WWE WrestleMania 31: Results That Will Have Major Impact on 2015

The WrestleMania aftermath often proves just as exciting as the grand event itself.

Once The Show of Shows wraps up, WWE embarks on unique territory where it can essentially press the reset button. After spending months building up storylines to resolve, there's room to shuffle everything before Extreme Rules.

All the part-timers obviously won't resume their 'Mania feuds, so few loose ends remain dangling heading into April. Yet an evening loaded with nostalgia and star cameos ended with the proclaimed future climbing the mountaintop.

Three title swaps should spawn several fresh rivalries going forward, and a welcomed new face on top offers hope of curtailing the status quo.

Now that WrestleMania 31 is over, what happens next for WWE's biggest stars?

Match	Winner
Fatal 4-Way Tag Team Championship match	Cesaro and Tyson Kidd (retain titles)
Andre The Giant Memorial Battle Royal	Big Show
Randy Orton vs. Seth Rollins	Randy Orton
AJ Lee and Paige vs. Nikki and Brie Bella	AJ Lee and Paige
Intercontinental Championship Ladder match	Daniel Bryan (new champion)
Rusev vs. John Cena	John Cena (new U.S. Champion)
Sting vs. Triple-H	Triple-H
Bray Wyatt vs. The Undertaker	The Undertaker
Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns	Seth Rollins (Money in the Bank cash-in; new WWE world heavyweight champion)

Making Midcard Titles Matter

Don Feria/Associated Press

Two of WWE's top draws won singles titles on Sunday, just not the ones Superstars of their caliber typically desire.

A year after living out his underdog tale to eventually claim the world heavyweight crown, Daniel Bryan fended off six other men to capture the Intercontinental Championship Sunday night. Later in the evening, a parade of legends congratulated Bryan before joining him in a "Yes" chant. (Side note: If Ric Flair was there, why wasn't he used in the Triple-H-Sting old-timers frenzy?)

One night in, Bryan proved to be a fighting champion by besting Dolph Ziggler. While Bad News Barrett constantly lost non-title matches, Bryan immediately looked strong during a match that drew a standing ovation.

With Sheamus returning to attack both faces, it's safe to project a feud between Bryan and The Celtic Warrior, who infamously pinned him in 18 seconds at WrestleMania 28. 

Even more unusual, John Cena took a step down the ladder, claiming the U.S. title by becoming the first man to pin Rusev. Cena will eventually break Flair's record for most world championships, but he constantly sold this as his "biggest match ever," an obvious exaggeration but a telling sign for the WWE's thought process.

He summed up the intricate feud on Twitter:

'Merica indeed, John. As momentous as the victory felt in Santa Clara, California, it'll be interesting to see WWE's next step. Although Rusev was absent during Cena's first successful title defensive over Dean Ambrose, the two don't appear finished. The Bulgarian Brute, however, shouldn't reclaim the title after enjoying a lengthy reign.

Sooner or later, Cena's services will be desired in the main title hunt. Who will Vince McMahon deem worthy of eventually ridding Cena of the mid-tier strap? Will other established names buy into the belt's regained luster, or will he continue to clash with rising stars who'd benefit simply from sharing the stage with the company's poster child?

It's certainly clear neither victory was meant as a demotion. Bryan and Cena will both make their respective titles matter again, and regularly defending them is a great start.

Rollins' Title Run

Would Roman Reigns capture Brock Lesnar's title to a sea of boos? Would Lesnar conquer once again? Would Seth Rollins cash in his Money of the Bank contract after the match?

Actually, none of the above. In a clever wrinkle, Rollins crashed the main event mid-match to exercise his title opportunity. Nobody ever said that wasn't allowed.

The ending preserved Lesnar's air of invincibility as a monster who was never pinned, made Reigns a sympathetic figure cheated by his former ally and reinforced Rollins as a master manipulator and this generation's ultimate opportunist.

Jim Ross gave the finish a thumbs-up on Twitter:

Now where do they all go from here?

While Rollins' victory could be perceived as an acknowledgment that Reigns isn't ready, there's also the chance he's merely keeping the title warm for his former Shield partner. This way, the WWE avoids backlash on WrestleMania's biggest event and hopes everyone is less agitated with Reigns triumphing over Rollins rather than Lesnar.

Never pinned for the title, Lesnar has a major gripe. Then again, the same thing happened to Bryan last year. Come to think of it, did Randy Orton ever get his rematch?

Beating Rollins hours before he won the title gives The Viper a claim to the belt as well. Lesnar will continue to make his sporadic appearances, with Bryan still looming as a dream SummerSlam opponent if he doesn't seek vengeance on Rollins.