Before the main event, “Mean” Gene Okurland is backstage with tonight's host, Hulk Hogan, for an interview. They talk about the original Wrestlemania bringing out Paul Orndorf and Roddy Piper, they're still bitter about losing. Pat Patterson shows up in Old School referee gear to tell them to get over it and bury the hatchet since it was 30 years ago (actually 29, for accuracy's sake) as Mr T also arrives, who was inducted into the celebrity wing of the WWE Hall of Fame last night. They hug it out at the end because why not? Some WWE Hall of Famers are announced at ringside before Randy Orton gets a live music performance for his entrance. It takes an obnoxiously long time before 2014 Royal Rumble winner Batista can start making his way down to the ring. I think it was longer than Undertaker's entrance and that's saying something. Michael Cole hypes Extreme Rules on commentary before Daniel Bryan makes his way out for his second match of the night. His left arm is still hurting so he can only pump his right arm. We see highlights of his match with Triple H earlier tonight (reviewed here) the participants are announced in the ring as Lawler and Cole shill the WWE Network.
RANDY ORTON © VS. BATISTA VS. DANIEL BRYAN (WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPIONSHIP)
WWE Wrestlemania 30 (6th April 2014)
Daniel Bryan dropkicks Orton into the corner, Batista catches Bryan but a Batista bomb is countered with a hurricanrana sending Big Dave outside. Bryan goes back to Orton with kicks to the chest in the corner. Randy Orton counters an irish whip sending Bryan's left shoulder into the mat and stomping it. Bryan slides outside leaving Batista to level Orton with a clothesline. Orton gets sent back into the corner and Batista drives his shoulder into Orton's ribs. Orton gets sent across the ring and sandwiched in the other corner with a clothesline. Batista lifts Orton for a powerslam but Orton slides out the back and hits his backbreaker. Daniel Bryan gets knocked off the apron by Orton, but Orton soon follows as Batista sends him over the top to the floor with a clothesline. Batista drives Orton into the side of the ring then bounces his head off the announce table. Randy Orton is sent into the barricade. He fights back with strikes but gets sent into the ring steps. Batista sends Orton's head into the steps and takes off the top half (of the steps, not Orton's head). Randy Orton counters a Batista bomb, backdropping Batista onto the steps. The commentary is telling us how Batista and Orton thought this would be a one on one match until the stipulation was added to tonight's opener.
Randy Orton focuses his attention back to Bryan, who is trying to get back in the match. He sends Bryan's shoulder into the barricade, then hits a back suplex on the top so Bryan's shoulder collides with it. The camera angle was terrible for that. Orton uses the bottom half of the steps to hit Batista over the back and back suplexes him onto the barricade the other side. Randy Orton slides Batista back into the ring after posing on the steps and covers for a 1 count. Garvin stomp followed by a high knee drop gets Orton 2, so he brings Batista to his feet. Daniel Bryan comes off the top rope with a missile dropkick on both opponents, but he landed on his shoulder. Orton and Batista are both on their knees so Bryan kicks them both in the chest. Batista is clocked in the temple with a kick but Orton catches it, sending Bryan over with a T-Bone suplex! Randy Orton covers but Batista makes the save. Batista hits a powerslam to Orton leaving Bryan to break up the cover. Batista beats down Bryan in the corner but takes too long pandering to the crowd, Daniel Bryan sends Batista face first into the middle turnbuckle.
Daniel Bryan rushes from one corner to the other with running dropkicks, landing on his feet each time to avoid damaging the shoulder. He barely made it to his feet on the last kick to Orton, Orton gets perched on the top rope then Bryan brings him back down with a super hurricanrana for a nearfall. Batista drives his shoulder into Bryan's ribs from the apron and lifts him over the top rope before just dropping him to the arena floor. Batista makes it to the top rope but Orton cuts him off, Batista blocks a superplex attempt leaving them to fight it out up high. Orton finally hits it, both men are down as Bryan flies from across the ring with a diving headbutt on Orton! Batista rolls out of the ring as Bryan gets a Yes Lock on Orton. Stephanie McMahon runs through the crowd. She makes her way to ringside, with Triple H leading the way, although we don't see him until he drags the referee to the floor. Daniel Bryan releases the hold thanks to the distraction and walks into a spinebuster by Batista.
Triple H brought his own referee, Road Dogg's brother, Scott Armstrong. Batista covers Bryan but Bryan kicks out at 2, strangely a normal count from the crooked referee. Triple H asks what he thinks he's doing as Bryan avoids Batista's charge sending him into the corner. Daniel Bryan is down from exhaustion so Triple H tells Armstrong to check on him. Bryan kicks Armstrong in the head knocking him out of the ring. The Authority bring Armstrong to his feet but Bryan wipes all three out with a dive through the ropes! Triple H grabs his sledgehammer from under the ring but Bryan kicks him in the gut. Bryan knocks Triple H down to the floor with the sledgehammer and rolls Batista up in the ring. Orton breaks it up to save the title. He dumps Bryan out of the ring and hits European uppercuts on the floor. Bryan gets sent into the barricade shoulder first and Orton sends him into a clothesline by Batista. Randy Orton rips off the surgical tape on Bryan's shoulder as The Authority are helped to the back. Batista drops Bryan shoulder first on the barricade and Orton grabs the ring steps, sending them into Bryan's shoulder. There's a tense staredown between the former Evolution members over Bryan's broken body. They start ripping apart the announce tables just as it gets uncomfortable and Batista hits Bryan with a monitor. Randy Orton has the ring steps set up beside the Spanish announce table as Bryan is placed on the English one. Orton hits an inverted RKO out of a Batista bomb on Bryan through the Spanish announce table!
Batista is the last man standing as Orton landed badly on the table, the monitor split his back open leaving the medics to check on both him and Bryan. JBL comments that Bryan hasn't moved. A stretcher is brought down for Bryan as Batista slams Orton back into the broken announce table and we get replays. Bryan's put in a neck brace as Batista sends Orton into the barricade then into the ring post. Batista keeps control sending Orton's head into the ring and launches him back into the barricade. They get back into the ring but they might as well not be there as the fans chant for Bryan getting wheeled away. Orton sets up a draping DDT on Batista, but Batista climbs through the ropes. Batista sends Orton back to the floor but gets tripped from outside. Orton hits the DDT on the floor as Bryan's trying to get back in the match. He starts crawling back towards the action, catching Randy's attention, Orton stalks his way to Daniel Bryan and sends him into the ring steps before rolling him back in the ring like easy pickings. Orton poses for the crowd but Bryan is able to block an RKO, getting a Yes Lock on Orton! Batista breaks the hold but ends up in one himself. This time Orton breaks it up by sending Daniel Bryan across the ring by his hair. Randy Orton works on Batista on the other side of the ring, but Batista powers out of an RKO, dropping Orton to the mat. Batista charges but Orton leapfrogs him, Bryan gets caught with a spear attempt, but it looked more like Batista just ran him over, he didn't duck enough. Batista turns around into an RKO and Orton covers but Batista kicks out at the last second. Randy Orton can't believe it, getting in position for the punt to Batista, Bryan cuts him off with the flying knee! Batista dumps Bryan back out of the ring to try and take advantage and covers Orton but only gets 2. Batista's pissed he didn't get it and plants Orton with a Batista bomb. Daniel Bryan locks in the Yes Lock on Batista as Orton rolls out to the floor, forcing Batista to tap out.
WINNER: DANIEL BRYAN (NEW WWE WORLD HEAVYWEIGHT CHAMPION)
This is the result we all “hoped” was the conclusion of this angle, with Bryan taking down The Authority to realise his dream. It's one occasion where it has been publically stated that the fans forced WWE's hand so people on the internet could say “I knew it would work out in the end” no. We all hoped it would but really how did we know WWE would actually give us what we want. The one problem I have with the one-night story (enclosed in the 8-month story arc they were telling) made Bryan look too lucky. He got more fire in this match than in the opener, with more shenanigans from The Authority to try and keep him from winning the title. It was full of the McMahon overbooking we've all come to know and make drinking games from and Bryan got his big moment. The Batista bomb into an RKO was a sick spot, but that and the Bryan win are really all that's notable about the actual match. – WORKRATE: 2.75/5 PERSONAL ENJOYMENT 4/5 OVERALL 6.75/10
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