Worst and Best Storytelling Matches of WrestleMania 31

So we all are experiencing the aftermath of WrestleMania 31, and there is plenty to talk about. There were peaks and valleys throughout the night, and not everyone was pleased with the outcome of many of the matches.

However, the biggest shock of the night was when Seth Rollins made history and became the very first Money in the Bank winner in 10 years to cash in the contract at The Grandest Stage of Them All.

Outside of that occurrence, which of course sparked plenty of shock and awe, WrestleMania 31 was the haven of many battles that were culminations of deeply invested storylines. The most passionate matches are those that involve a good build and tell a story throughout the bout, having the fans react to a majority of the ebbs and flows. 

At WrestleMania 31, there was one match in particular that told the best story of the event. However, there was also a match that missed the mark in the story telling department. 

Worst Story: Sting vs. Triple H

This match was all kinds of confusing. This feud featured one of the best builds leading into WrestleMania 31, yet the story behind the match was lousy.

When it was just Sting and Triple H, it was fine. The pace was good, and the cadence had a very old-school feel to it. Sting made a concerted effort in ensuring this would be a memorable match and definitely showed a different kind of passion compared to his final feud in TNA against EC3. 

However, this match officially killed WCW, and did not make any sense in the process. Sean Waltman was a part of both factions, so why make it seem like he was exclusive with DX? Why did DX even come out? What was the purpose of having so much fluff to ruin an already good match? Didn't Creative hear the "This is awesome!" and "You still got it!" chants?

Most of all, why did the nWo even come out? Sting was never a part of the nWo Black and White and was only a member of the nWo Wolfpac for a hiccup. In fact, he was nWo Black and White's biggest foe! 

Moreover, Hulk Hogan is known for being a WWE guy, so why would he defend WCW?

All of it made absolutely no sense. It was a terrible series of events that tarnished such an excellent buildup prior to the pay-per-view.

Best Story: Brock Lesnar vs. Roman Reigns

This match was undoubtedly one of the best of the night. There were so many stiff spots, and it looked like moments of the match were completely unplanned and veered away from the script. The very fact that the match brought that kind of reality factor to it made for an excellent exhibition.

This was really the proverbial "coming of age" moment for Reigns. In regard to the other major feuds Reigns had previously been a part of, specifically the ones involving Randy Orton and Daniel Bryan, many belted the myopic observation that he was "carried." While he did show some signs of immaturity and greenness in the ring at SummerSlam, he improved leaps and bounds in his showing against Bryan at Fastlane.

There should be no dispute that anyone carried the match between Reigns and Lesnar. The storytelling was impeccable, as the young lion was taken to the woodshed by the beast. However, Reigns put up a valiant fight and was able to withstand the brutality. Even with his smirks and request for more, Reigns did a great job narrating the match from the position of an underdog.

Although Seth Rollins successfully cashed in his Money in the Bank contract, both Rollins and Reigns came out victorious in making a statement that they have been groomed to be the leaders of the next successful class in the WWE.

Chris Featherstone is host the Pancakes and Powerslams Show, which airs Tuesday nights at 11 p.m. ET on Blog Talk Radio. He is also a Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report, WeAreWrestling.net and PWMania.com. Follow @cravewrestling on Twitter and the Crave Wrestling Facebook page.