WWE Championship Match: John Cena vs The Rock
This was a fantastic match. Quite down, internet, I've heard your point of view. And I'm going to be very honest, I believe that the only reason this match is getting so much hate is because of the fact that it happened and the fact that John Cena won. Was John Cena winning predictable? Yes. Was it the right move? Absolutely. Did I mark out for Cena's victory? You bet your ass I did. Let's get something out of the way: The Rock was a terrible champion. He really was. Not having him on the show devalued the title and reduced the build to the main event of WrestleMania to a shell of what it could have been, though it was still very good, and his title reign was quite frankly boring as a result. I absolutely love Rocky, but having a guy who will only be able to attend half of the shows is a serious problem? So ya, I'm glad the company man got the title. I very recently a proud member of the Cenation, but in no way am I biased. I truly thought this was a terrific match. Where the match was great, the entrances fell short. I am unsure if it was because of time constraints or what, but both Cena and Rocky got standard entrances. No marines, no musical performances, no pyro, no nothing. I don't know why this is, but I felt it was a bit disappointing. The actual match, however, exceeded expectations. They were given a very respectable 24 minutes to tell the ultimate passing of the torch and redemption story, and though a good 10 of those minutes consisted of stalling and staredowns (though without the crowd reactions that made those 10 minutes amazing last year), the last 14 minutes were incredibly fast-paced, with counter after counter after counter finally leading to a finisher...for two. By the end, Cena had kicked out of three Rock Bottoms and a People's Elbow, and Rocky had survived two Attitude Adjustments and a Rock Bottom. While there were complaints about the contest being a finisher overload, I thought it played into the redemption story brialliantly and the near falls were so believable that there were many times that I was sure beyond a shadow of a doubt that it was over, much like Punk vs Taker. And while Punk vs Taker was the better match, Cena vs Rock was a damn great contest. It is important to note, however,that the crowd reactions were dull at first, so the stalling period didn't capture the Mania magic as well as Once in a Lifetime did. Nevertheless, a tremendous match from two tremendous performers. **** Also, CENA WON!!! BLOW UP WITH HATE, INTERNET! Overall Show This was a fantastic show. Don't let the jaded smarks tell you differently, this was one of the best Manias ever, with every single match barring Henry vs Ryback delivering with aplomb. There was a breathtaking contest in Punk vs The Undertaker, a brutal fight in Triple H vs Brock Lesnar, and a spectacle of a match in Rock vs Cena. In the end, there was something for everyone, and memories were made that will not soon be forgotten. And that, ladies and gentleman, is what WrestleMania is all about. Final Show Grade: 9/10