3 reasons why WrestleMania 35 is shaping up to be a disappointment

We're only a little over two weeks away from WrestleMania 35, though you wouldn't know it, judging by most of the content on TV. In contrast to last year, which presented a very strong card, the hype for this year's event is a lot lower. That's an alarming sign because last year's card ultimately went on to disappoint once the show got out of its first hour. Will we experience an even lower run on this year's grand stage?

This is an important question to ask, because WrestleMania is a long show. Unfortunately, at the present time, it doesn't look like it's going to be worth the watch. The only truly exciting marquee match looks like it's going to be Daniel Bryan vs. Kofi Kingston. Aside from this most unexpected development, things are wanting. Here's why.

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#1 An underwhelming midcard

When Kurt Angle announced that Baron Corbin was going to be his retirement match, it was emblematic of the problem that the show as a whole looks like it's going to be facing.

Instead of having a spectacle of a retirement match with callback value against someone like John Cena, or putting over an exciting up and coming star from NXT like Aleister Black or Ricochet, WWE made the blandest, boring choice imaginable.

Bland and boring describes almost the entire midcard of WrestleMania 35 as it currently stands.

No matter who she faces, Asuka is set to have a cobbled together match with opponents of little star power.

The Intercontinental title match, in no matter what form it takes, already feels like a throwaway match.

Triple H vs. Batista has been rushed, and no one is expecting brilliant action.

Sasha Banks and Bayley are being put in there with opponents they don't need to face (the IIconics and Nia Jax and Tamina). Even Beth Phoenix's return to the ring has been watered down by this.

It would be nice to see Roman Reigns return to the ring for a singles match, but no opponent, including Drew McIntyre, makes for a truly exciting story.

Both tag team title matches will be cobbled together in some way. Hopefully, we'll get a return of ladder shenanigans to spice things up.

There are some nice prospects with Buddy Murphy vs. Tony Nese, Samoa Joe vs. Rey Mysterio, AJ Styles vs. Randy Orton, and, surprisingly, Shane McMahon vs. The Miz, but in a 7 hour show, they seem few and far between.

#2 Brock Lesnar

Same old, same old. Brock Lesnar appears for a promo, does a few moves, disappears for months. Repeat.

Meanwhile, Seth Rollins isn't as hot as he was last year. The time to pull the trigger was at SummerSlam, but once again, WWE missed the window of opportunity.

This angle has simply been underwhelming, as almost all Brock Lesnar angles are nowadays. It doesn't even feel like Rollins is truly being built to take the title off Lesnar on April 7th. That would be a catastrophe.

Lesnar's tenure on top is an albatross holding the entire company back. This build is yet another example why. At this point, the excitement to see the match just isn't there. Instead, what people are hoping for is for Rollins to leave MetLife with the title so we can all breathe a sigh of relief and finally move on from such tedium.

#3 A mess of a main event

When this segment aired on January 28th, it looked like we were going to be in for something truly special. There hadn't been a segment as electric as this in years.

And within days, WWE flushed it all down the toilet.

What has come since then has been a mess of convoluted booking, overexposure, and unwanted new elements being inserted into the story. We went from the Lynch vs. Rousey singles match everyone wanted to see to a shoehorned triple threat match that most people had no interest in seeing.

There have been good moments, such as Rousey's heel turn, but they've simply been lost in the tedium of week-to-week booking on both shows. Charlotte Flair and Becky Lynch are still trapped in the pattern they've been in since last summer - a show of tedium that didn't need to happen because there was no reason for the former to even be in this match in the first place.

This will be the first women's WrestleMania main event, and congratulations to all involved in it, but it's been a slog to get through week to week, and it will be a relief when it's over. WWE took the magic they had in their hands and scattered it to the four winds.