-- WWE WrestleMania 28 PPV Reax

Justin in N.C., photographer (8.0): Best Match: HIAC. Worst: Divas match. I seem to be in the minority that liked the Sheamus-Bryan "match." Could they have put on a really good performance had they been allowed to? Probably. Was there time to be had? Yes, WWE could have completely cut the Divas, Brodus, the musical performances, Flo Rida's backstage segment, and Laurinaitis and Punk's stipulation segment, and shortened Rock-Cena. Was it bad the way it was? No. Bryan's character is arrogant and pompous until things get tough and then he bails, hides behind his girlfriend, gets disqualified, or uses some other under handed tactic to win. So, it was nice to see that arrogance cost him. He turned his back on his opponent after the bell rang to deliver the smarmy "kiss for good luck" and left himself open. But, though it was his own fault, he was blindsided and it leaves him with a complaint to continue the feud. I liked it... Punk-Jericho didn't live up to the expectations I had for it, but it was a strong match. The tag match was better than I thought it would be. And, the HIAC match was amazing! The past four years have been a really well done saga and the culmination involving all three parties was as it should be. The respect shown between all three guys was really touching. The three of them standing on that stage together should have been the last image of the PPV with Jim Ross wondering if we had seen the last of The Undertaker as the cameras faded to black.

Adam Riemer of Rochester, N.Y. (8.0): Best: Triple H vs. Undertaker. Worst: Orton vs. Kane. I don't even blame Kane for it either. I blame Orton. I thought this match was worse than an 18-second storyline title match and a Divas tag team celebrity variety minute. The fact that Orton said his match should have been a Top 4 Mania match was a joke. As for the best, what is there to say about one of the greatest matches of all-time? Sure, Hunter and Taker didn't do anything that defines "wrestling" - but they tore the house apart. Shawn Michaels made this match what it was, too, as his expressions and reactions where amazing. I have new-found respect for two men who let each other beat the hell out of one another. During the match, there was a long glimpse into Heel Triple H that made him who he is now. Hearing the crowd boo him and him feed into it brought back fond memories as he destroyed Taker. The DX moment of superkick to Pedigree had me believing it was over. I honestly thought The Streak might end, and the way they brought it home with Triple H giving the crotch chop and then getting destroyed was amazing. The aftermath with all three had a tear in my eye. Also, kudos to WWE and Michael Cole for the way Jim Ross was handled. Having Ross call the match was great, but seeing him and Cole work together and not bickering was just as great. I'll leave a final comment for Rock vs Cena. Hate Cena all you want, but he carried a very rusty Rock through a memorable match. Yes, John Cena carried Rock.

Richard H. of Wilmington, Ohio: A good, solid WrestleMania. If it were any other PPV, it would have been a 9.0 or 10.0. But, this is WrestleMania. Expectations are justifiably higher, and over half the card fell short. Best match was far and away HIAC, especially the show of respect by the three performers after the match. The worst was, again, the Divas, who were handicapped by having an inexperienced (and injured) celebrity performing. The Bryan-Sheamus debacle came close to worst. Why screw Bryan with that kind of booking? ... The tag match was as expected, especially the actions of Eve - just how dumb are they planning to portray Lil Zak?... Punk and Jericho lit it up both physically and mentally, as I thought the stipulation enhanced the match. Y2Jerk's attempts to get Punk to DQ himself were right on the money... Orton losing and Show winning the IC strap were solid and surprising matches... As for The Match, it had one year of promotion, hours of hype, and buzz for most of Mania. So, it had a lot to live up to. To me, it didn't. There were actually people leaving the bar before the match because they did not care who won and the show was dragging so long. As for the match itself, the best description I can give is, well, it was anti-climatic. Rock won. Yes, there was a big pop, but the tag match got almost as big a pop when it was over. Overall, a slightly above-average WrestleMania.

Jacob Galliher of Corpus Christi, Tex. (8.0): Best: Hunter vs. Taker. Worst: Bryan vs. Sheamus. I couldn't possibly care what the reason was for changing the World Title in 18 seconds, as it's a slap in the face to both talents who have gotten the shaft twice at WrestleMania. There was no doubt that Undertaker would remain undefeated, but the question remained how it would happen. Very nice to see that they went with Taker beating The Game without Shawn Michaels being too far involved in the outcome... Punk vs. Jericho was no Steamboat vs. Savage like I had hoped, but it still wrote a great chapter in the story they're telling... Rock vs. Cena. I thought the match delivered on its hype, but I think people are undercutting the reaction that Cena got. In Miami, there was no way it would be 50-50, but the 70-30 was solid and the 30 percent were very vocal in their support of Cena. Rock brought the same offense to Mania that he brought to Survivor Series, and Cena looked like the more athletic of the two throughout the match. I really disagree with the outcome because even with Cena potentially turning heel, I believe there is more money to be made in Rock coming back to take care of his unfinished business than there is in Cena being the guy who sticks around after losing the supposed biggest match in WrestleMania. Instead, the result is Rock now walks away with a win over the face of WWE.

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