WWE WrestleMania 2016 Results: Twitter Reacts to Top Stars, Moments and More
The sports and entertainment worlds were abuzz Sunday night as WWE presented WrestleMania 32, live from the massive AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, and so was social media.
Triple H defended the WWE World Heavyweight Championship against Roman Reigns, a Superstar who is as polarizing among fans online as he is to those in the stands. He arrived, riding a wave of rejection and negative sentiment, but would he leave with the industry's top prize? More importantly, how would fans across Twitter respond if he did?
The Undertaker returned to the grand stage to battle Shane McMahon in a stunning Hell in a Cell match, and AJ Styles made his WrestleMania debut, while three of the most celebrated women in wrestling today made history in a Triple Threat match for the Divas Championship.
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Both fans and keyboard warriors let their opinions be heard, taking to their favorite social media platform to hype, praise, criticize and reflect upon an explosive event.
Here are the hottest topics, biggest events and most captivating Superstars who had the Internet buzzing.
Goodbye, Brie
| WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns defeated Triple H to win the title. | |
| Hell in a Cell: The Undertaker defeated Shane McMahon. | |
| Street Fight: Brock Lesnar defeated Dean Ambrose. | |
| Triple Threat match for the WWE Divas Championship Triple Threat match: Charlotte defeated Sasha Banks and Becky Lynch to retain the title. | |
| Intercontinental Championship ladder match: Zack Ryder defeated Kevin Owens, Dolph Ziggler, Sami Zayn, Sin Cara, The Miz and Stardust to win the title. | |
| The League of Nations defeated The New Day. | |
| Chris Jericho defeated AJ Styles. | |
| Baron Corbin won the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. | |
| Team Total Divas defeated Team B.A.D. and Blonde. | |
| The Usos defeated The Dudley Boyz. | |
| United States Championship Match: Kalisto defeated Ryback. |
Brie Bella teamed with Paige, Natalya, Eva Marie and Alicia Fox on Sunday night to defeat Lana, Naomi, Tamina, Emma and Summer Rae during WWE's Kickoff Show. As Bella trapped Naomi in the "Yes Lock" and forced the submission victory, she did so knowing it was her last match.
Husband Daniel Bryan took to Twitter to express his support and love for Brie with several tributes to her:
While the WWE commentators made no mention of the match serving as an official retirement, Bryan would certainly have the inside scoop on his significant other's post-WrestleMania plans.
Woo, Woo, Woo! You Know It, Bro!
In one of the most unpredictable outcomes of the night, Zack Ryder stunned the audience with a victory in the Intercontinental Championship ladder match. He outlasted Kevin Owens, Stardust, Sami Zayn, Sin Cara, The Miz and Dolph Ziggler to capture the title and a push that has eluded him for four years.
Bleacher Report's Tom Kinslow and Mike Chiari reacted accordingly:
Ryder's peers, including Natalya and Jim Ross, congratulated him:
Tag team partners Brian Myers and Mojo Rawley congratulated him on the win as well:
The match itself was a car crash of sorts, featuring an impressive Sami Zayn dive through the rungs of a ladder and onto his opponents:
Zayn also dished out a sickening suplex that left Owens turned inside out:
"Sami InZayn! #WM32 @iLikeSamiZayn pic.twitter.com/BXWmWMjWcq
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) April 3, 2016"
"Brutal half & half suplex from @iLikeSamiZayn!!! #WM32 pic.twitter.com/Ccr8o1SR8F
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) April 3, 2016"
Ryder would celebrate his once-unfathomable victory with a celebratory post:
The surprise and heartwarming victory, coupled with the death-defying spots, helped make the opening match of this year's show another in a long line of extraordinary ladder matches on the grand stage.
The New Day Brings The Awesome
Any act as ridiculous and awesome as The New Day is sure to have a ridiculously awesome entrance, and the WWE tag team champions did not disappoint Sunday night. They entered the arena through an enormous box of Booty-Os, while wearing Dragon Ball Z-inspired gear.
Maffew of the infamous Botchamania YouTube videos and independent women's star Jessicka Havok expressed their delight:
A Legendary Reunion
Shawn Michaels, Mick Foley and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin returned to the WrestleMania stage Sunday night, wiping out The League of Nations with a little "Sweet Chin Music," a dose of Mr. Socko and a Stone Cold Stunner.
Twitter was understandably psyched for the appearance of the fan favorites, including this one from The Fan's Podcast, which perfectly summed up the sentiment:
"The new day entrance is nothing short of AMAZING. #WrestleMania
— HavokDeathMachine (@FearHavok) April 4, 2016"
B/R's James Moffat was quick to point out, though, that the novelty comes with a cost:
B/R's Donald Wood also called into question the decision to give Sheamus and company the rub that comes with such an angle:
Rusev, just moments after eating a Stone Cold Stunner, courtesy of The Texas Rattlesnake, vowed to boycott a certain podcast:
Regardless of whether you loved it, hated it or were indifferent to it, there is something about WWE bringing stars from previous eras that helps lend credibility and legitimacy to WrestleMania every year. This was no different.
A Disappointing Street Fight
The match between Brock Lesnar and Dean Ambrose was one of the most highly anticipated events on the entire card. After a match filled with 13 suplexes and little else, analysts like Justin LaBar, Chiari and Wood made their disappointment abundantly clear:
WWE Women's Championship Match
During the WrestleMania Kickoff Show, Hall of Famer Lita revealed a brand new WWE Women's Championship, to be awarded to the winner of the Triple Threat match later in the night between Sasha Banks, Becky Lynch and Charlotte.
The revelation of the new title set Twitter ablaze. Even WWE owner and CEO Vince McMahon himself got in on the discussion:
Parody account WWE Creative Humor took aim at the former Divas title and the perception it gave off about women's wrestling in the company:
The competitors battling for the gold entered to huge reactions, with each being treated like a Superstar rather than the sideshow they would have been in years past.
Banks sported attire inspired by her idol, the late Eddie Guerrero—a fact Diva-Dirt.com's official feed pointed out:
The Boss would stop at nothing to realize her dream, including a sick suicide dive that looked every bit as dangerous as it was:
Part of the strategy in dethroning Charlotte was neutralizing her father—the legendary Ric Flair. Becky Lynch did that, as the official WWE Universe account captured:
"Wow, crazy tope from @SashaBanksWWE! #WM32 #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/085ly8pB4f
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) April 4, 2016"
Despite taking a bump for Lynch, Flair factored into the finish anyway, preventing Banks from breaking up the Figure Eight to The Lass Kicker.
Though the result may have split the audience, the critical acclaim was prevalent:
After her victory, Charlotte revealed the good-luck charm that helped her retain her spot atop the women's wrestling mountain:
Banks, one of the bout's runners-up, thanked fans for their support and promised they have only seen the beginning of the history-making Superstars of the women's division:
Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker
There was one moment every fan was eagerly anticipating from Shane McMahon vs. The Undertaker. That was the one in which WWE's prodigal son climbed Hell in a Cell and leaped off it, throwing caution to the wind in search of a WrestleMania moment.
Fans got it, in one of the most jaw-dropping and breathtaking moments to ever occur at The Showcase of the Immortals, as McMahon launched himself from the top of the cell with a diving elbow...only to miss his target and crash through an announce table. WWE provided highlights:
Chiari pointed out the insanity of the spot before paying tribute to McMahon's value as an entertainer:
Jim Ross, the man who called the epic Hell in a Cell match between The Undertaker and Mankind, chimed in on the spot:
Former ESPN anchor Robert Flores was left stunned, B/R's Eric Ball addressed McMahon's...testicular fortitude, and former WWE Divas champion Nikki Bella was a bit more explicit in her reaction:
Not everyone praised the match, though. Longtime wrestling insider Wade Keller pointed out the logical inconsistencies of the story as a whole and what the finish means to product (Tweet NSFW):
Total Wrestling Magazine concurred, feeling as though WWE Creative had trapped itself between a rock and a hard place:
Moffat felt the match followed the exact format he thought it would, but he gave the performers props for delivering a strong showing:
In one of the most unforgettable moments in WrestleMania history, McMahon left the audience in a state of awe, exactly what the grand stage should be used for.
Baron Corbin Wins the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
NXT star The Lone Wolf Baron Corbin appeared in his first WrestleMania, entering the Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal and, to the surprise of many, won the match after eliminating Kane, as WWE WrestleMania noted:
Ross applauded the decision, noting it was a strong way to debut him:
WWE Superstar Rosa Mendes was legitimately happy to see her friend in such a high-profile spot:
The most interesting tweet of the evening came from current Indianapolis Colts punter Pat McAfee, who congratulated his former teammate on his monumental win:
If this tweet by WrestingInc.com is any indication, the fans inside AT&T more than approved of the booking choice:
The Rock, John Cena and The Wyatt Family
The Rock returned to WrestleMania, electrifying the crowd by igniting a sign featuring his name.
It sounds lame, but as B/R's Jonathan Snowden pointed out, it was actually pretty damn cool:
From there, he would announce the brand new WrestleMania attendance record before taking to Twitter later in the evening to repeat his congratulations to the WWE Universe:
"There are actually people who think something this amazing requires an explanation. #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/EhzDmq47EY
— Jonathan Snowden (@JESnowden) April 4, 2016"
However, The Wyatt Family cut his promo off, leading to an impromptu match between Erick Rowan and The Great One. After six seconds, The Rock defeated Rowan, a stunning feat which WWE's official account covered:
It did not end there, though.
SmackDown commentator Mauro Ranallo was exclamatory as John Cena made his return and stood side-by-side with his WrestleMania 28 and 29 opponent:
Adam Rank of NFL.com was not quite as thrilled to see The Leader of the Cenation back as the 101,763 fans in attendance who popped for his arrival:
Cena and The Rock cleared the ring of The Wyatt Family and stood tall, delivering another moment in which legends from the past celebrated at the expense of current talent. B/R's "The Doctor" Chris Mueller was not nearly as excited as he thought he should have been:
To those complaining about the use of The Wyatts, NoDQ.com's account had a few words:
Cena's return sets up a star-studded Monday Night Raw but again begs the question: What's next for Bray Wyatt and his minions?
The WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match
Before the main event of the evening, Stephanie McMahon urged the WWE Universe to bow at the feet of The Authority in one of the most theatrical, fierce and completely over-the-top entrances ever:
The predictable happened from there. Roman Reigns, despite the fans' resistance, defeated Triple H to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship.
Wood was highly critical of the outcome, noting the WWE theatrics could not hide the fact fans did not want that particular outcome:
Ross, who was incredibly active throughout the broadcast, expected the venomous responses:
The New Age Insiders Podcast account, tweeting live from inside AT&T Stadium, revealed the initial response for Reigns' victory was more even than it may have come across on television:
Not everything about the marquee match at this year's show was bad.
Stephanie took a big Spear from Reigns in a spot that popped the crowd.
Kinslow recalled Shane's leap from earlier in the night and the McMahon family's penchant for bumping around the squared circle:
"#WM32 #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/zk5fYCwOtv
— LARIATOOOOO!!! (@SenorLARIATO) April 4, 2016"
Late in the match, The Billion Dollar Princess tried to sneak her husband his trademark sledgehammer...
...but it proved futile.
In a vacuum, WrestleMania 32 was one wild ride. It took the audience on an emotional roller coaster and featured several crowd-pleasing moments. Zack Ryder finally got to live out his boyhood dream, Shane McMahon provided an unforgettable moment and the female WWE Superstars stole the show.
Looking back on it, though, the booking flaws become more apparent, and the many issues that plagued the show present themselves.
