If WWE Was Being Honest About WrestleMania 35

Sami Zayn Daniel Bryan
WWE

Alexa Bliss received “You deserve it!” chants upon announcing herself as this year’s host. A gesture of respect, and not a laughable automated response, was not forthcoming for Jimmy and Jey Uso. An entire stadium, that had to that point witnessed four hours of pro wrestling—the duration of peak WrestleMania, tellingly—fell into an exhausted hush, and reserved its energy for the later attractions.

Several of the hardcore fans that make up the WrestleMania crowd once anticipated the Usos’ big moment. It encountered a mild—if not totally apathetic—reaction on the night.

This wasn’t a problem exclusive to the Usos, who, with all due respect, were not quite roared to the top of the card, à la Daniel Bryan in 2014. This exhaustion crept in further as Daniel Bryan returned to the site of his 2014 triumph. He received a big ovation—not deafening, but certainly big—when lightning struck twice. The resulting match, perhaps through the diverticulitis-ridden Shane McMahon’s prolonged shift, failed to approach its potential. The buzz, informed by a magic, once-in-a-lifetime story, did not manifest as noise. The crowd was spent. This wasn’t just a mild disappointment for Bryan and his public. The subsequent booking certainly did not help, but in this moment, the bloom was already off the rose for Bryan’s return. The apathy mutated.

The new WrestleMania format subverts what it is to be special.

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Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and surefire Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!