JM: Wrestling with a Hangover (Does Wrestlemania feel flat this year?)
Is it just me, or does Wrestlemania feel flat this year?
Okay, maybe not THIS flat!
On paper there’s a lot to get excited about. Heel Cena (with help from The Rock) is challenging the new king Cody Rhodes to win a record-breaking 17th world title. Fan-favourite Jey Uso’s long, storied journey to the top looks to be reaching an epic conclusion. Rhea Ripley and Bianca Belair will at long last be sharing a ring (albeit with Iyo Sky inexplicably getting involved). Tiffany Stratton has a potentially star-making moment against the much-maligned Charlotte Flair. Throw in a potential Roman Reigns/CM Punk/Seth Rollins triple threat match, LA Knight defending his US title, Drew McIntyre vs Damian Priest, and appearances from PENTA, Bron Breakker, Jacob Fatu and more? This should be a mouth-wateringly excellent Wrestlemania.
And yet.
Maybe I’m reading the room wrong, but there isn’t the same level of excitement this year. Sure, Cena’s promo on Monday set the opinion pieces on fire, with everything from pure positivity (yours truly, PsykoHurricane) to trolling hatefulness (Lord Voldemort). But are we excited for the match, or simply commenting on something that we’ve waited years to see?
More importantly, are we collectively suffering from a Wrestlemania hangover?
Can’t handle it, can he?
Think about it. Last year’s Wrestlemania was an all-time classic, the culmination not just of Cody Rhodes’ incredible story but arguably the zenith of the Bloodline. I’m not the first to make this comparison, but it really did feel like WWE’s Avengers Endgame. So many moving pieces from the last 5-6 years of pro wrestling came together in an epic explosion of emotion, culminating in Cody Rhodes ending Roman Reigns’ three-and-a-half year championship run.
Now, let’s look at what happened to the MCU. Endgame grossed $2.7 BILLION worldwide, and it’s all been downhill from there. The Spiderman Home franchise continues to perform well, but otherwise every film has been comfortably under a billion until Deadpool & Wolverine, the edgy teenage son of the MCU. In fact (excluding Spiderman), it took 3 years before an MCU film achieved more than half a billion dollars.
You could argue that the MCU is still in rude health, regularly churning out numbers that other film franchises can only dream of. But it’s impossible to claim an upward trend versus the peak of Avengers excitement. Cards on the table, I’m not the biggest Marvel fan but even I would say they told a near-perfect story for that audience over an unprecedented number of films. Not unlike a wrestling company telling a near-perfect story for their audience over an unprecedented number of years.
It’s not just the events that warrant comparison, but the reaction of the fanbase as well. It is impossible not to be burnt out by such an emotionally exhausting conclusion. Look how long it took Marvel to start getting even close to their pre-Endgame numbers, and they have the benefit of months between instalments; WWE runs 52 weeks a year. It would be impossible to reach the same level of emotion after just one year.
And, perhaps controversially, I think they know that.
See this guy? This guy knows stuff.
Look at what we’re missing this year. Bianca Belair vs Rhea Ripley was right there, and they snatched it away from us. Roman Reigns vs CM Punk would be a headline match in any era, and yet Seth Rollins finds himself making it a triple threat. Becky Lynch hasn’t returned yet, despite multiple reports that she’s getting ready to do so. Drew McIntyre, arguably more deserving of a huge match than anyone else this year, finds himself miles away from the main event. Gosh, I wonder if perhaps he’ll turn that into a story that sees him headlining next years’ edition?
Glastonbury is the biggest music festival in the UK (similar to Coachella and Lollapalooza for my American readers), and every few years they deliberately hold a “fallow” year where the festival doesn’t happen. This is because the farmland it’s situated on needs time to recover, otherwise eventually it’ll be too burnt-out to host a festival ever again.
Wrestlemania 41 is WWE’s fallow year.
The fanbase needs time to recover from the epic fortieth edition, so why blow Punk vs Reigns and Ripley vs Belair on us now? Instead, I’d argue that they’re focusing on the absolute bare minimum. John Cena’s pending retirement and long-awaited heel turn are enough of a story to drive a sellout. Jey Uso getting his moment will keep the kids happy. CM Punk featuring in “a” main event is a perfect aperitif, enough to keep his story moving without completing its ultimate goal. Roman Reigns’ mere presence in a match is always noteworthy.
Wrestlemania 41 is showcasing the immortals… but none of them are in their prime position.
I would argue that the WWE calendar is now elongated and cannot be judged on a year-to-year basis. They must know that achieving the highs of 40 is impossible; look at it logically, if I can figure it out then Triple H definitely can. So instead of trying to force 41 they’re already building for 42.
We’re being served teasers for next years’ Mania all over the place. Any combination of Punk, Reigns, Rollins, McIntyre and Priest can use this year to drive their stories forward. Jey vs Gunther might be lacklustre this year, but imagine if Uso loses again? Or if Gunther channels his loss into another monster heel run that culminates in next years’ main event? I can’t be the only one who remembers Michaels and Undertaker having a mini-match at the end of the Royal Rumble, and I’d argue that’s what they’re doing with Belair and Ripley here. Give us a little taste, just enough to really whet the appetite for next years’ showdown.
And let’s not forget the third-most-brilliant Rock in the universe…
The Rock doesn’t need to feature at Wrestlemania 41. Scheduling issues or otherwise, it would be asiten for him to compete when it’s not aiding ticket sales, and Cena will take care of that for this year. His mere presence will add to the title match and the perennial shadow he casts over Roman Reigns will always breed speculation, so let The Great One take a backseat this year. Rock vs Reigns is one of the biggest matches left in the chamber and making us wait another year will only add to the gravitas when it does finally happen.
So, where does that leave us for this year? Collectively, we’re all suffering a Wrestlemania hangover after one of the best nights in WWE history. So I say, let’s accept it for what it is. There will still be moments worth savouring and matches that go above-and-beyond, but this year is about two things: saying goodbye to John Cena and getting ready for 2026.
And you know what? I don’t mind it.
Reigns vs Rock?
Belair vs Ripley?
Rhodes vs Orton?
McIntyre in a title match?
Heck, if we’re dreaming, why not just whisper it… Punk & Lee vs Rollins & Lynch?
Bring on Wrestlemania 42.