10 Positive Signs Going Into WrestleMania 33

To any other entertainment fandom on the planet, wrestling enthusiasts must seem like a bitter bunch of apples. We fantasy book ourselves into disappointment so regularly and enthusiastically that we almost never wind up coming away satisfied with WWE shows, and while WWE itself is responsible for the product it puts out, we too are responsible for the way we consume and criticise it.

This website (and this writer, even) has recently published a great number of articles criticising WWE for its poor booking decisions heading into WrestleMania, and for its over-reliance on part time talent and multi-person matches. But what about the good stuff WWE is doing, the stuff we can all get excited about?

Whether or not 'The Ultimate Thrill Ride' winds up being a high quality show, WrestleMania season is sort of like wrestling Christmas time, a time to spread joy throughout the community, even if it goes against your better judgement. Believe it or not, WWE has actually made a lot of smart, savvy decisions in the lead up to this year’s Show of Shows, some of which could have huge repercussions for the coming year.

AJ Styles vs. Shane McMahon might not be the match everyone wants to see AJ involved in, but there’s no denying that the story has been well told. Even though it hasn’t been built for all that long, its seeds have been planted throughout the beginning of the year, with Shane McMahon respectfully (but somewhat blindly) making AJ jump through hoops to earn his main event title shot.

Now AJ is furious that he’s lost what should have been a career-defining opportunity, while Shane is on the defensive on account of having had his face smashed through a car window.

Over on RAW, stories have been similarly booked with care and attention to detail. This is shown through minor moments like Undertaker’s wince as he turned to eat a Roman Reigns spear, or larger points like Chris Jericho’s excellent meta-promos following the Festival of Friendship, which was itself one of the best non-wrestling segments of the year so far.

While the WrestleMania card might not look that interesting on paper and without context, look back over the past 4-8 weeks, and you'll see that these stories have been built surprisingly well. The same can be said of the build for Rollins vs. Triple H, Brock vs. Goldberg, or even Neville vs. Aries – some have been written in the short term, while others have been foreshadowed for a very long time, but all feel like intriguing, must-watch feuds that are worthy of 'The Grandest Stage of Them All'.