WWE WrestleMania 26 Review - March 28, 2010

By Graham "GSM" Matthews

Unified WWE Tag Team Champions ShoMiz def. John Morrison and R-Truth

You had to know WWE's tag team division was depleted at the time if two makeshift teams were fighting for the tag titles at WrestleMania. I remember the build being very basic, which reinforced that this only existed to get these guys in a match at 'Mania that wasn't the Money in the Bank Ladder match. Worse yet, this was over before it had a chance to really get going, so what we got was completely forgettable. A total waste of time this was, and a weird choice for the opener.

Randy Orton def. Ted DiBiase and Cody Rhodes in a Triple Threat Match

The funniest part of this feud is that it was designed to get DiBiase or Rhodes over as singles stars, yet it had the exact opposite effect. That was the whole point of The Legacy, but Orton organically got over as a fan favorite and that forced WWE to pivot by turning him babyface instead. These three had a good Triple Threat, but this was all about Orton and the crowd being behind him throughout. This was pretty much DiBiase's peak, but it was also the beginning of what was a very hot year for Orton.

Jack Swagger def. Christian, Kofi Kingston, Kane, MVP, Evan Bourne, Dolph Ziggler, Matt Hardy, Shelton Benjamin and Intercontinental Champion Drew McIntyre in a Money in the Bank Ladder Match

I remember reading at the time that Kingston was originally slated to win the briefcase before plans changed because Kingston apparently pissed off Orton during that one spot in a match they had while they were feuding earlier in the year. I was (and still am) shocked WWE went with Swagger instead, especially considering the vast amount of talent in this match. This ended up being the final Money in the Bank Ladder match to take place at WrestleMania, and unfortunately, it was easily the weakest because there were so many people involved. It had some fun moments, but this was rather forgettable on the whole.

Triple H def. Sheamus

This had a simple story with Sheamus blaming Triple H for costing him the WWE Championship by eliminating him from Raw's Elimination Chamber match. Truthfully, these guys had nothing else to do at WrestleMania, so this was put together rather quickly. That said, it was refreshing to see Triple H involved in a true midcard match at 'Mania for the first time in years. This was solid, albeit nothing too special. Triple H gained nothing from winning, but Sheamus did sideline him by brutalizing him in their rematch at Extreme Rules.

Rey Mysterio def. CM Punk

​Man, I hate that this match was a victim of time constraints. I enjoyed the feud leading up to WrestleMania and they deserved so much more than six measly minutes. Don't get me wrong, they certainly made the most of the time they had and produced quite the sprint, but this could have just as easily happened on any ordinary episode of SmackDown. Thankfully, they had the chance to redeem themselves in future rematches on pay-per-view.

Bret Hart def. Mr. McMahon in a No Holds Barred Lumberjack Match (Bruce Hart Served as Special Guest Referee)

I thought this was a train wreck when it happened 15 years ago and my mind has not changed. Good lord. On one hand, it's nice that WWE wanted to give Hart one last WrestleMania moment, and honestly, the feud he had with McMahon was well done. Sadly, he was limited with what he could do here for a number of reasons, and what they came up with was hardly interesting. The match itself lasted roughly 11 minutes, but it felt like an entirety if you also count what happened beforehand and afterward. The McMahon beatdown went on and on and the crowd was ready for it to be over. This was an unmitigated disaster and the midcard matches on this show suffered as a result.

World Heavyweight Champion Chris Jericho def. Edge

It's worth noting that Edge came into this show quite cold as a babyface. He had that amazing Royal Rumble return where he won the whole thing and the subsequent storyline with Jericho made sense, but it didn't live up to my lofty (or many people's) expectations. As a result, the match fell a little flat, but it was well worked and it improved as it progressed. Jericho retaining was a surprise, but it did keep their feud alive a little longer. Then again, if Edge was going to attack Jericho afterward, he may as well have won at that point.

Vickie Guerrero, LayCool, Alicia Fox and Divas Champion Maryse def. Kelly Kelly, Beth Phoenix, Mickie James, Eve Torres and Gail Kim

WWE was putting minimal effort into the WrestleMania women's matches around this time and this match was a prime example of that. Just throwing 10 women together to get them on the card and kill a few minutes. As you'd expect, this was awful, particularly the final stretch or so. I guess it gave Vickie a WrestleMania moment with her being the one to win for her team, but I can't say I cared about that, personally. You can't tell me WWE couldn't have done a better bout with the women at this event. Look at the talent involved here!

John Cena def. Batista to Win the WWE Championship

I was really looking forward to this as their outing at SummerSlam 2008 was a guilty pleasure of mine. You were never going to get a technical masterpiece from these two, but they worked their respective styles really well and it made for an entertaining second half (though the first half was admittedly average at best). The crowd ate up them trading finishers and I liked the story that Batista was out to injure Cena again. Cena regaining the WWE title was old hat, but it was necessary with Batista being on his way out of the company two months later.

The Undertaker def. Shawn Michaels in a Streak vs. Career No Disqualification Match

Obviously, this rematch is always overshadowed by their initial encounter the year prior at WrestleMania, but this is still a strong sequel in my opinion and arguably one of the best 'Mania main events of all-time. The story was even better this time around and they wasted no time taking the fight to each other. They made excellent use of the No Disqualification stipulation and delivered some stellar nearfalls. I don't know how many people actually thought 'Taker was losing (it was heavily reported at the time Michaels was winding down, anyway), but Michaels went out with a spectacular showing, nonetheless. It's just sad he had to return to the ring for that terrible tag team match at Crown Jewel eight years later.

Overall Show

Upon rewatching this WrestleMania, it holds up to me. Granted, part of that is the nostalgia talking because this was the first WrestleMania I watched as it aired live, but think about some of the installments that followed: WrestleMania 27, WrestleMania 29 and WrestleMania 32. This installment is superior to those, but it's still not the most memorable on its own outside of the exceptional main event. The midcard is rather hit or miss, but the bigger bouts are worth watching for (and no, that doesn't include that abomination of a match with Hart and McMahon). A slight thumbs-up.

SEE MORE: Retro Reviews