A surprisingly superb WrestleMania programme was set ablaze by one of the worst examples of WWE's impatient silliness, even though the worst was somehow yet to come.
Randy Orton burning down the Wyatt Compound (before they found a dirtier "House Of Horrors" to fight in a month later) was an overreach in the extreme from an 'Apex Predator' that had, up to that point, saw through a masterful scheme to take his leader's title.
The symbolism was on the nose enough for a Wyatt story, but the whole thing coming just weeks before their intriguing WrestleMania tangle made Orton look like a raging malevolent !*$% rather than an evil genius completing his destruction derby.
The big visual was spaffed out here too. Spooky bullsh*t for the rest of the way couldn't touch Orton's inferno, whilst their 'Show Of Shows' projection-filled title switch absolutely stunk.
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
