8 Things WWE Have Promised For WrestleMania 33 (And Must Deliver)
5. That The Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal Will Actually Mean Something
Conceptually, the Andre the Giant Battle Royal is a great way to open WrestleMania – a chance to throw a bunch of guys into a match for some cool spots and some big dumb fun. When the winner stands alone in the ring with his arm raised, it’s supposed to signify that he’s destined for big things in the coming year.
Baron Corbin’s win came as a huge surprise, but the trophy did very little for his credibility, and he only began making waves once he was drafted to SmackDown three months later. With Cesaro, he was pushed as a heel once more and picked to be Paul Heyman’s neglected middle child. As for the Big Show, he went back to being Big Show, and his win felt more like a way to get the trophy over than the talent themselves.
We have been conditioned, then, to assume that the Battle Royal is filler, and that it doesn’t matter. After all, it’s usually populated by has-beens or jobbers or Superstars with no actual trajectory to speak of. But this year, the match includes Sami Zayn and Braun Strowman, two bonafide RAW stars who undoubtedly will go on to achieve great things in the coming year. With that in mind, this could be the first Memorial Battle Royal that actually makes an impact on the landscape of WWE.