WWE WrestleMania 34 review: What we learned, takeaways and future projections

Ronda Rousey & Kurt Angle vs. Stephanie McMahon & Triple H

What we learned: We learned here that this whole Ronda Rousey thing might just work out. This match was so much better than I thought it was going to be and it really was one of the most entertaining bouts of the night. The entrances were great, even if I still think Ronda shouldn’t be smiling as much as she does. However, seeing that this was her first match and it just so happened to be at WrestleMania, I’m going to let it go this time around. You could tell how excited she was and I honestly don’t think she could hide it.

While Rousey is going to get most of the press from this one, I’m going to go out on a limb here and say that Stephanie McMahon was the real star of this match. I’ve been a huge fan of her since the first time she showed up on TV all those years ago, and she continues to amaze me. Her character is just so good, and there’s no denying that she can go when she gets in that ring. Even her stuff on the outside, pulling Rousey down from the apron so she couldn’t tag in, was just wonderful. She’s the perfect heel, and that was on full display here.

Another thing that certainly has to be mentioned is the amazing shape that 48-year-old Triple H is in. He looks just as good in his 22nd WrestleMania as he did in his first, and watching him and Kurt Angle go at it at WrestleMania was incredible. Those two had such battles back in the day, and this really took me back. So freaking great.

The storytelling in this match was done perfectly. It wasn’t just guy vs. guy or girl vs. girl here. Everyone mixed it up. I think we knew that Ronda would go after Triple H at some point but did you really expect to see Kurt Angle put Stephanie in an ankle lock? So cool. The ending was exactly what I thought it would be and exactly what it needed to be as Rousey made Stephanie tap to the arm bar. This delivered on so many levels.

What’s next: It will be interesting to see how all of this plays out. Kurt Angle is still the GM of RAW and works for Stephanie, as does Ronda Rousey. I hope we don’t get the Brock Lesnar treatment and she only shows up for the big shows. She proved last night that while she’s not yet perfect in the ring, she knows how to work a crowd and she’s only going to get better. She’ll have a title run somewhere down the line, and there are so many great women that she can work with moving forward. After not being overly excited for this, I was pleasantly surprised how this played out and am very interested in seeing what comes from this.