The Rock rules the Sun Life Stadium at Wrestlemania 28

A year long build up. Some called the WWE mad for proposing such an idea. Announcing John Cena vs The Rock a year before the actual event could quite easily have caused a disaster. In the end however, it was a fruitful endeavour on their part.

The 28th annual Wrestlemania, the fagship show of WWE, and the "Showcase of the Immortals" was live from Sun Life Stadium in Miami. A stacked card promised possibly the best Wrestlemania since Wrestlemania 19. Did it live up to all the hype? Lets find out below:

Match 1: World Heavyweight Championship: Daniel Bryan(c) vs. Sheamus - The first match of the night. A chance to get the crowd going, and what did the 'E do? Thats right, they royaly angered the fans. Sheamus defeats Bryan within 20 seconds, and arguably burys the World Title in the process. This could have been a great match, and the crowd were so into Bryan. As openers go, this one killed the crowd for the next 2 matches.

Match 2: Randy Orton vs Kane - Kane vs Orton. Set up to be boring, was in actual fact an ok match. What's even more surprisng, is that Kane WON. Yes, you did not misread that, he won. Via a chokeslam from the top rope no less. Solid match from these two.

Match 3: Intercontinental Championship: Cody Rhodes(c) vs. Big Show - The build up focused entirely on the fact that 'Show has never won at Mania before. So it was no surprise that he prevailed here. Rhodes has held the title for a long time now, and has even brought some prestige back to the belt. Show wins via KO punch, after a possible botched spear.

Match 4: Kelly Kelly & Maria Menounos vs. Beth Phoenix and Eve - Standard divas filler match here. LOTS of Daniel Bryan chants here. Maria rolls up Beth for the win.

Match 5: Hell in a Cell, HHH vs. The Undertaker (Special Ref. Shawn Michaels) - WHAT A MATCH. Match of the night, by a long way. An absolute emotional rollercoaster. The crowd came alive for 3 of the greatest performers to have graced a WWE ring. A brutal match that topped last years match between the two, cuminating in a nod back to the way Taker ended HBKs career, with HHH on his knees. HBK gave us a great and emotional performance as the conflicted ref, and HHH played the "do anything to win" role to a tee. At one point hitting 'Takers back a good ten times with a chair, and asking HBK to get Taker to throw the towel in. Sledgehammers, Sweet Chin Music, Chokeslams, Tombstones, Pedigrees, this match had it all. The crowd soaked it up, and were the loudest they had been all night.

Match 6: Team Johnny vs Team Teddy - Why oh why was this not eimination rules? Or better yet, a Lumberjack match? The crowd was dead for this, not a surprise after the last match. Dolph Ziggler was the star with some good selling here, in what was in the end, just a filler match really.

Match 7: WWE Title: CM Punk(c) vs. Chris Jericho - A great match. THe crowd, initially dead, came into it at the end, and boy were they treated to a great finish. Counter after counter, then Jericho taps out, after trolling Punk about his father in an attempt to get him DQ(and win the title after GM Johnny decreed that Y2J would win the title if Punk got DQ'd). 2nd best match of the event.

Match 8: John Cena vs The Rock - The crowd were back in full force for this. Split 70/30 in favour of The Rock. The two put on a great match, which culminated in a cocky Cena attempting The Peoples Eblow, only to get caught with a Rock Bottom. The matach was not a let down, but perhaps did not live up to its hype.


Overall, 'Mania 28 was a good 'Mania, but could have been so much better. HHH vs. 'Taker ws clear match of the night, however, Rock/Cena and Jericho/Punk were also very good matches.

I give Wrestlemania 28, 7 out of 10 Stars