WrestlingNerd Presents: WWE WrestleMania 28 Review

What up wrestling fans, I'm the WrestlingNerd bringing you another written review. Today, we take a look at WWE WrestleMania 28. Well, it's time to review the big one….again. How did it turn out? Let's find out and start the review. 

Match #1: Daniel Bryan vs Sheamus; WHC

We are opening up with the first of the two world title matches for tonight. Bryan was wearing a large jacket, but he continues to say, "YES". I love all the "YES" signs in the audience. There was "YES" as far as the eye can see. I thought it was awesome, but I almost wonder if those were planted signs. Mainly because those signs would never show up as the evening went on. Then again, I'm probably thinking way too hard about it. Bryan gets a good luck kiss from AJ, but Sheamus immediately hits the Brogue Kick and it's over….wait, what? The match is over? In 18 seconds? Oh, I get it. This is the WWE's April Fools' joke. Oh, I gotta admit. That was pretty good. You got me. Now, if you don't mind, I would like to see the real match. I have been looking forward to this…..

WWE is really rolling with the joke, but it's gonna restart…..right? Wait, you're telling me that was the match? Hold up, guys and girls. I'm gonna talk to the creative staff on this matter. I will solve the case….

Well, that was kinda harsh. Okay, I need to get serious for a moment….or as serious as I get on this page. I'm very disappointed with WWE on this move. We just started WM and you throw a 18 second WHC title match? That's just something you don't do at WM. If there's one way to really upset me as a fan, it's throwing out a under two minute match on PPV. I hate when TNA does it, and I don't like it when WWE does it. What, is there some sort of law or rule that prevents the WWE from showing Bryan vs Sheamus at WM? Will the world blow up if they show this match? I would like an explanation since that's two years in a row that these two have been denied. Last year, the match was scrapped off the card, and now this? I know a lot of people were looking forward to this match and I still can't believe they did that. Nobody looks good after this. It makes Bryan look bad. It makes Sheamus look like he got lucky. That's irony for you? It was almost like the WWE trolled you in thinking that you were finally gonna get this match. Then 18 seconds later, the WWE is all….

I almost wonder if Sheamus or Bryan came into this match injured, but there are plenty of ways to work around it. It's just a dick move to pull this type of stuff. Do it on Raw or Smackdown, but not your PPV, especially WM. People have the right to be upset with this move, but we still have another 3 hours and 45 minutes left, so I would hope that worst is behind us. So, let's shake this off (at least try) and move forward. 

Winner via pinfall and NEW WHC: Sheamus

Backstage with Team Johnny. Miz tries to prep up his team, but nobody seems to care. Way to go, Phil Jackson. John Laurinaitis arrives and gives his team a speech to get ready. Johnny is sporting a white suit. A white suit and Johnny acts like a robot?

Son of a bitch!!! I knew it

Match #2: Kane vs Randy Orton

Are the fans chanting for Bryan? Well, they're chanting "Yes", but it shows that people wanted to see that match. If not the match, they at least wanted Bryan and Sheamus to get a little more screen time. Anyway, Kane and Randy delivered a pretty fair match. I can see some people saying it dragged or it was boring, but I think they worked a good enough match at this stage of Kane's career. The finish comes when Randy is ready to hit a move from the top rope, but Kane regains himself and is able to hit the Chokeslam from the top rope. Kane is the victor in this match. I was a little surprised that Kane won this match, but I was even more surprised that Kane got the clean victory. As I've said for a while, Kane's return has been a little underwhelming, so he needed this victory a lot more than Randy. With Kane's victory, a rematch between these two seems to be the next thing to do. Extreme Rules is next month, so I expect some type of gimmick match when that time comes. 

Winner via pinfall: Kane

Instead of doing a Team Teddy prep, Santino is with the guy from Deadliest Catch (I don't watch the show, so you have to forgive me for not knowing a name) and Mick Foley. Foley and Santino proceed to make bad pirate/fish jokes. Cobra and Mr. Socko attack crab legs. Is that anyway to treat food? Sebastian from Little Mermaid would lose his mind if he saw this. Ron Simmons arrives and says, "DAMN". Well, DAMN is right. This was not a very good scene. I just didn't find it funny. It comes off more as stupid as opposed to funny. And I think most of you know that I loooooove having fun on my wrestling shows, but that was painful. 

Match #3: Cody Rhodes vs Big Show; IC Championship

Can you believe that this is the third match and we are only a half hour in the show? Like the Kane/Randy match, Cody and Show make the match work in the best way possible. It's a little more challenging because of the obvious size difference, but it was fair. With this match, I was mostly searching for something passable, which I did get. The finish comes when Cody hits the Beautiful Disaster, but Show is still standing. Cody is going for a second BD until Show is able to counter with a Spear. Did you see the spear? Show tackled Cody's crotch. That's a little close for comfort, don't you think? Show finally hits the imitation Falcon Punch and we have new IC champion. So, you spear his sack and take his championship too? Show is playing dirty tonight. As I said in the Rundown, I was for Cody dropping the title. As long as Cody was going to move up the corporate ladder, then it made sense to drop the IC title. However, I'm still not too thrilled on Show being IC championship. What can he add to the title at this stage? I hope it's one of those small championship reigns. 

Winner via pinfall and NEW IC Champion: Big Show

Match #4: Beth Phoenix and Eve vs Kelly Kelly and Maria Menounos

I'm surprised this one is showing up on the show this early, but I'm not complaining. There was a double stink face in this match by Kelly and Menounos. This would be called, double fan service. Maria's hobbling around during the match. I heard she came into this match injured, but it's possible she was selling the hell out of it. It's sad how this celebrity is a more credible diva than half the WWE Diva roster. The finish comes when Beth has Maria in a standing military press, but Kelly saves her from humiliation. The two shove Beth towards the ropes. In this process, Eve ends up colliding with her partner, thus she's down on the outside. Menounos ends up getting a rollup on Beth and she wins the match for her team. So, let me get this straight? Beth can defeat Tamina, Kelly, Eve, Alicia, and probably the entire Diva locker room with the exception of one particular diva, but she can't beat this C-list celebrity? I told you guys and girls that this would end up happening. I said in the rundown, "Don't be surprised if Menounos ends up beating Beth with a rollup". Guess what? That's exactly what happened. I'm not really big on the idea of a random celebrity defeating one of your current champions, but I also knew that it was going to happen. I guess I braced myself for the worst, which is why I'm not complaining about it as much as the next guy.

Winner via pinfall: Maria Menounos and Kelly Kelly

Match #5: Undertaker vs Triple H; Hell in a Cell match (Shawn Michaels as special referee)

Jim Ross came out to do commentary for this match. It would've been great to hear JR call a couple more matches, but it was appropriate for JR to call this match. I'm also glad that Michael Cole didn't do any JR trolling tonight. Triple H comes out of a demonic version of that talking head from Legends of the Hidden Temple. Anybody remember that show? Taker comes out and OH MY GOD!! IT'S A SUPER SHREDDER…..Wait a minute? In all seriousness, Taker really did look like TMNT's Shredder with the spikes on his coat. It looked pretty sweet. Taker's walk was 10 times longer than the Bryan/Sheamus match. I couldn't resist. Taker finally takes off his hood and *lightening strike*…..I CUT MY HAIR!!! That's the most epic reveal for a haircut I have ever seen in my life. Only the Deadman can get away with that. The HIAC structure lowers as Metallica rains down from the sky……You get the idea. 

After watching this match, all I can say is "Wow". This match really blew my mind. Almost 1/4 of the show was dedicated to Taker, Trips, and HBK, and I don't think I would have it any other way. The match was simply amazing. You thought last year's Taker/Trips match was good? This one makes last year's match look like a jobber match. Trips was dominating the match in the early going. He was mostly in control, but Taker did not want to give up. Shawn came close to calling off the match, but Taker simply wouldn't allow it. The match was brutal. Taker's back was red with all the chair shots. Trips was busted open from his face. Steel steps were in play and of course, the sledgehammer. Triple H almost did first degree murder by trying to swing the sledgehammer on Taker's skull. Luckily, Shawn saved it from happen. I bet Taker is grateful for that. Oh, he locks the Hell's Gate on Shawn. Taker is grateful indeed. Later in the match, Shawn hit the Super Kick on Taker. Trips followed up with a Pedigree, but Taker still wouldn't give in. The finish comes when Trips does the DX chop, but Taker hits the Tombstone. Shawn make the count and Taker is now 20-0. After the match, Shawn helps Taker to his feet. The two have a moment and hug in the ring. Taker finally does his signature victory pose and it seems we are finally done, BUT WAIT!!! Trips is still down in the middle of the ring. Taker and Shawn help Trips to his feet and help him to the back. Before they leave, the three hug each other in the middle of the ring. That's when JR says, "That……is respect". I love the timing of that line. I gotta admit. A tear came down my eye when I saw this moment. I'm not afraid to admit that and neither should you. 

The match was very well done. I almost thought Taker was going to lose there for a moment, but that wasn't the case. Taker, Trips, and Shawn all told a very good story. The start of the match showed that Taker doesn't have what it takes to win, but Taker wouldn't give up. Towards the end of the match, the story changed. It came to the point that nobody can beat Taker at WM, so it seemed that Shawn and Trips accepted their fate. The match felt more like a fight. It was a brutal brawl inside the HIAC structure. This has to be one of the best HIAC matches I have seen in a long time. Not sure if I can call it the best, but I definitely would have to put this in my Top Five. The match was billed as the End of an Era. I never made much out of the title, but after watching this match, it really did live up to the title. After tonight, I almost think that not only have we seen Taker's last match, but we might have seen Triple H's last match as well. Well, I'm not sure about that, but I can't take away the amazingness of this match. This match IS what WM is all about. The match. The emotion. The feelings. The story. I don't know what else to add to this. Just go watch it and judge for yourself. I think most of you will walk away with some emotion, satisfaction, and reflection. If it truly is the end of it all, we need some appropriate music. I think the ending theme to Super Castlevania is very fitting after a job well done for these three individuals. Let's all show our respects…..

Winner via pinfall: Undertaker

Enough of the love fest, we still have two more hours to get through. After a rundown of the WWE Hall of Fame class of 2012, Heath Slater is backstage with Flo Rida. I'm guessing he failed spelling, am I right?

I can see the angry comments now. For those of you new to this page, I joke around a lot in my reviews. Slater wants to be apart of the WM, but Flo Rida is being a jerk about it. Flo Rida comes out as a jackass in all of this. The guy looked like he rolled out of bed five minutes ago. What, did he forget to give a s***? Anyway, Flo Rida attacks Slater and that's about it. I just wish I could've seen an acting performance where somebody actually cared in this scene, but what are you gonna do?

Match #6: Team Johnny vs Team Teddy

The match felt like a clusterf***, but it was expected with 12 people involved. Still, can they slow down? I can't keep track of everybody involved. Look at this? It's madness. Once everyone starts taking out each other in the ring, they start to fight on the outside. Vickie Guerrero and Aksana started to fight. Hell, the Bellas even got in the mix. Somebody needs to clear all of this out. Shadow, you know what to do…

Thank you. The finish comes when Zack Ryder is clearing house. He's setting up for the Broski Boot, but Eve gets in the ring to do the fist pump. This allows time for the Miz to get back in and hit Skull Crushing Finale. I like how Johnny is jumping for joy. I know people don't like Laurinaitis, but he has grown on me. Plus, this means I can still call him Roboiniaits. I think we all win at the end of the day, am I right? Once the celebration is headed to the back, the losing team is very disappointed. Ryder is very upset with himself. Eve starts to cheer him up, but she ultimately kicks him in the happy place. OUCH, MY BRO-NUTS!!! She walks away as the rest of Team Teddy is helping Ryder to his feet. In all honesty, Ryder's character deserved this. Think about it? He fell for Eve's bag of tricks the first time. Well, you're human, so try to learn something from it. Instead of learning anything from his past mistake, he falls for it again. What's that old saying? Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me? Well, feel that shame, Ryder. Can you feel it…CAN YOU FEEL IT!!! Hopefully, Ryder's character can eventually get one over on Eve, but you never know at this point.

Winner via pinfall: Team Johnny

Match #7: CM Punk vs Chris Jericho; WWE Championship

CM Punk ended up running to a happy Laurinaitis backstage. Johnny gets involved and says if Punk gets DQed, he loses the WWE Championship. Now that Johnny is the GM of both shows, I think things will eventually pick back up between Punk and Roboinaitis. Now, I admittedly had high expectations for this match. While it didn't live up to MY expectations, it was still a very well done match. In the early going, Jericho was trying to get Punk to cause a DQ. It eventually geared away from that and it started to act like a wrestling match. Noticed I said wrestling match. Taker and Trips will be the match that will be talked about after tonight, but it felt more like a fight. This feels more like a wrestling match. Then again, Punk and Jericho are different performers compared to Taker and Trips. Like the Taker/Trips match, there was a lot of near falls/close calls between Punk and Jericho. The finish comes when Punk locks in the Anaconda Vice for the second time in this match. Jericho is trying to do some knee strikes, but he can't reach. With Jericho unable to break the hold, he finally taps out. This was a very good match. Punk and Jericho didn't have a lot of screen time for their rivalry (compared to Rock/Cena or Taker/Trips), but I think they set up the story nicely and delivered a good match. I would like to see a rematch between the two down the road. Hopefully in some type of gimmick match. I think that would be a lot of fun. 

Winner via submission and still WWE Champion: CM Punk

Brodus Clay wants people to call their mommas. Ummm…..sure, why not? I've heard of crazier ideas. Brodus calls his momma to tell her he's at WM. Well, it turns out Brodus' momma is there with the Bridge club. They come out and start dancing. Overall, it was a comedy/coffee break segment. We did watch a good Punk/Jericho match, so we need a little break. Still, it's pretty silly and stupid. 

Match #8: Rock vs John Cena

Both Rock and Cena had their own rapper doing a pre-match entrance music. In fact, both Rock and Cena came out to their respected themes. So, I guess you can say the rapper stuff was their pre pre-match entrance theme. Cena came out to a new T-shirt. I swear that he will have every color of the rainbow before he retires. In fact, he's probably already there. Cena is now wearing a green T-shirt. Vince McMahon is seeing all the wonderful green rolling in, know what I'm saying? Cena traded in his Red Ranger power from a year ago and is now going for the Green Ranger powers. That's a step up, so you know he means business. Ever felt like the WWE was putting all the eggs in one basket in relation to Rock and Cena? I understand that it's a big match, but it was overhyped at the end of the day. There was no way it was going to match the hype. With that said, it was an intriguing match at the end of the day. I have brought in a new machine. It's the "Let's go Cena/Cena sucks" counter. The counter will go up every time you hear this chant. Well, it's already started….

Rock and Cena start to grapple and the counter goes up…

Rock and Cena strike each other and the counter goes up….

Rock and Cena take a nap, but the counter still goes up…

Pace yourself….

Okay, this is getting ridiculous….

The match isn't even five minutes old….

Oh great, you broke it. You broke the counter. There's two bucks wasted. Anyway, the audience was really into this match. This was definitely a very pro-Rock crowd, but this is his hometown. Rock and Cena have many near falls, but nobody wanted to give in. The finish comes when Rock goes for a crossbody from the top rope. Cena is able to roll-through and hit the AA, but still a two count. Just as it seems that Cena is out of options, he starts to mimic the People's Elbow. The Rock springs back up and hits another Rock Bottom. Rock wins the match. The show ends with the Rock posing in front of the audience while Cena is thinking about his livelihood. Wait, did Cena just lose a match cleanly? Oh, I don't think I can contain it…..

I'm surprised the world hasn't ended with Cena losing cleanly. Well, I gotta give WWE some credit for finally doing it after all these years. I can't even remember the last time Cena lost WITHOUT any interference or shenanigans. Anyway, I like the idea of Cena losing this match. Mainly because it can finally force Cena to do some type of a character change. I did mention in the rundown that a lot of people want to see Cena change his character. It often seems the WWE has played it safe with Cena's character, which is why not a whole lot has changed in years. Maybe after tonight, the WWE IS considering a change with Cena? That alone makes me want to watch Raw tomorrow night. Not a whole lot to say with Rock winning. He didn't have much to gain by winning. Still, I don't know why there is a lot of complains with Rock winning. You complain about Cena winning all the time, but now he loses and you're still angry? I swear that some people will complain just for the sake of wanting to complain about something. 

Winner via pinfall: Rock

Overall Impression:

For the first hour of WM, it was a disappointment. You got that joke of a WHC match. While the Kane/Randy and Cody/Show matches were fair, they were nothing amazing and nothing we will look back on when talking about this WM. I felt things really started to get back in control with the Taker/Trips match. The GM match was nothing special and was more or less a clusterf***. The show ended well with the final two matches. While the undercard of WM was pretty forgettable, the three big matches delivered in their own unique way. Those three matches alone make it worth the asking price for the event….At least in my book. This is one of the better WMs that I have seen in quite a while. It definitely blows WM 27 out of the water. However, I can't help but thing this WM didn't have any memorable promos or backstage scenes. Most of them come off as lame and underdeveloped. What, did the writing time go out for pizza before finishing the comedy bits? Honestly, it wouldn't surprise me when you watch these things. This is the definition of a show starting rough, but it eventually evened out. When I think about WM, I think about moments you will remember years from know. I think when we look back at WM 28, I think we will remember the end of an era, Rock/Cena, and the WWE Championship match. That's more than what I can say for WM 27, which had very little WM moments. If I have to give this PPV a score on a scale of 1-10, I have to give it a 7 out of 10. For people new to my articles, my grading system is different from the wrestling websites. I don't do decimal point scoring since people need to make up their damn minds. Anything between 1-3 is pretty bad. 4-6 is between the slightly below average to above average territory. A 7-9 is a good to great showing, while the rare 10 is a perfect show. I consider WM 28 a pretty good show, but this score is mostly being driven by the three main bouts. The rest of the card took away from the score, but I think this is one of the better WMs we have seen as of late. With that said, this WM is not perfect and does have its share of flaws. The undercard, the promos, and comedy bits did not help this show. In fact, I felt ashamed while watching these parts. Comedy at WM is okay, but it has to be done well. Most of these segments bombed. You know what else was missing? The broken Spanish Announce table. Nothing happened to that thing. I almost forget I was watching a PPV when that thing went from beginning to end without getting destroyed. Oh, and if you call me a racist for saying that, this is coming from a Hispanic. Yeah….think about that? On an off-topic note, I like how the IWC was already getting their panties up in a bunch when a particular dirt sheet popped up during the weekend and it turned out to be wrong. The dirt sheet talked about an "individual" showing up at WM, but it didn't happen. We still have Raw to get through and that "individual" can still show up, but I always laugh when the dirt sheets come out false. I always say you can't be too confident with those reports. That's going to do it for the review and I hope you enjoyed it. As always, tell me what you thought of my review or tonight's event. If you are new and liked what you saw, check out some of my other work. I will see you guys and girls on the next WrestlingNerd show. See you next time. 

WrestlingNerd's Official Score of WWE WrestleMania 28: 7 out of 10