.
Orton's victory was a total shock, but it was absolutely the right decision. The clash was barely a talking point emerging out of the show, and 'The Game' and 'The Viper' had another year to wait before stinking up another WrestleMania...