WWE WrestleMania 34: Results, Highlights, Analysis, and Grades

Photo Source: WWE.com

WWE Cruiserweight Championship Match

Cedric Alexander vs. Mustafa Ali

Result: Cedric Alexander defeated Mustafa Ali via pinfall to become the NEW WWE Cruiserweight Champion

Rating: 3.25 out of 5 stars

In the war of pop culture supremacy, Alexander looked like the lost son of Wakanda, and Ali went full Sub-Zero. Cedric gets points for topical relevance, but Ali had light-up attire. Advantage: Ali.

There’s not much to say about the match itself that hasn’t been said about any other time these two have faced off. The difference here is that both superstars really made a point of proving how well they knew the other. Alexander blocked an Ali attempt at a tornado DDT – one of his signatures. He also “borrowed” another of Ali’s signature moves – the Spanish Fly.

Of course, Ali took it one step further, coming back to hit his own Spanish Fly off the top rope. He would connect with the 054, but neglected to hook the far leg, which Cedric got on the bottom rope to break the count. Whether intentional or not, that’s huge in the story. Ali is the “heart” of 205 Live, and being at WrestleMania his head may have betrayed him a bit. The look on his face when he realized what happened said it all.

The finish was a perfect bookend to the handshake at the open of the match. Alexander kept coming back with his elbow strikes, but Ali wouldn’t stay down. The look on Cedric’s face told the tale perfectly – he didn’t want to hurt his friend, but he desperately wanted to win the match and the championship. He hesitated a second before hitting the third strike, giving Ali a chance to save himself. When that failed, Alexander delivered the final strike, then a Lumbar Check for the victory.

Superfan at ringside John Cena seemed to appreciate the match, but if the entire night becomes “LOOK AT JOHN CENA WATCHING THIS MATCH, HE’S JUST LIKE EVERYONE ELSE” I may vomit.

Still, this match was really good, told a great story, and definitely fit the oversized scope of a WrestleMania. Looking forward to Alexander’s run with the title, and curious to see how Ali bounces back from this.