WrestleMania's Best: A Rowdy Debut
- Joe Bourne
- Jan 15, 2020
- 3 min read
What happened?
The debuting ‘Rowdy’ Ronda Rousey and her Hall of Fame tag partner Kurt Angle defeated both Triple H and Stephanie McMahon on the grandest stage of them all, Wrestlemania 34.
Rousey’s debut was applauded by fans over social media as the former UFC women’s bantamweight champion looked as quick and as strong as ever during the bout, which saw her get the former 9-time WWE Champion Triple H, who weighs in at 255lbs, in the Samoan Drop position before delivering her signature armbar to McMahon to secure victory.
A positive reaction from the fans in New Orleans was unexpected according to the former UFC sensation, who apologised to the WWE Universe during an interview with ESPN.com.
Ronda stated: “I owe the WWE universe an apology, because I thought they were going to boo me out of the building from day one.
“I was expecting to get shunned and to have to battle to be accepted.
“I worked my ass off to pay respect to what’s important to them, and hopefully they saw that tonight”.
Kurt Angle’s performance was equally applauded by the WWE Universe as he stepped into the squared circle at Wrestlemania for the first time in 12 years.
Angle, who notoriously won gold in amateur wrestling at the 1996 Olympic Games with a broken neck, expressed his satisfaction with the match result on social media.
He said: “It took 12 years to land another Angleslam in the WWE. I’m glad it was on HHH”.
‘Rowdy’ added to Angle’s contentment through social media with numerous posts of herself and her Olympic counterpart, which primarily boasted their victory against The Authority.
She said via Instagram: “Wrestlemania 34 was amazing”.
“Thanks @therealkurtangle for being the best partner and teammate I could ever have for my @wwe debut”.
Now the feud between the two former Olympic athletes and The Authority is seemingly over for now, after Rousey injured McMahon on Raw after Mania, she’s likely to be launched into singles competition in pursue of the WWE Raw Women’s Championship.
Show stealer:
This match featured one of the most celebrated athletes in combat history teamed up with a WWE Hall of Fame and Olympic hero; versus The Authority in Triple H and Stephanie McMahon. On paper, it had all the making to be an instant 5-star classic. It did not disappoint.
The hype surrounding Ronda Rousey’s debut, Kurt Angle’s return to the grandest stage of them all and The Authorities well-documented preparation ahead of the match did not over-shadow its final execution. Overall, the hype only legitimised Ronda as a genuine WWE superstar, it made Kurt Angle relevant in the realm of active professional wrestlers, and it rekindled Stephanie and HHH’s heel run in the WWE.
Triple H portrayed the perfect villain with his counterpart in Stephanie McMahon, which was equally matched by the baby faces in both Rousey and Angle. Additionally, the hype surrounding the match-up appealed to both old and new WWE fans, with the new prospect teaming up with and facing three superstars with illustrious careers in dissimilar ways.
HHH was in physical peak condition which overshadowed the age range in the bout and legitimised his participation in the match. Likewise, Angle was technically sound throughout the match, despite losing a little pace since his heyday. Ronda was quick, strong, agile and she showed thorough conviction throughout her performance. Stephanie sold well and made herself thoroughly despised by the WWE Universe after playing against the rules by attacking Rousey frequently, distracting the referee and begging for forgiveness when one-to-one with ‘The Baddest Woman on the Planet’. The first close line on Stephanie McMahon followed by a front roll assured me of her technical ability in the ring. Unlike during her promos prior to Wrestlemania, I didn’t feel on edge during her execution in the squared circle.
The win for Ronda and Kurt made sense on all levels, and I’m looking forward to seeing what WWE have in store for her once this feud diminishes.
Match rating:
This match conveyed emotion, technical soundness and most importantly it inducted a new talent onto the main roster in one of the biggest storylines of the year. Therefore, I would award this match a solid 9 out of 10.
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