-- WWE WrestleMania 28 PPV Reax

Liam Renner in Baltimore, Md. (7.5): Best Match: Undertaker vs. Triple H. Worst Match: Divas tag. Overall, I thought WrestleMania had more good than bad. I was disappointed in the quick World Title match, but I think Bryan's promos on TV in the next few weeks should make up for that. And, hey, at least they got on the show this year! Taker-Hunter was amazing and about as dramatic as a pro wrestling match can get. HBK added a lot to it as well. Just an amazing moment. Considering their placement on the card, Punk and Jericho had a very solid match. Some very fun spots. Rock and Cena had pretty much the match I thought they would have, with the exception of the finish. Unless there's a re-match (hopefully Summerslam; I can't take another year of this!), Rock going over made no sense to me. Certainly not going over clean anyway!

Jim Forster in Manchester, England, police officer: I have to say Hunter vs. Taker stole the show for me, and I somehow knew The Streak was safe after the Sweet Chin Music/Pedigree kick-out. Michaels showed he is class by his performance and not trying to steal the limelight. Hunter shows why he has been the go-to guy for years. If it is the last time for Taker, it was great to see Old School, Snake Eyes, and Big Boot for the last time. Having watched Taker from childhood, he, along with Ric Flair has been the best wrestler to watch... Rock-Cena was a close second. Edge of my seat stuff. Divas match - made a cup of tea. Punk-Jericho - strong finish to a good match. 10-man tag - disappointing. World Title match - shame for two future stars. Kane-Orton - solid, and nice to see Kane win a big match. Show-Rhodes - Show still works great for a big guy and Rhodes is a future HOF'er in the making... Was it worth staying up till 4:00 in the morning? Definitely.

Derek Hamel, PWTorch reader (7.0): Best: Punk vs. Jericho. Worst: Divas tag. After this year's installment of the Royal Rumble, which was the worst PPV I've ever seen, my expectations for Mania were low. I'm glad to say the event surprised me with its overall quality and intensity. Having seen every WrestleMania, I can say Punk-Jericho was one of the ten best Mania matches of all-time. The action was stiff, the execution flawless. It seemed that after the tremendously physical Hunter-Undertaker tilt, the two men knew they had to ratchet it up several notches to steal the show. I felt they succeeded at 4-1/2 stars. While the HIAC match certainly set new standards for brutality in this, the "TV-PG" era, I believe the lack of juice cripples the intended psychology inherent to Hell in a Cell matches. It's also caused the Cell itself to become little more than an unused, aesthetic prop. That being said, this was miles better than I expected-their badly bruised and battered backs created a totally original visual. Four stars. John Cena and The Rock made up for their shared biggest weakness (credibility on offense) with what appeared to be genuine desperation to perform at a main event level. Both men put forth tremendous effort, most noticeably Rocky. Although this was no better work-wise than a distant third best on the card, it was carried by it's anticipation, big-match feel, and especially the surprising result, which generated one of the more raucous pops I've ever heard. All of those fringe benefits made this into a three-star main event.

Pete, PWTorch reader: Best: Taker-Hunter. Worst: Divas. I miss the old WrestleMania surprises. I was anticipating Lesnar showing. And, I would have taken Hot Rod clubbing someone with something, anyone, anything.

Dave of Sydney, Australia, academic: I haven't been as disappointed by a wrestling match since Booker T needlessly lost at WrestleMania 19, and he at least got his ten minutes. Daniel Bryan is arguably the best in the world and I am sure I was one of many fans who paid 60 dollars to watch him wrestle. Instead, he lost in 18 seconds to save time for a pointless Orton-Kane match, Brodus Clay & his mother "comedy," and musical performances by two artists that many wrestling fans don't care about. When you have a four-hour event and can't give the World champion 15 minutes, then I think your booking sucks. Aside from that, Jericho-Punk and Rock-Cena delivered, and there were some good performances in the tag match. Also, it was interesting to see Kane get a win.

Tim in Massachusetts, College Bookstore Manager (6.5): Best: Taker-Hunter. Worst: Bryan-Sheamus debacle. Really? REALLY? D-Bryan and Sheamus got screwed again. It feels like his whole title run was a practical joke and this was the punchline. Not only that, but it totally killed the momentum to start the show. The first hour felt like a hiccup. Then, HIAC happened. I did not have high hopes for this match at all, but the drama delivered in a BIG way. I truly hope this concludes the in-ring careers for both Hunter and Taker, and if it does, there's no better way for both of them to go out... Punk-Jericho was solid, and the DQ stip, although unnecessary, added some good comedy from Jericho to further galvanize him as one of the best heels ever. (You're father is a drunk, hit me in the head!) I didn't expect much from Cena-Rock, and that is about what I got. My favorite part of the match, seriously, was the pre-entrance concerts=. I get that Rock helped sell the PPV for a lot of people, but did he really need his ego stroked that badly that he couldn't put Cena over? I am not a SuperCena fan by any stretch of the imagination, but I am beyond tired of Rock, and I see no point to him winning that match. Hopefully I am proven wrong in the fall-out, as long as it doesn't lead to a re-match. I am seriously considering attending Mania next year since it will be within striking distance of my home state, but if Rock is going to be strutting out for the main event again only to have some younger talent carry him in a sad excuse for a match, then I'm going to have to pass.

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We welcome your 0-10 score and comments on this show for a "WWE PPV Reax" feature in the Torch Feedback section of PWTorch.com. Just to add a twist to this feature, include not just your hometown, but also your occupation (mechanic, lawyer, stay-at-home-dad, college student, etc.) so readers get a flavor for what everyone does as "day jobs." To contribute your thoughts on the PPV, click here or email us at pwtorch@gmail.com.

[Torch art credit Travis Beaven (c) PWTorch.com]

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