Going into WrestleMania in 2017, there seemed a collective sense of pessimism amongst fans that knew deep down that one of their very favourites was being given the short shrift.
The general feeling was that AJ Styles deserved a 'proper' opponent instead of occasional stunt machine Shane McMahon, but wizened and weathered fans knew that 'Shane O Mac' wouldn't let his match go without grabbing a headline, thus bathing 'The Phenomenal One' in a shared, WrestleMania spotlight.
Shane's create-a-wrestler mirror man gimmick was a touch jarring, but the reception their opener received couldn't be ignored. Styles' aura was enhanced by his victory over the part-timer too, far more so than the supposed technical dream matches he'd have either side of it.
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
