Wrestlemania XXVI: Results/Thoughts

The W.W.E. put on a highly entertaining pay-per-view on Sunday night with Wrestlemania XXVI. There was very little fluff to the show and I was not disappointed watching at home, nor can I imagine were the over 72,000 fans in attendance. Here's what happened:

Dark Match (non-televised)
Yoshi Tatsu won a 26 man battle royal.
Ezekial Jackson was not in the match due to the loss of his father. I like Tatsu and I think it's too bad there isn't a cruiserweight division for him and guys like Evan Bourne to really show how talented they are.

ShoMiz (The Big Show and The Miz) opened the pay-per-view with a win over John Morrison and R-Truth to retain the Unified W.W.E. Tag Team Titles.
A bit short as it clocked in at about three and a half minutes.

Randy Orton defeated Cody Rhodes and Ted DiBiase.
Solid match, but this feud is done with. Hopefully, DiBiase is moved to Smackdown during the draft and turns into a major heel on that show. Orton will probably remain on Raw as a top "face" to try and make up for the loss of Shawn Michaels.

Jack Swagger defeated Dolph Ziggler, Shelton Benjamin, Drew McIntyre, Christian, M.V.P., Matt Hardy, Evan Bourne, Kofi Kingston and Kane in the Money in the Bank ladder match.
I really enjoyed this match and the surprising outcome. Bourne didn't climb to the top of a ladder but he was up pretty high when he did his shooting star press. SPOILER ALERT: Swagger has already cashed in the briefcase. He did it last night at a taping for this Friday's Smackdown. Swagger is now the new World Champion. I'm a big fan of Swagger because of his athleticism. He's got a lot of great mat skills and is another superior athlete out of the University of Oklahoma. The W.W.E. recently sent scouts to the college wrestling tournament in Omaha, Nebraska, which to me is good news. It means they are going after the pure athlete and not the very limited musclehead.

Triple H defeated Sheamus.
When I first saw Sheamus I thought he was another Snitsky, but he has proven me wrong and he's only going to get better. Sheamus and Hunter had a very good match at 'Mania.

Rey Mysterio defeated CM Punk.
Very exciting match, however, these guys should have been given at least 15 minutes to work together instead of the six and a half they were allotted.

Bret Hart defeated Vince McMahon.
Finally, Bret and everyone involved can put the "Montreal Screwjob" behind them. I liked the way this match played out because it protected Bret as I'm sure he is pretty limited due to his stroke from several years ago. I also liked that the Hart Dynasty was involved. Hopefully, the W.W.E. will now use Bret to get over the new generation of Harts.

World Champion Chris Jericho defeated Edge.
These two never disappoint. The spear by Edge after the match was a definite highlight. This feud is just getting started.

Michelle McCool, Layla, Maryse, Alicia Fox and Vickie Guerrero defeated Mickie James, Kelly Kelly, Eve Torres, Gail Kim and Beth Phoenix.
This was a match we could have done without. The W.W.E. makes a mockery of these ladies by sending them out there to begin with, but thankfully, this match was only a little over three minutes.

John Cena defeated Batista for W.W.E. Title.
Loved this match, although I would have kept the title on Batista for a while longer. Opinions vary on Batista and Cena, but the energy these guys bring makes up for anything that they may lack in terms of wrestling acumen. Cena's entrance with the U.S. Air Force doing a routine with their guns was really spectacular.

The Undertaker defeated Shawn Michaels.
Unbelievable match! The two pros put on a clinic and once again Michaels is part of the best match of the year; the best match at this year's 'Mania and also one of the best matches of all time! So which is better last year's 'Taker-Michaels match or this year's?

For me, it's a pick 'em, they were both that great.

The Undertaker is now 18-0 at Wrestlemania and Shawn Michaels is headed off into retirement. Many people are skeptical that Michaels is really done, but regardless, Shawn Michaels has had an unbelievable career and will definitely be missed.