Known as The Showcase of The Immortals, Wrestlemania has gotten a bad rap over the years for only promoting existing – and aging – talent. A then-already-ancient Hulk Hogan almost embarrassed himself in a quick 16 minute headlining match at Wrestlemania 18 against The Rock, who carried the match.
Then, over a decade later, the retired wrestler suddenly known as Dwayne Johnson headlined Wrestlemanias 28 and 29, in equally lazy and rusty performances. Hell, it took a combined four Hall-of-Famers (“Rowdy” Roddy Piper, Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat and Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, joined by “The Nature Boy” Ric Flair) to still lose to Chris Jericho in 2009’s Wrestlemania 25. However, there are still some rising stars to look out for:
1. Cesaro
At 33, this man is one of the oldest on the WWE roster to be having his first Wrestlemania appearance, but has a pretty great chance to shine and create a real ‘Wrestlemania Moment’. Appearing in the pre-show’s Fatal Fourway match for the tag team championship, he’s supposedly a bad guy, but tell that to the loyal pack of fans in the audience holding up ‘CESARO SECTION’ signs. He always leaves the crowd happy with his Giant Swing move, where yes, he swings his opponent, no matter how big they are, by the legs, around and around. The record stands at around 26 rotations at a recent PPV.
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2. Bray Wyatt
The youngest name on the card at 26, this third-generation superstar is a prodigious performer. Born Windham Lawrence Rotunda, Bray is the second name under which he has wrestled in the WWE. Formerly under the hilariously silly name Husky Harris, Rotunda was reborn as Bray Wyatt, the self professed ‘Eater of Worlds’, a haunting cult leader, who encourages all to “Follow The Buzzards.” Some members of the audience that didn’t want to let Rotunda escape his Husky past would chant “HUSKY HARRIS” during his speeches. Rotunda is so good, though, he wouldn’t let the crowd sink Bray Wyatt, and frequently altered and adjusted the pace and rythyms of his speech. At the first Wrestlemania of his young career, he’s positioned to defeat the Superman and Captain America of pro wrestling, John Cena.
3. The Shield: Dean Ambrose, Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins
Made up of the younger talents on the roster, The Shield are Ambrose (28), Reigns (28), and Rollins (27), and they’re seen as the future of the WWE. Reigns is the powerhouse of the group, built like a Greek God, and with a Superman Punch, a big running dropkick, and a giant spear, he gets the crowd to pop big time. Dean Ambrose is good in the ring, but most known for his jarring promos, at times all too reminiscent of Heath Ledger’s Joker. Finally, Rollins has a wide range of moves, getting on with the audience thanks to wild daredevil acrobatics, and his finishing move the Black Out, a head-stomp that can look all too much like a curb-stomp. The Shield, who enter through the crowd, have been bad guys for the majority of their time with the company, but only turned into good guys in the last month, and audiences are happy to finally be able to cheer for the trio without going against the grain.
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4. Alexander Rusev
The 30-superstar, over-the-top-rope Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royale will feature many long-time superstars (The Big Show, Rey Mysterio Jr., and famed power lifter and “World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry), but the odds-on favorite to win is young Rusev, who hasn’t even wrestled in any kind of match on TV. The 28-year-old, billed as The Bulgarian Brute, has demonstrated incredible value during his time in the developmental league WWE NXT. It’s the kind of move that invests in the future, and gets the most value out of this big spectacle match.
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