WrestleMania’s a hot topic right now, which isn’t at all unusual for this time of year. What’s different this time as opposed to at least the last three ‘Manias? With the injury bug biting, plans changing, and ticket sales waning, instead of there being anticipation about the card and anything else WWE might have in store for us on their Grandest Stage of Them All, conversation has revolved around what went wrong and if the last few years were an aberration rather than the new normal.
Given that mood
on the wrestle web, it’s no surprise this AJ Styles quote from Raw Rewind made headlines today (Feb. 24). The Hall of Fame-bound Styles is talking about his decision to have his last match at Royal Rumble*, but it certainly fits the general feeling about WrestleMania this year:
“WrestleMania — listen, I’m sorry to say, used to be the most prestigious PLE or pay-per-view, whatever you want to call it. But to me, it’s kind of lost its luster a little bit.
”But as far as the Royal Rumble, well that’s special to me. Because that’s where I made my debut. So to be able to end where I started, that’s poetic.”
In addition to AJ’s point about his WWE career coming full circle at Royal Rumbles*, he was also already part of one of the most famous last matches at a WrestleMania ever in his Boneyard cinematic classic with Undertaker from 2020. That would be hard to top, even if he still felt ‘Mania was the crown jewel of PLEs (pun semi-intended).
Do you agree or disagree with the Phenomenal One about WrestleMania’s luster, Cagesiders?
* I’m on board with this thinking, it’s just that the location of Royal Rumble 2026 casts a shadow on my memory of the moment.
