Daveportivo's Cultural Evaluation Facility

Wow these guys came out on fire, the early near falls and big spots gaurenteed a short match, but on an overly stacked card it's impossible to complain. You'll be hard pressed to see a better three minutes of coherent wrestling than this. Of course the finish couldn't help but feel anti-climatic. (*1/2)

Really satisfying match. This wasn't a classic or a stand out but if your into the characters and you like Randy Orton this was a strong showcase match. Orton hit his spots sublimely and the crowd were hugely into him, especially the tremendous double DDT spot. Kudos to all three guys, they may not be flashy but their selling was top notch and they told a compelling and dramatic story. Above expectations with a great finish, thoroughly satisfying. (**1/2)

There was some great spots, some nice athleticism and a subtle star making performance from Drew McIntyre (check out his selling throughout this match). Now that being said, ten men was a huge mistake, it had a battle royal feel, it was far too crowded. The match was never allowed to tell a story, and with the exception of Kofi's stilts spot nothing really sank in as a memorable moment. What they gained in non-stop action, they lost in contrived over-crowded sloppiness. Kudos to Evan Bourne though for a gorgeous shooting star press (bumping the rating up a 1/4* alone) . (**3/4)

Kudos to both men. The first half of the match was methodical but very well wrestled and psychology build nicely throughout. The final exchanges were top notch stuff, with great counters, brilliant facial expressions and some good hard hitting action. Triple H won the match but made Sheamus look like a legitimate main eventer and proved he belonged in a classic WWE style main event. Had this been a title match it would have disappointed but in it's slot it actually over delivered and may have surprised those who we're down on Triple H after last years main Event. (***)

If the ShowMiz match was a clinic in how to put on a perfect three minute match, Rey and Punk showed everyone how to create the perfect seven minute match. This was a gorgeous match, it had everything; the psychology was 100% spot on, there were some incredible highspots, great counters and most of all a brilliant use of the Straight Edge Society. Rey's dramatic struggle to overcome the odds culimating in sending Gallows flying off the apron was the perfect feel good moment and this match brought the crowd into the event big time. Following a superb feud with Chris Jericho last year, all the signs suggest that if this Punk programme continues Rey could be back in MVP contention for the first time in a decade. Literally half of a five star match. (**1/2)

Holy stinker Batman. Wow, It's hard to put this match into words. The show had been rolling along so beautifully, the crowd was hot, the matches were short, but we all knew that so many great matches were just around the corner and then this happened. The tone was all wrong. The "double-double cross" was ridiculous contrived and poorly explained. Why would Vince not just use Koslov and Jackson? Why risk it? Ego I suppose. This match was poorly judged, eleven minutes of Bret awkwardly and brutally beating Vince down just felt wrong. They actually made Vince sympathetic to the point where the crowd felt uncomfortable cheering for Vince. This match could have been so simple, Vince cuts a promo, Bret beats Vince down in three minutes and Vince submits to the sharpshooter, the crowd get their moment and Bret gets his big moment to celebrate. This match left the crowd cold and it would take them a fair while to warm up again. (DUD)

This match will probably be the biggest disappointment to most fans, especially considering they were given the second longest slot on the show. The match was in no way bad, it was simple a solid main event style match. Perhaps the match's biggest weakness was a dead crowd. Vince and Bret had killed this crowd dead, and it is a credit to Edge and Jericho that by the ten minute mark they'd won them back, with some nice counter wrestling and a very cool use of the spear storyline. Jericho out shone Edge, who looks uncomfortable playing the face role. Another key flaw in the match is that much like the Flair-Henning matches from '97 both men have similar strengths and rather than complimenting each other, they cancel each other out. I'm sure they'll improve next month, this was a fine first in ring chapter. The post match spear through the security wall seemed to erase any disappointment in most fans eyes. (**3/4)

The cruelly named "Hog Splash" was quite the site, but this match was an unnecessary match, I hope you enjoyed your bathroom break. (n/a)

This had to be my surprise of the night, I was expecting solid and satisfying but I got clunky and thrilling. This match was rough around the edges in a large part thanks to Batista's awkwardness, but John Cena was absolutely on fire giving 110%. He carried the energy in this match and both men told an incredibly dramatic and brutal story. Both men crushed each other with hard hitting action, it didn't look smooth but it actually looked like two guys struggling to beat each other down. Batista may have been awkward but he played his character to a tee and his shocked reaction to the top rope spinebuster counter will be replayed in video packages all year long. John Cena, however, deserves every bit of the praise, his Attitude Adjuster on Batista was mammoth, and that was a dead lift, a truly incredible moment. The clean tap out was the perfect finish, to the definitive John Cena era WWE main event style match, would love to see a rematch. Oh and it must be noted, this was the best match of Michael Cole's announcing career. (***3/4)

Well they did it. They lived up to last years encounter? Did they surpass it? Who knows. Athletically last yeas match was better, but the drama, the story telling, the crowd heat and the selling were on a whole new level in this one. The match started red hot before Taker "tweaked" his knee, now while some may not have cared for this section it was top notch wrestling psychology. If you look how Undertaker sold the hip it truly was perfection. Taker made it like he'd blown a hip, and the crowd gasped and seem genuinely petrified that the rematch may be off. They even deployed stalling spots superbly to sell the injury and trick the audience. From then on in the match told a different story, HBK isolated the leg with figure fours and ankle lock counters, and throughout the whole match it looked like they were in a fight, Taker never "just" took it. Once the match kicked into top gear it never looked back and the Moonsault onto the knee (talk about 100% perfect execution) was an unforgettable image. Kudos to Jerry Lawler for making the save and pointing that out, as many in the audience, notably Michael Cole, seemed to miss it (and again, an amazing sell from Taker). The final few minutes were mind blowing, and the finish with Shawn Michaels refusing to back down and delivering the bitch slap heard round the world was perfect. I only wish this match could have gone another ten minutes. It's impossible to rate, as a contest last year's effort was superior, but the drama this year was off the scale and the post match was another beautiful moment that only WWE and only Wrestlemania can deliver. A timeless moment, another classic, my only complaint; there will be no rubber match. (I've bumped my star rating up a 1/4* having re-seen the post match atmosphere, an allowing a genuinely classy moment sink in, Like Flair-Michaels this match made me feel proud to be a wrestling fan, and you can't say that very often). (****3/4).