[hb2k]

Originally Posted by Smelly Meatball I'd argue Taker played a big role helping carry Manias shortly after the WWE started hyping up his streak as a big deal about Mania. Some years his streak match was the big thing selling the event and other years it being right there with the other big match or star being focused on for the event. Like Mania 30 is all about Bryan as the main focus but the streak match was also right up there for carrying the event.

See, I've always had this umming and ahhing about the impact of the streak, in that I'm not sure it ever proved to be a big deal outside of existing fans (until it ended). Mania 30 should have had a great build to Taker/Brock, but it really wasn't at all.

Taker's matches with Shawn and HHH for those four years added a big match backbone, no doubt, but the only time it was put in a position to truly be the big draw on the show, 26, did the lowest Mania numbers in seven years, and that pains me to say because that build-up was fucking outstanding.