WWE WrestleMania 31 Results: Power Ranking Every Match at PPV

Sunday night, World Wrestling Entertainment delivered its 31st WrestleMania extravaganza, live from the lavish Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California.

Roman Reigns and Brock Lesnar defied odds and critics, wrestling a near-classic in front of 76,000 fans. It was a brutal fight that concluded in a shocking fashion. 

Sting and Triple H wrestled the definition of a sports entertainment dream match, complete with interference from the New World Order and D-Generation X.

The Undertaker proved that last year's loss to Lesnar was the exception to the rule, beating Bray Wyatt, while John Cena ended a streak of his own, beating Rusev to capture the United States Championship.

Daniel Bryan, Big Show, Randy Orton, Paige, AJ Lee and WWE Tag Team champions Tyson Kidd and Cesaro all had monumental nights as well, winning their respective matches.

The in-ring work was very good, if not great in some instances, solidifying the show as one of the more consistent productions from start to finish that WWE has offered in quite some time.

Which match was the best and which had the dubious distinction of being recognized as the worst?

Find out now with the complete power rankings of every match on the WrestleMania card.

9. AJ Lee and Paige vs. the Bella Twins

Credit: WWE.com

There was a lot of hope that the WWE Divas would be given the opportunity to have a legitimate match, with increased time and character development.

Unfortunately, that was not the case, as the contest resembled a Raw tag match, with AJ Lee lying on the floor while Nikki and Brie Bella isolated Paige. By the time the former Divas champion got the hot tag, she unleashed on her opponents before forcing a tapout from the current titleholder.

Rather than applauding the Divas for proving they belonged, fans were left underwhelmed, the women's placement on the card and treatment again called into question.

One of the biggest complaints is the fact that the twin sisters controlled the majority of the match again while the babyfaces appeared to win based on a fluke rather than because they out-wrestled their opponents and proved superior.

8. Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal

Credit: WWE.com

The Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal was a match that, for the second consecutive year, started slow with far too many athletes involved, but turned into a very entertaining match when the dead weight was weeded out.

Ryback's commanding performance was to be expected, and it made sense that Big Show would dominate, but the storytelling that went on at points throughout the contest proved that the creativity of the workers and the memories of the writing staff are not nearly as bad as they are criticized for being.

The stuff involving Cesaro and the World's Largest Athlete was great, with the King of Swing attempting to win for the second straight year, only to encounter a giant who was smarter and more aware of the strategy of his opponent. Big Show's elimination of the Swiss Superman may have drawn boos, but it was a great way to play on last year's finish.

Damien Mizdow's story culminated in grand fashion as he disobeyed his boss, The Miz, and eliminated him before turning in an outstanding performance that had the fans in Santa Clara believing he would overcome Big Show and win the Andre the Giant trophy.

Despite a valiant effort, he failed and Big Show won his first battle royal.

A great match fueled by multiple stories told throughout, it was a wise addition to the Kickoff Show, which benefited in terms of importance from its presence.

7. Fatal 4-Way Match for the WWE Tag Team Championship

Credit: WWE.com

For the second straight year, the tag teams in World Wrestling Entertainment kicked off the in-ring action with an action-packed, highly entertaining bout.

Jey Uso's shoulder injury kept the former tag champion out of action, especially after Cesaro tossed him into the guardrail. Jimmy was left to go it alone, and he nearly captured the titles.

In a contest reliant on the high spots to keep the crowd invested, it was a cerebral Cesaro who seized an opening, scoring the pinfall victory off of a top rope splash from Uso.

Los Matadores, in their first shot to impress on pay-per-view since last summer, really turned in another solid effort that confirms their status as a talented team hampered considerably by an awful gimmick.

The New Day, on the other hand, were greeted with an almost silent reaction and, despite working as hard as their opponents, felt like they were dragging down the proceedings.

6. Undertaker vs. Bray Wyatt

Credit: WWE.com

There was nothing special about The Undertaker's match with Bray Wyatt Sunday night. In fact, without the crowd response or spectacle, the overall quality was comparable to that of a Raw or SmackDown main event.

But being WrestleMania, response and grandeur matter, and Sunday night, the Superstars delivered a very good match, complete with outstanding visuals and cool spots.

Late in the match, Wyatt kicked out of the Tombstone, then felt the same desperation course through his veins moments later when Undertaker kicked out of his Sister Abigail finisher.

From there, Wyatt performed his trademark spider walk, only to be greeted by an Undertaker who sat up and stared him down.

A second Tombstone proved Wyatt's downfall, getting The Deadman back on the winning track just one year after his greatest and most publicized defeat.

5. Sting vs. Triple H

Credit: WWE.com

To paraphrase Cody Rhodes' old entrance theme, "Whoa, this was only smoke and mirrors!"

There was no real wrestling to speak of when Sting made his in-ring debut for WWE, battling Triple H in one of the marquee bouts on Sunday's card. What there was was a tremendous amount of storytelling that played up the Monday Night Wars, which became a major theme on the WWE Network, thanks to the debut of the multi-part series.

D-Generation X interfered on behalf of Triple H while the New World Order came to the aid of Sting. Of course, the idea of the nWo helping Sting makes no sense, nor did the fact that Kevin Nash and Scott Hall were openly celebrating the end of the Hall of Fame ceremony with The Game, but it made for a hell of a visual.

Sting incorporated the baseball bat, but it was Triple H who was able to use the remnants of a broken sledgehammer to catch his opponent with a shot to the face. It proved the killing blow, the end of Sting's night and one last shot WWE could take at WCW.

Triple H won the match, but a shake of his opponent's hand provided Sting with that nod of approval, that sign of respect that made the defeat somewhat more acceptable.

This was a great bit of sports entertainment from two guys who have dedicated their adult lives to the art form.

4. Ladder Match for the Intercontinental Championship

Credit: WWE.com

The opening contest of this year's Showcase of the Immortals was the ladder match for the intercontinental championship, one most expected to steal the show.

While it never quite reached that level of quality, it was still a demolition derby of a contest that popped the crowd and delivered a phenomenal finish.

Every one of the seven competitors had the opportunity to get their spots in, including a nasty superplex from Bad News Barrett to Stardust.

The climax of the contest unfolded in two parts, the first being an unnecessarily dangerous powerbomb from Luke Harper to Dean Ambrose, over the top rope and through a ladder at ringside. Medics checked on him in what was the Lunatic Fringe's final appearance in the bout.

The second part came when Daniel Bryan and Dolph Ziggler, the focal points of the contest, met atop a single ladder and punished each other with a series of headbutts. In the end, Bryan landed one more blow than Ziggler, sending the Showoff crashing to the mat and allowing the leader of the Yes Movement to reach up and retrieve the title.

The finish was spectacular. Whether by design or not, the headbutts exploited Ziggler's concussion history and allowed Bryan to get the better of his opponent.

Smart booking, though some of the spots were a bit more cringe-worthy and cause for concern than this writer was comfortable with, especially that powerbomb through the ladder.

3. Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins

Credit: WWE.com

Anyone familiar with the recent in-ring work of Randy Orton or Seth Rollins should have expected a very good match out of the veteran competitors.

While it started somewhat slow, it picked up considerably midway through, with Orton's double DDT to Joey Mercury and Jamie Noble creating an energy that increased when Rollins delivered the springboard moonsault from the ropes to the floor, nearly injuring his own back on the announce table in the process.

The teases involving the RKO and Curb Stomp, as well as the near-falls that resulted from the actual execution of those maneuvers, built nicely to the actual finish.

With Orton in position to take another Curb Stomp, Rollins planted his foot on The Viper's shoulder, only to be launched into the air and caught coming down with the RKO.

Three seconds later and the third-generation star had picked up a huge victory over the face of The Authority.

2. United States Championship Match: John Cena vs. Rusev

Credit: WWE.com

The United States Championship match between John Cena and Rusev was considered by many to be a dark-horse contender for Match of the Night honors.

Had it not been for the main event, it would have been, thanks to some stellar ring work from the Bulgarian Brute and a truly inspired performance from Cena, who broke out a springboard stunner and nearly put away the champion.

The leader of the Cenation withstood the punishing Accolade, refusing to tap out, then returned the favor by trapping Rusev in the STF. Lana attempted to toss her shoe at the competitors, forcing Cena to break the hold, but she missed.

Moments later, Cena sent Rusev crashing into Lana, delivered the Attitude Adjustment and picked up another United States Championship to add to his Hall of Fame-worthy resume.

Like Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins earlier in the card, this match brought the in-ring workrate that fans of professional wrestling desire. For all of the criticisms about Cena's ability between the ropes, he proved why he is one of the best big-match performers in the industry.

He and Rusev have wicked chemistry, and while the hero has emerged victorious, representing the United States in the war over national pride with Russia, a rematch between the two would be welcomed.

1. WWE World Heavyweight Championship Match: Roman Reigns vs. Brock Lesnar

Credit: WWE.com

The main event of WrestleMania 31 was an epic encounter deserving of the hype that surrounded it.

Brock Lesnar was the unstoppable force, withstanding an early assault at the hands of Reigns, an assault that drew blood and left the Beast Incarnate with what appeared to be a swollen cheek and possible broken nose.

He pummeled Reigns, grounding him with knees to the body and a number of German suplexes. But after every toss, the challenger flashed a smile, a smile that soon became bloody. Still, it was enough to suggest that Reigns was able to withstand the champion's worst and remain competitive.

The laceration that Lesnar suffered late in the match allowed Reigns to battle back, but a fourth F5 put him down. With both competitors reeling, Seth Rollins hit the ring and cashed in Money in the Bank.

And therein lies the problem.

Contrary to expectations, Lesnar and Reigns were in the middle of a Match of the Year candidate that had completely sucked in the 70,000-plus fans inside Levi's Stadium. They were invested and wanted to see who would win the contest.

The introduction of Rollins was brilliant in terms of creating heel heat, but it killed the flow of a match that was the very definition of a heavyweight fight.

Reigns exploded with a spear, taking Lesnar down, allowing Rollins to deliver a Curb Stomp to an exhausted challenger and win the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in a moment sure to be debated thoroughly over the next few days and weeks.

In the end, the Rollins involvement was a hell of a plot device, but it came at the extent of a war the likes of which this generation of fans is unfamiliar with. A clean winner would have been greatly appreciated, even if it would have forced WWE Creative's hand and made them choose between Reigns and Lesnar.