I don't want to harp on about it too much but that really showed how fanservice can be a good thing and also how it can be a hollow thing
Like HHH vs. Sting, that was bad fanservice. Like I guess I was still entertained by the clusterfuck, but for all of a few minutes. There was nothing to really appreciate beyond the initial dopamine hit of nostalgia. That story was about Sting as a vigilante fighting HHH's corrupt leadership, not digging up WWE vs. WCW or DX vs. NWO 15 years later. They crowbarred that in because it was WM and people would pop for those guys showing up/the two different theme songs, but it was hollow and stupid
Tonight, we saw an example of what I would say is bad fanservice with Taker's appearance, because it didn't serve the story whatsoever and is really the only hair in that soup. He hasn't been fucked by the bloodline, lost to Reigns at WM 7 years ago... yeah I don't buy his "vengeance" here unless you play fast and loose with him being the "conscience of wwe" coming back to put an end to Reigns' nonsense. Even then, it still just feels a bit off - since everyone else involved was far more relevant to the Bloodline. That said, if Austin was the plan that wouldn't have been any better. You get the visual of Austin and Rock facing off, and yeah cool we get to see Rock oversell the stunner again, but every other interference in the match made storyline sense - all the faces had been fucked over by the Bloodline, including the ones that came in after the match was over (Punk being there in the post-match was also a bit silly and off-theme, but not really a big deal). And then there was just...Taker. Or what should have been Austin. Sure? It just felt like one thing too many. Brock actually makes more sense in that spot (but was not an option), and even HHH.
Meanwhile, Rollins appearing in his Shield gear and psyching out Roman was the good kind of fanservice that served the story. The long-term storytelling of Roman taking his eye off the ball because Rollins was there in Shield gear was perfect, but you also get the cool pop of the music and that nostalgic dopamine hit of the music etc.
Undertaker = CGI Nic Cage in the Flash Rollins in the Shield gear psyching Roman out = Walt and Jesse's scenes in Better Call Saul