25 Best Wrestling PPVs Ever
6. WWE WrestleMania XXX
Best Match: Randy Orton Vs. Batista Vs. Daniel Bryan
Worst Match: Vickie Guerrero Divas Invitational
In which Daniel Bryan improbably anointed himself as The Man.
WWE, as a consequence of the episodic TV paradigm, has a mixed track record in doling out catharsis. It used to be simple; Bruno Sammartino, having been decked by some heel menace, would cleanly pin him at the climax of their feud to send the Madison Square Garden punters home happy. Rinse and repeat.
Not so in 2013. In order to tempt us to tune in to RAW week upon week, WWE felt compelled to give us a painful case of blue b*lls. Would this finally be the week they'd book Daniel Bryan to gain a measure of vengeance on Triple H, or would the COO admonish him as a "B+ Player" before forgetting that he, the reason the Authority faction formed in the first place, existed?
WWE fans finally got their conclusive answer at the 2014 Royal Rumble. Bryan was not The Man. His legion of fans hijacked the weekly television shows leading up to WrestleMania XXX, forcing the company's hand. Bryan had to be inserted into the main event. The planned Randy Orton Vs. Batista clash would have been rejected en masse.
Bryan's incredibly heated and emotional matches with Triple H, and Randy Orton and Batista - both of which were very different, a further indication that he could carry the company against all manner of opponents, even if their styles were similar - entirely made up for what was a mixed card, the other highlight of which was Cesaro's Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royale victory.
Sadly, for different reasons, neither ROH alumni followed up their landmark victories - but the celebratory, cathartic atmosphere on the night, so appropriate to its host city New Orleans, will, alongside the Death of the Streak, remain XXX's legacy.