A worthy sequel to a masterpiece, this wasn’t just worthy, it was true; Shawn had learned from the mistake that had put him down one year prior. He was too cute, too, too sly.
Here, he was more vicious, more desperate, and more prepared—as one would expect from a man possessed in his quest to hold on to his career. He chop-blocked ‘Taker’s plancha attempt and concentrated his protracted assault on ‘Taker’s legs. Mr. WrestleMania wasn’t putting on a show here; he was putting an end to the Streak.
He also ate two of the most wicked Tombstones ever dropped—one to the ringside mats, the other a sick jumping variation—in a match that was less spectacular, but far more gritty, far more emotional.
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 current Undisputed WWE 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!
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