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As WrestleMania continues to grow in stature every year, it becomes more and more about not just the one event itself, but a dozen other things for fans from all around the world to enjoy. No longer is it about wrestling fans flying to their WrestleMania destination just to see their favourite WWE superstars in action.
They get a myriad of other WWE events with superstars to entertain them, but that's not all. Every wrestling promotion in the world knows that the weekend of WrestleMania is a bumper opportunity for them to showcase their own bunch of talent and wares. Companies flock to the city hosting WrestleMania to put on a show to attract new and casual fans as well as dazzle those well versed in their styles.
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Take, for example, New Orleans this year, the WrestleMania party started just a bit early with some unbelievable number of contests and contestants making their way to Bourbon Street. It was a highlight of a weekend capped off by the biggest night in Wrestling, but with so much to choose from and so much to see, what was the best this weekend had to offer?
Honourable Mentions:
With so many matches to account for, there's a few that just missed the cut. Fifteen of the classiest matches at WrestleMania weekend hit the right spot, a few others tried just as well;
Will Ospreay vs. AR Fox, Evolve 102: After the pain, he went through at Sakura Genesis, Ospreay's decision to stick to his weekend plans is noteworthy in a dazzling if a somewhat basic match against the Evolve returned AR Fox.
Pentagon Dark vs. Fenix vs. Austin Aries, Lucha Underground vs. Impact Wrestling: Thank god for Alberto Del Rio's unprofessionalism because we got this scintillating contest compared to the boredom he would provide.
Daniel Bryan and Shane McMahon vs. Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, WrestleMania 34: Questionable but exhilarating booking aside, this was a return worth just being happy for regardless of the outcome. Daniel Bryan is back!
#15 Kenny Omega vs. Cody, ROH: Supercard of Honor XII
With the elements in place, this should have been the match of the night. The civil war within the Bullet Club faction has been the most compelling story, going into this year.
Add to that the immense potential and improvement showed by Rhodes as a nefarious heel and Omega's rising fan favourite stature, this should have been a blockbuster.
While the match itself was a highlight with some interesting counters and callbacks, it didn't click the way it should have.
At time Rhodes reverted back to the heel persona of last year, with lethargic and corny moves.
Even then it's a credit to the talent of both men that they managed to eke out a fight, just brimming with potential for sequels.
If anything the antics by Rhodes and Omega as well as the Young Bucks should have fans all in for this rollercoaster rivalry.
They left enough in the tank for the future while dazzling enough, for now, something their other potential best match competition did just slightly better.
Result: Rhodes pins Omega to after a Cross Roads and Young Bucks interference.
#14 For the WWE World Championship: AJ Style (c) vs. Shinsuke Nakamura, WrestleMania 34
From one potential match of the weekend to the next. Billed as a dream match in the WWE and a rematch Styles just had to win, after his loss at Wrestle-Kingdom 10.
The story going in wasn't much, but the story after it is on fire!
Yet that's not the concern of this ranking, rather it's the match itself. While Styles and Nakamura failed to live up to the hype, they did manage quite the contest against one another.
It felt like they held back and we now know why, yet even at their lowest these two competitors can compose something worth remembering.
It will be a disappointment to many, yet exorcising the hype we can at least admit that the narrative unfolding during the contest is an interesting one.
Nakamura's psychological warfare but the inability to get it done, to show WWE fans what makes him special added to his heel turn later on.
Result: AJ Styles hits a styles clash to RETAIN the WWE World Championship!
#13 For the NXT Women's Championship: Shayna Baszler vs. Ember Moon (c), NXT Takeover: New Orleans
NXT's latest Takeover could just as well be number one in the rankings. From top to bottom, the card has undeniable talent in unbelievable competition.
Among the highlights is this rematch between the tough-talking Baszler and the human dynamo Ember Moon.
While their last match was a bit underwhelming, this one was right on the money. The two women took it to each other, providing the necessary grit to this blood feud.
Baszler showed like she hadn't so far, with a manic energy and burst of guts once her arm fell through. Smacking her dead arm against the post, she showed spirit and ruthlessness.
In favour NXT told a beautiful story with Ember Moon.
Moon had called out Baszler's ruthlessness during the build to this contest. Moon brought that same vigour and tenfold, with her never say die attitude. The thing to note is that Baszler won by choking out her opponent, yet Moon never tapped.
Result: Shayna Baszler wins to become the NEW NXT Women's Champion!
#12 For the Impact Wrestling Tag Team Championship: LAX (Santana and Ortiz) vs. Killshot and Mack, Impact Wrestling vs. Lucha Underground
With no story to build on and a more than a predictable outcome, these two teams lit New Orleans and Wrestlecon on fire with a stunning sprint.
The match gave the teams the chance to play fan favourites as well as tag team tacticians, divided into two halves.
The mix of styles meshed well despite no real stakes, yet some real delicious rewards. Fans are always on their feet for the lovable Mack, and he delivered in spades, adding new moves to his arsenal. Killshot was no slouch either.
The real heroes though are the LAX unit, they've been one of the highlights of the constantly changing Impact roster and its high time they got some competition like this.
Santana and Ortiz showed they are more than capable of holding their own in the ring with stories to tell, they are due for a bigger breakout if only Impact could do its part.
Result: LAX RETAIN the Impact Wrestling Tag Team Titles!
#11 Ronda Rousey and Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon and HHH, WrestleMania 34
As far as WrestleMania and sports entertainment matches go, this was overall the best thing on the WrestleMania 34 card.
Yet as a match there are a few quibbles to how it all went down. HHH's grand slow pace helped cover up for Angle's sluggishness, yet having Stephanie McMahon even block a single move by Ronda Rousey, seemed silly.
With that out-of-the-way, let's get into the good parts. Rousey might just have had the best debut in WrestleMania history.
The fire lit within her and the passion for the business was all on showcase in a top-notch contest.
Rousey was the glue of this match and that was a bit stunning to see. She took it to the powerful Authority couple with gusto, to create just the kind of extravaganza fans have come to expect of WrestleMania.
She's gathering ahead of a steam in such a short time, reminding us of the glory days of her partner.
Result: Rousey makes Stephanie tap out to win her debut match!
#10 Kota Ibushi vs. Adam 'Hangman' Page, ROH: Supercard of Honor XII
To hang with Kota Ibushi in the ring is no mean feat and no matter what cynical fans say, it always takes two to tango.
Adam Page has been a serviceable villain on the Ring of Honor roster and Bullet Club team. His ascension along with Cody might be great for him, but Page hadn't thus far shown any dazzling prospect in the ring.
That all changes with this match, kudos to Page for hanging in their and delivering a thrilling mid-card contest with main event implications.
Page's slow rise as the right-hand man of Rhodes is a delightful subplot of the Bullet Club civil war.
In this match, that newfound level of viciousness shown while Ibushi does what he always does and that's to steal the show.
Hangman can finally claim to have found his groove, it's time to let him rip.
Result: Ibushi sneaks out with a win against Hangman Page!
#9 Jeff Cobb vs. Minoru Suzuki, Rev Pro Wrestling Live at New Orleans
British promotion; Rev Pro Wrestling had the second most consistent card of the night with a plethora of terrific contests.
Among them was this mind-boggling gem that has flown under the radar. In this hard-hitting battle, Cobb showed tons of potential and personality (inspired by good friend Matt Riddle) while Suzuki remained Suzuki.
Minoru Suzuki has had a phenomenal year, with hard-hitting vicious contests thankfully not marred by his faction's interferences.
The rejuvenation of Suzuki continues with a match where Cobb tried to hit hard and fast, playing at Suzuki's own game. Big mistake!
The all-around harsh attitude portrayed by Suzuki made this the most entertaining match of the weekend.
He threw around the referee, laughed in the face of Cobb's shots and even threatened a rowdy fan.
The two took from a mat classic to a striking game, with Suzuki coming out with the victory but Cobb earning a tiny measure of respect.
Result: Minoru Suzuki slaps Jeff Cobb down, to win with vigour!
#8 For the WWE Intercontinental Championship: The Miz (c) vs. Seth Rollins vs. Finn Balor, WrestleMania 34
This firecracker of an opener set just the right tone for this years WrestleMania with great storytelling, wrestling and even pageantry. These three worked the most satisfying match of the night.
After multiple subversive triple threat contests in the past decade, the boys went back to the basics in stupendous fashion.
They were all in with a simple contest including no tricks or tactics, especially from a game Miz.
The call back to moments from their rivalries most notably a lively buckle bomb to the barricade spot, caught fans into the frenzy.
There's so much that could be said about this, but the less spoken and the more seen the better.
Result: Seth Rollins wins and becomes the NEW WWE Intercontinental Champion!
#7 For the Evolve World Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Matt Riddle, EVOLVE 102
Finally, Matt Riddle reaches the pinnacle of Evolve. With a fascinating dual story to play on, these two went out there and gave us an unbelievable contest of grit and determination.
Riddle has been chasing the Evolve championship for a better part of two years. The arrogant and dickish Zack Sabre Jr. beat Timothy Thatcher for the title, the man Riddle failed to beat thrice.
At the centre of all this is Riddle's low-key tension with management and their rules for rope breaks.
In many ways the narrative took fascinating turns with Sabre pushing Riddle to his limit, making him unwillingly go towards the rope until finally, he had to search for the rope break he hates so much.
With body parts reaching an alarming red, Riddle pulled out all he could to match hold for a hold against Sabre and finally put him away.
Sabre is the perfect villainous foil and moving away from Evolve will be huge for him. For Riddle, this is just the beginning of a fruitful reign.
Result: Matt Riddle locks the bro mission to make Sabre tap out and finally win to become the NEW Evolve World Champion!
#6 For the WWE Smackdown Women's Championship: Charlotte (c) vs. Asuka, WrestleMania 34
Putting aside the end result that destroyed Asuka's iconic streak, the match in itself between her and Charlotte is by far the best thing on the WrestleMania card.
After an exciting opener, it would have been hard to follow-up for anyone, yet the two women put on a blistering match based of on counter moves against one another.
Regardless of their tepid and rushed build, these two women had each other scouted quite well. In that moment of complete frenzy, the result doesn't matter and for good reason.
Asuka and Charlotte will eventually meet once more, now that they're on the same brand and that's an exciting prospect.
The two are stellar championship-calibre players, and on a night featuring some potential match of the year candidates, this was the top.
Result: Charlotte makes Asuka tap to win and RETAIN her WWE Smackdown Women's Championship!
#5 For the RPW British Heavyweight Championship: Zack Sabre Jr. (c) vs. Tomohiro Ishii, Rev Pro Wrestling Live at New Orleans
Can these two go at it or what? Their chemistry is off the charts and it's a stunning thing to witness the stone cold pitbull Ishii play an underdog.
It helps that Sabre Jr. is so efficient at playing the jerk, add into the mix the viciousness imbibed upon him by his mentor/partner Suzuki.
Sabre is having a phenomenal year and while the resultant loss of two top championships might not reflect it, his work does.
The two men went at it with everything they've got.
Any time Ishii got a leg up on his foe, Sabre took that leg, twisted it and turned the whole game around.
From trading shots to turning moves on each other, all of it was worth it to finally see the underrated Ishii come through.
With two major losses a row, not to mention one to Okada just recently; I don't know what Suzuki will have to say to that.
Result: Ishii hits the brainbuster to win and become the NEW RPW British Heavyweight Champion!
#4 NXT North American Championship Ladder Match: Lars Sullivan vs. Killian Dain vs. EC3 vs. Velveteen Dream vs. Adam Cole vs. Ricochet, NXT Takeover: New Orleans
At WrestleMania 10; Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon introduced the ladder match into the mainstream of Pro Wrestling and pulled off unimaginable feats.
A few years later, three tag teams innovated the concept with their daredevil attitude. Despite a rich concept in the Money in the Bank, the ladder match really hasn't been anything fresh beyond some exciting spots and matches.
NXT proved one thing that WWE just hasn't been able to do, with multi-participant ladder matches WWE tends to let the archetypes and one single story to speak for itself.
In NXT, however, we get six different individuals who get their own moments to shine and a signal of the myriad of stories told around them.
So the two monsters aren't just brawling for a showcase; Lars is defining his solo path of destruction and Dain is proving he is a figure of mystique and mayhem with or without Sanity.
For EC3 this means showing what a manipulative figure he can become, while fellow debutant Ricochet dazzles as the future face of NXT.
Dream puts a stamp on his position on the roster and Adam Cole finally shocks the system!
Result: Adam Cole snatches the title to win and become the FIRST NXT North American Champion!
#3 For the NXT Championship: Andrade 'Cien' Almas (c)/w Zelina Vega vs. Aleister Black, NXT Takeover: New Orleans
Credit where credit is due, Johnny Gargano has been a shining beacon for NXT but as mentioned it takes two to tango.
Without eternal foe Ciampa to aid him, Gargano found the perfect partner in the ever-improving Andrade Almas. Not necessarily improving, because El Idolo has always been a supreme talent he just needed Zelina Vega to tap into that for him in NXT.
Now on Smackdown Live, it will be a delight to witness him succeed. Thankfully before they left, the duo went out with style in an underrated thriller against Aleister Black.
The match poetically reflected on their contest from a year ago, while also adding to the crazy ride they've had since.
Almas got a leg up thanks to smart working interference by Vega, she hit just the right notes.
However the monkey on the back of Black was just too big, there was no doubt that he would pull off the victory and he did so solidly. Black is at the top as he rightly deserves.
Results: Aleister Black wins to become the NEW NXT Champion!
#2 For the Evolve World Championship: Matt Riddle (c) vs. Will Ospreay, WWN Mercury Rising
A night removed from his thrilling victory at Evolve 102, Matt Riddle entered into WWN's special a confident champion establishing his no rope break rule.
The match took an intriguing turn, Riddle went from conquering lax hero to vicious underdog beater. It helps that Ospreay already in deep pain perfectly played to the crowd.
That Riddle brought out a much more vicious side shows what the Evolve championship means to him.
His ruthlessness added to the contest from the opening bell, it was obvious Riddle meant business.
Even then Ospreay's fighting spirit never diminished and this classic layout just turned the crowd wild.
It's intriguing to imagine where the two players go when it concerns Evolve, Riddle is a mainstay and his attitude against his cool bro style might not mesh well.
He is due the change and it is a sign of his long harsh reign on top and Ospreay is the perfect foil to get him there.
These two men were the MVP's of the weekend and this match their masterpiece.
Result: Riddle downs Ospreay to RETAIN and win the Evolve World Championship!
#1 Unsanctioned Match: Tommaso Ciampa vs. Johnny Gargano, NXT Takeover: New Orleans
Two of the finest with a great weekend of matches cannot however down this unbelievably constructed contest.
It has boiled for nearly over a year and came all to head, just shy of the last time they teamed up together. Johnny Gargano and Tomasso Ciampa had the loveliest of friendships in NXT, the two men took the tag team renaissance to a whole other level in and out of the ring.
Here it was about the hate that had brewed ever since the black heart Ciampa ripped apart their partnership and the heart of Gargano.
With a rain of boos and vitriol directed at him (something a great heel rarely finds these days), Ciampa failed to rip apart Gargano's soul and that's all that matters.
With masterful memories of their tight contest in the Cruiserweight Classic to the times they had as a team and the times beating on each other, everything came rushing in through a neatly flowing narrative with brutality to spare.
The heartbreak to witness Gargano just stop short of destroying his former friend, sit beside him in a touching call back and fight the final betrayal was cinematic, to say the least.
It was poetry in motion and kudos to both men but especially to the hearty Johnny Gargano who tapped out his former partner Tommaso Ciampa to win and be vindicated!
