| WrestleMania 33 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring various WWE wrestlers | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Brand(s) | Raw SmackDown | ||
| Date | April 2, 2017 | ||
| City | Orlando, Florida | ||
| Venue | Camping World Stadium | ||
| Attendance | 64,900[1][2][3] | ||
| Tagline | "The Ultimate Thrill Ride"[4] | ||
| WWE event chronology | |||
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| WrestleMania chronology | |||
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WrestleMania 33 was a 2017professional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) andlivestreamingevent produced byWWE. It was the 33rd annualWrestleMania and took place on April 2, 2017, atCamping World Stadium inOrlando, Florida, held for wrestlers from the promotion'sRaw andSmackDownbrand divisions. This was the third WrestleMania held in theU.S. state ofFlorida afterWrestleMania XXIV in 2008, which was at the same venue when it was still known as the Florida Citrus Bowl, andWrestleMania XXVIII in 2012. It was also the first WrestleMania held following the reintroduction of the brand extension in July 2016.The New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston, andXavier Woods) 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 sinceWrestleMania 29 in 2013, twoworld championships were contested: Raw'sUniversal Championship and SmackDown'sWWE Championship; it marked the first time that the Universal Championship,SmackDown Women's Championship, andnew Cruiserweight Championship were defended at WrestleMania. In the main event,Roman Reigns defeatedThe Undertaker in aNo 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 atWrestleMania 34. In the main match for the Raw brand,Brock Lesnar defeatedGoldberg to win the Universal Championship, thus becoming the first wrestler to win both the WWE and Universal titles. This was also Goldberg's first WrestleMania match sinceWrestleMania XX in 2004. In the main match from SmackDown,Randy Orton defeatedBray Wyatt to win his ninth WWE Championship. The event also marked the surprise return ofThe Hardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy andMatt Hardy), who won theRaw Tag Team Championship. It was also the first WrestleMania to be on the air past midnightEastern time.[5]
Reception towards the event was mixed, although it was largely considered to be an improvement overWrestleMania 32. 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, which stretched past the seven hour mark.
WrestleMania isWWE's flagshipprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) andlivestreaming event, having first been held in1985. It was the company's first pay-per-view produced and was also WWE's first major event available via livestreaming when the company launched theWWE Network in February 2014. It is the longest-running professional wrestling event in history and is held annually between mid-March to mid-April.[6] It was the first of WWE's original four pay-per-views, which includesRoyal Rumble,SummerSlam, andSurvivor Series, referred to as the "Big Four".[7] The event has been described as theSuper Bowl ofsports entertainment.[8] Much like the Super Bowl, cities bid for the right to host the year's edition of WrestleMania.[9] Announced on March 8, 2016, WrestleMania 33 was scheduled to be held on April 2, 2017, atCamping World Stadium inOrlando, Florida. The event featured wrestlers from theRaw andSmackDown brand divisions, following the reintroduction of thebrand split in July 2016. It was the first WrestleMania to feature theUniversal 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 theSmackDown Women's Championship and newWWE Cruiserweight Championship.[10]
The event was the third to be held in the state ofFlorida, afterXXIV (at the same venue) andXXVIII.[11] 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.[12][13] A two-hour Kickoff pre-show preceded the main show, with the second hour broadcast simultaneously onUSA Network.[14] On February 20, 2017,The New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston, andXavier Woods) of WWE's Raw brand were confirmed to be the hosts of WrestleMania 33.[15][16]
The four official theme songs for the event were "Greenlight" (byPitbull feat.Flo Rida andLunchMoney Lewis), "Like a Champion" (by Danger Twins), "Flame" (byTinashe), and "Am I Savage?" (byMetallica).[17] At the event, Pitbull performed "Options" withStephen Marley before performing "Greenlight" with Flo Rida and LunchMoney Lewis.[18] American singer Tinashe performed "America the Beautiful" to kick off WrestleMania 33.[19] The pre-show was broadcast on the WWE Network, WWE.com,Facebook,Google+,Pinterest, andYouTube, with USA Network joining the live coverage for the second hour.[20]
Beginning atWrestleMania 32, a match betweenBig Show andNBA starShaquille O'Neal had been teased from various media outlets, including WWE. Shaq was a surprise entrant in the 2016André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal where he and Big Show faced off, but the other participants eliminated both of them.[21][22] In July at the2016 ESPY Awards on the red carpet, Show and Shaq had another brief confrontation. A match was proposed for WrestleMania 33, which Shaq accepted.[23][24] In January 2017, the two began calling each other out on social media, posting workout videos of themselves preparing for the potential match.[25][26] Big Show then began to doubt Shaq's commitment to the match.[27] 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.[28] The following week, Shaq said that discussions were back on between him and WWE.[29] However, Big Show's announcement as a participant in the 2017 André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal indicated that the match was off. According toDave Meltzer ofWrestling Observer Newsletter, the match was canceled due to monetary reasons, as both parties could not agree on a deal.[30] 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.[31]
According to wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer in January 2017, a WrestleMania 33 match betweenThe Undertaker andJohn Cena was scrapped asVince McMahon had "a different vision for the show and [was] thinking [about the] longterm picture not short-term".[32]
Since 2014, WWE had attempted to establishRoman Reigns as their topbabyface and the next 'face of the company', but a significant portion of fansrejected Reigns in this role,[33] taking issue with his perceived special treatment, real-life demeanor, wrestling moveset, speaking skills and character presentation.[34] This resulted in Reigns being booed while he wrestled in the main events ofWrestleMania 31 and WrestleMania 32.[35][36] Reigns was even voted as 2016's "Most Hated Wrestler of the Year" byPro Wrestling Illustrated readers, a first for a heroic character since the award was devised in 1972.[37][38] In response to the negative reception, Reigns said that there is "possible jealousy" from fans regarding his "major success".[39] In March 2017 before WrestleMania 33, wrestling journalistDave Meltzer reported that WWE's long term plans ("which obviously could change") leading toWrestleMania 34 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 beatBrock Lesnar for the Universal Championship "to fully replace John Cena as the lead babyface of the company",[40] 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".[41]
The event comprised 13 matches, including three on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,[42][43] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows,Monday Night Raw,SmackDown Live,[44] and thecruiserweight-exclusive205 Live.[45]
At theRoyal Rumble, The Undertaker was eliminated by Roman Reigns in the titular match. In the ensuing stare down, Reigns exclaimed: "This is my yard now!",[46] a claim The Undertaker had made for many years. On the March 6 episode ofRaw, The Undertaker attacked Reigns with a chokeslam,[47] and a match between the two was scheduled for WrestleMania 33 in what would become the main event.[48]
At the Royal Rumble, SmackDown'sRandy Orton won his secondRoyal Rumble match, earning himself aworld championship match at WrestleMania 33 for his brand'sWWE Championship.[46][49][50] AtElimination Chamber,Bray Wyatt won theElimination Chamber match to become the new WWE Champion.[51] As a devotedWyatt Family member, Orton relinquished his championship opportunity.[52] SmackDown General ManagerDaniel Bryan then scheduled abattle royal to determine Wyatt's WrestleMania challenger;[53] it ended in a draw when bothAJ Styles andLuke Harper hit the ground simultaneously.[54] Styles then defeated Harper the following week to earn the title match,[55] 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, turningface in the process.[55] A number one contender's match between Orton and Styles was scheduled in which Orton won.[56]
AtWrestleMania XX in 2004,Goldberg defeatedBrock Lesnar in their first match against each other.[57] 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 atSurvivor Series in one minute and twenty-six seconds,[58] and also quickly eliminated him from the Royal Rumble match.[46] The next night onRaw, Lesnar andPaul Heyman appeared and challenged Goldberg to one final match at WrestleMania 33.[59] Goldberg accepted Lesnar's challenge and also challengedKevin Owens for the Universal Championship atFastlane,[60] which he won, turning their match into a title match for the Universal title.[61] The following night onRaw, 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.[47] The following week, Lesnar and Heyman gloated about Lesnar's attack on Goldberg.[62] On the finalRaw before WrestleMania, Goldberg and Lesnar had one last confrontation where Goldberg speared Lesnar.[63]
In 2014,The Shield (Seth Rollins,Dean Ambrose, and Roman Reigns) were involved in a rivalry withEvolution (Triple H, Randy Orton, andBatista). After multiple losses to The Shield and Batista quitting WWE, Triple H recruited Rollins toThe Authority.[64] Rollins was the forefront of The Authority and won the WWE World Heavyweight Championship (later renamed WWE Championship) atWrestleMania 31, but was forced to vacate the title in November 2015 due to injury.[65][66] 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.[67] During the first months of 2017, Rollins started a rivalry with Triple H, asking for answers. AtNXT TakeOver: San Antonio, Rollins appeared and challenged Triple H to a match, who had Rollins escorted from the building by security.[68] On the January 30 episode ofRaw, as Rollins was about to confront Triple H,Samoa Joe attacked Rollins,[59] re-injuring his knee.[69] Rollins was estimated to be out of action for up to eight weeks,[70] but after an attack from Triple H,[62] Rollins signed a contract for a non-sanctioned match with Triple H at WrestleMania 33, which forbid Rollins from suing WWE if he were to get injured again.[71]
After losing the WWE Championship at Royal Rumble,[46] AJ Styles asked for a rematch, which SmackDown CommissionerShane McMahon promised if Styles did not win the title back in the Elimination Chamber match.[72] At the event, Bray Wyatt won the championship.[51][52][53] Styles received a rematch, but in the form of a triple threat match, also includingJohn Cena, where Wyatt retained.[52] 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.[54] 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.[56] The following week, Styles attacked McMahon and threw him through a car window. Styles was subsequently (kayfabe) fired by Bryan, but at the end of the show, an injured McMahon challenged Styles to a match at WrestleMania 33, which Styles accepted.[73]
In mid-2016,Chris Jericho and Kevin Owens began teaming and assisting each other.[74][75][76] Jericho played a part in Owens winning the vacant Universal Championship.[77][67] Over the next several months, Jericho assisted Owens in retaining his title in various defenses.[78][79][80][81] The two also defeated Roman Reigns in a handicap match, with Jericho winning Reigns'United States Championship.[82] After Owens retained his title at the Royal Rumble,[46] Jericho accepted Goldberg's challenge on Owens' behalf for the Universal Championship at Fastlane, which was made official to the dismay of Owens.[60] Jericho then held a "Festival of Friendship" for Owens, who turned on Jericho and brutally attacked him.[83][84] In retaliation, Jericho cost Owens his Universal Championship match at Fastlane.[61] On the followingRaw, Jericho challenged Owens to a match at WrestleMania 33. Owens agreed only if it were for the United States Championship, and Jericho agreed.[47]
At Elimination Chamber,The Miz was eliminated by John Cena in the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match.[51] Cena then eliminated Miz in the number one contender battle royal, and Miz retaliated by returning and eliminating Cena. Cena was then a guest onMiz TV where Miz criticized Cena for being a hypocrite, as Cena was basically doing the same thing that he himself had criticizedThe 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 causedMaryse to slap Cena for insulting her husband. Cena's girlfriendNikki Bella then came out and Maryse and Miz retreated.[55] During the following weeks, Miz and Maryse made fun of Cena and Nikki's reality showTotal 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.[85]
AtRoadblock: End of the Line,Charlotte Flair defeatedSasha Banks to win her record fourthRaw 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.[81] Charlotte then began a feud withBayley, losing the title against her on the February 13 episode ofRaw, thanks to help from Banks.[83] Also during this time, Banks entered into a feud withNia Jax.[46] Bayley retained the title against Flair at Fastlane after an interference from Banks, who defeated Jax on the Kickoff pre-show.[61] The following weeks, Bayley was defeated by Banks and Jax.[47][71] Both Flair and Banks touted their reasons why they should challenge Bayley for the title at WrestleMania 33, leading to atriple threat match being scheduled. Jax was then added, turning the match into afatal four-way elimination match.[86] OnRaw, Bayley and Banks teamed up and defeated Flair and Jax. After the match, Jax laid out her three WrestleMania opponents.[63]
On the Royal Rumble Kickoff pre-show,Luke Gallows and Karl Anderson defeatedCesaro and Sheamus to win theRaw Tag Team Championship.[46]Cesaro andSheamus invoked their rematch, but lost due to interference fromEnzo Amore and Big Cass.[60] On the February 20 episode ofRaw,Amore andCass defeated Cesaro and Sheamus to receive a tag title match at Fastlane,[87] whereGallows andAnderson retained.[61] A rematch occurred the following night onRaw 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.[47] 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.[62] The following weeks, Gallows and Anderson attacked the others with a ladder.[63] The WrestleMania match was then turned into a triple threat ladder match for the Raw Tag Team Championship.[88]
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At Elimination Chamber,Naomi defeatedAlexa Bliss to win the SmackDown Women's Championship,[51] but a legit injury forced her to relinquish the title. Bliss then defeatedBecky Lynch for the vacant title.[54] On the March 7 episode ofSmackDown, Becky, Natalya, and even Bliss' allyMickie James 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.[56] On the finalSmackDown before WrestleMania, Naomi returned and confirmed that she would be in the match at WrestleMania, making it asix-pack challenge.[89]
At Elimination Chamber during the WWE Championship Elimination Chamber match,Baron Corbin was eliminated by theIntercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose. Then, Corbin executed the "End of Days" on him before he left the chamber, causing his elimination.[51] During the following weeks, both wrestlers attacked each other,[52][54] leading to a match at WrestleMania for the Intercontinental title.[73] The match was moved to the Kickoff pre-show.[20]
After retaining the WWE Cruiserweight Championship for several months,Neville said there was no one left in the cruiserweight division that could compete with him.Austin Aries, who had been out of action due to injury, disagreed and attacked Neville.[47] On the March 14 episode of205 Live, Aries won afatal five-way elimination match to face Neville for the title on the WrestleMania 33 Kickoff pre-show.[90][91]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| Hosts | The New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston, andXavier Woods) |
| English commentators | |
| Michael Cole(Raw/battle royal/main event) | |
| Corey Graves(Raw/Cruiserweight match) | |
| Byron Saxton(Raw/battle royal) | |
| Tom Phillips (SmackDown/mixed tag team match/Cruiserweight match) | |
| John "Bradshaw" Layfield (SmackDown/battle royal/mixed tag team match/main event) | |
| David Otunga(SmackDown) | |
| Jim Ross(Main event) | |
| Jerry Lawler(Mixed tag team match) | |
| German commentators | Sebastian Hackl |
| Carsten Schaefer | |
| Portuguese commentators | Marco Alfaro |
| Roberto Figueroa | |
| Spanish commentators | Carlos Cabrera |
| Marcelo Rodríguez | |
| Ring announcers | Greg Hamilton(SmackDown) |
| JoJo(Raw) | |
| Al Roker(Mixed tag team match) | |
| Referees | Jason Ayers |
| Shawn Bennett | |
| Mike Chioda | |
| John Cone | |
| Dan Engler | |
| Darrick Moore | |
| Chad Patton | |
| Charles Robinson | |
| Ryan Tran | |
| Rod Zapata | |
| Backstage interviewers | Charly Caruso |
| Maria Menounos | |
| Pre-show panel | Renee Young |
| Booker T | |
| Jerry Lawler | |
| Shawn Michaels | |
| Lita |
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, Nevillepoked Aries' eyes to escape and performed a "Red Arrow" on Aries to retain the title.[20]
Next, 33 wrestlers competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, including previously unannounced participantsKalisto,Sin Cara, Luke Harper,Titus O'Neil,The Vaudevillains (Simon Gotch andAiden English) andThe Ascension (Konnor andViktor). In the climax,Jinder Mahal tauntedNew England Patriotstight endRob Gronkowski, who was sitting at ringside. This prompted Gronkowski to enter the ring and shove Mahal. Mojo Rawley then eliminated Mahal to win the match.[20]
In the last pre-show match, Dean Ambrose defended the Intercontinental Championship against Baron Corbin. In the end, Corbin attempted the "End of Days" on Ambrose, who countered and performed "Dirty Deeds" on Corbin to retain the title.[20]
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 byFinal Fantasy XIV: Stormblood, a sponsor of the event. They made their entrance and hyped the live crowd for the event.[92]
In the first match, AJ Styles faced Shane McMahon. During the match, Styles attempted aspringboard450° splash on Shane, who countered into atriangle choke on Styles, who then countered into a one-armed "Styles Clash" 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" through an announce table on Styles, who moved and Shane fell through the announce table. As Styles attempted a "Phenomenal Forearm", Shane countered into afloat-over DDT on Styles. Shane attempted ashooting star press, but Styles avoided and performed a "Phenomenal Forearm" on Shane to win the match.[92]
Next, Chris Jericho defended the United States Championship against Kevin Owens. Owens attempted apop-up powerbomb on Jericho, who countered and performed a "Lionsault" 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" on Owens, who touched the ring ropes with one finger to void the pinfall at a two count. In the end, Owens performed apowerbomb on Jericho onto the ring apron and pinned him to win his first United States Championship.[92]
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 atriple powerbomb on Jax and all three pinned Jax to eliminate her. Banks applied the "Bank Statement" on Flair, who escaped. Banks attempted a pinning combination on Flair, who kicked out and sent Banks into an exposed turnbuckle, after which, Flair pinned Banks to eliminate her. In the end, Flair collided with the exposed turnbuckle, allowing Bayley to perform adiving elbow drop on Flair to retain the title.[92]
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 returningHardy Boyz (Jeff Hardy andMatt Hardy) would also be involved in the match after losing theROH World Tag Team Championship toThe Young Bucks the previous day. 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, and seventh time overall.[92]
Later, John Cena and Nikki Bella faced The Miz and Maryse in a mixed tag team match withAl Roker 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.[92]
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 aDDT on Rollins onto an announce table. Triple H targeted Rollins' leg, applying aninverted 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 anenzuigiri 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 asuperkick 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.[92]
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.[92]
After that, Goldberg defended the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar. Lesnar performed threeGerman suplexes on Goldberg, who quickly recovered and performed twospears 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", 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 aleapfrog 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 firstclean singles loss of his career. This win also made Lesnar the first wrestler to win both the WWE Championship and Universal Championship.[92]
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.[92]
In the main event, the match between The Undertaker and Roman Reigns was revealed to be a No Holds Barred match.Jim Ross returned as a guest commentator. In the ringside, The Undertaker threw Reigns to one of the steel steps and performed aChokeslam on him onto an announce table, who then performed a Spear on The Undertaker through another announce table. The Undertaker performed aLast Ride on Reigns for a near-fall. Reigns performed twoSuperman Punches on The Undertaker, who attacked Reigns with a chair and performed a Chokeslam on him onto it for a near-fall. The Undertaker performed aTombstone Piledriver on Reigns for a near-fall. As The Undertaker attempted a second Tombstone Piledriver, Reigns countered into a Superman Punch for a near-fall. Reigns executed another Spear, but The Undertaker appliedHell's Gate, with Reigns managing to escape. Reigns attacked The Undertaker with the same chair and performed two Spears, with both scored near-falls. The Undertaker attempted his signature sit-up, but suddenly collapsed. After another Spear, Reigns pinned The Undertaker to win the match and become the second person to defeat The Undertaker at WrestleManiaafter Brock Lesnar ended The Streak atWrestleMania XXX. After the match, The Undertaker symbolically left his gloves, coat and hat in the center of the ring. In a very rare moment, The Undertaker broke character and shared a kiss with his wifeMichelle McCool, who was seated in the front row crying. The 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.[92] In the arena, the main stage lighting (not the crowd's lighting) was left off for the remainder of the evening and The 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.[93][94]
WrestleMania 33 received mixed reviews from critics.[1][2][95] Matt Geradi and Kevin Pang ofThe 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' sympathy and expressiveness" madeRic Flair'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".[1]
Dave Meltzer of theWrestling 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 [sic] 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".[2]
Jack de Menezes ofThe Independent 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".[96]
Luis Paez-Pumar ofRolling Stone described WrestleMania as "two-faced as aGemini"—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 onceWrestleMania 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 ofRaw" due to the return of the Hardys.[95] 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.[97]
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.[98] In addition,Dave Meltzer ofWrestling 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.[99] However, after being challenged to a match at WrestleMania the following year,[100] Undertaker made an impromptu return and defeated John Cena atWrestleMania 34.[101] Undertaker continued to wrestle sporadically over the next couple of years until he had his official final match atWrestleMania 36 where he defeated AJ Styles in aBoneyard match.[102] His retirement ceremony was then held atSurvivor Series on November 22, 2020, which also celebrated the 30th anniversary of his WWE debut, which occurred at the1990 Survivor Series.[103]
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.[104]
Chris Jericho admitted in 2021 during his appearance onThe 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.[105] 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.[106]
On the post-WrestleMania 33Raw the following night, the show opened with "Undertaker" and "Roman sucks" chants from the live audience, which was interrupted by Roman Reigns.[107] After the crowd blasted Reigns with torrid boos and several minutes of hostile chants, Reigns left after only stating, "This is my yard now!"[107] A lot of the crowd hostility arose from the speculation that WrestleMania 33 was The Undertaker's last match, as well as thelong 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".[107] This echoed similar comments a year prior for the post-WrestleMania 32 crowd, whichThe A.V. Club described as WWE's "aggressive" and condescending "disclaimers" meant to shame the hardcore audience.[108]
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.[107] After the show, onRaw Talk, Goldberg stated that his WrestleMania match may have been his last, but hinted that he could return.[109] 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.[110] A match between the two was scheduled forPayback.[111] Lesnar would hold on to the title for the remainder of the year. AtWrestleMania 34, Lesnar and Reigns had a match for the title after it was teased by Heyman over a year ago.[101]
Also on the post-WrestleManiaRaw, WWE ChairmanVince McMahon explained that his daughter, Stephanie, would be off television for a while due to her crashing through a table at WrestleMania, and then introduced 2017WWE Hall of Fame inducteeKurt Angle as the new Raw General Manager. He also announced that there would be aSuperstar Shake-up the following week between Raw and SmackDown, a talent trade between the two brands.[107][112]
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 returningFinn Bálor.[107] On the April 11 episode ofSmackDown, 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.[113] Also, Seth Rollins resumed his rivalry with Samoa Joe and the two were scheduled to fight at Payback.[111]
Also on the post-WrestleManiaRaw, 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.[107][110] The New Day issued an open challenge, which was answered by NXT'sThe Revival (Scott Dawson andDash Wilder) in their main roster debut. The Revival defeated and continued to beat down New Day,[107] injuring Kofi Kingston's ankle.[114] The following week, The New Day (Big E and Xavier Woods) lost a rematch against Revival[110] and were moved to SmackDown as part of the Superstar Shake-up.[113]
In the women's division, Raw Women's Champion Bayley, Sasha Banks, and Dana Brooke defeated Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, and the returningEmma.[107] 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.[113] Bliss subsequently earned a title match at Payback by winning a fatal four-way match.[111]
On the post-WrestleManiaSmackDown, 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 returningErick Rowan came out to help Orton and Wyatt, respectively. Subsequently, Orton and Harper defeated Wyatt and Rowan.[115] Wyatt was moved to Raw the following week and his rematch with Orton was scheduled for the Raw-exclusive pay-per-view, Payback.[110]
Also on the post-WrestleManiaSmackDown, 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.[115] 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 atBacklash.[113]
In a non-title rematch, Baron Corbin defeated Intercontinental Champion Dean Ambrose in aStreet Fight.[115] This would be their last encounter as Ambrose, with the championship, moved to the Raw brand as a result of the Superstar Shake-up.[110]
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 ofShinsuke Nakamura.[115] The Miz and Maryse were then moved to Raw, where they resumed their rivalry with Dean Ambrose.[110] Jinder Mahal moved to SmackDown, where he continued his feud with Mojo Rawley and Rob Gronkowski. Rawley defeated Mahal following interference by Gronkowski.[113] 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.[116]
In the women's division, Alexa Bliss lost her rematch for the SmackDown Women's Championship against Naomi.[115] The following week, Bliss and Mickie James moved to Raw as a result of the Superstar Shake-up.[110] Charlotte Flair, who moved over from Raw, defeated Naomi in a non-title match to become the number one contender.[116]
In the cruiserweight division on the post-WrestleMania205 Live, Austin Aries earned another title shot by winning a fatal four-way match, and it was scheduled for Payback.[117]
| Eliminated | Wrestler | Eliminated by | Method | Time[92] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nia Jax | Bayley,Charlotte Flair, andSasha Banks | Pinfall | 4:15 |
| 2 | Sasha Banks | Charlotte Flair | 8:30 | |
| 3 | Charlotte Flair | Bayley | 12:45 | |
| Winner | Bayley (c) | — | ||
Based on information released, the actual attendance for WrestleMania in Orlando on 4/2 was 64,900 paid. The most it could have been was 71,819 and the least it could have been was 58,491.
... WWE's flagship event lights up MetLife Stadium ... WrestleMania
