Is WWE heading in the right direction with WrestleMania 32?
Following the Raw after Fastlane, the entire face of WWE WrestleMania 32 has changed. Prior to the night, only one match had been confirmed, and that was Roman Reigns challenging Triple H for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. This received mixed criticism, and WWE had to do something to get everyone back on their side.
So, naturally, as soon as Raw opened, a man who hasn’t been seen for seven years turns up. Shane McMahon returns and asks his dad for control over Raw, and in return gets a match at WrestleMania; should he win, he will receive control of Raw. Who will his opponent be? The Undertaker of course. And obviously, it has to be in Hell In A Cell.
At this point, everything has already changed. Even though only one match had been added, the card seemed so much bigger. Later on in the night, Dean Ambrose (after getting completely destroyed) challenged Brock Lesnar to a No Holds Barred Street Fight at WrestleMania, which he duly accepted.
All three matches are receiving mixed responses as of now. People argue that Roman Reigns is receiving too much spotlight, The Undertaker deserves a bigger opponent, and Dean Ambrose wouldn’t be able to believably defeat Brock Lesnar.
All this criticism is peculiar to me. It really is. Roman Reigns vs Triple H makes complete sense. Reigns had been abused by The Authority, and eventually took Triple H out completely for a while, and when Triple H returns, he wins Reigns’ WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Triple H wants to annihilate Reigns, and Reigns wants his championship back. It’s an almost perfect scenario. And it goes without saying that this will be a great match.
Saying Shane McMahon isn’t a big enough opponent for The Undertaker is rather hypocritical, considering the pop and reaction he received when he appeared on Raw. Regardless, people are also saying that the match doesn't make sense, but to them I say this: Wrestling doesn’t make sense! Crazy, stupid things happen all the time, and they’re meant to be that.
The thing that makes this match so great is that it’s insane! The sheer craziness of seeing Shane O’Mac taking on The Undertaker inside a giant steel structure is a massive selling point, and I think people should just enjoy it for what it is.
Indeed, Dean Ambrose vs Brock Lesnar is incredibly unbalanced, but you know what else was? Brock Lesnar vs CM Punk. And remember how that was?
I have a feeling this could be the match of the night, especially considering the two gimmicks involved, and the stipulation incurred. I’m not going to talk any more about this match, because my example speaks for itself.
So are WWE heading in the right direction? If the three confirmed matches so far are to be held as judging material, then yes. WrestleMania 32 looks spectacular.