WrestleMania 33: 10 Best Moments
Euphoric, gut-wrenching, sad, triumphant: WM33 was one hell of a ride.
Will WrestleMania 33 be remembered as one of the greatest of all-time? From an in-ring standpoint, probably not. Though the show wasn't short of good matches, there were too many missteps for it to be considered among the classics, particularly during the night's hit and miss second half.
Mania isn't just about the action, however. WWE's flagship pay-per-view has always emphasised memorable moments above all else, and while exciting bouts are undeniably important, everything takes a backseat to pure, unbridled entertainment at this time of year. In this regard, WM33 was a complete success, and more than lived-up to its billing as the Ultimate Thrill Ride.
There was no sign of Finn Balor or Hulk Hogan, but two returning wrestlers were still able to break the internet with an incredible, long overdue comeback. Elsewhere, one of the most impressive and iconic careers in WWE history seemingly reached an end, Mania saw its first ever in-ring marriage proposal, and a number of high stakes matches over-delivered.
It was a flawed show, but one that provided provided a number of huge talking points, many of which will forever live on in WWE folklore. Here are WrestleMania 33's 10 best moments.
10. Rob Gronkowski Gets Hype
Say what you will about WWE’s propensity to put celebrity guests over their own wrestlers, but WrestleMania is the one night of the year when such moves are forgivable. The event’s tradition is built on moments like this, but as overbearing as the celebrities can be, they were used with surprising restraint at WM33.
We got Al Roker announcing John Cena and Nikki Bella vs. The Miz and Maryse, then the obligatory Pitbull concert, and nothing else on the show proper. Instead of stalling a potentially important main card moment with a non-wrestler, WWE kept the biggest spot on the Kickoff Show, and the conclusion of the largely inconsequential Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal.
New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski was at ringside to watch his friend Mojo Rawley in action, and when Jinder Mahal provoked a tussle with him, the two-time Super Bowl Champion had to get involved. Gronk pushed through security, hit the ring, and trashed Mahal with a running shoulder block, aiding Mojo to victory, and closing the bland Battle Royal on a big moment. Simple, harmless fun.