10 Fascinating WWE Facts About WrestleMania 34

Dream debuts, dream matches, and the nightmare scenario of The Undertaker going 40 more minutes.

WWE WrestleMania 34 Ronda Rousey Stephanie McMahon
WWE.com

WrestleMania 34 was the last 'Show Of Shows' before the existence of All Elite Wrestling.

"Why does that matter?" you may indeed ask, should you be the type to loathe the framing of one company around the other, but the answer can be found by watching literally any five second segment of the wretched main event between Brock Lesnar and Roman Reigns.

Lesnar was a mercenary Champion that fans were sick of seeing holding the Universal Championship hostage having won it a year earlier, but the WWE flatly refused to position anybody close to his level other than a babyface 'Big Dog' still despised by virtually the entire fanbase. The result was a main event booed out of the building thanks to the expectation of a Reigns victory, followed by just as much vitriol when Vince McMahon elected to close out the night with a win for the actual heel rather than the ostensible one. Lesnar infamously lobbed the belt in his old waxwork face when he got backstage, so appalled as he was with the creative disaster he was forced to participate in.

It was and is the singular best example of a company losing grip on a monopoly without even being aware of what - very quickly - could happen as result of this continued negligence. That fact wasn't fascinating so much as inevitable. Unlike...

10. Aiden English's Quick Cut

WWE WrestleMania 34 Ronda Rousey Stephanie McMahon
WWE

There are numerous ways to maximise your minutes in pro wrestling, but Aiden English happened upon one of the savvier methods in 2018 - do something with your aesthetic that forces people to rewatch some of them just to be sure.

English pulled double duty at WrestleMania 34, working the Andre The Giant Battle Royal on the 'Show Of Shows' Kickoff, before seconding Rusev for his United States Championship bout against Randy Orton, Bobby Roode and Jinder Mahal. He was at the time an integral part of a double act with the 'Bulgarian Brute' that initially felt like it would rocket both to the top of the card, but when the two were slotted into this decidedly midcard attraction, the former Vaudevillain donned a chrome dome in contrast to the long locks he'd sported on the pre-show.

It was both a unique way to remind audiences that he'd featured in two separate spots and a fresh (if regrettably futile) coat of paint for the start of the new wrestling year.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett