7 Massive WWE Changes WresteMania 32 Highlighted

Another change that WrestleMania emphasised is how once protected finishing moves mean basically nothing anymore. A finishing move is no longer something to end the match – it is simply another weapon that a wrestler has in their arsenal to use. 

Throughout the card, we saw wrestlers use their finishing moves multiple times to no avail, and there were even instances where one wrestler would use another's finisher with no result. I counted this happening at least half a dozen times before I gave up altogether because it just felt like a stupid endeavour.

What makes it more noticeable is that some moves are still protected. For example, the Rock was able to Rock Bottom Erick Rowan for a three count without anything else happening whatsoever to knock out the enormous Rowan. And oh my goodness WWE really tried to make you believe that Roman Reigns’ mediocre attempt at a rugby tackle was truly debilitating and worthy of a world title victory.

Again, this change is not actually a bad thing in and of itself. The finishing move has always felt a little bit hokey because they are not all created equal. For every F5 or Powerbomb, there is an Attitude Adjustment and an RKO – moves that look so gentle and unassuming that all of us believe we could take on a hardwood floor without really being any worse for wear.

But it’s a relatively new phenomenon that is incredibly glaring on the largest stage. 26 years ago the Ultimate Warrior was able to beat Hulk Hogan with what was essentially an accelerated laydown. Now Chris Jericho can use a move that has literally broken guys' necks, and it won't end the match because it's not his move. But later in the night, Roman Reigns can cuddle HHH, and the match is over. It's bizarre and inconsistent, and completely illogical. 

Although given the nature of WWE I guess we shouldn’t expect any less.