WWE News: Reviews, Analysis and Rumors for Week of April 1
The biggest week on the WWE calendar has essentially come and gone, and it most definitely didn't disappoint. WrestleMania XXVIII was as good as advertised thanks to the main-event matches. The undercard left something to be desired, but The Rock vs. John Cena, The Undertaker vs. Triple H and CM Punk vs. Chris Jericho were all excellent.
If WrestleMania weren't big enough, the next night on RAW took things to another level. The Rock delivered a rousing victory speech, Punk and Jericho continued their feud, and one of the biggest returns in recent memory occurred as Brock Lesnar took out Cena.
The fans were anticipating Lesnar to come out due to reports that he had flown into Miami over the weekend, but with the way he left WWE eight years ago and found success in UFC, most didn't believe that he would ever be back.
It isn't yet known for sure how long Lesnar will be back for or in what type of capacity he will be used in, but the WWE Universe is abuzz and the company has been receiving plenty of mainstream attention over the past week thanks to both Lesnar and The Rock.
Here are the biggest stories and rumors from the WWE for the week of April 1.
Brock Lesnar Makes Long-Awaited Return to WWE on RAW
1 of 5With rumors swirling that Brock Lesnar was in Miami for WrestleMania XXVIII, there was plenty of anticipation that he might make his presence known at wrestling's biggest event. That ultimately didn't happen, but it didn't dampen the fans' spirit as they chanted for Lesnar during John Cena's concession speech in the closing segment of RAW.
When Cena called The Rock out to congratulate him, he was instead met by Lesnar and the crowd went absolutely bonkers. It looked as if the two men would shake hands, but Lesnar instead opted to deliver a thunderous F5 to Cena and put on exclamation point on his shocking return.
My Take
I'll be the first to admit that I've never been a big fan of Lesnar's, but his return was certainly something to behold. I never found his character especially compelling, but he could do some incredible things in the ring for a man his size, so I'm more than willing to give him a chance.
A possible feud with Cena is quite intriguing as Cena will now have to try to get over a monumental loss to The Rock while dealing with a monster like Lesnar as well.
For Lesnar's return to be a true success, I feel as though he needs Paul Heyman to be his mouthpiece. The two of them are good friends in real life and worked well together in WWE previously, so there is no reason why the partnership shouldn't happen again.
There is speculation that Lesnar is signed for a year and will make 35 appearances, so I can't wait to see what happens.
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The Rock Defeats John Cena in Main Event of WrestleMania
2 of 5In what was one of the most highly-anticipated matches in WrestleMania history, The Rock and John Cena did battle in a 30-minute classic that resulted in The Rock coming out on top. Cena was in control of the match, but he got a bit too overconfident and went for a People's Elbow. The Rock sprung to his feet and delivered a Rock Bottom for the clean win.
The popular school of thought was that Cena would get the win and The Rock would shake his hand in a pass-the-torch moment, much like Rocky had with Hulk Hogan years earlier. It is clear that the WWE has something much different in mind, though, as The Rock got the victory in his hometown of Miami in front of a pro-Rock crowd.
My Take
I make no effort to hide the fact that I'm a huge fan of The Rock, so obviously I'm in full support of this result. I suppose I can understand why some people are miffed since an outsider of sorts came in and defeated the WWE's marquee star, but it made plenty of sense.
Having Cena win and shake hands with The Rock would have been laughably stupid since they have spent the last year insulting each other and aren't supposed to like each other.
The alternative of The Rock winning is far better. Not only does it create an intriguing angle for Cena as he has to rebuild his reputation after losing what he called the biggest match of his career, but it opens up a return for The Rock.
Now that The Rock knows who can still go, from a storyline perspective, he is sure to return at some point and begin his pursuit of the WWE Championship as he mentioned on RAW.
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Daniel Bryan Loses Quickly to Sheamus, but 'Yes' Craze Begins
3 of 5In what was probably one of the more surprising moments in recent memory at WrestleMania, Sheamus beat Daniel Bryan for the World Heavyweight Championship in just 18 seconds on wrestling's biggest stage. Bryan got a kiss from his girlfriend AJ once the bell rang, but as soon as he turned around, he ate a Brogue Kick from Sheamus and there was a new titleholder.
Despite all of that, the Miami crowd was hot for Bryan as they started a "Yes" chant and held up "Yes" signs during his entrance. RAW was in Miami the next night and the crowd was equally pro-Bryan as they chanted "Yes" throughout the night in segments that didn't even involve the former champion. Bryan may be a heel, but he is beginning to get a more positive crowd reaction than most faces.
My Take
All things considered, I'm happy with the way things have been going for Bryan. There was some question as to whether he could play an effective heel, but since he has embraced the role, he has been highly entertaining.
The crowd reactions prove that the fans are taking notice and that can only be viewed as a good thing. In one respect the squash match against Sheamus was unfortunate because they could have had a great match, but there is a silver lining as well.
Bryan hasn't lost any momentum, rather he has most certainly gained some. The WWE has already begun to capitalize on Bryan's popularity as they have released "Yes" shirts. It remains to be seen how Bryan will be received outside the confines of Florida, but I could see the "Yes" chant replacing "What" and launching Bryan's popularity to new heights.
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Lord Tensai Makes Anticipated Debut on RAW
4 of 5After just two weeks worth of vignettes, Lord Tensai debuted on RAW this week with a squash-match victory against Alex Riley. Pretty much every wrestling fan knows by now that Lord Tensai is being played by Matt Bloom, who was previously Albert or A-Train during the Attitude Era. Tensai came to the ring in Japanese garb with a manager and had little trouble with A-Ry.
Tensai finished off Riley with the Baldo Bomb, which was his finisher when he was in the WWE previously, and after the match he spit some sort of mist on his hand before administering a claw to Riley. He figures to do this type of thing for at least a few more weeks, but his debut was quite interesting.
My Take
I'm sort of on the fence when it comes to Lord Tensai. While I don't think it's fair that people have already labeled him as a bust since he is just Albert with a Japanese gimmick, I'm also not sure exactly where he'll fit in. His debut match was a bit too methodical for my liking, but it got the job done in terms of making him look like a dominant monster heel.
The thing I liked most, though, was how the announcers didn't try to conceal his identity. There was some concern that nobody would be able to take Lord Tensai seriously since everyone knows that he's Albert, but the announcers made it a point to say that he competed in the WWE previously, but adopted Japanese customs after competing in Japan.
It gives Lord Tensai a compelling back story. so there is plenty of hope for him yet.
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Blockbuster Card Already Rumored for WrestleMania 29
5 of 5WrestleMania XXVIII may not even be a week in the past, but there is already plenty of speculation with regards to what the card will look like at WrestleMania XXIX next year in New Jersey. Obviously, a ton can happen between now and then, but the early indications are that we could see a card that rivals and likely exceeds what we saw on Sunday.
According to WrestlingInc.com, the WWE is currently planning for a triumvirate of main events that includes The Rock vs. Brock Lesnar for the WWE Championship, "Stone Cold" Steve Austin vs. CM Punk and The Undertaker vs. John Cena. All three matches are sensible and any of them could headline the event, so it seems quite logical that the WWE would want the card to look similar to that.
My Take
Even prior to Sunday, I was already thinking that Austin vs. Punk and Cena vs. The Undertaker would be perfect matches for WrestleMania XXIX. Now, with Lesnar returning and The Rock already saying that he would be at next year's 'Mania, a match between them makes sense as well, especially since they have feuded in the past and have a history. These reports tend to be bogus sometimes, but for once I'm hoping that this one is 100 percent correct.
Austin vs. Punk would be very much like The Rock vs. Cena this year, but it would likely be even better since their gimmicks are simply meant to feud. Also, while The Undertaker's 20-0 streak is impressive, it's safe to say that he has never really had to take on the face of the company at WrestleMania, so pitting him against Cena would be great. Toss in Brock vs. Rock and I firmly believe this could be the greatest WrestleMania of all time.
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