The trouble with trying to summon emotion where there blatantly isn't any to mine is how obvious it looks to those attempting to invest in it.
For that reason, it's pointless to try and contextualise any sense of tension between the sad squads in this card-filler. By 2004, almost every WrestleMania was designed to be every bit the 'Showcase Of The Immortals' it was marketed as, full of thrills, spills and personal grudges finally settled on the 'Grandest Stage'. This never proves true, but the heavy-handed narrative results in matches outside of that remit looking all the more exposed as a result.
Defending Champions Rob Van Dam and Booker T were too good for this sh*t (as too, broadly speaking, were The Dudley Boyz), but the contest at least gave La Resistance, Garrison Cade and Mark Jindrak 7:58 to tell their grandchildren about. Good for them. Dud for us.
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
