The Case
It's that time of the year again, and WWE's most popular wrestlers go
head-to-head in the biggest wrestling night of the year. This time around,
WrestleMania has come to Phoenix, AZ, and here's what this gigantic event
has to offer:
• R-Truth & John Morrison vs. The Miz & Big Show in a
Unified Tag Team Championship Match
For a WrestleMania opener, this
tag team match delivers the goods, even though it only lasts three minutes.
Morrison and R-Truth make an effort to show off their flexibility by scoring
some high-risk moves, and the Big Show successfully uses his power to impress
the crowds looking for big punches and throws. Too bad this battle is too short,
but at least it doesn't disappoint while it lasts.
• Ted DiBiase vs. Cody Rhodes vs. Randy Orton in a Triple Threat
Match
Even though this one starts off as one-sided and rather predictable,
it picks up energy and variety halfway through. DiBiase and Rhodes obviously
start ganging up on Orton, but the latter does take over eventually and deliver
a bunch of moves that really look fancy. The coordination between the three
athletes works quite well, and that's a big plus. All in all, this is a fun
match to watch. So far, so good.
• Kofi Kingston vs. MVP vs. Jack Swagger vs. Matt Hardy vs. Kane
vs. Christian vs. Drew McIntyre vs. Dolph Ziggler vs. Evan Bourne vs. Shelton
Benjamin in a Money in the Bank Match
The famous suitcase is hanging high
above the ring, and the wrestlers must use ladders to snatch it. Only one can
win this thing, and that means we're in for a bunch of chaos inside the ring.
Clocking in at 14 minutes, this is quite an entertaining battle, with each of
the competitors using the ladders to put on an impressive show. Some of the
stunts and dives the WWE athletes deliver are really amusing, which helps cut
down on repetition. I wouldn't call this one the best Money in the Bank battle
in recent years, but it's definitely another decent matchup.
• Sheamus vs. Triple H
Sheamus still desperately needs a
tan, but he does help turn this battle into an interesting match. He also proves
he's ready to play with WWE's big guys, and both he and HHH engage in a variety
of powerful moves to give the audience its money worth. The battle lasts for an
entertaining 12 minutes, and both wrestlers are focused enough to deliver a
pretty much flawless show. Let's hope this event has more of this in store for
us.
• CM Punk vs. Rey Mysterio
At six minutes, this fight
between CM Punk and Rey Mysterio is just about long enough for both WWE stars to
keep fans entertained without necessarily delivering a memorable PPV matchup.
It's all in all a clean battle, but I was looking for a tad more variety in this
one. That said, the high-risk maneuvers the two pull off certainly boost the
battle's pace. Good enough, so let's move on.
• Bret Hart vs. Vince McMahon in a No Holds Barred Match
This is the first disappointment of this WrestleMania event. I had a
feeling this one would bomb, and to be honest, what can you expect from a match
between Vince and Bret? Sure, it's cool to see Bret back in action inside the
ring, but this brawl is incredibly monotonous and predictable. It's a bore,
really, and I wish it would've lasted five instead of 12 minutes.
• Chris Jericho vs. Edge in a World Heavyweight Championship
Match
Chris Jericho and Edge go head-to-head for the gold, and their
battle runs for a good 16 minutes. Both athletes generate a classic wrestling
match, complete with the usual kicks, punches, powerful moves and signature
submission maneuvers. There is not much else to say about it except that it's a
clean, well-coordinated title match that goes well with the rest of this
pay-per-view's solid battles.
• 10-Diva Tag Team Match
As expected, this is yet another
disappointment. Aside from one or two solid moves, this battle doesn't offer
anything but a hell lot of screaming and kicking. This is one to forget. Enough
said.
• Batista vs. John Cena in a WWE Championship Match
Much
like the match between Edge and Jericho, the title match between Cena and
Batista is another clean battle that boasts a bunch of variety in terms of
wrestling techniques. These are two experienced, powerful athletes who
understand the structure of an entertaining PPV matchup, and they do an
excellent job at utilizing their stamina to give fans a classic pre-main event
fight for the gold.
• Undertaker vs. Shawn Michaels in a Streak vs. Career Match
The final matchup this time is not a title match, but that doesn't mean it's
a disappointing competition. On the contrary, this 24-minute battle between
Undertaker and Shawn Michaels is the perfect way to end a surprisingly strong
WWE pay-per-view. The two superstars know the pressure is on them the moment
they step into the ring, but they both make sure to deliver impressively
fast-paced wrestling action culminating in a predictable but powerful finale
that certainly satisfies most of the 70,000 folks in attendance. It's a long
fight, yes, but it sure is a lot of fun to watch.
As usual, picture quality and sound work just fine. In terms of special
features, the second disc of this set includes a bonus 26-man Battle Royal
tapped before the PPV went live. It's a decent match, but nothing extraordinary.
Also included is part of the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony that aired on USA Network
the night before the pay-per-view.
WrestleMania XXVI is a surprisingly solid PPV, topping its recent
predecessors, and proving that WWE writers can do good if they put a little
effort into the matches. Without doubt, this is a WrestleMania to
remember.
