WWE WrestleMania 35 review: Highlights, takeaways and projections

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Daniel Bryan (c) vs. Kofi Kingston

After Seth Rollins won the Universal Championship early in the night, it started to feel like the big WrestleMania moment for Kofi Kingston wouldn’t come. We couldn’t possibly get all of the feel-good moments we’ve angled for, right? But the correct thing was done: Kofimania is real and Kingston is the new WWE Champion. Wow.

This match was worked to perfection, featuring just about everything one could want in a WWE Championship Match. The booking leading into this match was also great, even if it all happened by accident. But creative took the ball after Ali’s injury and just ran with it all the way to WrestleMania by employing great, old-school storytelling. There’s the champion you love to hate in Daniel Bryan, who used the same derogatory terminology about Kingston that The Authority used to describe him in his big run to WrestleMania XXX, the underdog that’s never gotten his proper due in Kingston and then a match between the two that had the crowd on the edge of their seat the entire way. It was beautiful.

The two shared so many back-and-forth battles throughout the match, with strikes and submission holds, and everything looked so smooth. Bryan has embraced his heel role and it’s working well for him. There were so many times that it seemed he had this match wrapped up but Kingston kept fighting back. The near-falls were breathtaking and Kingston getting fired up at the end was a sight to see. Ultimately, Kingston hit Trouble in Paradise locked it up for the win. The classic gold-and-leather belt being ready for him (instead of Bryan’s eco-friendly version) was a nice touch, and having his sons in the ring with him to celebrate made the moment that much more special. Excellent booking, excellent match, excellent finish.

What’s next: Kingston may not hold the title for very long but that’s not the point. The man has done everything asked of him for 11 years, no matter how ridiculous he’s had to look at certain points, and this is the culmination of many years of hard work. He deserved this moment, a moment that not everyone gets to have, and it was great. A rematch with Bryan will happen at some point, perhaps at Money in the Bank, but hopefully he’ll get a chance to take on a few other contenders in the process. A match with Ali would be a great story, with Ali letting Kingston know that he hasn’t forgotten how he got here.