The Heel Turn: WrestleMania 28 full of surprises

WrestleMania 28 took place last Sunday night, and the Internet was buzzing with reports that both Brock Lesnar and Batista would be making their returns at the Super Bowl of wrestling. This was fuelled in part by the fact that Lesnar was spotted in Miami with his wife Sable, as well as talk that Lesnar had been offered a new contract with the WWE. Neither of these former Superstars ended up making appearances, but there were other surprises during the night, both good and bad.

The World Heavyweight title match between challenger Sheamus and champion Daniel Bryan was the first contest of the PPV, and it proved to be a very disappointing match. Upon entering the ring, Bryan took a moment to kiss his storyline girlfriend, AJ Lee, and that was all the opportunity that Sheamus needed to nail Bryan in the face with a Brogue Kick. The Celtic Warrior pinned Bryan, and the whole match was over in 18 seconds. The problem is not the fact that Sheamus became the new champion, as he is said to have a great work ethic. He gets some heat for being Triple H's buddy, but the fact that he apparently makes a point of going to events that he doesn't even have to be at is a good indication of his dedication to the business.

The problem with this ending is that an 18-second bout severely cheapens the value of the Heavyweight Championship, at least in my opinion. It should be made to look like the belt is hard to win, with both competitors giving everything they have to try to win the ultimate prize. This would be especially frustrating to those fans who paid good money to attend WrestleMania 28 in person, and before they even know it, one of the two most important matches of the night is over.

Despite John Cena's fans cheering for him to win, it was The Rock who was victorious at the end of their heavily hyped, once-in- a-lifetime match. This makes sense in a way, since it's doubtful that the People's Champion would actually be made to lose in his hometown of Miami. The Rock is also a greater WWE Superstar than Cena could ever hope to be, so it's only right that such an outcome was reached.

Things would get much worse for Cena the following night on RAW. Lesnar finally made the return that everyone was waiting for. He came to the ring as Cena applauded his appearance. Lesnar was not interested in Cena's approval, though, and he wasted no time in sending a message to him by hoisting him up and decimating him with a vicious F5. This is one of the truly great moments on RAW for a long while, as it gives the impression that the entire landscape of the WWE is about to change. Lesnar is back, and all other WWE Superstars should take care not to cross him, lest they suffer the same fate as Cena.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Chief Jay Strongbow, who wrestled in the WWF during the 1970s and early '80s, passed away on April 3. He was 83 years old.