WWE: Wrestlemania’s 5 Greatest Finishes
WWE WrestleMania 30: The YES Movement
At No. 2, the finish of this match is reminiscent of what took place a decade prior. The circumstances surrounding the main event were a different tone that brought the WWE universe together against the companies own creative direction.
Along the road to WrestleMania XXX, a controversy arose following Royal Rumble 2014. Batista had made his comeback and ended up winning the opportunity to challenge the world title at the most important event of the year. There were a lot of cheers with Batista returning on television, however, those cheers plummeted when he won the Rumble.
Why did the fans turn? Well, around this time, Daniel Bryan’s popularity soared through the roof without a hint of losing any momentum. His connection to the audience was unprecedented at that time. You’d be hard-pressed to find any member of the crowd that wasn’t entranced into pointing their fingers in the air screaming “YES!”.
Naturally, the consensus would be that such a magnetic personality deserved being the focal point of the world title picture at WrestleMania. When Batista won the Rumble, a foul stench filled the air of mundaneness. His purpose returning to the company, to promote a film. WWE had given him an amazing opportunity to plug a movie, rather than award the hottest thing in the company, Daniel Bryan, the spotlight he worked for and undoubtedly deserved.
The people’s reactions genuinely changed plans revolving around WrestleMania XXX’s main event and to WWE’s credit: they managed to turn this into a worthwhile endeavor. This didn’t turn into a traditional champion vs challenger feud, no, Daniel Bryan battled the system. And Daniel Bryan was not alone, there were millions of fans all over the world supporting him.
This situation eliminated into a triple threat match for the richest prize in the game. The reigning champion Randy Orton, defending against Royal Rumble winner Batista, and the fan-favorite, Daniel Bryan. Watching back, you can still feel the desperation of needing the underdog to win this battle, to walk out with the gold, and beat the system.
On multiple occasions, there were hints that WWE swerved the fans, but a clear and decisive finish caused the roof to come off that arena. Batista tapped out to Daniel Bryan’s crossface. The system had been defeated, and an outstanding technical performer once stood as the centerpiece of the entire company.
Daniel Bryan celebrated, screaming “YES” at the top of his lungs. Everyone around him mimicking in unison. No one in WrestleMania history has commanded the fans in such a fashion to the extent he did. An emotional rollercoaster, where the prospect of bitter disappointment threatened to undo so much potential at every turn. Knowing it was all over and the rightful victor rose-up felt like a million bucks.