The Best and Worst of Wrestlemania 41
Aura-farming, betrayals and CM Punk.
Wrestlemania 41 was one of the most inversely contrasting two-night events in WWE history. Night 1 was largely a pedestrian set of matches until the main event, while Night 2 was exciting throughout but ended in anticlimactic fashion. With this contrast came momentous highs and disappointing lows. These are the most notable peaks and valleys of this year’s show of shows.
Best Storyline: Seth Rollins vs CM Punk vs Roman Reigns
The ‘triple threat’ match between CM Punk, Seth Rollins and Roman Reigns was nothing short of amazing. What made this storyline sublime was the interwovenness and intensity of the motivations of all three competitors. Rollins’ real-life tension with Punk reverberating through segments gave their verbal exchanges a palpable edge.
“You are a cancer to this business, and cancer does not cure itself” Rollins said. “The only way to defeat it is to cut it out.”
After assisting Reigns in a ‘war games’ match against Solo Sikoa’s bloodline faction, Punk was owed a favor. This favor was revealed to be the presence of Paul Heyman – the former ‘wiseman’ of Reigns – in his corner at Wrestlemania. Heyman’s loyalty became a suspenseful focal point of the story. Punk and Reigns bickered over the wiseman while Rollins watched with a smug cackle.
Rollins’ laughing as the dispute over Heyman took place was brilliantly placed foreshadowing to the betrayal that was soon to come. This in tandem with the bitterness left from the Shield breakup along with the personal animosity between Punk and Rollins created the perfect storm.
The mental and emotional advantage Rollins has held over Reigns due to his inability to move on from the betrayal of The Shield was on full display during the match. In a monologue as he stood over Reigns, the visionary preyed on the fact that Reigns has always had allies to help him, and was now without any.
“You never know, that’s why I’m here,” Rollins said. “You’re without him [Paul Heyman], you’re without Mox, you’re without your bloodline. Of course you don’t know.”
This bit of storytelling encapsulated the cycle of loss and loneliness Reigns has experienced from the day Rollins drove a chair into his back. Rollins once again lorded over his former comrade by weaponizing the trauma he inflicted 11 years ago. This manipulative tactic has been kryptonite to the tribal chief for over a decade and this match added a legendary chapter to that story.
Worst Storyline: John Cena vs Cody Rhodes
The climax of WM 41 was one of the most disappointing main events ever. John Cena winning his 17th world championship and breaking Ric Flair’s record was supposed to be one of the greatest moments in wrestling history. Instead, it was hampered by Cena’s heel turn being butchered horrendously.
Cena turning on Cody Rhodes and siding with The Rock was an amazing beginning to the story, but wasn’t built on well. The Rock being absent from television for the entirety of the feud left a gaping hole in the story.
Cena and The Rock were archrivals, having faced each other in back-to-back Wrestlemania main events before. Cena also fought against The Rock’s bloodline to help Rhodes win the world championship. The mastermind of this plan not showing up to explain why two nemeses were teaming up made this partnership feel illogical at best.
All of this was exacerbated by The Rock not showing up to cost Rhodes the championship. Instead, Travis Scott was the grand interference. After a slow and plodding match, fans didn’t get the satisfaction of seeing the year-plus story between Rhodes and The Rock come to a head.
Rhodes refusing to hit Cena with the championship belt because of a moral conviction against cheating to win made absolutely no sense. His use of a steel chair to beat Kevin Owens at Saturday Night Main Event XXXVII showed that Rhodes is willing to use underhanded tactics if his opponent does first. However, he was too conflicted to abandon his morals against Cena.
This narrative inconsistency broke the continuity of Rhodes’ character in the most crucial moment possible. When faced with an opponent who brutally assaulted him and joined forces with his nemesis, Rhodes chose virtue. Instead of losing in dramatic fashion because he was outgunned by a dastardly regime, Rhode’s reign ended in a head-scratching letdown.
Best Outfits: Seth Rollins, Rhea Ripley, Bianca Belair
The sheeny, studded robe Rollins walked to the ring in was one of the most fitting for any entrance of either night. Spotlights shining down on Rollins made his bright white robe shimmer. This dramatic flair complimented the smug and self-assured attitude with which he carried himself during his feud with Reigns and Punk. The invoking of angelic imagery with the bright white color and spotlights was a great use of clothing to convey the savior complex that fueled Rollins’ convictions.
Rhea Ripley’s iconic alternative aesthetic took a villainous turn with a Batman Who Laughs themed entrance outfit. That version of Batman was corrupted with the Joker’s DNA, turning him into a morbid version of the dark knight. Ripley’s spiky headpiece and Joker-esque makeup mirrored the sinister Batman’s warped noir spectacularly.
Bianca Belair’s entrance cloak was made with patterned roses. This made for an elegant spectacle of an entrance. The red roses were complimented well by gleaming gold boots and accents. The vibrance of the colors in this outfit were topped off by gold-framed shades with red lenses. Bright and robust, Belair’s outfit was one of the most memorable of both nights.
Worst Outfits:
The War Raiders’ entrance gear had the potential to be one of the best of the night but fell short of the mark. The viking-themed tag team walked out clad in battle armor, which should’ve been a perfect fit for their aesthetic. The armor instead of being intimidating and brutish looked gaudy and cartoonish. This took the wind of the sails of their entrance.
Finn Balor’s entrance outfit was jarringly lackluster. Walking out with a neon green mask with his name on it was an uninspiring design choice. The lettering of his name wasn’t in a unique or interesting font to counterbalance the blandness of the outfit design. The black and neon green in the gloves and jacket weren’t blended together in an eye-catching way, making the ensemble even more unremarkable.
Best Entrance:
Rollins’ entrance was everything it needed to be to set the scene for the drama. His appearance at the top of the entrance ramp in a sleek black robe sporting a flamethrower was epic. The lights then went out and Rollins was illuminated by several spotlights revealing a lustrous stone-studded white robe. This switch-up coupled with the flamethrower and spotlights made what was easily the most cinematic entrance of the night.
Worst Entrance:
The War Raider’s humorously large battle armor made their menacing presence almost nonexistent. What could’ve been one of the most impressive entrance gears of the night was a shadow of its potential. The wardrobe misstep, although not terrible, made for a pedestrian entrance instead of a heralded one.
Aura-Farming Annals: WM 41
Aura-farming is the act of basking in one’s glory in a fashionable or aesthetically pleasing manner. In an entertainment medium as over the top was pro-wrestling the ceiling for occurrences of aura farming is sky high. Aura-farming points (AFP) will be used to measure the quantity of aura-farming throughout a show.
The AFP total for this year’s Wrestlemania is 450 points. The total would be higher if night one had been more noteworthy. However, the entrances from the main event of night one did much of the heavy lifting for this year’s aura-farming. Rollins’ flamethrower and dazzling outfit switch was flashy and dynamic, making for one of the best entrances of his career.
The Palmetto Aura-Farming MVP: CM Punk
From both nights, the grandest instance of aura-farming was CM Punk’s multilayered entrance. This year was the Chicago superstar’s first Wrestlemania main event and his arrival was unforgettable. A touching video package took the audience on a journey through Punk’s career, from indie phenomenon to living legend.
The video cleverly mirrored clips from Punk’s earlier career with his most momentous moments. Punk’s narration over this montage made his passion for pro-wrestling feel so vivid it bled through the screen. Contrasting his straight-edge lifestyle with his love for the ring was a gripping encapsulation of how much this moment meant to him.
“I don’t drink.” Punk said. “I don’t smoke, I don’t do drugs. I’m straight-edge. My addiction is wrestling.”
After these lines came a moment of euphoric nostalgia. Mixed-in arena audio of fans chanting Punk’s name invoked memories of his greatest years, and fans’ undying desire for his return during his 7-year absence from pro-wrestling. This trip down memory lane swelled to a crescendo when the Punk’s old theme music, Killswitch Engage’s ‘This Fire Burns’ blasted emphatically.
In his last words in the video package, Punk reflected on the resolve that has carried him through a career of controversy and adversity in poetic fashion.
“Pressure is my playground,” Punk said. “My fire has always been burning. My addiction is wrestling.”
As if this entrance couldn’t be any more impressive, Living Colour then accompanied Punk on the entrance ramp with a live performance of his current theme, ‘Cult of Personality,’ capped off an emotion-filled retrospective of an entrance. The dramatic buildup and heartstring tugging setpieces left Punk undoubtedly in the lead for this year’s aura-farming MVP award.
Micheal Jacobs III is the managing writer for The Palmetto. He thinks Jordan versus LeBron is the most overrated debate ever. His main focuses are music, basketball and combat sports. If you have a comment or tip for Micheal, feel free to contact him on social media or through email.