The Wrestlemania Undercard
The Bellas defeated Cameron and Naomi in what was actually the last match before Wrestlemania. I am not the biggest fan of this match taking place at Wrestlemania, but at least Rhodes and Sandow are going to be showcased. I wondered what the decision was to have this match NOT on the pre-show. They have feuded for a few weeks and it seems like the heels are going to be over at Wrestlemania. The Bellas win in an okay match that saw Naomi showcase a bit of her athleticism and both Bellas starting to get their legs back under them. I wish we had Rhodes and Nikki vs. Cameron and Brodus. The match should be focused on the men, not the women.
Grade: C
Randy Orton, Big Show, and Sheamus defeated 3MB. Once again, 3MB is used for a squash match. Am I the only one that is getting tired of seeing them? They are NEVER going to be believable. It was a match that was used specifically for showing how much of the team is working together. The best part was afterwards when The Shield came out and gave a great promo. They had an underlying message that they are a team, not the faces. It leaves the door open for a heel turn from Sheamus or Orton. I feel like The Shield continues to improve in all areas. I even felt Reigns was solid on the mic, which I have not said to myself before. All three men are different and unique in their own ways. They will be showcased at Wrestlemania.
Grade: B-
Mark Henry and Ryback took an easy turn at Raw with the usual squash match. Henry beats Santino and then Ryback comes out. Henry talks about not touching him, so Ryback uses Santino as a weapon and throws him into Henry. Henry gets upset and kicks the steps. This match will be under 10 minutes with the sole purpose of getting the pop from the crowd when Ryback hits Shell Shock. It is a feud that has stalled in the past few weeks. The no contact rule was HORRIBLE in my opinion. These guys are not selling their story on the microphone, so let them brawl back and forth backstage and in the ring.
Grade: C+
Chris Jericho defeated Antonio Cesaro in an excellent match. It is a crime that Cesaro is not on the Wrestlemania card. It is shocking to see Tensai, Clay, Bellas, Big Show, and many more on the card that he HAD to be on. He continues to lose and continues to put over the other main event guys. Jericho and Cesaro work well together and it was all about Fandango on the outside. I loved this segment. WWE does not do this. They do not put a very young and unproven guy on the grand stage against a veteran like Jericho. He is going to be a player in the WWE whether you want to see it or not. Tonight, he graded Jericho's moves with Dancing with the Stars type cards. After the match, he beat down Jericho and hit a few flying legdrops. He looked vicious, sounded intense, and was able to break his dancing gimmick to get the ruthless aggression that we needed to see.
Grade: A
