WWE WrestleMania 31: Sights, Sounds and Interviews from Weekend of PPV Event

It's WrestleMania!

At least, that was the calling card throughout the 31st edition of WWE's extravaganza. But WrestleMania is more than just a four-hour broadcast filled with unmatched production quality, Vince McMahon-endorsed buzzwords and memorable plot twists. 

In the thick of festival season, WrestleMania is what every festival aspires to. It's a week-long spectacle that reminds fans why they put up with a year of cheap plugs for the WWE Network and Michael Cole on commentary.

It's a genre unto itself that only seems to evolve with time. It's culture, tradition and the only place where championship-belt guy feels right at home. It's where wrestling fans gather to pay homage to the past, present and future of WWE. It's nearly impossible to describe the allure of WWE's biggest weekend to those who haven't been.

It's WrestleMania.

WWE Superstar Interviews at WWE Axxess

WrestleMania carries a different meaning to different WWE Superstars and Divas. For some, it's an opportunity to steal the show. For others, it's a time to build upon, or even reminisce about, what has already been accomplished.

Dolph Ziggler on Added Pressure to Steal the Show

Dolph Ziggler has appeared in six WrestleManias. None of them were singles matches. Ziggler is used to sharing the stage with multiple WWE Superstars, and he spoke of the added pressure to steal the show at WrestleMania.

"I feel there's added pressure every day to improve myself to my peers and for my fans who have stood behind me through thousands of losses, crap being dumped on me twice and every possible minute being this close to something and then having it taken away," he said. "So yeah, of course, I feel added pressure, but I feel like that's my whole deal my entire career.

"I thought I was doing a pretty good job about six to eight months ago defending it once or twice a week on television, being forced to defend it, which I loved because it was putting more credibility into it. There wasn't a WWE World title around every day, so I wanted this to be the one, you know. You want me to defend it, I'll defend it every damn night, and I'll come out on top. I wanted to prove that I was good enough to not only be the champ and step up when the world title's not around all the time, but also be the guy who can deliver a great match no matter who it was against, no matter what the circumstance, and come out on top."

Natalya on #GiveDivasAChance Movement

Natalya is the personification of the recent push for more exposure among the WWE Divas division. While many fans are clamoring to see more of the overachieving Divas in NXT, Natalya has been a strong worker on the main roster for years. The former Divas champion shared her thoughts on what appears to be a revolution in women's wrestling.

"I think it's great," she said. "I think it's not just about giving Divas a chance, but giving everybody a chance. This WrestleMania is huge because not only are the Divas getting a chance to shine, but you're also seeing the tag team shining, you're seeing people other than just the main event shining. The Divas, you know, their voices are being heard, and it's so cool to see Total Divas taking over. You're seeing so many more people wanting to watch WWE because they watch Total Divas and for us as a Divas division to make our story more well-known, it's just an accomplishment and a breakthrough for us."

Christian on the Transformation of WWE from Attitude Era to Present Day

Part of WWE's growth is a steady maturation process. Not only is WWE a TV-PG product, but talent is brought up through a developmental process that is slowly beginning to overshadow more prestigious programming on Raw and SmackDown.

NXT was a significant part of WrestleMania weekend. The brand's influence was apparent during NXT matches at WWE Axxess, an appearance from NXT star Hideo Itami at WrestleMania, multiple debuts from NXT alumni on the Raw after WrestleMania and even a live NXT event Friday night.

WWE legend Christian discussed the changes in WWE since his debut with the promotion in 1998.

"The way the guys are coming in through the Performance Center down in Orlando, it's kind of grooming guys," he said. "Back in the day, when you got here and you finally made it onto Raw, you were just thrown out there not really knowing what to expect, whereas in NXT it's kind of like a smaller version of what we do on Raw and SmackDown, so it's easier for the performers to get acclimated."

WWE NXT Live

WWE NXT is more than just a developmental territory. By now, there's more pressure on WWE to successfully transition these talents to the main roster. The term developmental doesn't do NXT justice. It's more of an alternative that fills every void WWE doesn't. A haven for hipsters to chant "better than Mania!" and "this is wrestling!"

The Women's Championship match between Charlotte and Sasha Banks was treated like a main event and executed like a WrestleMania main event.

A flawless contest from bell to bell, NXT seems to have lightning in a bottle with a women's division that, between Charlotte, Banks and hometown hero Bayley, arguably boasted the three most popular talents on the show.

Both Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn accelerated their feud and kept fans engaged despite being unable to wrestle. Their entertaining promo exchange featured an emotional Zayn juxtaposed with an arrogant champion in Owens, who received a surprising amount of heel heat from the hardcore crowd.

Itami had his best showing in NXT against Tyler Breeze and finally hit the GTS for an electric finish. Finn Balor and Adrian Neville closed the show in a match that was every bit as good as their showdown at NXT TakeOver: Rival.

Was it better than WrestleMania? No. But the fact that this is even a question bodes well for the budding promotion.

WWE Hall of Fame

The WWE Hall of Fame was a long celebration of wrestling royalty. A very long celebration. In fact, they still might be celebrating. The show ran uncomfortably long, giving credence to the possibility of briefer timed speeches.

The induction of Connor Michalek was inspirational and arguably the night's high point. Having three  separate inductors tell such a sad story seemed to bring the crowd down a notch.

The Bushwhackers gave the best speech of the night, with a two-man show routine where the pair displayed just as much chemistry on the mic as they did in the ring. Speeches by Madusa, Shawn Michaels, Triple H and Hulk Hogan were also very good.

Fans at the Hall of Fame were well-behaved for the most part, with the exception of a few isolated incidents of shouting. Even the always sketchy celebrity inductee was treated with respect (as long as his controversial stint as governor of California wasn't mentioned) as Arnold Schwarzenegger gave a pro-America speech.

The WWE Hall of Fame was a nostalgic mix of icons giving thanks. WWE would be able to maximize on the entertainment value of this show with fewer inductees and an abbreviated program.

WrestleMania

WrestleMania 31 rivaled WrestleMania 17 and WrestleMania 19 as the greatest of all time. From a production and execution standpoint, WWE hit on all cylinders and missed rarely.

Just when it seemed like WWE can't think of any fresh RKO finishes, Orton delivered the greatest RKO of all time to a gravity-defying Seth Rollins.

This was certainly the greatest year for WWE entrances, which showcased Triple H's Terminator-themed entrance, an impressive drummer medley for Sting's entrance and Rusev riding in on a tank.

The appearance of NWO and D-Generation X was the best example of how an overbooked match can still entertain.

Even the non-wrestling segment featuring Ronda Rousey and The Rock kept fans captivated throughout and teased a likely WWE career for Rousey down the line.

The fact that both Undertaker and John Cena won on the same card means WWE better have the Attitude Era on speed dial for WrestleMania 32. Two young stars could have been solidified, and both lost to aging veterans at the end of their careers. 

The main event felt like a big fight due to a result that was left in doubt and one nobody correctly predicted. Reigns walking through a sea of detractors in Levi's Stadium was reminiscent of Rocky Balboa fighting Ivan Drago in Russia. The match was booked brilliantly with Reigns taking the brunt of the beating, only to keep coming back for more.

Rollins cashing in received the biggest pop of the night next to Lesnar's entrance. This sets up an interesting feud between Rollins and Reigns that will produce more support for the polarizing challenger.

Unless otherwise noted, quotes were obtained firsthand. Alfred Konuwa is a Featured Columnist and on-air host for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter @ThisIsNasty and listen to his weekly wrestling podcast.