April 6th, 2014
Location: New Orleans, Louisiana
Venue: Mercedes-Benz Superdome
Attendance: 75,167
Theme song: "Celebrate" by Kid Rock
It's another milestone for WWE, and WrestleMania turned 30! Three decades had come and gone, and the WrestleMania moments it developed are priceless.
Since this was its thirtieth year, Vince McMahon and the company figured they needed to do something big. Something so drastic that it would stay with us for the rest of our lives as wrestling fans.
It turns out that would happen twice in the same night: one reminding us that our childhood was dead and the underdog overcoming the odds.
As WWE was getting ready for WrestleMania, the company also made history a month before. WWE released the WWE Network, an on-demand service that featured a library of its entire history.
It would be a game-changer for the company as the biggest feature of subscribing to the Network was watching every pay-per-view for just $9.99/month. No longer did fans need to go through their cable provider to order their shows, as it would save them hundreds of dollars a year.
Like they did in 1985 with WrestleMania, WWE took a gamble with creating the WWE Network. As it continues strong today, it's easy to say it's been a massive success.
Once again, WrestleMania 30 omitted the singing of "America the Beautiful" as it went right into the video package that introduced WrestleMania.
Considering that the night's theme was "Let the good times roll," the package showed New Orleans' jazz musicians on Burbon Street, dancing and reminiscing what was in the last 30 years. Next thing you know, the video had everybody partying as WrestleMania truly is a night of celebration.
The opening pyro went off inside the Superdome, and before the action was underway, a familiar face made his return to WWE as the Host of WrestleMania, which I'll talk about in a bit.
Seven matches were scheduled for the night, with one of them having implications for the main event. That match I'll also speak about later on.
The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Seth Rollins, and Roman Reigns) once again competed in a six-man tag team match. This time against Kane and The New Age Outlaws (Billy Gunn and Road Dogg). In the final moment, The Shield picked up Gunn and Dogg at the same time to perform a double triple powerbomb. Rollins would pin Gunn and pick up the win for his team.
A month before WrestleMania, WWE announced that they would honor Andre the Giant with the creation of the "Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal" and continues to this day. The winner would receive a big trophy, and nothing more.
In the final two, just as the Big Show was about to throw Cesaro out of the ring for the win, Cesaro escaped Show's grasp. Out of nowhere, Cesaro dead-lifted the 400-pound giant to a roaring ovation and threw out the Big Show to win the battle royal.
A mysterious and dark individual named Bray Wyatt was making his WrestleMania debut with one goal in mind, to destroy John Cena. After a series of mind games in the weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Wyatt and his family would terrorize Cena in the hopes of ruining his legacy.
However, Wyatt came up close as Cena would nail him with his "Attitude Adjustment" and picked up the win. Many fans criticized the move as they felt the up-and-coming Bray Wyatt needed the win more.
Spoiler alert for the next few years; Wyatt did need it.
Finally, for the first time since WrestleMania 22, the top prize for the women (now known as the Divas Championship and not the Women's Championship) was defended as A.J. Lee had to face 13 other women in the "Vickie Guerrero Invitational." The objective was simple: the first woman to get the pin or make an opponent submit wins.
Lee would find a way to outlast her opponents. She put Naomi in her "Black Widow" submission hold and made her tap out. Lee would retain her Divas Championship.
Now, let's take a look at the three things that stood out to me from WrestleMania 30.
Then, now, forever
In February, WWE announced that WrestleMania 30 would have a host for the night. That man would be the Immortal Hulk Hogan.
He made his return to the stage he helped put on the map. It was Hogan's first WrestleMania since the 21st edition in Los Angeles.
As soon as he began his segment to talk about WrestleMania moments, he accidentally created one of his own.
He opened his speech by welcoming everybody to the Silverdome, forgetting that it's the Superdome they're in. The memory of WrestleMania 3 came back to mind as that took place at the Pontiac Silverdome in Detroit.
Without realizing his mistake, Hogan went on to talk about his experience at the first WrestleMania and then brought it back to the present time and said "Silverdome" again. The fans began to chant "Superdome," and Hogan's face dropped when he realized his mistake, causing the commentary team to laugh.
Suddenly, glass shattered as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin came down to the ring to address the crowd, continue the talk on WrestleMania moments, and poke at Hogan for his Silverdome comment.
If that wasn't enough, The Rock also surprised everybody and made his way to the ring to meet Austin and Hogan. Although they were bitter rivals for five years, The Rock gave Austin a big smile and hug. As for Hogan? Rock also embraced him, reminding everybody of their epic encounter at WrestleMania 18.
Rock would bring up his history with Austin and Hogan in past WrestleManias and told them both it was an honor to be in the ring with them. Of course, The Rock had a little fun and mentioned that the birth rate goes up every January since everybody goes and makes "Rock Babies" after WrestleMania.
At the end of the segment, each of them yelled their catchphrases, and Austin grabbed everybody some beers to celebrate WrestleMania's night and future.
As John "Bradshaw" Layfield said it on commentary, the Mount Rushmore of WWE stood in the ring, side-by-side. If you're somebody who grew up with WrestleMania from its beginning, you'll know that these three men helped shape the grand spectacle in their respective eras.
The opening to WrestleMania 30 would be one of the best in history, and what better way to do it than with The Immortal, The Texas Rattlesnake, and The Great One?
A hush came over the crowd
When you think of the word "WrestleMania," one of the first thoughts that pop into your mind is The Undertaker.
For twenty-one WrestleManias, The Undertaker had made the grand stage his yard. One-by-one, he'd take out his opponents and do what he does best when it's time to give it your all, win.
By 2014, The Undertaker would fit well in his role of only appearing in WWE when WrestleMania was in reach and wondered who he would face next.
On an episode of Monday Night Raw in February, Brock Lesnar and his advocate Paul Heyman were frustrated about not being involved in the WWE World Heavyweight Championship picture for WrestleMania 30.
As they bickered to The Authority (Triple H and Stephanie McMahon), the gong went off in the arena, and The Undertaker returned to confront Lesnar.
Lesnar stepped up and asked to challenge The Undertaker for WrestleMania and try to conquer his streak. After stabbing Lesnar with a pen and chokeslamming him through a table, Undertaker agreed, and their match was official.
The weeks leading up to it were quiet. It didn't give you a reason to be too excited for the match. Because of how often Undertaker won, many fans assumed that Undertaker would win again and his streak would never die.
In the video package that previewed the match and shown at WrestleMania, Heyman said one line that stood out to many regarding Lesnar winning, assuming it was just a phrase to promote it.
"That's not a prediction. That's a spoiler."
The match began, and Lesnar came firing right off the bat, with Undertaker barely having time to get back on his feet and gain momentum. 'Taker was slow throughout the whole thing, looking exhausted and not really into it.
However, this is the Prince of Darkness. We knew how it would end. Even though Undertaker was getting beat up, we knew that he would find his way to fight back, gain control, and win the match.
In the final moment of the match, Brock Lesnar hit Undertaker with a third F-5 and left him down on the mat. Once again, we knew Undertaker would kick out because he needed to win. Even if it's the third time he's getting spun around and slammed to the mat, the referee will stop the count at two, and we would progress.
However, referee Chad Patton didn't stop his arm from hitting the mat a third time. A split second later, silence would overcome the Mercedes-Benz Superdome.
"The streak...is over..." were the words that Michael Cole barely spoke with a crack in his voice.
No music began to play, the ring announcer didn't say a word, and the commentary team suddenly stopped talking.
Paul Heyman came into the ring, screaming "Oh, my God" again and again. Images of the crowd began to appear on TV, including a fan's face in the front row whose eyes went wide open and froze.
Was it an accident? Did Patton mean to hit three? Did WWE need to correct something?
If it didn't feel real, it immediately did when the screens inside the Superdome showed the graphic that said "21-1."
As Lesnar sat up smiling, ring announcer Justin Roberts suddenly yelled into the microphone, "The winner of the match, BROCK LESNAR!". His theme song hit, and with his advocate, the two walked up the ramp in celebration.
The Undertaker laid in the ring, eventually sitting up with the graphic of his WrestleMania record in the background.
Reality sunk. The man who was immortal at WrestleMania and deemed untouchable suddenly felt human,
As he got up to his feet, fans in New Orleans began to chant "thank you" while he walked up the ramp in defeat for the first time at WrestleMania.
The streak reached its conclusion, and Lesnar would enjoy every bit of it.
The ultimate underdog
This final point takes us back eight months before WrestleMania at SummerSlam in Los Angeles. The Staples Center was the starting point of a "B+ player" who was blocked at every opportunity he had to get to the top by The Authority.
This is the story of Daniel Bryan.
In the main event of SummerSlam, John Cena was taking on Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship with Triple H as the special guest referee. As a surprising result, Bryan would defeat Cena to win his first World Title.
As the confetti fell inside Staples Center, Randy Orton suddenly came out with the Money in the Bank briefcase that he won a few months prior. He stood at the ramp with his contract reminding Daniel Bryan what can happen at any time.
Then, in a stunning twist of events, Triple H turned Bryan around and hit him with his Pedigree, who then instructed Orton to come into the ring to cash in his contract and win the WWE Championship.
The biggest party of the night came to a sudden halt, and Daniel Bryan was left lying in the ring with confetti around him.
Triple H would form "The Authority," a faction that wanted to make sure the right people represented the company. For the historians out there, you would know that this was once Vince McMahon in the late '90s.
Their objective was clear: make sure superstars like Daniel Bryan were not the face of the WWE. If the historians pull out their notes again, they would know that this was once "Stone Cold" Steve Austin.
For the next few months, Daniel Bryan would get close to regaining the WWE Championship, only to be screwed by "The Authority" in different capacities. By December, fans were into the "Yes Movement" and wanted justice for the young star.
Meanwhile, before the year closed, John Cena (who became World Heavyweight Champion) and Orton competed in a world title unification match at the Tables, Ladders, and Chairs pay-per-view. Orton would successfully capture both world titles and would be named the WWE World Heavyweight Champion.
January had arrived, which meant it was time for the Royal Rumble to start the Road to WrestleMania. During the annual battle royal, fans eagerly awaited Bryan to enter the Rumble match to earn the main event spot in New Orleans.
When it was time for the number 30 entrant to join the frame, fans began to yell out Bryan's name, only to be disappointed when Rey Mysterio came out as the final participant.
With fans booing the rest of the Royal Rumble match and continuing to call out Bryan, a returning Batista would eliminate Roman Reigns to book his ticket to WrestleMania.
The following month at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view in the Elimination Chamber match, Bryan was again screwed by The Authority. Kane (former tag team partner of Bryan) would force his way inside the Chamber and helped eliminate the fan-favorite, costing him his chance to become champion. Orton would retain his championship.
That's when Daniel Bryan had enough. He confronted Triple H and asked him for a match at WrestleMania. When Triple H said no, Bryan rounded a bunch of fans to get in and surround the ring and "Occupy Raw."
With the ring filled up and Triple H freaking out, Bryan asked to face Triple H at WrestleMania and stated that everybody wouldn't leave the ring until he got what he wanted.
Triple H eventually agreed to the match at WrestleMania, but Bryan continued and asked for one more thing. If Bryan defeated Triple H, he would be added to Randy Orton and Batista's main event and make it a triple threat match.
A fuming Triple H had no choice but to accept the stipulation. He increased the stakes a few weeks later and let Orton and Batista know that he would also be added to the main event if he beat Bryan. Regardless, a triple threat was booked for the main event of WrestleMania. The question was, "who's the third member?"
In New Orleans, WrestleMania 30 started on a high note as Triple H and Daniel Bryan were the opening match to see who was headed to the main event.
After an excellent 25 minutes, Daniel Bryan outlasted Triple H when he hit him with the running knee and picked up the victory to move on to the main event.
The crowd erupted in celebration before Triple H, and Stephanie McMahon continued to attack Bryan to get him extremely weak for the main event.
We go to the main event and given it was as long as the first match with a fresh Orton and Batista, the odds were stacked against Bryan in the biggest fight of his career.
Right away, Orton and Batista would team up on their added opponent and immediately tried to take him out of the equation.
Even Triple H returned to ringside to bring his corrupted referee to screw over Bryan, which he overcame.
The numbers game caught up to Bryan when Batista and Orton teamed up to perform a powerbomb into an RKO on the commentary table. Easy to say that any little chance that Daniel had was gone after that stunt.
Orton and Batista would begin to square off to gain the upper hand after thinking they got rid of the weaker link. However, in the final moments, the miracle kid would suddenly rush back and complete the underdog story.
After the shocking loss of The Undertaker that sucked the air out of the Superdome, fans immediately woke up and began to celebrate as Bryan was handed his new titles.
Daniel Bryan became the WWE World Heavyweight Championship, and New Orleans wouldn't stop chanting "yes!" The eight-month journey that had moments that wanted us to break our TV, be angry with on-screen personalities, and see opportunities be granted reached its fairy-tale ending.
The closing image of WrestleMania 30 had Daniel Bryan with both titles in hand, raising his arms up and down, screaming "yes!" on top of the commentary table with fireworks going off behind him. The confetti fell from the rafters, with nobody to ruin the moment, and capped off a fantastic WrestleMania.
Final thoughts
This was a roller coaster of a night. For me, this was the first WrestleMania I saw live in its entirety in six years. This was also the start of my annual WrestleMania viewing party with my childhood friends, along with others that trickled in over the years.
It turns out I picked an excellent time to get back into the WWE on a full-time basis. I think WrestleMania 30 deserves to be in the conversation for "best of all-time," in all honesty.
First, the story of Daniel Bryan could not have been told any better. While it nearly was on par with the story of Steve Austin in the '90s, I thought Triple H did a fantastic job playing that role of "evil boss."
Then, The Undertaker. That moment was on another level. When it comes to WWE, I've never had my heart drop that low for an on-screen moment.
I was sitting on my couch slouched with my three friends to my right. If I need to be honest, my eyes were slowly closing because it was a mediocre match. When the referee hit three, I sat right up and nearly forgot to breathe. One friend looked at all of us laughing, saying, "what?" The other with his brother with the same face as me.
As soon as the graphic of "21-1" was projected, my heart sank lower, and I couldn't believe my eyes. In the words of Michael Cole, I, as well, wish the streak never ended. It made you wonder if it was the last time you saw The Undertaker compete in the ring. Along with the rest of the world, I thought his retirement was impending, which wasn't the case.
The day after, news broke that The Undertaker suffered a concussion during the match and collapsed when he reached the backstage area. It explained why he felt slow and continued to make us wonder if the streak was meant to be broken.
Unfortunately, the Undertaker confirmed in a WWE documentary called "The Last Ride" the streak was meant to end.
However, that's what a WrestleMania should have. Like I've said in past posts, WrestleMania should have moments that stick out in the best way possible and have you talking about it for years to come. From Daniel Bryan's triumphant moment to Undertaker losing (whether you liked it or not), this is what we love and want to see from a show like this.
After the overwhelming success of WrestleMania 30, it would be a tough act for next year's show to follow.
But as Brock Lesnar did, another massive shock would follow and would be one of the biggest steals in history.
Results:
- Daniel Bryan def. Triple H - Winner is added to WWE World Heavyweight Championship match later in the evening
- The Shield (Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns, and Seth Rollins) def. Kane and The New Age Outlaws (Road Dogg and Billy Gunn) - Six-man tag team match
- Cesaro last eliminated Big Show - Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
- John Cena def. Bray Wyatt
- Brock Lesnar def. The Undertaker
- AJ Lee (c) (via submission) def. Aksana, Alicia Fox, Brie Bella, Cameron, Emma, Eva Marie, Layla, Naomi, Natalya, Nikki Bella, Rosa Mendes, Summer Ray, and Tamina Snuka - Vickie Guerrero Invitational match for WWE Divas Championship
- Daniel Bryan def. Batista and Randy Orton (c) (via submission) - Triple Threat for WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Rating: A-
Thanks for reading. Look out for tomorrow when I take a look at WrestleMania 31.
5 days away until WrestleMania 35.
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