16 Match Star Ratings For WWE WrestleMania 39
5. GUNTHER Vs. Sheamus Vs. Drew McIntyre - Intercontinental Title Triple Threat Match
Many fans are put off by WWE's presentation before they even consider the match quality, angles and promos.
It is very intense and laboured; catering to a broad audience that they seem to think very little of, the story beats are screamed in your face. Michael Cole, the most divisive commentator of all time, shouts so often down the finishing stretch that it's off-putting. He's telling you that a match is hot and dramatic and actively obscures the wrestlers' attempts to show it in the ring.
He was at his loudest during the GUNTHER Vs. Sheamus Vs. Drew McIntyre Triple Threat, but he actually sounded passionate. His volume level was justified. The match was incredible, a cast-iron WrestleMania classic, and he complimented it incredibly well. He was losing his mind, just as everybody else was.
This goddamn match was unbelievable. There was such an irresistible energy to it. Wrestling at its best makes you punch the air in your living room like a dork.
This elicited that feeling.
The word "bomb" is often used to describe the big moves in a hoss fight, but the sensation of watching these three slug it out made it feel literal. The perfect dramatic timing of those GUNTHER lariats and Drew Claymore kicks was akin to watching actual explosions. The rhythm of this war was as absorbing as hell; every one-on-one show-down felt special, and the saves were so acute that they orchestrated countless, super-convincing false finishes without undermining anyone's move-set.
The Triple Threat format was explored with such well-crafted elegance, and the violence was escalated to perfection. Every pin-fall break drew gasps because the wrestler being saved looked like they'd just had their lights sparked out.
Pulsating, gruesome, super-dramatic and credible pro wrestling in which everybody involved looked like a warrior: this was amongst the greatest matches in WrestleMania history.
Star Rating: ★★★★¾