WrestleMania

WrestleMania was a pay-per-view that took place on April 2nd, 2017, live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. This event featured both the Raw and SmackDown brands, and the main event was a No Holds Barred Match between Goldberg and Samoa Joe for the World Heavyweight Title.

## Background

This was the first pay-per-view in the series to bear the WrestleMania name, and officially marked the end of Season 2. This was the first event to consist of more than seven matches, featured the first ever Brand Warfare Match, and was a pre-cursor to the first WWE Draft. The official theme song for the event was "Hail to the King" by Avenged Severfold.

At Royal Rumble, Samoa Joe last eliminated John Cena to earn a shot at the World Heavyweight Title, which was defended by Goldberg at Elimination Chamber. Joe made sure this was the main event at Fastlane, choking out AJ Styles. There was plenty of physicality between both men, including quite a few sneak attacks. On the final episode of Raw before WrestleMania, the two men signed the contract for their massive bout under a no-contact clause. It was there that Shane McMahon announced that this would be a No Holds Barred Match. Shawn Michaels returned from retirment to reform D-Generation X with best friend Triple H. This lead to HBK becoming number one contender at Elimination Chamber to set up a dream match with WWE Champion AJ Styles. They worked well together before Fastlane, but Styles would take out Triple H a few weeks later. This sent Michaels into a frenzy, and he took justice into his own hands, taking out the champ right before WrestleMania with an elbow drop through an announce table.

Kevin Owens and Sami Zayn, best friends turned bitter rivals, faced off multiple times over a few months. Owens cost Zayn his United States Title, then beat him at Royal Rumble. Owens made Zayn's life a living hell, and Sami responded by costing Owens against Roman Reigns. Eventually, KO laid down the challenge for one more match, which Sami made a Last Man Standing match, to finally settle the score. Dean Ambrose showed a different side of himself after his elimination at the hands of The Undertaker, blaming the fans for his failures. The Lunatic Fringe tried to injure everyone he got in the ring with, taking his frustrations out on Goldust after a surprise loss. It was then that the Deadman returned, healed from injuries sufferred at the hands of Ambrose, to get his revenge. Dean made the challenge for a Hell in a Cell match, which was accepted. After interference from Sami Zayn, Roman Reigns became the representative for Raw for Brand Warfare, which gave the winning competitor a guaranteed world title match and the winning brand first pick in the WWE Draft. Cesaro won the right to represent SmackDown, which he called his home. The Swiss Superman promised to bring glory to the blue brand, while Reigns was only in it for the world title match.

Randy Orton won the Intercontinental Title at Fastlane, and was called out for his actions by Tyson Kidd, who picked up a win over the new champion. Daniel Bryan gave Orton his first defense at this show, in a triple threat match also involving his ally, Braun Strowman. SmackDown played host to the first ever Women's Night, where Charlotte became the number one contender. She and champion Alexa Bliss would play a series of mind games before their championship match. John Cena would answer Chris Jericho's open challenge, wanting a United States Title  match at WrestleMania. Jericho stole a win over Cena six days before the event in a tag team match. American Alpha came into the event holding the WWE Tag Team Titles for over five months. They would meet The Revival, who defeated The Club, where the losers would be barred from challenging for the titles for a year. After Asuka captured the Raw Women's Title at Fastlane, her first challenger would be Sasha Banks, the Legit Boss. Sasha stole Asuka's title during a match, but Asuka would take it back and deliver a beating in the process. With three very capable teams in contention, Hideo Itami and Finn Balor were forced to defend their World Tag Team Titles against The Wyatt Family and #DIY in an elimination match. With one spot left on the card, Tyler Breeze issued an open challenge for WrestleMania. He would be answered by Shinsuke Nakamura, as the two would meet in a Clash of Kings.

## Event

Cesaro represented SmackDown with pride, defeating Roman Reigns in a stellar match to open the show. The Wyatts blitzed through Gargano, Ciampa, Itami and Balor to reclaim the World Tag Team Titles, while Asuka would make a successful defense against Sasha Banks. The King of Strong Style prevailed as well, as Shinsuke Nakamura picked up a big win.

The Revival would be barred from challenging for the WWE Tag Team Titles, as American Alpha's run continued. Chris Jericho defeated John Cena once more, but a new champion would be crowned, as Charlotte laid claim to the SmackDown Women's Title. The Undertaker got his revenge over Dean Ambrose, defeating him in an incredible Hell in a Cell match.

Randy Orton and Braun Strowman's partnership came to an end, but The Viper still retained his title, pinning Tyson Kidd with a RKO. Sami Zayn finally defeated Kevin Owens, ending their feud in a brutal Last Man Standing match. AJ Styles and Shawn Michaels put on a classic, as the Phenomenal One retained his WWE Title. In the main event, Samoa Joe became the new World Heavyweight Champion, escaping the Jackhammer and locking in the Coquina Clutch to end WrestleMania.