WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, ...
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
and
livestreaming
Livestreaming is streaming media simultaneously recorded and broadcast in real-time over the internet. It is often referred to simply as streaming. Non-live media such as video-on-demand, vlogs, and YouTube videos are technically streamed, but ...
event produced by
WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's
Raw and
SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 2017, at
Camping World Stadium
Camping World Stadium is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, ...
in
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
.
The New Day (
Big E Big E may refer to:
* Capital letter "E"
People
* Big E (wrestler) (born 1986), American professional wrestler, born Ettore Ewen, formerly known as "Big E Langston"
* Elvin Hayes (born 1945; nicknamed "Big E"), American basketball player and r ...
,
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one- ...
, and
Xavier Woods
Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-half of the current NXT Tag ...
) served as the hosts of the event.
Thirteen matches were contested at the event, including three on the Kickoff pre-show. For the first time since
WrestleMania 29 in 2013, two
world championships
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
were contested: Raw's
Universal Championship and SmackDown's
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDo ...
; it marked the first time that the Universal Championship,
SmackDown Women's Championship, and
new Cruiserweight Championship were defended at WrestleMania. In the main event,
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The ...
defeated
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
in a
No Holds Barred match, giving Undertaker his second loss at WrestleMania. Whilst the loss and the events immediately following the main event served to insinuate that The Undertaker had retired, he would return to in-ring competition in 2018 at
WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
. In the main match for the Raw brand,
Brock Lesnar defeated
Goldberg to win the Universal Championship, thus becoming the first wrestler to win both the WWE and Universal titles, and in the main match from SmackDown,
Randy Orton defeated
Bray Wyatt to win his ninth WWE Championship. The event also marked the surprise return of
The Hardy Boyz (
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regard ...
and
Matt Hardy), who won the
Raw Tag Team Championship. It was also the first WrestleMania to be on the air past midnight
Eastern time
The Eastern Time Zone (ET) is a time zone encompassing part or all of 23 states in the eastern part of the United States, parts of eastern Canada, the state of Quintana Roo in Mexico, Panama, Colombia, mainland Ecuador, Peru, and a small por ...
.
Reception towards the event was mixed to positive, although it was largely considered to be an improvement over
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wre ...
. Praise was directed towards Styles vs. McMahon, Owens vs. Jericho, the ladder match, Rollins vs. Triple H, and the Universal Championship match. Criticism was reserved for the main event, the WWE Championship match, and the overall length of the show.
Production
Background
WrestleMania
WrestleMania is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event held annually between mid-March and mid-April by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Since premiering in 1985, 37 editions followed, ...
is considered
WWE's flagship
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program g ...
(PPV) and
WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television an ...
event, having first been held in
1985
The year 1985 was designated as the International Youth Year by the United Nations.
Events January
* January 1
** The Internet's Domain Name System is created.
** Greenland withdraws from the European Economic Community as a result of a ...
. It is the longest-running professional wrestling event in history and is held annually between mid-March to mid-April. It was the first of WWE's original four pay-per-views, which includes
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle r ...
,
SummerSlam, and
Survivor Series, referred to as the "Big Four". The event has been described as the
Super Bowl of
sports entertainment
Sports entertainment is a type of spectacle which presents an ostensibly competitive event using a high level of theatrical flourish and extravagant presentation, with the purpose of entertaining an audience. Unlike typical sports and games, wh ...
. WrestleMania 33 was scheduled to be held on April 2, 2017, at
Camping World Stadium
Camping World Stadium is a stadium in Orlando, Florida, located in the West Lakes neighborhood of Downtown Orlando, west of new sports and entertainment facilities including the Amway Center, the Dr. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, ...
in
Orlando
Orlando () is a city in the U.S. state of Florida and is the county seat of Orange County. In Central Florida, it is the center of the Orlando metropolitan area, which had a population of 2,509,831, according to U.S. Census Bureau figures r ...
,
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
. The event featured wrestlers from the
Raw and
SmackDown brands, following the reintroduction of the
brand split in July 2016. It was the first WrestleMania to feature the
Universal Championship, following its introduction on Raw in July 2016 after the WWE World Heavyweight Championship became exclusive to SmackDown and renamed to WWE Championship. It was also the first WrestleMania to feature the
SmackDown Women's Championship and new
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Two professional wrestling championships have been named WWE Cruiserweight Championship by WWE:
* WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1996–2007) – originally established as the WCW Cruiserweight Championship by World Championship Wrestling in 1996, ...
.
The event was the third to be held in the state of
Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, a ...
, after
XXIV (at the same venue) and
XXVIII. Tickets went on sale on November 18, 2016, with individual tickets costing
$38 to $2,130.
On October 31, 2016, traveling packages with accommodation ranging from $950 to $5,900 per person were sold.
A two-hour Kickoff pre-show preceded the main show, with the second hour broadcast simultaneously on
USA Network
USA Network (simply USA) is an American basic cable television channel owned by the NBCUniversal Television and Streaming division of Comcast's NBCUniversal through NBCUniversal Cable Entertainment. It was originally launched in 1977 as Mad ...
. On February 20, 2017,
The New Day (
Big E Big E may refer to:
* Capital letter "E"
People
* Big E (wrestler) (born 1986), American professional wrestler, born Ettore Ewen, formerly known as "Big E Langston"
* Elvin Hayes (born 1945; nicknamed "Big E"), American basketball player and r ...
,
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one- ...
, and
Xavier Woods
Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-half of the current NXT Tag ...
) of WWE's
Raw brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create a ...
were confirmed to be the hosts of WrestleMania 33.
The four official theme songs for the event were "
Greenlight
To green-light is to give permission to proceed with a project. The term is a reference to the green traffic signal, indicating "go ahead".
Film industry
In the context of the film and television industries, to green-light something is to ...
" (by
Pitbull
Pit bull is a term used in the United States for a type of dog descended from bulldogs and terriers, while in other countries such as the United Kingdom the term is used as an abbreviation of the American Pit Bull Terrier breed. The term was f ...
feat.
Flo Rida
Tramar Lacel Dillard (born September 16, 1979), better known by his stage name Flo Rida (, ), is an American rapper and singer. His 2007 breakout single "Low" was number one for 10 weeks in the United States and broke the record for digital down ...
and
LunchMoney Lewis), "Like a Champion" (by Danger Twins), "
Flame
A flame (from Latin '' flamma'') is the visible, gaseous part of a fire. It is caused by a highly exothermic chemical reaction taking place in a thin zone. When flames are hot enough to have ionized gaseous components of sufficient density the ...
" (by
Tinashe), and "Am I Savage?" (by
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band. The band was formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, and has been based in San Francisco for most of its career. The band's fast tempos, instru ...
).
At the event, Pitbull performed "Options" with
Stephen Marley
Stephen Robert Nesta Marley (born April 20, 1972) is a Jamaican-American musician. The son of Bob Marley, Marley is an eight-time Grammy Award winner, three times as a solo artist, twice as a producer of his younger paternal half-brother Dam ...
before performing "Greenlight" with Flo Rida and LunchMoney Lewis. American singer
Tinashe performed "
America the Beautiful
"America the Beautiful" is a patriotic American song. Its lyrics were written by Katharine Lee Bates and its music was composed by church organist and choirmaster Samuel A. Ward at Grace Episcopal Church in Newark, New Jersey. The two never ...
" to kick off WrestleMania 33. The pre-show was broadcast on the WWE Network, WWE.com,
Facebook
Facebook is an online social media and social networking service owned by American company Meta Platforms. Founded in 2004 by Mark Zuckerberg with fellow Harvard College students and roommates Eduardo Saverin, Andrew McCollum, Dustin ...
,
Google+
Google LLC () is an American multinational technology company focusing on search engine technology, online advertising, cloud computing, computer software, quantum computing, e-commerce, artificial intelligence, and consumer electronics. ...
,
Pinterest
Pinterest is an American image sharing and social media service designed to enable saving and discovery of information (specifically "ideas") on the internet using images, and on a smaller scale, animated GIFs and videos, in the form of pinboa ...
, and
YouTube
YouTube is a global online video sharing and social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by Google, and is the second most ...
, with USA Network joining the live coverage for the second hour.
Beginning at
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wre ...
, a match between
Big Show
Paul Donald Wight II (born February 8, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as an in-ring performer, and as a commentator for its web television show, '' AEW Dark: Elevation,'' under ...
and
NBA star
Shaquille O'Neal
Shaquille Rashaun O'Neal ( ; born March 6, 1972), known commonly as "Shaq" ( ), is an American former professional basketball player who is a sports analyst on the television program '' Inside the NBA''. O'Neal is regarded as one of the great ...
had been teased from various media outlets, including WWE. Shaq was a surprise entrant in the 2016
André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal where he and Big Show faced off, but the other participants eliminated both of them. In July at the
2016 ESPY Awards
The 2016 ESPY Awards were held on July 13, 2016. The show, hosted by professional wrestler John Cena, was held in the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles, California. 31 competitive awards and eight honorary awards were presented.
Winners and nomin ...
on the red carpet, Show and Shaq had another brief confrontation. A match was proposed for WrestleMania 33, which Shaq accepted. In January 2017, the two began calling each other out on social media, posting workout videos of themselves preparing for the potential match. Big Show then began to doubt Shaq's commitment to the match. By the end of February, Shaq said that it looked like the match was not going to happen, but he would still train just in case. The following week, Shaq said that discussions were back on between him and WWE. However, Big Show's announcement as a participant in the 2017 André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal indicated that the match was off. According to
Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
of ''
Wrestling Observer Newsletter
The ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON'') is a newsletter that covers professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Founded in print in 1982 by Dave Meltzer, the ''Wrestling Observer'' website merged with Bryan Alvarez's ''Figure Four W ...
'', the match was canceled due to monetary reasons, as both parties could not agree on a deal. Big Show said that he really wanted to do the match, especially since this would probably be his last WrestleMania and blamed Shaq's weight as a reason for why Shaq backed out.
According to wrestling journalist
Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
in January 2017, a WrestleMania 33 match between
The Undertaker
Mark William Calaway (born March 24, 1965), better known by the ring name The Undertaker, is an American retired professional wrestler. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, Calaway spent the vast majorit ...
and
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
was scrapped as
Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
had "a different vision for the show and
asthinking
bout the
Bout can mean:
People
* Viktor Bout, suspected arms dealer
*Jan Everts Bout, early settler to New Netherland
*Marcel Bout
Musical instruments
* The outward-facing round parts of the body shape of violins, guitars, and other stringed instr ...
longterm picture not short-term."
Since 2014, WWE had attempted to establish
Roman Reigns
Leati Joseph "Joe" Anoa'i (born May 25, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and former football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Roman Reigns. He is the leader of The ...
as their top
babyface and the next '
face of the company', but a significant portion of fans
rejected Reigns in this role, taking issue with his perceived special treatment, real-life demeanor, wrestling moveset, speaking skills and character presentation. This resulted in Reigns being booed while he wrestled in the main events of
WrestleMania 31 and
WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wre ...
. Reigns was even voted as 2016's "
Most Hated Wrestler of the Year" by ''
Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' readers, a first for a heroic character since the award was devised in 1972.
In response to the negative reception, Reigns said that there is "possible jealousy" from fans regarding his "major success". In March 2017 before WrestleMania 33, wrestling journalist
Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
reported that WWE's long term plans ("which obviously could change") leading to
WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
was to "once again build for a year and have the big coronation" for Reigns, who would still be a heroic character "between now and then" and beat
Brock Lesnar for the Universal Championship "to fully replace
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
as the lead babyface of the company", while the "idea" for Lesnar's role "for years now" was "to become a monster, be unbeatable, run through everybody, and then lose to Roman Reigns".
Storylines
The card consisted of thirteen matches, including three on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed
villains,
heroes, or
less distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches, with results predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands.
Storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows, ''
Monday Night Raw'', ''
SmackDown Live'', and ''
205 Live'', the latter of which is
cruiserweight Cruiserweight is a term associated with:
*Cruiserweight (boxing), a weight class in boxing between light heavyweight and heavyweight
* Cruiserweight (MMA), a weight class in mixed martial arts with an upper weight limit at .
*Cruiserweight (profess ...
-exclusive.
Main event
At the
Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named after the Royal Rumble match, a modified battle r ...
, The Undertaker was eliminated by Roman Reigns in the titular match. In the ensuing stare down, Reigns exclaimed: "This is my yard now!",
a claim Undertaker had made for many years. On the March 6 episode of ''Raw'', The Undertaker attacked Reigns with a chokeslam,
and a match between the two was scheduled for WrestleMania 33 in what would become the main event.
World championship matches
At the Royal Rumble, SmackDown's
Randy Orton won his second
Royal Rumble match, earning himself a
world championship
A world championship is generally an international competition open to elite competitors from around the world, representing their nations, and winning such an event will be considered the highest or near highest achievement in the sport, game, ...
match at WrestleMania 33 for his brand's
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDo ...
.
At
Elimination Chamber
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular steel ...
,
Bray Wyatt won the
Elimination Chamber match
The Elimination Chamber is a professional wrestling elimination-based match held in the WWE. The match was founded by Chris Jericho , created and introduced by Eric Bischoff in November 2002. It features a large chain-linked circular stee ...
to become the new WWE Champion.
As a devoted
Wyatt Family member, Orton relinquished his championship opportunity.
SmackDown General Manager
Daniel Bryan Daniel Bryan may refer to:
* Bryan Danielson (born 1981), American professional wrestler who formerly used the ring name "Daniel Bryan"
* Dan Bryan (1900–1985), Irish soldier
* Daniel Bryan (Big Brother), contestant on the British reality televi ...
then scheduled a
battle royal to determine Wyatt's WrestleMania challenger;
it ended in a draw when both
AJ Styles and
Luke Harper hit the ground simultaneously.
Styles then defeated Harper the following week to earn the title match,
but at the conclusion of the episode, Orton restated his intentions to challenge Wyatt for the WWE Championship by appearing at the Wyatt Family compound, where Wyatt Family's matriarch Sister Abigail was buried, and setting the compound ablaze.
A number one contender's match between Orton and Styles was scheduled in which Orton won.
At
WrestleMania XX in 2004,
Goldberg defeated
Brock Lesnar in their first match against each other. Both left the company after the event, but Lesnar returned in 2012. After twelve years, Goldberg returned in 2016 and immediately began a feud with Lesnar. He defeated Lesnar at
Survivor Series in one minute and twenty-six seconds,
and also quickly eliminated him from the Royal Rumble match.
The next night on ''Raw'', Lesnar and
Paul Heyman appeared and challenged Goldberg to one final match at WrestleMania 33.
Goldberg accepted Lesnar's challenge and also challenged
Kevin Owens
Kevin Steen (born May 7, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Kevin Owens.
Steen began his career in 2000, at the age of 16. Prior to joining WWE in l ...
for the
Universal Championship at
Fastlane, which he won, turning their match into a title match for the Universal title. The following night on Raw, new Universal Champion Goldberg came out but was interrupted by Brock Lesnar and Paul Heyman. Lesnar attempted to shake Goldberg's hand to congratulate him, but Goldberg refused. Heyman then said that Goldberg would be "Brock's bitch" at WrestleMania and Lesnar attacked Goldberg with an F-5. The following week, Lesnar and Heyman gloated about Lesnar's attack on Goldberg. On the final Raw before WrestleMania, Goldberg and Lesnar had one last confrontation where Goldberg speared Lesnar.
Undercard matches
In 2014,
The Shield (
Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signin ...
,
Dean Ambrose
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wres ...
, and Roman Reigns) were involved in a rivalry with
Evolution
Evolution is change in the heritable characteristics of biological populations over successive generations. These characteristics are the expressions of genes, which are passed on from parent to offspring during reproduction. Variation ...
(
Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as ...
, Randy Orton, and
Batista). After multiple losses to The Shield and Batista quitting WWE, Triple H recruited Rollins to
The Authority. Rollins was the forefront of The Authority and won the
WWE World Heavyweight Championship (later renamed WWE Championship) at
WrestleMania 31, but was forced to vacate the title in November 2015 due to injury. He returned in mid-2016, and during a fatal four-way for the vacant WWE Universal Championship, Triple H aided Rollins in eliminating Reigns, but then turned on Rollins by attacking him with a "Pedigree," costing Rollins the match.
During the first months of 2017, Rollins started a rivalry with Triple H, asking for answers. At
NXT TakeOver: San Antonio, Rollins appeared and challenged Triple H to a match, who had Rollins escorted from the building by security. On the January 30 episode of ''Raw'', as Rollins was about to confront Triple H,
Samoa Joe attacked Rollins,
re-injuring his knee. Rollins was estimated to be out of action for up to eight weeks, but after an attack from Triple H,
Rollins signed a contract for a non-sanctioned match with Triple H at WrestleMania 33, which forbid Rollins from suing the WWE if he were to get injured again.
After losing the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble,
AJ Styles asked for a rematch, which SmackDown Commissioner
Shane McMahon promised if Styles did not win the title back in the Elimination Chamber match.
At the event, Bray Wyatt won the championship.
Styles received a rematch, but in the form of a triple threat match, also including
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
, where Wyatt retained. After Randy Orton relinquished his championship opportunity, Styles entered into a number one contender's battle royal, which ended in a draw between him and Luke Harper.
After defeating Harper to become the number one contender, Orton restated his intentions to challenge for the title, so McMahon and Daniel Bryan decided that Styles would have to compete in another number one contender's match, this time against Orton, who won.
The following week, Styles attacked McMahon and threw him through a car window. Styles was subsequently (
kayfabe
In professional wrestling, kayfabe, as a noun, is the portrayal of staged events within the industry as "real" or "true", specifically the portrayal of competition, rivalries, and relationships between participants as being genuine and not staged. ...
) fired by Bryan, but at the end of the show, an injured McMahon challenged Styles to a match at WrestleMania 33, which Styles accepted.
In mid-2016,
Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jeri ...
and Kevin Owens began teaming and assisting each other. Jericho played a part in Owens winning the vacant Universal Championship.
Over the next several months, Jericho assisted Owens in retaining his title in various defenses. The two also defeated Roman Reigns in a handicap match, with Jericho winning Reigns'
United States Championship.
After Owens retained his title at the Royal Rumble,
Jericho accepted Goldberg's challenge on Owens' behalf for the Universal Championship at Fastlane, which was made official to the dismay of Owens.
Jericho then held a "Festival of Friendship" for Owens, who turned on Jericho and brutally attacked him.
In retaliation, Jericho cost Owens his Universal Championship match at Fastlane.
Jericho then challenged Owens to a match at WrestleMania 33 and Owens agreed under the condition that it would be for Jericho's United States Championship and Jericho accepted.
At Elimination Chamber,
The Miz was eliminated by John Cena in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match.
Cena then eliminated Miz in the number one contender battle royal, and Miz retaliated by returning and eliminating Cena. Cena was then a guest on ''Miz TV'' where Miz criticized Cena for being a hypocrite, as Cena was basically doing the same thing that he himself had criticized
The Rock for doing: leaving the WWE and going to Hollywood. Miz said that despite his hard work, he does not get the same opportunities as Cena, and he eliminated Cena to prevent him from going to WrestleMania 33. Cena criticized Miz for copying other people's gimmicks and moves, which caused
Maryse to slap Cena for insulting her husband. Cena's girlfriend
Nikki Bella then came out and Maryse and Miz retreated.
During the following weeks, Miz and Maryse made fun of Cena and Nikki's reality show ''
Total Bellas'' by impersonating them in "unaired footage". This ultimately led to Daniel Bryan scheduling a mixed tag team match between the two couples at WrestleMania.
At
Roadblock: End of the Line,
Charlotte Flair defeated
Sasha Banks to win her record fourth
Raw Women's Championship, ending their long feud and, as per a post-event stipulation, as long as one of them was champion, the other could not challenge for the title.
Charlotte then began a feud with
Bayley, losing the title against her on the February 13 episode of ''Raw'', thanks to help from Banks.
Also during this time, Banks entered into a feud with
Nia Jax
Savelina Fanene (born May 29, 1984) is an Australian-born American professional wrestler. She is best known for her time in WWE, where she performed under the ring name Nia Jax from 2014 to 2021 and became a one-time Raw Women's Champion and t ...
.
Bayley retained the title against Flair at Fastlane after an interference from Banks, who defeated Jax on the Kickoff pre-show.
The following weeks, Bayley was defeated by Banks and Jax.
Both Flair and Banks touted their reasons why they should challenge Bayley for the title at WrestleMania 33, leading to a
triple threat match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
being scheduled. Jax was then added, turning the match into a
fatal four-way elimination match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
. On ''Raw'', Bayley and Banks teamed up and defeated Flair and Jax. After the match, Jax laid out her three WrestleMania opponents.
On the Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show,
Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeated
Cesaro and Sheamus to win the
Raw Tag Team Championship.
Cesaro and
Sheamus
Stephen Farrelly (born 28 January 1978) is an Irish professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sheamus.
Prior to joining WWE, he wrestled on the European in ...
invoked their rematch, but lost due to interference from
Enzo Amore and Big Cass.
On the February 20 episode of ''Raw'',
Amore and
Cass
Cass may refer to:
People and fictional characters
* Cass (surname), a list of people
* Cass (given name), a list of people and fictional characters
* Big Cass, ring name of wrestler William Morrissey
* Cass, in British band Skunk Anansie
* Ca ...
defeated Cesaro and Sheamus to receive a tag title match at Fastlane,
where Gallows and Anderson retained.
A rematch occurred the following night on ''Raw'' where Cesaro and Sheamus got involved, costing Enzo and Cass the titles. Later on, Raw General Manager Mick Foley scheduled Cesaro and Sheamus to face Amore and Cass on the next episode, with the winners going on to challenge Gallows and Anderson for the titles at WrestleMania 33.
However, during that match, Gallows and Anderson attacked both teams, causing a double disqualification. Foley then scheduled Gallows and Anderson to defend the titles against both teams at WrestleMania in a triple threat match.
The following weeks, Gallows and Anderson attacked the others with a ladder.
The WrestleMania match was then turned into a triple threat ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championship.
At Elimination Chamber,
Naomi defeated
Alexa Bliss
Alexis Cabrera (née Kaufman; born August 9, 1991) is an American professional wrestler. She is currently signed to WWE, where she performs on the Raw (WWE brand), Raw WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Alexa Bliss. In 2013, Bliss ...
to win the
SmackDown Women's Championship,
but a legit injury forced her to relinquish the title. Bliss then defeated
Becky Lynch
Rebecca Quin (born 30 January 1987) is an Irish professional wrestler. She is signed to WWE under the ring name Becky Lynch where she performs on the Raw brand. Lynch is one of WWE's most recognizable and highest-paid wrestlers. Twitter na ...
for the vacant title.
On the March 7 episode of ''SmackDown'', Becky, Natalya, and even Bliss' ally
Mickie James
Mickie Laree James (born August 31, 1979) Additional January 6, 2017. is an American professional wrestler and country singer. She is currently signed to Impact Wrestling. She has also had tenures in WWE and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA ...
all demanded to challenge for the championship at WrestleMania 33. Daniel Bryan decided that Bliss would defend the title against all available female SmackDown wrestlers at WrestleMania. On the final ''SmackDown'' before WrestleMania, Naomi returned and confirmed that she would be in the match at WrestleMania, making it a
six-pack challenge
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
.
Pre-show matches
At Elimination Chamber during the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match,
Baron Corbin was eliminated by the
Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. Then, Corbin executed the "End of Days" on him before he left the chamber, causing his elimination.
During the following weeks, both wrestlers attacked each other,
leading to a match at WrestleMania for the Intercontinental title.
The match was moved to the Kickoff pre-show.
After retaining the
WWE Cruiserweight Championship Two professional wrestling championships have been named WWE Cruiserweight Championship by WWE:
* WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1996–2007) – originally established as the WCW Cruiserweight Championship by World Championship Wrestling in 1996, ...
for several months,
Neville said there was no one left in the cruiserweight division that could compete with him.
Austin Aries
Daniel Healy Solwold Jr. (born April 15, 1978), better known by his ring name Austin Aries, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to the Control Your Narrative wrestling promotion. He is best known for his time with Impact Wrestl ...
, who had been out of action due to injury, disagreed and attacked Neville.
On the March 14 episode of ''205 Live'', Aries won a
fatal five-way elimination match to face Neville for the title on the WrestleMania 33 Kickoff pre-show.
Event
Pre-show
Three matches were contested on the two-hour long WrestleMania 33 Kickoff pre-show.
In the first match, Neville defended the WWE Cruiserweight Championship against Austin Aries. In the climax, as Aries applied the "
Last Chancery" on Neville, Neville
poked Aries' eyes to escape and performed a "
Red Arrow" on Aries to retain the title.
Next, 33 wrestlers competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, including previously unannounced participants
Kalisto,
Sin Cara, Luke Harper,
Titus O'Neil,
The Vaudevillains (
Simon Gotch and
Aiden English) and
The Ascension
Ascension or ascending may refer to:
Religion
* "Ascension", "Assumption", or "Translation", the belief in some religions that some individuals have ascended into Heaven without dying first
* Ascension of Jesus
* Feast of the Ascension (Asce ...
(
Konnor and
Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
). In the climax,
Jinder Mahal taunted
New England Patriots
The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area. They compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member club of the league's American Football Conference (AFC) AFC East, East divisio ...
tight end
The tight end (TE) is a position in American football, arena football, and Canadian football, on the offense (sports), offense. The tight end is often a hybrid position with the characteristics and roles of both an offensive lineman and a wide ...
Rob Gronkowski
Robert James Gronkowski (born May 14, 1989) is an American former football tight end who played in the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons. Nicknamed "Gronk", Gronkowski played nine seasons for the New England Patriots, then played ...
, who was sitting at ringside. This prompted Gronkowski to enter the ring and shove Mahal. Mojo Rawley then eliminated Mahal to win the match.
In the last pre-show match, Dean Ambrose defended the Intercontinental Championship against Baron Corbin. In the end, Corbin attempted the "
End of Days End of days may refer to:
Arts, entertainment, and media Films
* ''End of Days'' (film), a 1999 supernatural film
Music
* ''The End of Days'', a 2010 album by Abney Park
* ''End of Days'' (soundtrack), a soundtrack album from the 1999 film
...
" on Ambrose, who countered and performed "
Dirty Deeds" on Corbin to retain the title.
Preliminary matches
The actual pay-per-view opened with the hosts, The New Day (Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods), who were dressed as characters inspired by ''
Final Fantasy XIV: Stormblood'', a sponsor of the event. They made their entrance and hyped the live crowd for the event.
In the first match, AJ Styles faced Shane McMahon. During the match, Styles attempted a
springboard 450° splash
Aerial techniques, also known as "high-flying moves" are maneuvers in professional wrestling using the ring's posts and ropes as aids, in many cases to demonstrate the speed and agility of smaller, nimble and acrobatically inclined wrestlers prefer ...
on Shane, who countered into a
triangle choke on Styles, who then countered into a one-armed "
Styles Clash
A facebuster, also known as a faceplant, is generally a takedown move in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler forces their opponent down to the mat face-first without involving a headlock or facelock. A standard facebuster, al ...
" on Shane for a near-fall. After the referee was knocked down, Styles attempted a "
Coast-to-Coast" on Shane, who countered by attacking Styles with a trash can. Shane then performed a "Coast-to-Coast" into a trash can on Styles for a near-fall. Shane attempted a "
Leap of Faith
A leap of faith, in its most commonly used meaning, is the act of believing in or accepting something outside the boundaries of reason.
Overview
The phrase is commonly attributed to Søren Kierkegaard; however, he never used the term, as he ...
" through an announce table on Styles, who moved and Shane fell through the announce table. As Styles attempted a "
Phenomenal Forearm", Shane countered into a
float-over DDT on Styles. Shane attempted a
shooting star press, but Styles avoided and performed a "Phenomenal Forearm" on Shane to win the match.
Next, Chris Jericho defended the United States Championship against Kevin Owens. Owens attempted a
pop-up powerbomb on Jericho, who countered and performed a "
Lionsault
A moonsault, moonsault press, or back flip splash is a professional wrestling aerial technique. It was innovated by Mando Guerrero. Much of its popularity in both Japanese and American wrestling is attributed to The Great Muta, despite it being ...
" on Owens for a near-fall. Owens applied the "
Walls of Jericho" on Jericho, who escaped. Owens performed a pop-up powerbomb on Jericho for a near-fall. As Owens attempted a second pop-up powerbomb on Jericho, Jericho countered into a "
Codebreaker
Cryptanalysis (from the Greek ''kryptós'', "hidden", and ''analýein'', "to analyze") refers to the process of analyzing information systems in order to understand hidden aspects of the systems. Cryptanalysis is used to breach cryptographic se ...
" on Owens, who touched the ring ropes with one finger to void the pinfall at a two count. In the end, Owens performed a
powerbomb
A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted (usually so that they are sitting on the wrestler's shoulders) and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a st ...
on Jericho onto the ring apron and pinned him to win his first United States Championship.
After that, Bayley defended the Raw Women's Championship against Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax and Sasha Banks in a fatal four-way elimination match. Bayley, Flair, and Banks performed a
triple powerbomb on Jax and all three pinned Jax to eliminate her. Banks applied the "
Bank Statement" on Flair, who escaped and caused Banks to collide with an exposed turnbuckle, after which Flair pinned Banks to eliminate her. In the end, Flair collided with the exposed turnbuckle, allowing Bayley to perform a
diving elbow drop on Flair to retain the title.
In the fourth match, Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson were originally scheduled to defend the Raw Tag Team Championship against Cesaro and Sheamus and Enzo Amore and Big Cass in a triple threat ladder match. Before the match, hosts The New Day announced that the returning
Hardy Boyz (
Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regard ...
and
Matt Hardy) would also be involved in the match. In the end, Matt performed a "
Twist of Fate" off a ladder on Anderson and Jeff performed a "
Swanton Bomb" off a ladder through a bridged ladder on Cesaro and Sheamus. Matt then retrieved the title belts to win the championship for the first time as a team; individually, the first time for Jeff and the second time for Matt.
Later, John Cena and Nikki Bella faced The Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag team match with
Al Roker
Albert Lincoln Roker Jr. (born August 20, 1954) is an American weather presenter, journalist, television personality, and author. He is the current weather anchor on NBC's '' Today'', and occasionally co-hosts '' 3rd Hour Today''. He has an ...
serving as the special guest ring announcer. In the end, as Bella and Maryse were the legal wrestlers, Cena and Bella performed "
Five Knuckle Shuffles" on Miz and Maryse. Cena performed an "
Attitude Adjustment" on Miz whilst Bella performed a "
Rack Attack 2.0" on Maryse. Cena and Bella pinned both Miz and Maryse to win the match. After the match, Cena proposed to Nikki, who accepted.
Next, Seth Rollins then faced Triple H in a non-sanctioned match. During the match, Rollins attempted a "
Pedigree" on Triple H, who countered into a
DDT on Rollins onto an announce table. Triple H targeted Rollins' leg, applying an
inverted figure-four leglock on Rollins, who rolled out of the ring to escape the hold. Triple H retrieved his signature sledgehammer, only for Rollins to perform an
enzuigiri
Strikes are offensive moves in professional wrestling, that can sometimes be used to set up an opponent for a hold or for a throw. There are a wide variety of strikes in pro wrestling, and many are known by several different names. Professional wre ...
on Triple H. As Rollins retrieved the sledgehammer, Stephanie McMahon snatched the weapon away from Rollins. This allowed Triple H to perform a "Pedigree" on Rollins for a near-fall. As Triple H attempted a "Pedigree" on Rollins from the top rope, Rollins countered and performed a "
Phoenix Splash" on Triple H for a near-fall. After trading counters, Rollins performed a
superkick on Triple H, who bumped into Stephanie, causing her to crash through a table. Rollins then performed a "Pedigree" on Triple H to win the match.
Next, Bray Wyatt defended the WWE Championship against Randy Orton. At the beginning of the match, Orton attempted an "
RKO" on Wyatt, who rolled out of the ring. During the match, Wyatt played mind games on Orton by having large images of different insects appear on the ring canvas. Outside of the ring, Wyatt performed "
Sister Abigail" on Orton into the barricade. Orton then performed an "RKO" on Wyatt and scored a near-fall. Wyatt performed "Sister Abigail" on Orton for a near-fall. Orton then performed another "RKO" on Wyatt to win his ninth WWE Championship and his first at WrestleMania.
After that, Goldberg defended the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar. Lesnar performed three
German suplexes on Goldberg, who quickly recovered and performed two
spears on Lesnar, who then rolled out of the ring. Goldberg then performed a spear on Lesnar through the barricade into the timekeeper's area. Goldberg got Lesnar back into the ring and attempted a "
Jackhammer
A jackhammer (pneumatic drill or demolition hammer in British English) is a pneumatic or electro-mechanical tool that combines a hammer directly with a chisel. It was invented by William Mcreavy, who then sold the patent to Charles Brady K ...
", but Lesnar countered and attempted an "
F-5" on Goldberg, who also countered and performed another spear, followed by a "Jackhammer" on Lesnar, who became the first man to kick-out of the spear-"Jackhammer" combo. Goldberg attempted the fifth spear, but Lesnar avoided Goldberg with a
leapfrog and performed seven more German suplexes on him. Lesnar then performed an "F-5" on Goldberg to win his first Universal Championship and gave Goldberg his first
clean singles loss of his career. This win also made Lesnar the first wrestler to win both the WWE Championship and Universal Championship.
In the penultimate match, Alexa Bliss defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Becky Lynch, Naomi, Mickie James, Natalya, and Carmella in a six-pack challenge. The end came when Naomi forced Bliss to submit to the "
Slay-o-Mission" to win her second SmackDown Women's Championship, tying the record.
Main event
In the main event, the match between The Undertaker and Roman Reigns was revealed to be a No Holds Barred match.
Jim Ross
James William Ross (born January 3, 1952) is an American professional wrestling commentator currently signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator, analyst, and senior advisor. Ross is best known for a long and distinguished career a ...
returned as a guest commentator. In the ringside, Undertaker threw Reigns to one of the steel steps and performed a
Chokeslam on him onto an announce table, who then performed a Spear on Undertaker through another announce table. Undertaker performed a
Last Ride on Reigns for a near-fall. Reigns performed two
Superman Punches on Undertaker, who attacked Reigns with a chair and performed a Chokeslam on him onto it for a near-fall. Undertaker performed a
Tombstone Piledriver on Reigns for a near-fall. As Undertaker attempted a second Tombstone Piledriver, Reigns countered into a Superman Punch for a near-fall. Reigns executed another Spear, but Undertaker applied
Hell's Gate Hells Gate or Hell's Gate or Hell Gate may refer to:
Places
Africa
* Hell's Gate National Park, Kenya
Antarctica
* Hells Gate Moraine, Victoria Land
Asia
* Nyalam Town, Tibet
* A location in Nampong, Arunachal Pradesh, India
* The Darvaza gas ...
, with Reigns managing to escape. Reigns attacked Undertaker with the same chair and performed two Spears, with both scored near-falls. Undertaker attempted his signature sit-up, but suddenly collapsed. After another Spear, Reigns pinned Undertaker to win the match and become the second person to defeat Undertaker at WrestleMania
after Brock Lesnar ended The Streak at
WrestleMania XXX. After the match, The Undertaker symbolically left his gloves, coat and hat in the center of the ring. In a very rare moment, Undertaker broke character and shared a kiss with his wife
Michelle McCool, who was seated in the front row crying. Undertaker walked to the center of the entrance ramp, looked at the crowd and raised his arm, as he was lowered below the stage to the sound of his music and his signature gong sounded three times, as the show ended.
In the arena, the main stage lighting (not the crowd's lighting) was left off for the remainder of the evening and Undertaker's clothes were left in the ring, as the production crew cleaned up only taking his clothing articles when it was time to disassemble the ring.
Reception
WrestleMania 33 received mixed to positive reviews from critics.
Matt Geradi and Kevin Pang of '' The A.V. Club'' co-reviewed WrestleMania. Pang criticized the event for being "long and exhausting to watch at home", with "nothing that would win match-of-the-year in a 2017 poll" and "minimum" surprises. Geradi felt that the event exceeded his expectations and "the storytelling was on point all night", but it was a "tremendously front-loaded show". Yet Geradi and Pang agreed that everything "didn't matter" as WrestleMania "was about one story—the end of The Undertaker"; both reviewers agreed that the main event was "sad", with Pang also describing it as "ugly". Although "Shawn Michaels
Michael Shawn Hickenbottom (born July 22, 1965), better known by his ring name Shawn Michaels, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is signed to WWE as Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative. Widely regarded as one ...
' sympathy and expressiveness" made Ric Flair
Richard Morgan Fliehr (born February 25, 1949), known professionally as Ric Flair, is an American professional wrestler. Regarded by multiple peers and journalists as the greatest professional wrestler of all time, Flair has had a career spanni ...
's retirement at WrestleMania "moving and memorable", Geradi chided Reigns for having "barely mustered an ounce of anything other than disbelief and exasperation" as it "was business as usual for The Big Dog". For the other matches, Pang wrote that Aries–Neville fulfilled expectations as the "best technical match" with an "especially killer" finish, while Gerardi described Jericho–Owens as "really solidly worked with some clever, unique spots, and the in-ring story with all the counters was great stuff".[
Dave Meltzer of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' described WrestleMania 33 as "a long but extremely newsworthy show" finished off with the "retirement" ceremony for the Undertaker, whose match was "as good as could be expected as they went long". Meltzer described that though the crowd was tired at the finish of the main event, WWE "did clearly turn down the sound" and "then they hit the pyro". For the Universal title match, Meltzer wrote that it "was what was expected" and the "match was pretty much perfect considering how late it was", with the live audience "going nuts through all of this". For McMahon–Styles, Meltzer commented that the "match had its moments that were spectacular", and that the "story was that Shane was the real striker and got the better of that". For Ambrose–Corbin, Meltzer felt it was "certainly a lot less than you'd think for a WrestleMania match", while the Raw women's match was "too short for an elimination match", and the Raw tag team title match "wasn't as good as what most WrestleMania ladder matches but the crowd went completely nuts for the Hardys". Although WWE "may have turned down the crowd noise" for Cena's proposal, Meltzer felt the proposal was "really great". Lastly, Meltzer said that Rawley winning the battle royal was "largely for the mainstream coverage of Rob Gronkowski".][
Jack de Menezes of '']The Independent
''The Independent'' is a British online newspaper. It was established in 1986 as a national morning printed paper. Nicknamed the ''Indy'', it began as a broadsheet and changed to tabloid format in 2003. The last printed edition was publishe ...
'' wrote that WrestleMania 33 was "an emotional night for fans", especially due to the "brutal ending" of the Undertaker's career. With Reigns' "disappointing, error-strewn display ... compared to some of the other eye-catching displays at WrestleMania", de Menezes questioned if the "obvious passing of the torch by the WWE" was "the right decision". For the other memorable moments of the night, de Menezes described the return of The Hardy Boyz as "incredible and triumphant", the Orton–Wyatt match as a "creepy and disturbing affair", Naomi recapturing the SmackDown women's title as "a homecoming to remember", McMahon–Styles as a match "filled with highlight moments" and Cena's proposal as "unthinkable".
Luis Paez-Pumar of ''Rolling Stone
''Rolling Stone'' is an American monthly magazine that focuses on music, politics, and popular culture. It was founded in San Francisco, California, in 1967 by Jann Wenner, and the music critic Ralph J. Gleason. It was first known for its co ...
'' described WrestleMania as "two-faced as a Gemini"—the first half "was a brisk hybrid of styles and matches that made you think that WWE knew what it was doing all along with this lackluster build", but once Triple H appeared, the rest of the event "was a slog of plodding wrestling, brief matches and boos". Paez-Pumar described that The Undertaker as "should have retired when the Streak was broken", but "lived on to pass the rub onto Reigns in the sloppiest, saddest manner possible". Paez-Pumar proclaimed that "WWE has no idea how to handle Bray Wyatt", writing that Orton "definitely did not need the title" and ridiculing Wyatt's conjuring of "projected video screen grossness" as "the dumbest crap". Paez-Pumar called for "fresh blood or new ideas" in both women's divisions and for Triple H to retire given that he "has not put on a good Mania match" since 2005 or 2006 once WrestleMania XXX was discounted. For the positives, Goldberg–Lesnar was a "revitalizing adrenaline shot to the spine", Cena's proposal was "magic in a way that no other entertainment can match", The New Day "were excellent hosts; funny when called upon and out of the way when not", while "a stale-ass tag team division just became the most must-see part of ''Raw''" due to the return of the Hardys.[ The match between Orton and Wyatt was voted by The Wrestling Observer Newsletter as the Worst Match of the Year.
In 2020, The Undertaker said during an interview he was disappointed of his performance against Reigns.
]
Aftermath
There had been much speculation that Undertaker had competed in his final match. While it was not confirmed on air, the WWE online merchandise store released a commemorative photo plaque showing a photo of Undertaker's gear that he left in the ring, with the description stating that he had ended his in-ring career. In addition, Dave Meltzer
David Allen Meltzer (born October 24, 1959) is an American journalist who reports on professional wrestling and mixed martial arts.
Since 1983, he has been the publisher and editor of the ''Wrestling Observer Newsletter'' (''WON''). He has als ...
of ''Wrestling Observer'' reported that Undertaker would be getting surgeries for his injuries, specifically a hip replacement surgery that Undertaker held off due to his commitments with WWE. However, after being challenged to a match at WrestleMania the following year, Undertaker made an impromptu return and defeated John Cena at WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
. Undertaker continued to wrestle sporadically over the next couple of years until he had his official final match at WrestleMania 36 where he defeated AJ Styles in a Boneyard match. His retirement ceremony was then held at Survivor Series on November 22, 2020, which also celebrated the 30th anniversary of his WWE debut, which occurred at the 1990 Survivor Series
The 1990 Survivor Series was the fourth annual Survivor Series professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It took place on Thanksgiving Day on November 22, 1990, at the Hartford Civ ...
.
Although John Cena had proposed to Nikki Bella at the event with plans to wed the following year, on April 15, 2018, Nikki announced on her Instagram account that she and Cena had ended their six-year-long relationship.
Chris Jericho admitted in 2021 during his appearance on '' The Broken Skull Sessions'' that the placement of his match with Kevin Owens was the proverbial straw that broke the camel's back with WWE, making him seek work elsewhere. The original plan for WrestleMania was for Jericho to win the Universal Championship from Owens in the main event, but then Vince McMahon changed his mind. Jericho stated he understood why McMahon changed his mind, but opined that at the very least, his match with Owens should have been first. To have it shunted to the second match of the show meant to Jericho that he was always going to be a "mid-card guy" in WWE and he felt he still had main event potential, so he decided to look for work elsewhere.
Raw
On the post-WrestleMania 33 ''Raw'' the following night, the show opened with "Undertaker" and "Roman sucks" chants from the live audience, which was interrupted by Roman Reigns. After the crowd blasted Reigns with torrid boos and several minutes of hostile chants, Reigns left after only stating, "This is my yard now!" A lot of the crowd hostility arose from the speculation that WrestleMania 33 was The Undertaker's last match, as well as the long running fan opposition to Reigns. After that segment, WWE commentators labelled the post-WrestleMania 33 crowd as "non-traditional WWE fans" who may cheer for those they normally boo and boo those they normally cheer "all in the name of fun". This echoed similar comments a year prior for the post-WrestleMania 32 crowd, which '' The A.V. Club'' described as WWE's "aggressive" and condescending "disclaimers" meant to shame the hardcore audience.
Later, new Universal Champion Brock Lesnar's advocate, Paul Heyman, declared that Goldberg would not be seen again and teased a match between Lesnar and Roman Reigns. Braun Strowman came out and declared that after he himself was done with Reigns, who he had been feuding with prior to WrestleMania, he would be coming for Lesnar and his title. After the show, on ''Raw Talk'', Goldberg stated that his WrestleMania match may have been his last, but hinted that he could return. The following week, Strowman brutally attacked Reigns during a backstage interview and overturned the ambulance that Reigns was in. Afterwards, Reigns was taken to the hospital in another ambulance. A match between the two was scheduled for Payback. Lesnar would hold on to the title for the remainder of the year. At WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
, Lesnar and Reigns had a match for the title after it was teased by Heyman over a year ago.
Also on the post-WrestleMania ''Raw'', WWE Chairman Vince McMahon
Vincent Kennedy McMahon (; born August 24, 1945) is an American media proprietor and retired professional wrestling promoter, executive, and performer. From 1982 to 2022, he served as the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of WWE, the ...
explained that his daughter, Stephanie, would be off television for a while due to her crashing through a table at WrestleMania, and then introduced 2017 WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously ...
inductee Kurt Angle
Kurt Steven Angle (born December 9, 1968) is an American retired professional wrestler, Olympic gold medalist in American freestyle wrestling, and former collegiate wrestler. He is best known for his tenures in WWE and Total Nonstop Actio ...
as the new Raw General Manager. He also announced that there would be a Superstar Shake-up the following week between Raw and SmackDown, a talent trade between the two brands.
Chris Jericho was granted a rematch for the United States Championship against Kevin Owens at Payback. He was then attacked backstage by Owens and Samoa Joe. Jericho was subsequently replaced in a tag team match by the returning Finn Bálor
Fergal Devitt (born 25 July 1981) is an Irish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Finn Bálor (), and is a member of The Judgment Day.
Devitt is widely known for his ...
. On the April 11 episode of ''SmackDown'', the Superstar Shake-up moved Owens to SmackDown, but it was decided that if Jericho won the United States Championship at Payback, he would also move to SmackDown. Also, Seth Rollins resumed his rivalry with Samoa Joe and the two were scheduled to fight at Payback.
Also on the post-WrestleMania ''Raw'', The Hardy Boyz retained their Raw Tag Team Championship against Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson, while Cesaro and Sheamus earned a title shot at Payback by defeating Enzo Amore and Big Cass. The New Day issued an open challenge, which was answered by NXT's The Revival ( Scott Dawson and Dash Wilder) in their main roster debut. The Revival defeated and continued to beat down New Day, injuring Kofi Kingston's ankle. The following week, The New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods) lost a rematch against Revival and were moved to SmackDown as part of the Superstar Shake-up.
In the women's division, Raw Women's Champion Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Dana Brooke defeated Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and the returning Emma
Emma may refer to:
* Emma (given name)
Film
* Emma (1932 film), ''Emma'' (1932 film), a comedy-drama film by Clarence Brown
* Emma (1996 theatrical film), ''Emma'' (1996 theatrical film), a film starring Gwyneth Paltrow
* Emma (1996 TV film), '' ...
. The following week, Banks was about to challenge Bayley to a title match when she was interrupted by Alexa Bliss and Mickie James, who moved over from SmackDown as a result of the Superstar Shake-up; Charlotte was moved to the SmackDown brand. Bliss subsequently earned a title match at Payback by winning a fatal four-way match.
SmackDown
On the post-WrestleMania ''SmackDown'', Bray Wyatt challenged the newly-crowned WWE Champion Randy Orton to a "House of Horrors" non-title match, which Orton accepted. In the ensuing brawl, Luke Harper and the returning Erick Rowan came out to help Orton and Wyatt, respectively. Subsequently, Orton and Harper defeated Wyatt and Rowan. Wyatt was moved to Raw the following week and his rematch with Orton was scheduled for the Raw-exclusive pay-per-view, Payback.
Also on the post-WrestleMania ''SmackDown'', SmackDown Commissioner Shane McMahon addressed the Superstar Shake-Up. His WrestleMania opponent, AJ Styles, interrupted him, saying that he wanted to stay on SmackDown, and then shook Shane's hand out of respect. The following week, Styles was confirmed to stay on SmackDown and he defeated Baron Corbin and Sami Zayn, who had moved over from Raw, to become the number one contender for the United States Championship at Backlash.
In a non-title rematch, Baron Corbin defeated Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose in a Street Fight. This would be their last encounter as Ambrose, with the championship, moved to the Raw brand as a result of the Superstar Shake-up.
The Miz and Maryse continued their impersonation of John Cena and Nikki Bella. They claimed credit for Cena proposing to Nikki and mocked the newly-engaged couple, as they were taking a break from WWE post-WrestleMania. As they were leaving the ring, they were interrupted by the main roster debut of Shinsuke Nakamura
is a Japanese Professional wrestling, professional wrestler currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown (WWE brand), SmackDown WWE brand extension, brand.
Nakamura is known for his time in New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where ...
. The Miz and Maryse were then moved to Raw, where they resumed their rivalry with Dean Ambrose. Jinder Mahal moved to SmackDown, where he continued his feud with Mojo Rawley and Rob Gronkowski. Rawley defeated Mahal following interference by Gronkowski. Both Mahal and Rawley then participated in a six-pack challenge, which Mahal won to become the #1 contender for the WWE Championship at Backlash.
In the women's division, Alexa Bliss lost her rematch for the SmackDown Women's Championship against Naomi. The following week, Alexa and Mickie James moved to Raw as a result of the Superstar Shake-up. Charlotte Flair, who moved over from Raw, defeated Naomi in a non-title match to become the number one contender.
205 Live
In the cruiserweight division on the post-WrestleMania ''205 Live'', Austin Aries earned another title shot by winning a fatal four-way match, and it was scheduled for Payback.
Results
Raw Women's Championship Fatal 4-Way match eliminations
References
External links
*
{{WWEPPV, WrestleMania
WrestleMania
2017 WWE Network events
2017 in professional wrestling in Florida
Professional wrestling in Orlando, Florida
2017 WWE pay-per-view events
April 2017 events in the United States
Events in Orlando, Florida