Post by BRV on Jan 21, 2024 17:17:31 GMT -5
It seemed like for a solid decade, WrestleMania season became the time when WWE dusted off the stars of yesterday and put them in high-profile WrestleMania matches, at the detriment of current superstars and storylines. So, as we approach the 40th WrestleMania season, which one of these part-timers taking over WrestleMania season was the worst?*
* - "Worst" can mean whatever you'd like: worst wrestlers in their later years, worst storylines for WrestleMania, worst examples of stealing a full-timers' moment, etc.
IX - Hulk Hogan: Returns after a year out of the ring and his supposed "retirement" at WrestleMania VIII to team with Brutus Beefcake against Money Inc. for the World Tag Team Championships, then ends up leaving WrestleMania as World Champion despite not even being involved in the Bret Hart-Yokozuna story leading up to the main event.
2000 - The McMahon Family: The focus of WrestleMania 2000 turned into "A McMahon In Every Corner!" rather than the focus being on the main event competitors themselves. WrestleMania 2000 naturally ends with another Mr. McMahon heel turn and one of the rare examples of a heel winning the main event of the biggest show of the year.
XXVI - Bret Hart: The Hitman returned to WWE after a 13-year hiatus and was immediately thrust into a feud with Mr. McMahon, culminating in an extended beatdown of a match that was more than a decade in the making.
XXVII - The Rock: The next three could really be one entry, as it was part of a three-year storyline. But in February 2011, The Rock returned to WWE after a seven-year absence as the host of WrestleMania XXVII. His presence overshadows the main event in the weeks leading up to the show, and then he ends WrestleMania as the lone person standing tall.
XXVIII - The Rock: His match with John Cena is built as "Once in a Lifetime," and was built over a full year, even though he was gone for months at a time and John Cena feuded with the likes of CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, R-Truth, and Kane while waiting for The Rock to return.
29 - The Rock: He ends CM Punk's 434-day reign as WWE Champion at Royal Rumble 2013, beats CM Punk in the rematch at Elimination Chamber, then loses to John Cena at WrestleMania, putting him over and passing the torch in front of a largely negative response at MetLife Stadium.
XXX - Batista: The Animal returns at Royal Rumble 2014 as the proverbial favorite, but his moment is booed out of the building by the fans who preferred Daniel Bryan continue his quest for a world championship. He turns heel after a blink-and-you-miss-it feud with Alberto Del Rio, and enters WrestleMania's main event as arguably the third-most important man in a three-man match.
32 - Triple H: He returns to in-ring action at Royal Rumble 2016 to win the WWE Championship and enters WrestleMania as champion in a transparently-obvious effort to make Roman Reigns more popular in the eyes of the fans.
33 - Goldberg: After shocking everyone by besting Brock Lesnar in less than two minutes at the previous year's Survivor Series, Goldberg ends Kevin Owens' Universal Championship reign to enter WrestleMania as champion in a rematch with The Beast.
36 - Goldberg: Much like with Kevin Owens three years prior, Goldberg returns to beat a full-timer a month before WrestleMania. This time, he defeats the then-unbeatable Fiend in about four minutes to build to a main event match against Roman Reigns. He ends up facing Braun Strowman at WrestleMania, losing in less-than-memorable fashion.
OTHER: Who did I miss?
* - "Worst" can mean whatever you'd like: worst wrestlers in their later years, worst storylines for WrestleMania, worst examples of stealing a full-timers' moment, etc.
IX - Hulk Hogan: Returns after a year out of the ring and his supposed "retirement" at WrestleMania VIII to team with Brutus Beefcake against Money Inc. for the World Tag Team Championships, then ends up leaving WrestleMania as World Champion despite not even being involved in the Bret Hart-Yokozuna story leading up to the main event.
2000 - The McMahon Family: The focus of WrestleMania 2000 turned into "A McMahon In Every Corner!" rather than the focus being on the main event competitors themselves. WrestleMania 2000 naturally ends with another Mr. McMahon heel turn and one of the rare examples of a heel winning the main event of the biggest show of the year.
XXVI - Bret Hart: The Hitman returned to WWE after a 13-year hiatus and was immediately thrust into a feud with Mr. McMahon, culminating in an extended beatdown of a match that was more than a decade in the making.
XXVII - The Rock: The next three could really be one entry, as it was part of a three-year storyline. But in February 2011, The Rock returned to WWE after a seven-year absence as the host of WrestleMania XXVII. His presence overshadows the main event in the weeks leading up to the show, and then he ends WrestleMania as the lone person standing tall.
XXVIII - The Rock: His match with John Cena is built as "Once in a Lifetime," and was built over a full year, even though he was gone for months at a time and John Cena feuded with the likes of CM Punk, Alberto Del Rio, The Miz, R-Truth, and Kane while waiting for The Rock to return.
29 - The Rock: He ends CM Punk's 434-day reign as WWE Champion at Royal Rumble 2013, beats CM Punk in the rematch at Elimination Chamber, then loses to John Cena at WrestleMania, putting him over and passing the torch in front of a largely negative response at MetLife Stadium.
XXX - Batista: The Animal returns at Royal Rumble 2014 as the proverbial favorite, but his moment is booed out of the building by the fans who preferred Daniel Bryan continue his quest for a world championship. He turns heel after a blink-and-you-miss-it feud with Alberto Del Rio, and enters WrestleMania's main event as arguably the third-most important man in a three-man match.
32 - Triple H: He returns to in-ring action at Royal Rumble 2016 to win the WWE Championship and enters WrestleMania as champion in a transparently-obvious effort to make Roman Reigns more popular in the eyes of the fans.
33 - Goldberg: After shocking everyone by besting Brock Lesnar in less than two minutes at the previous year's Survivor Series, Goldberg ends Kevin Owens' Universal Championship reign to enter WrestleMania as champion in a rematch with The Beast.
36 - Goldberg: Much like with Kevin Owens three years prior, Goldberg returns to beat a full-timer a month before WrestleMania. This time, he defeats the then-unbeatable Fiend in about four minutes to build to a main event match against Roman Reigns. He ends up facing Braun Strowman at WrestleMania, losing in less-than-memorable fashion.
OTHER: Who did I miss?