Daniel Bryan's bruising Intercontinental Title victory didn't deserve the banter build-up it received, not least considering the damage Dean Ambrose seemed willing to inflict on himself to get the whole thing over.
An underrated multi-man from a period in WrestleMania history where the market had become flooded, this played like a greatest hits package of the performers within it. In the aftermath of such a spectacular 'Show Of Shows' scuffle, only the 'Lunatic Fringe' continued upwards.
Luke Harper went continually unpushed, Daniel Bryan went quietly into a brief early retirement, R-Truth and Dolph Ziggler went back to the treadmill whilst Cody Rhodes and Wade Barrett began contemplating an entirely different future. Time was running out for WWE to make the most of many of these talents, and with so many on the way up, it's little wonder notable names eventually sought pastures new...
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
