WrestleMania 29 (2013): Punk and Undertaker Save a Historically Important but Uneven Card

The Shield opens its first WrestleMania main card by beating three established stars in a match built around the challengers' inability to function as a unit. Roman Reigns, Seth Rollins and Dean Ambrose stay compact and organized, while Big Show, Randy Orton and Sheamus repeatedly lose momentum through mistrust. The action is energetic enough to establish the faction as more than a television nuisance without overstaying its place on the card. Orton eventually tags himself in when Sheamus expects Big Show, creating the final fracture. Orton catches Rollins with an RKO, but Reigns immediately answers with a Spear. Ambrose covers Orton for the pin, and Big Show's post-match knockout of both partners confirms that the losing team has completely collapsed.

Mark Henry and Ryback work a short power match designed around the question of whether Ryback can lift Henry for Shell Shocked. The crowd understands the visual challenge immediately, but the match has little else to build around once the two men begin trading strength spots. Henry keeps the pace slow and forces Ryback to repeatedly restart his comeback. Ryback finally gets Henry onto his shoulders and appears ready to complete the signature lift. Henry grabs the ropes and falls forward, crushing Ryback underneath him. The referee counts the pin for Henry. Ryback gets the post-match moment by hitting a spinebuster and finally delivering Shell Shocked, but the official result leaves the featured powerhouse with another loss.

Team Hell No defend the WWE Tag Team Championship against Dolph Ziggler and Big E Langston in a compact match that gives all four wrestlers distinct roles. Bryan supplies the speed, Kane anchors the champions with power, Ziggler creates the quickest counters, and Big E brings the physical threat that makes the challengers feel dangerous. The six-minute runtime limits the match's ceiling, but it stays busy throughout. Ziggler lands the Zig-Zag on Kane for a strong near-fall after Big E creates an opening. AJ Lee later distracts the referee as Big E tries to send the Money in the Bank briefcase into play. Kane avoids the shot, hits a Chokeslam, and Bryan follows with a top-rope headbutt to pin Ziggler and retain.

Fandango's in-ring debut becomes one of WrestleMania 29's biggest surprises because he defeats Chris Jericho cleanly enough to establish the character immediately. Jericho controls the early pace and repeatedly treats the newcomer like an opponent he can overwhelm with experience. Fandango survives, creates several counters and uses the crowd's curiosity to stay relevant even when Jericho has the stronger offense. Jericho lands an early Codebreaker and later appears ready to finish with the Walls of Jericho. Fandango escapes the setup and quickly turns the transition into a cradle. The referee counts three before Jericho can recover. The upset gives Fandango instant credibility and becomes more memorable than the match's modest build suggested.

Alberto Del Rio and Jack Swagger work a technically solid World Heavyweight Championship match after a politically charged build that often overshadowed the wrestling. Swagger attacks the champion's leg and repeatedly searches for the Patriot Lock, while Del Rio targets the arm and tries to create openings for the Cross Armbreaker. The structure is logical, but the ten-minute runtime prevents the match from developing the kind of escalation expected from a WrestleMania world-title defense. Swagger survives several counters and keeps returning to the ankle. Del Rio eventually catches him during another transition and locks in the Cross Armbreaker. Swagger submits, giving Del Rio a clean retention. The result is decisive, but the match is remembered more for what happens with the title the following night.

The Undertaker and CM Punk produce the clear match of the night by pairing WrestleMania spectacle with a sustained sequence of counters and near-falls. Punk wrestles aggressively and repeatedly steals Undertaker's mannerisms, using Old School, the urn and even Undertaker's traditional pinning pose to deepen the disrespect built around Paul Bearer's death. Undertaker answers with increasingly desperate power offense as Punk survives Chokeslams and creates multiple believable finishing threats. Punk's diving elbow through the broadcast table and his urn-assisted near-fall both feel like possible streak-ending moments. A Go to Sleep flows directly into a Tombstone for another dramatic two-count. The final exchange ends when Undertaker escapes one last GTS attempt and lands the Tombstone, extending the streak to 21-0.

Triple H and Brock Lesnar wrestle a heavy No Holds Barred rematch with Triple H's career at stake and Shawn Michaels positioned as the emotional insurance policy. The match is physical from the opening exchange and repeatedly spills to the floor, but it never develops the urgency of Punk-Undertaker. Lesnar controls long stretches and even drops Michaels with an F-5, while Triple H survives by attacking the arm and repeatedly using the Kimura Lock against Lesnar. Heyman eventually receives Sweet Chin Music, clearing the way for the final sequence. Triple H traps Lesnar in the Kimura again and then uses the steel steps to create one final opening. A Pedigree onto the steps gives Triple H the pin and preserves his career.

John Cena and The Rock close WrestleMania with a redemption rematch that carries obvious historical weight but leans heavily on repeated finishers. Cena wrestles with the previous year's mistake in mind, even faking the same People's Elbow taunt that cost him at WrestleMania XXVIII before stopping himself. The Rock survives multiple Attitude Adjustments, while Cena survives several Rock Bottoms and a People's Elbow. The repetition creates drama, but it also makes long portions of the match feel mechanical rather than escalating naturally. Rock attempts one final Rock Bottom and Cena counters into another Attitude Adjustment. The referee counts three, giving Cena the WWE Championship and the victory he spent a year chasing. Their post-match handshake provides a clear passing-of-the-torch image.