-- 3/28 WWE WrestleMania 26 Reax

Tony Luger, Fort Worth, TX (5.0) Best Match: Taker-HBK. Worst Match: Bret-Vince. Overall, this WrestleMania felt uninspired and lacked that big-time feel of previous years. It was pretty much one stellar match with plenty of could-have-beens. While I am certainly glad they cut down on the bloated backstage filler segments and special guests, most of the matches still felt rushed and not given enough time to develop, even with a four-hour running time. Rey-Punk had plenty of energy going for it, and I just wonder if given more time, just how much more it could have been. Money in the Bank felt flat and unremarkable this year, probably because so many of the participants had no chance of winning and it cut down on the suspense. I can’t see Jack winning any World Title this year. Sheamus-Trips actually exceeded expectations, and I think Sheamus cemented himself as a long-term player in the company. I already knew the Edge-Jericho match was built on a lousy foundation, but I was hoping that the match quality would carry it through. It was just kind of there, never really getting out of first gear, just overshadowed by bigger things on the card. The Bret Hart-Vince McMahon blow-off was utterly uncomfortable to watch. I almost started having sympathy for Vince. This should have stayed in the past. Bret and the entire Hart family came off looking vile and petty. I'm sure this isn't the image Stu Hart imagined on the weekend of getting inducted into the HOF. The crowd really elevated the Batista-Cena affair to another level, but it could have used a few more minutes to really tell a complete story. Even Cena’s intro was odd and not WrestleMania-caliber. Of course, the main event was a thing of beauty. I hope all the NXT kids and the younger guys in the back took notes on how to tell a story in the ring, using raw emotions and desperation to keep viewers on the edge of their seats. Shawn walking up that ramp was a chilling, real WrestleMania moment.

Patrick Michael of Rochester, N.Y. (6.0) Best Match: Shawn Michaels vs. The Undertaker. Worst Match: Ten-Divas tag match. WrestleMania this year was very much like the build-up for the Royal Rumble with WWE keeping storylines simple. The show came across once again as the pinnacle moment of the industry here in North America with a production value that is hard to beat when it comes to the entertainment industry. The entire show could not live up to all the hype that it had generated, but really delivered a solid show top to bottom. I don't think this is one of those shows that will be looked down upon but likely a show that will be forgotten over time. Undertaker and Michaels had another fine match, but could not live up to the expectations of last year and Edge and Jericho worked very hard to get their match over. The Money in the Bank was scaled far back and much less risky than in years past, and it was nice to see Jack Swagger given the ball instead of something more predictable. It would have been nice to see some more risks taken, but booking-wise, this was a show that made the most sense and was one that was needed before we begin the annual spring shake-up of the roster and major storylines going into the spring and early summer.

Andy Stevens of Chicago, Ill. (5.0): Best Match: Taker vs. Michaels. Worst Match: Vince and Bret Hart. I thought this was a mediocre show some highspots and many low ones. I was very disappointed in the Vince-Bret match. There was no heat and very little wrestling because neither guy can do it in the ring anymore. There were also screw-ups starting with Swagger being unable to remove the suitcase from the hook, Vickie having to pin Kelly Kelly twice, and Shawn Michaels almost missed the moonsault on Taker - he barely caught Taker's feet. Give credit to Taker for putting on a good match with a hip Injury. Even the Hall of Fame roll call was lame.

Joe M. of Enid, Okla (7.75): Best Match: Taker-HBK. Worst Match: Divas fisco. Wow. Where do I begin with Michaels-Taker? Nearly everything was spot on, and this match once again delivered like last year's. I agree with the writers here and on prowrestling.net; that this was a whole different match than last year's. Last year, it seemed like both men were trying to outdo each other, move for move. This year, there was something definitive on the line for both men and there was a desperation in each man's step. Before this match I was thinking, "This has been an okay WrestleMania," but this last match alone pushed the show nearly to an 8.0. Not much more can be said about that. It seemed like every wrestler out there knew they weren't going to outdo Undertaker and Michaels, so while they tried, they didn't really give a "WrestleMania effort." I'm not saying everyone was slacking off and not trying their best, which I'm sure they were. I'm just saying I think everyone knew Taker-HBK would exceed their match, whatever it may be. The one exception to that, I think, was Cena-Batista, and to a lesser degree, Jericho-Edge. The WWE Title match was very good. Both Cena and Batista did a great job executing their moves and it led to an exciting match where we were all asking the question: "Can John Cena beat Dave Batista?" That question was answered definitively in the end. I was half-expecting Swagger to do something "stupid" and cash in his briefcase at WrestleMania, but I'm glad he didn't. Speaking of Swagger, him winning MITB was a very nice surprise. I knew since everyone was picking either Christian or McIntyre, it wouldn't be either of them. I had actually picked Kofi to win, and I was still a little surprised he didn't win and it seems WWE is still scaling back his push for some reason. But as I said, Swagger winning was a good surprise, I loved his new Kurt Angle-like ring attire, and I can't wait to see what he does with the briefcase. Orton-DiBiase-Rhodes was entertaining, and it's good to see The Pose back. I hope Orton is sent to Smackdown in the Draft and turns tweener/face. Jericho-Orton-Edge triple threat, anyone? Although Triple H pinned Sheamus, I feel Sheamus had a great showing and hope to see more from him in the future. Mysterio-Punk was a little short and I was a surprised to see Mysterio win, but I understand WrestleMania, if nothing else, is the "feel good PPV." Punk can get his revenge at Extreme Rules. Hart-Vince wasn't too great, but I don't think most people were expecting much. The Divas match, or fiasco, as I stated above, was worse, however. But who didn't see that coming? Jericho and Edge both performed as expected in their match, and it was easily a ***1/2 to **** effort from both men. Two final things: (1) Undertaker's entrance with the dark blue laser lights was awesome and (2) I can't wait for the inevitable Taker-Cena match next year.

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