| WrestleMania 34 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Promotional poster featuring various WWE wrestlers | |||
| Promotion | WWE | ||
| Brand(s) | Raw SmackDown 205 Live | ||
| Date | April 8, 2018 | ||
| City | New Orleans,Louisiana | ||
| Venue | Mercedes-Benz Superdome | ||
| Attendance | 60,000–65,000[1] | ||
| WWE event chronology | |||
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| WrestleMania chronology | |||
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WrestleMania 34 was a 2018professional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) andlivestreamingevent produced byWWE. It was the 34th annualWrestleMania and took place on April 8, 2018, at theMercedes-Benz Superdome inNew Orleans,Louisiana, held for wrestlers from the promotion'sRaw,SmackDown, and205 Livebrand divisions. This was the second WrestleMania held at this venue afterWrestleMania XXX in 2014 and the first to include thecruiserweight-exclusive 205 Live brand, albeit on the Kickoff pre-show, subsequently being the first to feature wrestlers from three brands sinceWrestleMania XXVI in 2010.
The card comprised 14 matches, including three on the Kickoff pre-show. In the main event, which was the main match of the Raw brand,Brock Lesnar retained theUniversal Championship againstRoman Reigns. The main match from SmackDown sawAJ Styles retain theWWE Championship againstShinsuke Nakamura. Other matches sawRonda Rousey make her WWE debut andDaniel Bryan returned to the ring after nearly three years of absence due to concussions. Rousey teamed withKurt Angle to defeatTriple H andStephanie McMahon in amixed tag team match, while Bryan teamed withShane McMahon to defeatKevin Owens and Sami Zayn. Also,The Undertaker defeatedJohn Cena in an impromptu match.
Also on the card,Charlotte Flair retained theSmackDown Women's Championship againstAsuka, ending Asuka's undefeated streak. A 10-year-old named Nicholas (son of refereeJohn Cone) became the youngest champion in WWE history when he teamed withBraun Strowman to defeatCesaro and Sheamus for theRaw Tag Team Championship. It was also the first time that theSmackDown Tag Team Championship was defended at a WrestleMania.
WrestleMania 34 received mixed to positive reviews from fans and critics, with the world title matches being subjected to more negative responses. The main event between Lesnar and Reigns particularly received heavy criticism and was decried by some as one of the worst main events in WrestleMania history.[2][3] Despite this, other aspects of the show, such as the return of Daniel Bryan, theIntercontinental Championship and SmackDown Women's Championship matches, and the debut performance of Ronda Rousey, were widely praised.
WrestleMania isWWE's flagshipprofessional wrestlingpay-per-view (PPV) andlivestreamingevent, 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 2014. It is the longest-running professional wrestling event in history and is held annually between mid-March to mid-April.[4] It was the first of WWE's original four pay-per-views, which includesRoyal Rumble,SummerSlam, andSurvivor Series, referred to as the "Big Four".[5] WrestleMania is ranked the sixth most valuable sports brand in the world byForbes,[6] and has been described as theSuper Bowl ofsports entertainment.[7] Much like the Super Bowl, cities bid for the right to host the year's edition of WrestleMania.[8]
Announced on January 9, 2017, WrestleMania 34 was scheduled to be held on April 8, 2018, at theMercedes-Benz Superdome inNew Orleans,Louisiana. It featured wrestlers from theRaw andSmackDownbrand divisions.[9] The event was the second WrestleMania to be held in the state ofLouisiana and the second held at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, which previously hostedWrestleMania XXX in 2014.[9] On October 30, 2017, traveling packages for the event were sold;[10][11] tickets went on sale on November 17, 2017, with individual tickets costing from $35 to $2,000.[10]
The four official theme songs for the event were "Celebrate", "New Orleans" (both byKid Rock), "Let the Good Times Roll" (byFreddie King) andDevil byShinedown.[12][13][14] On April 8, prior to the start of WrestleMania, WWE and Snickers held the WrestleMania Block Party at theChampions Square plaza. Thetailgate event included appearances fromAlundra Blayze andRic Flair as well from active competitorsTamina andR-Truth.[15]American duoChloe x Halle performed "America the Beautiful" to kick off the main card of WrestleMania.[16]
Since 2014, WWE attempted to establishRoman Reigns as their topbabyface and the next "face of the company", but a significant portion of fans rejected Reigns in this role,[17] taking issue with his perceived special treatment, real-life demeanor, wrestling moveset, speaking skills, and character presentation.[18] Thisresulted in Reigns beingbooed while he wrestled in the main events ofWrestleMania 31,[19]WrestleMania 32,[20] andWrestleMania 33.[21] The perception that Reigns was the "company's chosen one" led to widespread expectations that Reigns would triumph in the main event of WrestleMania 34 to become WWE Universal Champion;[22][23] and it was also anticipated that while doing so, he would be again received negatively by the WrestleMania crowd.[24]
The event comprised 14 matches, including three on the Kickoff pre-show, that resulted from scripted storylines, where wrestlers portrayed heroes,villains, orless distinguishable characters in scripted events that built tension and culminated in a wrestling match or series of matches. Results were predetermined by WWE's writers on the Raw and SmackDown brands,[25][26] while storylines were produced on WWE's weekly television shows,Monday Night Raw,SmackDown Live,[27] and thecruiserweight-exclusive205 Live.[28]
AfterBrock Lesnar won theUniversal Championship atWrestleMania 33,[21] he seldom defended the title, which was often criticized, especially byRoman Reigns. As the 2018 men'sRoyal Rumble winner chose SmackDown's world championship, Lesnar's WrestleMania 34 opponent was determined through theElimination Chambermatch, which was won by Reigns.[29] The two had also previously fought atWrestleMania 31 in March 2015 over Lesnar'sWWE World Heavyweight Championship (now WWE Championship), but without a decisive winner asSeth Rollins cashed in hisMoney in the Bank contract and pinned Reigns.[19] Despite being advertised, Lesnar did not appear for several episodes ofRaw.[30][31] Reigns repeatedly criticized Lesnar[30] and also questioned WWE Chairman/CEOVince McMahon, for which he was temporarily suspended.[31] When Reigns nevertheless appeared onRaw to confront Lesnar, he was arrested byU.S. Marshals. The handcuffed Reigns assaulted the Marshals, but was then attacked by Lesnar.[32][33] Heyman then declared that should Lesnar lose, they would not re-sign with WWE. Their match was scheduled as the main event, which would be the first Universal Championship match to main event WrestleMania.[34]
At theRoyal Rumble, SmackDown'sShinsuke Nakamura won the men's Royal Rumble match, earning a world championship match of his choosing at WrestleMania 34. Nakamura chose SmackDown'sWWE ChampionAJ Styles.[35] AtFastlane, Styles retained the WWE Championship in asix-pack challenge, thus solidifying the Styles-Nakamura match at WrestleMania.[36] The two expressed respect for each other,[37][38] but Styles warned Nakamura to not take him lightly this time, bringing up theirprevious encounter inNew Japan Pro-Wrestling in January 2016, where Nakamura had defeated Styles.[39]
After failing to win the Elimination Chamber match,Intercontinental ChampionThe Miz demanded a WrestleMania challenger. Seth Rollins then came out and defeated Miz, followed byFinn Bálor, who also defeated him.[30] The following week, both Rollins and Bálor confronted Miz, leading to a 2-on-3 handicap match between Rollins and Bálor and The Miz and his Miztourage (Bo Dallas andCurtis Axel), in which Rollins pinned Miz. Afterwards, Raw General ManagerKurt Angle scheduled The Miz to defend his championship against Bálor and Rollins in a triple threat match at WrestleMania.[40]
At the Royal Rumble, Raw'sAsuka won the women's Royal Rumble match. As a result, Asuka earned the right to challenge for a women's championship of her choosing at WrestleMania.[35] On the advice of Raw CommissionerStephanie McMahon, Asuka postponed her decision[41][42] until both women's champions had defended their titles at Elimination Chamber[29] and Fastlane, respectively. FollowingCharlotte Flair's successful defense at Fastlane, Asuka appeared and challenged her for theSmackDown Women's Championship at WrestleMania.[36] Asuka explained that she chose Flair as she wanted to challenge the best women's champion in WWE,[31] while Flair vowed to end Asuka's undefeated streak.[a][37][43]
AfterAlexa Bliss won her secondRaw Women's Championship in August 2017,[44] she formed a friendship withNia Jax, who also had championship aspirations. Jax failed to earn a title shot at the Royal Rumble and also lost to Asuka at Elimination Chamber in a match that would have added her to Asuka's WrestleMania championship match.[29] After Asuka defeated her in a rematch onRaw, Bliss consoled Jax and said she deserved a title match.[40] When Asuka explained her reasons for challenging Charlotte Flair, Bliss andMickie James confronted her and called out Jax to wrestle Asuka, but Jax did not appear. Later during Jax's match, Bliss and James, who were unaware of the live microphone, were heard disparaging Jax, who was upset by this.[31] The following week, Bliss issued a fake apology and continued to insult Jax, who chased off the champion. When Bliss complained to Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, he scheduled her to defend the Raw Women's Championship against Jax at WrestleMania.[32]
After defeatingThe Revival (Dash Wilder andScott Dawson),Raw Tag Team ChampionsCesaro and Sheamus said they had defeated every tag team on Raw and issued an open challenge to any tag team to face them at WrestleMania.[40] On March 12, General Manager Kurt Angle scheduled a tag team battle royal with the winning team receiving a championship match at WrestleMania.Braun Strowman interjected himself into the match without a partner and won.[31] The following week, Angle decided that Strowman would receive a Raw Tag Team Championship match at WrestleMania as long as he found a partner. Strowman said that he did not need a partner, but would have one. He defeated bothCesaro[32] andSheamus in singles matches, but did not reveal his partner prior to the event.[33]
At WrestleMania 31 in March 2015, then-UFC mixed martial artistRonda Rousey appeared alongsideThe Rock and embarrassedThe Authority (Triple H and his wife, Stephanie McMahon).[19] She made some appearances over the next couple of years and was rumored to compete in the 2018 women's Royal Rumble match, however, Rousey denied that she would be at the event.[45] Rousey eventually appeared at the end of the event, confirming that she had signed full-time with WWE.[35] During the official contract signing at Elimination Chamber, her debut match was confirmed for WrestleMania 34. Raw General Manager Kurt Angle, whom Stephanie (now Raw Commissioner) previously had threatened to fire and whom Triple H had turned on atSurvivor Series, then brought up the incident from WrestleMania 31 and warned Rousey that Triple H and Stephanie wanted revenge. Rousey threw Triple H through a table and was slapped by Stephanie before eventually signing her contract.[29] The following night onRaw, Stephanie was forced to apologize. As she was leaving the ring, Triple H attacked Angle.[30] The following week, Stephanie said Rousey could choose any Raw wrestler as her opponent at WrestleMania except the champion; she chose Stephanie. When Triple H objected, Angle pointed out that both Triple H and Stephanie had contracts as wrestlers and scheduled amixed tag team match pitting Stephanie and Triple H against Rousey and himself.[40] A Q&A session on the finalRaw before WrestleMania ended with Stephanie putting Rousey through a table.[34]
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Throughout the summer of 2017,Kevin Owens feuded with SmackDown CommissionerShane McMahon; atHell in a Cell, Kevin Owens defeated Shane in aHell in a Cell match thanks to the help of his friend-turned-rival,Sami Zayn.[46] Zayn explained that he acted out of disappointment about not getting the expected opportunities at SmackDown and realized that Owens was right all along in his questionable actions.[47]Owens and Zayn continued their feud with Shane, including attacking him at Survivor Series[48] and Shane threatened to fire them if they lost their match atClash of Champions,[49] while SmackDown General ManagerDaniel Bryan seemingly favored the two by giving them WWE Championship opportunities at the Royal Rumble, when AJ Styles retained his title in ahandicap match[35] and again at Fastlane, when Owens and Zayn were among the five challengers. During the latter match, the feud escalated as Shane broke up pinfall attempts by Owens and Zayn.[36] Shane then took an indefinite leave of absence, however before leaving, he scheduled Owens and Zayn to fight each other at WrestleMania 34. Owens and Zayn reacted by attacking Shane.[37] The following week, Daniel Bryan revealed that he was medically cleared to compete again; his last match was in April 2015.[50][51] Later, Bryan fired Owens and Zayn for their attack on Shane and was attacked himself.[52] In response, Bryan said he regretted favoring them and scheduled a tag team match featuring himself and Shane against Owens and Zayn, with the latter duo being rehired if they won.[38]
At Fastlane,Randy Orton won theUnited States Championship fromBobby Roode. Following the match,Jinder Mahal, who felt that he should have been in the match, attacked both men.[36] On the following episode ofSmackDown, Roode invoked his rematch clause for WrestleMania 34.[37] The following week, Orton was scheduled to defend the United States Championship in a triple threat match against Roode and Mahal at WrestleMania.[53] On the March 27 episode, after the team of Mahal andRusev defeated the team of Orton and Roode, Rusev demanded to be added to the title match since he pinned Orton. The match was subsequently changed to a fatal four-way.[38]
Throughout 2017,The Usos (Jey Uso andJimmy Uso) andThe New Day (Big E,Kofi Kingston, andXavier Woods) fought at various events over theSmackDown Tag Team Championship. The original feud ended at Hell in a Cell in October with The Usos victorious.[46] The New Day earned another title shot at Fastlane in March, however, both teams were attacked byThe Bludgeon Brothers (Harper andRowan), injuring Jey, Kingston, and Woods.[36] On the following episode ofSmackDown, Big E and Jimmy teamed up to exact revenge in a losing effort.[37] On the March 27 episode, New Day lost to The Bludgeon Brothers by disqualification after The Usos attacked the latter. A triple threat tag team match for the SmackDown Tag Team Championship was then scheduled for WrestleMania 34.[38]
Determined to compete at WrestleMania 34,free agentJohn Cena entered himself into the Royal Rumble match to earn himself a world championship match at WrestleMania, however, Cena made it to the final three and was eliminated.[35] He then qualified for Raw's Elimination Chamber match, hoping to earn a shot at the Universal Championship at WrestleMania,[29] and, using his free agent status, was among the five challengers in the WWE Championship match at SmackDown's Fastlane,[54] but came up short in both attempts.[36] Back onRaw, Cena pondered attending WrestleMania as a fan, but then decided to challengeThe Undertaker, whom he had tried to challenge a few weeks prior; Cena stated that it was not WWE executives who were preventing the match, but Undertaker himself.[31] Over the remaining weeks leading up to WrestleMania, Cena received no answer, despite repeatedly antagonizing Undertaker.[32][33] On the finalRaw before WrestleMania, Cena declared he would not take a spot from any full-time wrestler in one of the other matches. He stated he was not mad about not having a match, but was mad at Undertaker for not answering.[34]
On January 23, 2018,WWE Cruiserweight ChampionEnzo Amore was released from WWE, vacating the title.[55][56] A separate general manager was then appointed for205 Live, which was previously controlled by the Raw General Manager, to address the situation.[57] On the January 30 episode of205 Live, new general managerDrake Maverick scheduled a 16-man single eliminationtournament to crown a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion, culminating with the finals at WrestleMania 34.[58] The tournament took place over the next several weeks, withCedric Alexander andMustafa Ali advancing to the finals at WrestleMania's pre show for the vacant title.[58][59][60][61][62][63][64][65][34]
On the March 12 episode ofRaw, abattle royal open to any female performer of any brand was scheduled for WrestleMania 34. The match, originally named in honor ofWWE Hall of FamerThe Fabulous Moolah, was introduced to serve as a female counterpart to the annualAndré the Giant Memorial Battle Royal.[31][32] However, a few days later, the match was renamed "WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal" due tobacklash from fans and critics regarding Moolah's past treatment of other women.[66] Like the men's match, the winner received a trophy,[34] and both the men's and women's battle royals were scheduled for the Kickoff pre-show.[34] The main storyline going into the women's match was the increasingly strained friendship betweenBayley andSasha Banks. At Elimination Chamber, Banks turned on Bayley in the namesake match.[29] Banks then was the first to note her participation in the battle royal on the March 19 episode ofRaw.[32] A week later, Bayley confirmed her participation and was confronted by Banks, resulting in a backstage brawl.[33] On the finalRaw before WrestleMania, Banks saved Bayley from a post-match ambush by Absolution'sSonya Deville andMandy Rose. Banks expected Bayley to be grateful, but the two instead fought.[34]
| Role: | Name: |
|---|---|
| English commentators | Michael Cole(Raw/Women's Battle Royal) |
| Corey Graves (Raw/SmackDown/Women's Battle Royal) | |
| Jonathan Coachman(Raw) | |
| Tom Phillips(SmackDown) | |
| Byron Saxton (SmackDown/André the Giant Battle Royal) | |
| Vic Joseph(Cruiserweight match) | |
| Nigel McGuinness(Cruiserweight match) | |
| Jim Ross(André the Giant Battle Royal) | |
| Jerry Lawler(André the Giant Battle Royal) | |
| Beth Phoenix(Women's Battle Royal) | |
| Paige(Women's Battle Royal) | |
| German commentators | Carsten Schaefer |
| Tim Haber | |
| Calvin Knie | |
| Portuguese commentators | Marco Alfaro |
| Roberto Figueroa | |
| Spanish commentators | Carlos Cabrera |
| Marcelo Rodríguez | |
| Ring announcers | Greg Hamilton(SmackDown) |
| JoJo(Raw) | |
| Lilian Garcia(Women's Battle Royal) | |
| Referees | Danilo Anfibio |
| Jason Ayers | |
| Shawn Bennett | |
| Jessika Carr | |
| Mike Chioda | |
| John Cone | |
| Dan Engler | |
| Darrick Moore | |
| Chad Patton | |
| Charles Robinson | |
| Darryl Sharma | |
| Drake Wuertz | |
| Rod Zapata | |
| Interviewer | Charly Caruso |
| Pre-show panel | Renee Young |
| Booker T | |
| Peter Rosenberg | |
| David Otunga | |
| John "Bradshaw" Layfield | |
| Pre-show correspondent | Sam Roberts |
Three matches were contested on the two-hour long WrestleMania 34 Kickoff pre-show, with the second hour shown live onUSA Network.[67] During the pre-show, it was shown that John Cena had indeed attended the event as a fan, and cameras followed him as he took his seat in the audience, a few rows back from the ring.[68]
The first match on the pre-show was the fifth annual André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal. In the closing moments,"Woken" Matt Hardy,Mojo Rawley, andBaron Corbin were the final three competitors.Bray Wyatt, who had previously feuded with Hardy, appeared and surprisingly, Wyatt assisted Hardy in eliminating Rawley and distracted Corbin, As a result, Hardy then eliminated Corbin to win the match and trophy.[68]
Next, Cedric Alexander faced Mustafa Ali in the tournament final for the vacant WWE Cruiserweight Championship. Ali performed a"054" on Alexander, who broke the pinfall attempt by placing his foot on the bottom rope. In the end, Alexander executed a"Lumbar Check" on Ali to win the title.[68]
The WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal culminated in Sasha Banks and Bayley teaming up to eliminateNatalya andThe Riott Squad (Ruby Riott,Sarah Logan, andLiv Morgan). Banks and Bayley then shook hands only for Bayley to quickly eliminate Banks. Thinking she had won the match, Bayley began celebrating, not realizing thatNaomi had not actually been eliminated. Naomi then performed a"Rear View" on Bayley and eliminated her to win the match.[68]
The actual pay-per-view opened with The Miz defending the Intercontinental Championship against Seth Rollins and Finn Bálor in a triple threat match. In the end, Bálor performed aCoup de Gráce on Miz, only for Rollins to perform aCurb Stomp on Bálor on top of Miz. Rollins then performed anotherCurb Stomp on Miz to win the title, becoming the 19thGrand Slam Champion in the process.[69]
Next, Charlotte Flair defended the SmackDown Women's Championship against Asuka. After an evenly contested match, Charlotte forced Asuka to submit to theFigure-Eight Leglock to retain the title and end Asuka's undefeated streak, coincidentally mimicking the end of The Undertaker's streak by Brock Lesnar at WrestleMania XXX, which was also held at the same venue four years prior.[a][43] After the match, the two embraced.[69]
After that, Randy Orton defended the United States Championship against Bobby Roode, Jinder Mahal (accompanied bySunil Singh), and Rusev (accompanied byAiden English) in a fatal four-way match. In the climax, Singh distracted Rusev which allowed Mahal to perform theKhallas on Rusev to win the title.[69]
Next, Kurt Angle and Ronda Rousey faced Triple H and Stephanie McMahon in a mixed tag team match, which was Rousey's in-ring debut and Stephanie's first match at WrestleMania and Angle's first sinceWrestleMania 22. Angle and Triple H started the match, while Stephanie distracted the referee to attack Rousey. Rousey eventually tagged in and faced off with Stephanie. She also faced off against Triple H and at one point in the match had Triple H on her shoulders. Angle performed anAngle Slam on Triple H for a nearfall, Triple H then executed aPedigree on Angle, but Rousey broke up the pin. In the end, Rousey forced Stephanie to submit to anarmbar for the win.[69]
In the next match, The Usos (Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso) defended the SmackDown Tag Team Championship against The New Day (Big E and Kofi Kingston, accompanied by Xavier Woods) and The Bludgeon Brothers (Harper and Rowan) in a triple threat tag team match. In the end, Harper pinned Kingston after anaided superbomb to win the titles.[69]
John Cena had attended the first two matches in the audience until a referee had informed him that The Undertaker had arrived at the arena. Following the SmackDown Tag Team Championship match, Cena made his entrance for an expected match with Undertaker. The lights went out, but instead of The Undertaker, Elias appeared. After a brief confrontation, Cena attackedElias. As Cena was leaving, the lights went out again and Undertaker's coat and hat (which had been left behind atWrestleMania 33) appeared in the ring and were struck by lightning. The Undertaker then made his entrance to the panicked shock of Cena and the match was made official. Undertaker dominated most of the match and utilized hisOld School andflying clothesline maneuvers. Cena countered achokeslam attempt into aspin-out powerbomb. As Cena attempted aFive-Knuckle Shuffle, Undertaker sat up and performed a chokeslam followed by aTombstone Piledriver to defeat Cena, extending the Undertaker's WrestleMania record to 24–2.[69] This would prove to be Undertaker's final WrestleMania match in front of a live audience, as heretired in 2020.[70][71]
Next, Daniel Bryan teamed with Shane McMahon to face Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn with the stipulation that if Owens and Zayn won, they would be rehired to SmackDown. Before the match began, Owens and Zayn attacked Bryan and Shane. Owenspowerbombed Bryan onto the ring apron, temporarily taking Bryan out of the match. Shane decided to face Owens and Zayn alone and the match officially started. Owens and Zayn dominated the match until Bryan recovered. Zayn performed aBlue Thunder Bomb on Shane for a nearfall. Zayn performed aHelluva Kick on Bryan for a near-fall. Owens tagged in and performed aPop-Up Powerbomb, but Bryan kicked out again. In the end, Bryan forced Zayn to submit to theYes Lock to win the match. Per the match's stipulation, Owens and Zayn remained fired from SmackDown.[69]
Next, Alexa Bliss (accompanied by Mickie James) defended the Raw Women's Championship against Nia Jax. Jax attacked James before the match began, eliminating James as a distraction. In the end, Jax executed aSamoan drop on Bliss from the second rope to win her first Raw Women's Championship.[69]
In the following match, AJ Styles defended the WWE Championship against Royal Rumble winner Shinsuke Nakamura. At the conclusion of the match, Styles performed aPhenomenal Forearm, and Nakamura performed aKinshasa to the back of Styles' neck, both for nearfalls. In the end, Styles countered Nakamura's attempt at aKinshasa into aStyles Clash to win the match and retain the title. After the match, the two showed mutual respect for each other. Nakamura kneeled down to present Styles with the WWE Championship, but then attacked him with alow blow and aKinshasa on the floor, thus turning heel.[69]
In the penultimate match, Cesaro and Sheamus defended the Raw Tag Team Championship against Braun Strowman and a partner of his choosing. After all three men were in the ring, Strowman said he waited until then to reveal his partner, which would be a random fan from the live audience. Strowman went out into the crowd and chose 10-year-oldNicholas, son of refereeJohn Cone. Strowman and Nicholas won the titles after Strowman performed arunning powerslam on Cesaro. With this win, Nicholas became the youngest WWE champion in history.[69]
In the main event, Brock Lesnar (accompanied by Paul Heyman) defended the Universal Championship againstRoman Reigns. Lesnar performed threegerman suplexes on Reigns, who performedsuperman punches and twoSpears on Lesnar for a nearfall. Lesnar performed twoF-5s on Reigns with each scoring a nearfall. Frustrated, Lesnar put Reigns through an announce table with an F-5 and performed another one in the ring scoring another nearfall. Lesnar removed his gloves and attacked Reigns withelbow strikes, causing Reigns to bleed profusely from the head and performed a fifth F-5 for a near-fall. Reigns recovered and performed two more Spears on Lesnar for a near-fall. In the end, as Reigns attempted another Spear, Lesnar countered into a sixth F-5 to retain the Universal Championship, and become the fifth heel to win in the main event of WrestleMania.[69] The match would perhaps end up being more notable due the majority of the crowd signaling their strong disinterest by chanting among other things "boring", "this is awful" and calling for then-former WWE wrestlerCM Punk. Even beach balls were also thrown around the crowd which resulted in cheers and boos.[72]
Jack de Menezes, writing forThe Independent, stated that WrestleMania 34 "brought a mix of brilliance, bemusement and disappointment". The Intercontinental title triple threat was "brilliant" and "frantic", the WWE Title match was an "eye-catching affair" culminating in a "stunning heel-turn", "Rousey made a splash on her in-ring debut", and "Daniel Bryan once again captured the imagination of the WWE Universe". Cena-Undertaker left "fans stunned, bemused and feeling shortchanged at what had occurred", while finally the main event was a "slow-burning match" which was "a huge anti-climax".[73]
Dave Meltzer of theWrestling Observer noted that the main event was "physical as hell", but the "crowd seemed to react more to beach balls in the crowd" and "didn't even pop for" Reigns' kick-outs. Meltzer felt that the match was "done for sympathy for Reigns when it was over to make him a babyface as they concentrated on showing him all beaten up". For the other matches, Meltzer noted that the women's battle royal "was rushed through" and it was not the first of its kind at WrestleMania as promoted, pointing to a previous version in2009. The Intercontinental title triple threat was "all action" which "felt like three babyfaces" as the Miz "didn't work as a heel at all in the match." He thought Asuka-Charlotte was "a great match" with "hard hitting and pretty emotional stuff", while the mixed tag team match was "excellent"; he noted that Ronda Rousey "at no point looked out of her element, she was crisp in just about everything", and that it was "one of the better pro wrestling debuts I've ever seen". Finally, Meltzer noted that the announced attendance of 78,133 "isn't even close to real although it may be August before the real number is out".[74]
Joshua Needelman ofThe Washington Post wrote that this event was "one of the most entertaining WrestleMania's in recent memory" except for an "anticlimactic" and "remarkably disastrous end", as the "New Orleans crowd made it clear the main event was not what they wanted", which saw them booing Reigns. Meanwhile, the Styles-Nakamura match was "surprisingly slow and plodding, with the intensity only reaching its expected level toward the end". Also, the mixed tag match "exceeded expectations", while the U.S. title match result drew the ire of fans because "fan-favorite Rusev" was pinned. Lastly, Needelman noted that Daniel Bryan, "perhaps the most popular wrestler of the past decade", "had the crowd in the palm of his hands" during his match.[22]
Wade Keller ofPro Wrestling Torch described the Lesnar-Reigns main event as a "disaster". Keller noted that the "tired and disinterested crowd" had booed Reigns and chanted "CM Punk", "Boring" and "This is awful!" As for the other matches, Styles-Nakamura was "a letdown" given the expectations, Cena-Undertaker was "crowd pleasing", the mixed tag match "went about as well as anyone could have hoped", and Asuka failing to "really showcase her signature spots before losing" "almost felt like a downgrade in Vince McMahon's faith in her".[75]
Troy L. Smith ofCleveland.com wrote, "In my mind, Lesnar-Reigns is one of the four worst WrestleMania main events ever, based on build, execution and immediate aftermath". After comparing the four aforementioned events, Smith concluded that the WrestleMania 34 main event was indeed the worst due to the "utter disdain" it produced, with there never being a more "disinterested" crowd for a WrestleMania main event. Smith also rated the main event as the "worst match of the night", but in contrast, he felt that the rest of WrestleMania 34 was "pretty great for most of its seven hours".[3]
In recent years, WWE has gone out of its way to warn viewers that the post-WrestleManiaRaw crowd are "non-traditional" and will "boo the guys they normally cheer (face)" and "cheer the guys they normally boo (heel)".[76] This announcement was repeated after WrestleMania 34, but critics pointed out that the crowd cheered wrestlers "regardless of whether they are babyfaces or heels" and that "on this night, they cheered everyone that WWE wanted them to cheer with one exception... Roman Reigns."[77]
On the post-WrestleMania 34 episode ofRaw, Commissioner Stephanie McMahon, with her arm in a brace, bragged about her WrestleMania performance, stating she knew that she would bring out the best in Ronda Rousey. Rousey then made her entrance and listened to Stephanie praising her. When the two hugged, Ronda grabbed Stephanie's arm, pulled the brace off, and applied the armbar.[77]
Also onRaw, another Universal Championship match between champion Brock Lesnar and challenger Roman Reigns was scheduled for theGreatest Royal Rumble event, this time as aSteel Cage match, with no justification given for the match. Reigns acknowledged that Lesnar had re-signed with WWE instead of going back to the UFC, then said he was not directly told about the rematch and alleged that there was a conspiracy against him. After Reigns concluded that he would eventually beat Lesnar if he kept receiving title matches against him, a returningSamoa Joe appeared. Joe called Reigns a failure and said that after Lesnar defeats him at Greatest Royal Rumble, Joe would be waiting for Reigns atBacklash.[77]
New Raw Women's Champion Nia Jax had a tag team match against Alexa Bliss and Mickie James. Nia's partner wasNXT call-upEmber Moon. The team won after Moon performed the Eclipse on Bliss for the pin. Also in the women's division, Sasha Banks lost to Absolution's Mandy Rose, when interference by Bayley backfired.[77] A match between Banks and Bayley the following week ended in a no-contest when the two were attacked by The Riott Squad, who were traded to Raw.[78]
Backstage, Braun Strowman and Nicholas informed Raw General Manager Kurt Angle that they were relinquishing the Raw Tag Team Championship due to Nicholas' schedule as a fourth grader, but vowed to come back for the title when Nicholas was done with school. When Cesaro and Sheamus demanded their titles back, Angle said they could regain them at the Greatest Royal Rumble. A four-team tournament to determine their opponents, called theTag Team Eliminator, was won by André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal winner "Woken" Matt Hardy and Bray Wyatt.[77][78]
New Intercontinental Champion Seth Rollins was interrupted by Finn Bálor. The Miz then came out and said that he wanted his contractual rematch at Backlash.Jeff Hardy then returned from injury and teamed with Rollins and Bálor in a winning effort against Miz and The Miztourage.[77] The following week, Miz was traded to SmackDown, splitting him from The Miztourage, who remained on Raw and were later renamed to The B-Team.[78]
Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn appeared onRaw, seeking jobs from General Manager Kurt Angle. Angle scheduled a match between the two, with the winner receiving a Raw contract. However, the match ended in a double countout with neither receiving a contract.[77] The following week during theSuperstar Shake-up, Commissioner Stephanie McMahon overruled Angle and awarded Owens and Zayn each a Raw contract.[78]
On the firstSmackDown after WrestleMania, Commissioner Shane McMahon announced that Daniel Bryan – now a full-time wrestler on the SmackDown brand – resigned as General Manager,[79] and introducedPaige, who retired from in-ring competition the previous night onRaw due to injuries,[77] as Bryan's successor. She then scheduled a match between Daniel Bryan and WWE Champion AJ Styles. Shinsuke Nakamura, who had issued a mocking apology for attacking Styles, attacked both Bryan and Styles during their match.[79] The following week, a rematch between Styles and Nakamura for the championship was scheduled for the Greatest Royal Rumble.[80]
The Usos earned a SmackDown Tag Team Championship match against The Bludgeon Brothers at Greatest Royal Rumble by defeating The New Day. Also, Randy Orton defeated Bobby Roode and Rusev in a triple threat match to earn a United States Championship match.[79] Following this, new United States Champion Jinder Mahal was traded to Raw, but lost the title to Jeff Hardy, who moved to SmackDown. The winner of the championship match between Mahal and Hardy at Greatest Royal Rumble would face Orton at Backlash.[78][80]
SmackDown Women's Champion Charlotte Flair commented on her WrestleMania match and future challengers, but was interrupted and attacked by NXT'sThe IIconics (Peyton Royce andBillie Kay). After this,Carmella cashed in herMoney in the Bank contract and won the title. Also in the women's division, Natalya confronted Naomi, calling her victory in the WrestleMania Women's Battle Royal a disappointment. Naomi then defeated Natalya in a match.[79] It was later revealed that soon after Flair's title win at Wrestlemania 34, she became seriously ill after getting silicone poisoning which resulted from herbreast implants leaking.[81]
On205 Live, Cedric Alexander celebrated becoming WWE Cruiserweight Champion, with Mustafa Ali showing his respect.Buddy Murphy then attacked the new champion from behind and performed Murphy's Law on him.[82]
| 1st Round 205 Live January 30 – February 20, 2018 | Quarterfinals 205 Live February 27 – March 6, 2018 | Semifinals 205 Live March 13–20, 2018 | Final WrestleMania 34 April 8, 2018 | ||||||||||||
| Cedric Alexander | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Gran Metalik | 9:27 | ||||||||||||||
| Cedric Alexander | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| TJP | 17:21[62] | ||||||||||||||
| TJP | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Tyler Bate | 14:31[58] | ||||||||||||||
| Cedric Alexander | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Roderick Strong | 14:54[64] | ||||||||||||||
| Kalisto | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Lince Dorado | 11:37[59] | ||||||||||||||
| Kalisto | 11:39[62] | ||||||||||||||
| Roderick Strong | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Roderick Strong | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Hideo Itami | 17:04[59] | ||||||||||||||
| Cedric Alexander | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Mustafa Ali | 12:20[68] | ||||||||||||||
| Akira Tozawa | 12:28[60] | ||||||||||||||
| Mark Andrews | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Mark Andrews | 12:10[63] | ||||||||||||||
| Drew Gulak | Submission | ||||||||||||||
| Drew Gulak | Submission | ||||||||||||||
| Tony Nese | 16:10[60] | ||||||||||||||
| Drew Gulak | 15:13[65] | ||||||||||||||
| Mustafa Ali | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Buddy Murphy | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Ariya Daivari | 7:46[61] | ||||||||||||||
| Buddy Murphy | 11:05[63] | ||||||||||||||
| Mustafa Ali | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Mustafa Ali | Pinfall | ||||||||||||||
| Gentleman Jack Gallagher | 17:08[61] | ||||||||||||||
The live attendance was announced as 78,133 fans with a gate of $14.1 million. WWE exaggerates live attendance, usually between 10,000 and 15,000, although according to police records, two years ago the exaggeration was 20,000 (the building itself claimed the exaggeration was only 8,000). We were told the afternoon of the show that the real number this year would also be between 60,000 and 65,000, and that they "had" to announce a bigger number than four years ago.
... WWE's flagship event lights up MetLife Stadium ... WrestleMania