WrestleMania 35 proved to be yet another successful one in the history of WWE. Over 82,000 people in attendance enjoyed the historic event at the MetLife Stadium. With the exception of some underwhelming matches, all the others looked awe-inspiring.
The Showcase of the Immortals this year broke several stereotypes. Kofi Kingston was crowned as the first African American WWE Champion after defeating Daniel Bryan. For the first time in history, the main event featured women competitors.
Longtime rivals and legendary superstars Batista and Triple H proved that age is just a number in their classic showdown. Another legendary superstar Kurt Angle signed off his in-ring career at the grandest stage of them all.
The WWE universe seems to have some uneasiness over the botched finish of the historic women's main event match. Regardless of the finish, it was nothing short of a show-stealer. Thus, the fans would get over with it soon and would be eager for what awaits.
The Pay Per View is also an experimental one and it opened a lot of possibilities for the future of WWE and WrestleMania events. Let us have a look at five such possibilities opened by this year's WrestleMania.
#5 A storyline involving heel Cena
The Doctor of Thunganomics officially made his return at WrestleMania 35. It was the gimmick that brought early success to John Cena. His babyface run in the company might have attracted young kids but the villainous rapper will always be the darling of the matured audience. Most of his younger fans would have at least reached teenage by now.
Thus, it looks like a timely decision to plant the seed for a future heel turn. WWE doesn't do anything without a long term purpose at least for their major stars like Cena so maybe this is a sign of things to come. Fans have been craving for Cena to turn heel for a long time.
Finally, the time seems right for Cena to turn heel. What a better way to turn Cena a heel than to bring back the Doctor of Thuganomics? The WrestleMania moment opens up a lot of possibilities for a future angle involving this old school gimmick when Cena allocates some time for WWE amidst his tiring movie schedules.
#4 A step towards the future without The Undertaker
Over the years, The Undertaker's breathtaking performances and his 21-match undefeated streak endeared him to almost every member of the WWE universe. A WrestleMania without him seemed hard to imagine even after his streak got broken.
Nevertheless, during WrestleMania 35 the WWE universe got to sit through without a minute of cameo or reference to The Undertaker. This is the first WrestleMania in almost eighteen years without the phenom.
That doesn't mean that the Undertaker may not be involved in a future WrestleMania. However, as of now, it seems like WWE had moved on from the Deadman. At 54, The Undertaker is way past his prime. He had slowed down considerably in the ring.
Even last year he made a very brief appearance and the match against Cena was surprisingly short-lived. There may not be any matches left in him. Thus, the exclusion of the Undertaker looks like the right move. It opens up a room for them to continue the same in the coming WrestleMania events.
#3 Regular Universal Championship matches
Finally, the universal title finds the hands of a regular superstar. Brock Lesnar held the title hostage for what seemed like an eternity. The result of the universal title match breathes a bit of fresh air on the WWE landscape. Now, the company can focus on showcasing the title more often and featuring it as a part of their regular pay per views.
Seth Rollins is a workhorse who can literally compete anytime they want him to. He is at the same time a beatable star, unlike Brock Lesnar. Any deserving superstar with adequate talent can be booked to realistically face and defeat him.
There are more options to explore with Rollins as a universal champion than with the part-timer and mythical Beast Brock Lesnar. However, it should also be noted that the beast might possibly have another rematch.
If Lesnar doesn't book his rematch soon and grabs the gold again then everything will be fine from now on. The roster will now have a new motivation to be competitive. Seth Rollins leading from the front is a positive sign for the foreseeable future of WWE.
#2 A door opened for many African American WWE Champions in future
Since the inception of WWE, there had not been an African-born WWE champion. This is a long overdue considering the fact that many people belonging to the African American communities worked for them. However, the stereotype got broken at WrestleMania 35.
Kofi Kingston defeated Daniel Bryan for the WWE championship. This shows that the company is quickly realizing the fact and tries to evolve for the better. Like Kofi, many WWE Superstars from the African American community can dream of becoming a major star. There is however a long way for the company to go from now on.
They need to find many deserving talents. Kofi proved that he got what it takes by moving merchandise and showing his talent in the ring. He had been an indispensable act for them. WWE had opened a door of opportunity that was shut for decades of time. Now is the opportunity for concerned individuals to show their dedication and gain recognition.
#1 More women-centered WrestleMania main events
10 years ago no one would've believed that women will close out a WrestleMania but we just saw it happen. The first ever women's main event proves that the company is really motivated to give women equal opportunities.
Think about it for a while, we already have three women in the WWE roster who are WrestleMania main eventers already. Except for Ronda Rousey, the other two doesn't seem to be leaving anywhere soon. Thus, there are plenty of possibilities for them to mix it up with different opponents.
Whether the actual match was up to par or not is another topic altogether but at the end of the day, history happened. A major stereotype is now broken. Nothing is going to stand in the way of women main-eventing WrestleMania again.
It may or may not happen next WrestleMania but expect it to happen at least once more in the next five years. Becky Lynch and Charlotte Flair have the most chances of main eventing a handful of WrestleManias against fresh opponents in the coming years.