10 Ways WWE Is Killing WrestleMania

1. The Pointless Guest Host Slot

New Day Hosts
WWE.com

The New Day didn't do much at WrestleMania, bar a nothing opening promo and the announcement of a fake attendance record.

They did introduce the Hardy Boyz into the RAW Tag Team Title Ladder bout, but that was the only moment of note. The sly acknowledgement of Xavier Woods' sexcapades was funny enough, but was it funny enough to excuse the rushed RAW Women's Title Match?

Hulk Hogan's gig at 'Mania XXX was more memorable, providing us with a so-bad-it-was-good moment and an electric on its own terms segment in New Orleans - but The Rock's schtick at WrestleMania XXVII was as bothersome as it was tedious.

His over-long introductory promo relegated Sheamus and Daniel Bryan to the pre-show and failed to ignite the crowd. The undercard suffered from a lack of crowd heat. Rock produced the opposite of the intended effect. That he, the most electrifying man in all of entertainment, failed to electrify the audience is an indictment of the redundant role.

'Mania 33 suffered no such fate, but the Guest Host invariably does nothing, and it's symptomatic of what 'Mania is threatening to slowly degenerate into: a vacuous spot of short-term fun entirely removed from the star-making showcase it used to be.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!