In-Person Instant Reaction - WrestleMania 31
By Ben Tucker, PWTorch TV specialist

Overall Score - 8.5

WWE did not make the Road to WrestleMania easy for themselves, snubbing logical and sensible storylines for a mish-mash of rushed feuds with flawed execution. Where WWE didn't falter was the finish line, delivering the best overall WrestleMania since the greats of the early 2000s. Despite questionable finishes in certain matches, WWE told interesting stories with entertaining matches backing them up. Nothing will be seen as a Match of the Year candidate, but as a whole this was an incredibly strong line-up of matches that exceeded expectations.

Getting the negative out of the way early, Mania's biggest blunder was in its execution of the Sting-Triple H match. In a way, it was a fantastic tribute to the over-booked WCW main events of old. DX finally fought the NWO, nearfalls were convincing, and in the end, just like in real life, the WWF/E stood tall. The only problem with this story, of course, is that it wasn't the one that had been told beforehand. For as great as these moments were, it was made clear that this was about Triple H's control over WWE. Sting had no interest in defending a dead company's legacy, making interference from the NWO particularly head-scratching. When Sting was finally pinned, it wasn't a fitting end to the Monday Night War story, it was a bitter pill to swallow as the evil king was still in power. The match itself remains very entertaining with several high points, just like the rest of the card. That said, this was one moment that left a sour taste in the crowd's mouth for a large portion of the show, a notable miscalculation on a superb overall broadcast.

From the pre-show onward, everything was smooth and the action was intense. The IC Title ladder match was paced well and only featured a few spots that would be considered unsafe (a far cry from the inhumane Ziggler-Harper monstrosity from TLC 2014). Bryan's IC Title win, alongside Cena's U.S. Title win (in a strong match where Rusev lost absolutely nothing), made both mid-card titles feel valuable for the first time in years. These wins also open up a bevy of opportunities for mid-card feuds, allowing for fresh match-ups such as Bryan-Ziggler and Cena vs. anyone outside of the Authority.

The main event was a true spectacle, with Brock Lesnar looking incredibly strong in his dominance, Reigns looking extremely tough (comically so, in fact), and Seth Rollins winning in a rightfully-smarmy way. No one came out of the main event looking weaker, and Rollins's win instantly freshens the main event scene while preventing Roman from having a complete character annihilation.

Despite an ankle sprain and 50+ years of age, Bray Wyatt and The Undertaker delivered a memorable match that protected Bray and rekindled the old charm of The Deadman that seemed to have been lost at last year's Mania. Taker was crisper, better looking and fortunately enough not concussed, using his familiar spots well to build to the higher points of the match. Bray deserves all of the credit in the world for carrying this feud and looks strong in defeat.

Of course, the success of Bray's future will be determined in the upcoming weeks, as follow-up will be key. Indeed, follow-up will be crucial to assessing the true worth of WrestleMania 31. Will Cena rejuvenate the mid-card or be stuck in a feud with Big Show for three months? Will Bryan lose every week to Luke Harper? Will Bray Wyatt cut promos about nothingness until Roman Reigns needs someone to beat? The Divas looked strong tonight with the best Mania match the division has seen since WrestleMania 22; are things truly looking up?

There are many unanswered questions that don't need to be answered immediately because WrestleMania on its own was a lot of fun, making me feel like a true, wholesome wrestling fan again. WWE had a bevy of opportunities coming out of WrestleMania 30 and wasted nearly all of them. (Oh, Cesaro.) For WrestleMania 31 there are even more; will WWE take some chances from here on out?

Questions? Comments? Reactions? Find me on Twitter @BTuckerTorch, where I talk about wrestling and... stuff!

We suggest these recent related articles...

10/5 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Natalya vs. Paige, Owens vs. Cara, Stephanie McMahon, Sasha Banks, Xavier Woods

COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: The History of Foam Hands in Pro Wrestling

9/28 WWE Raw Hits & Misses: Kane's Split Personality, Divas Revolution, Heyman & Big Show, Reigns vs. Wyatt