10 Impulse Reactions Following WWE WrestleMania 33

9. If You Can't Go Last, Go First

WrestleMania 33 Undertaker
WWE.com

Dean Ambrose and Baron Corbin appeared to weighed down by the enormous chips on their shoulders after a late pre-show demotion, but Neville and Austin Aries took the opposite approach opening proceedings in the sweltering Orlando sunshine.

Delivering a Cruiserweight Title match with all the heft and gravitas the pair had promised in an excellent build-up, 'A Double' and 'The King' gave the rest of the crew something difficult to follow.

Like Bobby Roode, AJ Styles and others of his ilk, Austin Aries made it to WWE just in time, and it was a genuine treat for longterm fans to see him dazzle such a mammoth crowd.

Aries' hybrid style was a perfect match for Neville's cynical ground game he's employed since turning heel, with 'The Greatest Man That Ever Lived' forcing 'The King of the Cruiserweights' back up to the top rope to keep a nose in front.

Never once straying from a measured pace, both were impactful in their assaults, with Neville in particular hitting his wicked german suplexes and swift strikes to generate huge reactions and gasps from the daytime crowd.

Returning to Aries' previously-injured eye was an inspired way for the devious and panicked 'King' to remain atop his throne, and left room for a rematch between the talented pair the next time the 205 crew can sneak onto a monthly pay-per-view.

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