Opinion

The 5 Worst Segments in WWE History

Published

6 years ago

May 26, 2018

Originally, I was planning on writing an article regarding Roman Reigns and his reputation amongst the WWE fanbase currently, but this past Monday Nights edition of RAW hosted one of the worst wrestling segments I have ever sat through, which is a bold claim. The infamous Sami Zayn interview of Bobby Lashley’s ‘sisters’ didn’t just annoy me but annoyed me into looking back at some of the similar slip-ups that WWE have achieved in the past, and how they compared.

Despite the WWE being the most storied & successful entertainment brands on the planet, it isn’t without its downfalls. The company has created countless memories that will live on in the hearts & minds of millions for years to come but sadly some of those memories leave the sourest of tastes in the mouths of professional wrestling fans, many of which we want to forget.

No, I’m not talking about your generic answers such as the ‘Bayley: This is Your Life’ or ‘The Old Day’ segments, I mean those segments that are so aggressively terrible they haven’t just resulted in the demise of superstars and their reputations, but sadly reflected on the WWE’s overall mindset (whether those reflections are accurate or not is up for debate).

I wanted to shed light on the WWE product, and what it reveals may not be pleasant especially to those that are passionate about this industry but may provide some education on how not to book a professional wrestling product. What is being discussed today are the 5 worst segments in the history of the WWE, at least from my own personal perspective.

I’m always up for any suggestions on how to improve this list, but I realistically cannot see any choices that are as terrible as the ones I’m about to discuss.

#5: Mae Young Gives Birth to a Hand

Most of us regard the Attitude Era as the peak of professional wrestling, or at least the general consensus of people does from the point of quality. This era was filled with the most talented and fleshed out roster the business has ever seen, not only did they push the traditional boundaries of professional wrestling on a weekly basis, but the product produced red-hot crowds on every single sell-out crowd they performed in front of.

A gigantic chunk of that era fell on the use of satire to develop storylines, characters and was just a general means of WWE (at the time the WWF) attempting to push their programming’s boundaries even further. One of the most noteworthy results of their satire was Mark Henrys ‘Sexual Chocolate’ persona, framing the now ‘Worlds Strongest Man’ as a playboy who on almost a weekly basis found himself in a new love affair, none however we as ‘memorable’ as the one he had with WWE Hall of Famer Mae Young.

In terms of comedy the angle was brilliant for what its intent was, and some of the moments between the two showed a weird yet fantastic chemistry that only added to the charm a character like Mae Young brought on screen. However, like WWE has done on so many occasions, they took it too far.

During an episode of RAW in 2000 the twos relationship came to its peak point at that time, with the kayfabe birth of their first child. The show itself played up the comedy that surrounded both Henry & Young prior to the key moment of their ‘child’s’ birth but resulted in Young herself giving birth to a hand. You read that right, a hand.

Gerald Brisco who was present during the filming of this segment followed up the initial birth by throwing up on the floor besides both Henry & Young, a reflection of how any fan would feel while watching such an angle. The angle itself has since become a wild satirical piece, even garnering a call-back during the 1000th edition of RAW in 2012 to boisterous cheers, which was a welcome change to the angles initial reaction.

#4: Hornswoggle is revealed as the ‘Anonymous RAW General Manager’

In any form of entertainment, it is vital that a long-term storyline is followed up to perfection. Having a lengthy program, character arc or build doesn’t just take lots of time & effort on the part of your creative team but requires the attention & investment of your audience.

2010 was an odd year for the WWE, as the company’s PG guidelines began to show their impact on the weekly programming many elements of the product began to shift, with new stars being introduced following the departure of some former legends (i.e. Undertaker, HBK, Triple H, etc.) to either a more part-time roll in the company or retirement entirely.

One of the company’s big introductions was the ‘Anonymous GM’ who ran Monday Night RAW on a weekly basis without any real sense of identity, clues or mystery as to whom the person behind the computer was. The character had been voiced through Michael Cole at the time and while speculation ran rampant over the months of this angle, it ultimately came to a halt fairly quickly in mid-2011.

Fans were left with none of their questions or concerns answered until 2012 rolled around. With the company preparing to embrace a new full-time General Manager a weekly special guest was brought in to run the show, one of them being none other than the ‘Anonymous GM’ themselves. A show-spanning angle took place as Santino Marella attempted to uncover the mystery of the GM and who stood behind the computer that had ruled WWE programming for so long, what we got was a swerve that none of us saw coming nor was it a swerve that would necessarily satisfy our urges, as the GM was revealed to be Hornswoggle.

Hornswoggle had long been a satirical element of WWE programming for almost half a decade at that point, going from a vicious leprechaun to Vince McMahons ‘son’, but this just seemed to overstep that fine line between comedy and ridiculousness. The angle not only received backlash from fans who had any slight questions over the ‘Anonymous GM’ but was yet another fine example of WWE favouring comedy over something that potentially could have provided genuine intrigue.

#3: Every Single Bra & Panties Match

I’m almost certain this is the one choice that will receive unanimous votes from anyone who reads this, because who in their right mind thought these matches were a good idea?

The Attitude Era was famous for its boisterous male talents who not only received some of the best storylines and angles in company history but were allowed the time & development to put on some pretty crazy matches during that period. Sadly, we can’t say the same for the women of that era, who on countless occasions were subjugated to abominations like these ‘matches’. The rules were fairly standard; first woman to strip their opponent down to their undergarments wins the match which in turn did absolutely nothing for either performers credibility.

What was baffling about these scenarios was that the women on the roster from the period of 1998-2004 were as talented as ever and could have easily rivalled the efforts of their male counterparts but instead received this treatment. Compared to the modern-day product matches like this gave off awful messages regarding the company’s women, particularly to any of the younger generations watching. Instead of providing viewers with a professional look at the talent behind their female athletes, they were lowered to the standard of pure vanity and nothing more, something I cannot believe was manufactured by the most lucrative wrestling brand on the planet.

Thankfully over a decade removed from those tragic days, women aren’t just being used more prominently on wrestling programs but have been receiving more pushes than many of us could have imagined. Instead of Bra & Panties they step foot inside Hell in The Cell, Steel Cages, Ladder Matches & most recently being the prime attraction of their very own Royal Rumble match. This is certainly one memory all of us can leave behind happily.

#2: Vince McMahon vs God

Distasteful. I don’t think there is one word better suited for this segment than distasteful.

2006 was a strange year for the WWE with the infamous reunion of DX, the return of ECW, the rise of John Cena & certainly one of the worst build-ups to a Pay-Per-View match I have ever seen in all my years of watching this business. Prior to his reunion with best friend Triple H as part of DX, Shawn Michaels embroiled himself in a feud with company chairman Vince McMahon which originally culminated in a clash at Wrestlemania 22, which the former walked out of victorious.

The rivalry however didn’t end just there as McMahon retaliated against his rival in the following weeks demanding more punishment to be inflicted to ‘The Heartbreak Kid’ in their rematch which would occur at that years Backlash event. With the stipulation now being a handicap match featuring Shane McMahon on the side of the boss, Vince mocked Michaels by allowing him a partner larger than anything fathomable, god himself.

Most people took this as a joke, but one that must have raised concerns considering the track record Vince McMahon has with controversy in the WWE. In a segment feature on the build towards the fateful event, Vince & Shane paid a visit to a church to challenge and literally mock god and it turned out exactly as awful as it sounds in my description. Religion is certainly not a key element of wrestling programming by any means and I wish it had remained that way here.

A topic such as this was very difficult to take both seriously or from the stance of satire, as the whole concept just came across as incredibly unnecessary and left a bad taste in fans mouths following these events. It didn’t help either that the segment was held in a real church in the US, which feature Vince crafting his own 12 Commandments, portraying himself as the ‘God’ of WWE & even forcing his son to read out a pre-written psalm which again, is as awful as it sounds.

I know Vince McMahon has been involved in some controversial work during his WWE tenure, but none rivalled the distastefulness that followed this angle. That is, unless you don’t go onto #1 on this article.

#1: Bark Like A Dog

I hate to sound as aggressive as I’m about too, but there has (arguably) never been a more disgusting and vile angle in the history of professional wrestling. Similar to what I mentioned earlier an angle such as this spoke volumes on the state of the WWE’s Women’s Division during this period and also how backwards the company’s policies on women were, especially when compared to the modern-day product.

This angle played a fairly prominent role in WWE history however as it was used as a catalyst in the build to the Vince vs Shane McMahon match at Wrestlemania X-Seven, widely regarded as the best wrestling show of all time. One of the key elements of this angle was Vince McMahon announcing he was cheating on his wife Linda and having an affair than none other than Trish Stratus, which on its own actually gained him legitimate heat with audiences.

In bizarre fashion however, Vince decided to manipulate his power to the women around him in order to establish dominance, by making them bark like dogs. You read that right, Vince McMahon made one of his finest talents crawl on her knees and bark like a dog in front of millions of viewers watching around the world.

Not only was this angle extremely degrading to Trish Stratus and her reputation but was just vile as a basic storyline angle. These segments while only used on one or two occasions were extremely unsettling, vile & demeaning regardless of whether that was the intended effect on the audience. Seeing a woman of Stratus’ calibre forced to get on her knees and crawl around is easily the most disgusting thing I’ve had to sit through as a fan, especially considering what she would go onto accomplish in the later years prior to her retirement.

The angle itself paid off at Wrestlemania X-Seven itself, with Stratus finally standing up to the ego of her overly-inflated romantic partner, but this didn’t remove the damage that had already been done. Moments such as these should be a pleasant reminder of how lucky we should be as fans to have a women’s division like we do now, one that gives women a platform to steal the show on instead of being demeaned & subjugated on.

I love professional wrestling, I just wish moments like these didn’t make me hate it too.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: The Final Opponent For John Cena In WWE

It’s obvious that John Cena is nearing the end of his legendary career, and he’s suggested ending it at WrestleMania 41. Who should be his final opponent?

Published

1 week ago

April 11, 2024

Greg DeMarco

John Cena Last Match Randy Orton WWE WrestleMania 41

It’s obvious that John Cena is nearing the end of his legendary career, and he’s suggested ending it at WrestleMania 41. Who should be his final opponent?

John Cena recently appeared on the Pat McAfee Show, the Monday after his surprise (but mostly expected) WrestleMania 40 appearance during Cody Rhodes’ win over Roman Reigns for the Undisputed WWE Championship. During that appearance, he confirmed what many expect, that he is nearly done with his in-ring career. But Cena even tossed out the idea of a time-frame, detailing that his acting schedule will likely take him through Christmas, and maybe Hollywood could “pump the brakes” to allow for one final run.

That run could easily begin at the Royal Rumble with a surprise entrance (or entering himself via TV appearances as part of the build), with a tease for his 17th world title win before finally settling in on his final match.

Fantasy booking and storytelling aside, the goal here is the final match–more specifically the final opponent. With a John Cena, you’ve got a ton of options. As such, it’s hard to narrow it down to 5, and one of your favorites is likely missing–be warned!

Greg DeMarco’s Top 5: The Final Opponent For John Cena In WWE

Honorable Mentions:

The Miz – A feud with John Cena gave The Mix a WrestleMania 27 main event–and a WrestleMania main event victory on top of it. Miz has been receiving more love than ever lately, and a match with John Cena would not be misplaced. Maybe he can use their WrestleMania 33 contest (and Cena’s personal aftermath) as fodder for it, too.
AJ Styles – The man who once made it popular to “BEAT UP JOHN CENA” is also nearing the end of his run, and could be the one candidate on this list that could realistically give us a double-retirement match. He would also be the guy who retired both The Undertaker and John Cena (and would probably end up being the guy who lost in both).
The Rock or Cody Rhodes – Both great options, but you have to figure their dance card for WrestleMania 41 is already full, potentially standing across the ring from one another. Either is an amazing option (including “Thrice In A Lifetime”), but I just don’t think it’s in the cards.
Trick Williams – Potentially a surprising addition to the Honorable Mentions, but the comparisons are there in terms of in-ring style/ability, promo skills, and the interplay they had in NXT (remember, it was Cena who is credited with encouraging Trick to not be afraid to go for it himself despite his relationship with Carmelo Hayes).

5. CM Punk

The fifth spot on this list was nearly interchangeable between several of the honorable mention names, but it really came down to Punk and Seth Rollins for me (with a hint of AJ Styles). The 2011 feud between CM Punk and John Cena was legendary, and is a moment that will forever be seen by me as the one that truly cemented CM Punk as a member of the growing list of all-time greats in WWE.

Punk is uniquely qualified for this match as he would make it mean more than a showboat for John Cena’s career and final match. It’s entirely believable that CM Punk would want to put John Cena’s career into the ground, and WWE has the video archive to support it.

Despite being #5, this could actually be a dark-horse for the match we get, and I can’t see anyone reasonably being upset about that.

4. Roman Reigns

John Cena and Roman Reigns have had two separate legendary programs. the first saw Cena, at times, embarrass Roman in promo exchanges in a feud that took place in the “pre-Tribal Chief” era. The second is more fresh and likely more memorable, as John Cena put Roman Reigns over in a football stadium in Las Vegas at SummerSlam (although it might be more remembered for the return of Brock Lesnar).

Reigns, a legend himself at his point (he’s featured alongside Steve Austin at the top of the “Forever” portion of the Then/Now/Forever/Together video that recently debuted) would provide a pairing akin to The Undertaker serving as Shawn Michaels’ retirement opponent at WrestleMania 26 9notice I didn’t say “final opponent). The end of Roman’s 1316 day world title reign has brought about a new appreciation for Reigns, which would further enhance this pairing at WrestleMania 41.

3. Bron Breakker

Bron Breakker is the picture-perfect definition of a juggernaut in WWE, a fast rising star who almost seems like a lock to main event WrestleMania one day (you never know–Seth Rollins JUST got his first WrestleMania main event last weekend). Breakker recently said farewell NXT as the natural in-ring competitor makes a transition to full-time main roster competition.

Breakker also fits the category of who “needs it.” Bring the man to retire John Cena would be quite the feather in the cap of Breakker’s early career, and would give him a moment that would be relived for generations to come. The only question mark is WWE “trusting” Breakker with this moment, as a sudden change of character could mean that Cena’s final match wouldn’t be seen or discussed as much. Breakker, to me, has given no reason for anyone to suspect that might happen, regardless of any controversies his father and uncle have been linked to.

2. R-Truth

Despite being 5-years older than John Cena, and making his in-ring debut in the same year (1999), R-Truth’s childhood hero hanging up the boots will undoubtedly be a hard-hitting moment for the man who has basically become the WWE Mascot. Truth emulating Cena in his matches, and of course the RawAfterMania moment with Cena, Truth, and The Miz hitting a Fifteen Knuckle Shuffle (thank you, Michael Cole) on The Judgment Day makes this a near can’t miss final match for both John Cena and the WWE Universe.

R-Truth himself is equally deserving of this match, as it would be a reward for all of his years in the ring as part of a career that seems age defying while proving that age is not only a number, but also a number that can be ignored (see Child Hero, John Cena).

While a rematch of their 2011 WWE Capital Punishment main event is an unlikely WrestleMania 41 match-up, it’s one I believe everyone would love to see.

1. Randy Orton

I mean, is there anyone more perfect? John Cena and Randy were inseparably linked for a good portion of their careers, and have shared the ring more times than Big Show has turned babyface/heel. Both are far into legendary status at this point, and Orton specifically is obviously focused on enjoying this stage of his career.

But Orton is still delivering great performances inside the ring, too.

Randy Orton vs John Cena was an exciting proposition many years ago, became a punchline for WWE booking a few years ago, but is now coming full circle as the perfect match-up to end the amazing career of John Cena. It has my vote, and should have yours, too.

Even if R-Truth would be the most fun option.

What say you? Who is the best candidate to stand across the ring from John Cena in his final WWE match, potentially at WrestleMania 41? Who did I leave out?

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!

Opinion

Greg DeMarco’s WrestleMania 40 Saturday Results & Review

It’s the Granddaddy Of ‘Em All, WrestleMania! Night 1 of WrestleMania XL and Greg DeMarco has your results and review!

Published

1 week ago

April 8, 2024

Greg DeMarco

It’s the Granddaddy Of ‘Em All, WrestleMania! Night 1 of WrestleMania XL and Greg DeMarco has your results and review!

It all comes down to this–at least for the first night! A loaded card in front of a packed house, and I’d expect everyone to deliver one hell of a performance.

Women’s World Championship – Becky Lynch vs. Rhea Ripley (champion)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Rhea Ripley retains

In my opinion, this match should be the main event of Night 1, but The Rock is back and that was going to take precedence (even if I disagree). Becky won this title shot at the Elimination Chamber, even though they were already building the feud before that event in Perth. Ripley herself main evented that event in a stadium, defeating Nia Jax.

It was revealed during her entrance that this is Becky Lynch’s “Flu Game,” as she has temperatures as high as 102 degrees throughout the week.
Rhea Ripley enters to a life performance of her entrance theme, which you can tell she dug.
Prime logo is center ring, just the black outline with “Prime” in the middle, and it is not at all bothersome. I can’t believe people made such a big deal out of bitching about that.
The stage looks dope, not at all “too small” as some had said. The whole environment looks great, honestly.
Rhea Ripley has been dealing with a wrist injury. She said on the Pat McAfee Show she didn’t expect to work with the wrist brace on tonight, but there it is.
Corey Graves points out that Becky’s training was likely impacted by her illness, and Pat McAfee scoffs at him for stating the obvious. I hope that isn’t what we get all night.
Commentary notes that is is 52 degrees and windy in the stadium, and I am reminded of Nick Khan’s comments about moving an outdoor WrestleMania to late April in the future, if they don’t get an indoor building (he did say “2026” when talking about that, which likely means the 2025 venue is indeed set).
Rhea’s Prism Trap is a fell of a submission finisher. Add in the body lock the way she did, and it’s even more impressive.
I just noticed the “Prime” turnbuckle pads and it’s…weird. I just didn’t expect it and can’t think of the last time we didn’t have the WWE/WWF logo on the buckles outside of Black and Gold NXT. WrestleMania 2?
I am also noticing that Dude Wipes seems to have sponsored the ring posts. Kudos to WWE (and the wrestling industry behind them) for being so damn desirable to sponsors!
That combo to get into the Riptide was fantastic–and the kickout was even better.
During the DisarmHer you can clearly see the commentary position, and Michael Cole is legit reclined all the way back. Love it–Cole is living his best life.
Rhea’s Riptide into the buckle before the proper Riptide was pretty sweet as well. Made Becky look insanely strong in defeat.

Winner via pinfall AND STILL your Women’s World Champion: Rhea Ripley

Hell of an opener, and if you didn’t know Becky was sick, you wouldn’t have known. Props to them both. That would have satisfied as a main event, but can now go down as one of the best openers in WrestleMania history.

Ladder Match for the Raw Tag Team Championships and Smackdown Tag Team Championships – DIY (Tommaso Ciampa & Johnny Gargano) vs. Awesome Truth (The Miz & R-Truth) vs. New Catch Republic (Pete Dunne & Tyler Bate) vs. A Town Down Under (Austin Theory & Grayson Waller) vs. The New Day (Xavier Woods & Kofi Kingston) vs. The Judgment Day (Finn Balor & Damian Priest, Undisputed WWE Tag Team Champions)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Awesome Truth (Raw titles) and A-Town Down Under (SmackDown)

As many expected, the belts are hanging separately, meaning we are most likely splitting the tag titles here. Triple H and company have put some serious work into building up the tag team divisions of both brands, and even though I expect the two winners to not be actual “teams,” but either way I actually like the way they didn’t make a big deal out of splitting the titles up, they’re just doing it. They have been defended separately since being unified, albeit rarely.

R-Truth makes a joke about DIY being DX and that’s now taken off. I love it.
The Miz is very under appreciated. Can literally do anything.
Someone is struggling with the “Titan Tron” videos tonight.
Not gonna lie, I am the biggest Pat McAfee fan, but he’s actually quite annoying right now.
Sign of the night: SANTA DESERVED IT.
Lots of green in this match, half of the teams wearing their “WrestleMania Green” gear.
Also, loving the Consequences Creed gear for Woods.
God Bless Finn Balor for taking that Airplane Spin into the ladder.
205 combined years of experience in this match. That’s an average of 17 years (Waller has the least with 7, Balor and Miz are tied for the most with 23).
“Dunne Mountain?!?!” Thank you Michael Cole for fixing that.
HOT TAG TO R-TRUTH!
Poor Finn Balor, not he takes the AA to the ladder after John Cena’s Five Moves Of Doom
R-TRUTH WITH THE PIN!
Hilarious.
A-Town Down Under gets the SmackDown tag titles!
And Grayson gets tossed through a ladder, still holding a title!
The match does continue until the Raw tag titles are also retrieved.
If Theory also got the Raw tag titles down, I will laugh my ass off.
Birminghammer is a fantastic name for a tandem (somewhat) Burning Hammer.
Tornado DDT through a table!
Air Raid Crash from the ladder!
And we still have more tables set-up.
JD McDonagh trying to get Finn–who has taken a beating–to get the Raw tag titles.
McDonagh through the tables!
PERFECTLY placed Razor’s Edge onto that chair.
Dude, that ladder is trashed. (And very unsafe.)
AA sends Damian outside!
I think everyone wants R-Truth to get this. EVERYONE.
YES!

Winners via belt retrieval, AND NEW:

SmackDown Tag Team Champions – Grayson Waller & Austin Theory
Raw Tag Team Champions – R-Truth & The Miz

Really good Ladder Match, but it’s hard to have a bad one. The tag team titles are split and it was really well done. It made perfect sense to do it that way, not make a big deal out of it and just let it happen. I am excited to see both teams win–not because I picked both, but because I think one team (Waller/Theory) have amazing futures and the other (Miz/Truth) will be a lot of fun, even if their run will probably be short lived.

Santos Escobar (with Legado Del Fantasma members Angel, Humberto, & Elektra Lopez) & Dominik Mysterio vs. Rey Mysterio & Andrade (with The LWO members Carlito, Joaquin Wilde, Cruz Del Toro, & Zelina Vega

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Dominik and Santos win, giving Dominik “revenge” for his loss at WrestleMania 39.

Look, this match doesn’t make a lick of sense–Dominik shows up two weeks ago and finds his way into another WrestleMania match with Rey? Definitely shoehorned. But Dominik is outstanding, so if this gets him on the card, I’ll take it.

More green in this match, and I am here for it.
Innovative Double Cross Body by Rey & Andrade.
Dominik showing experience beyond his years, making sure the ref sees his tag with Santos.
At this moment, I am wondering who turns–Carlito or Andrade. Gotta assume it’s one of them.
Three matches in and I don’t even notice the Primo logo in the center of the ring or on the turnbuckle pads.
Santos Escobar trying to unmask Rey Mysterio, as if we don’t all have Google.
Corey Graves making a great point about Rey taking some responsibility for the issues in his life, and Michael Cole immediately dismissing it.
It’s so hard to do a really good Dragon Screw Leg Whip, and Andrade (along with Dominik and Santos) just pulled off two to perfection.
Camera shot of Rey’s cross body shows the heaters above the ring. Good–keep ’em warm!
This could have easily been an 8-man tag team match. Maybe we get that Monday on Raw (which can also be where the turn happens, making my prediction here likely wrong).
Joaquin Wilde gets to do his NXT spot at WrestleMania, and that’s probably more important than officially being in the match.
Two masked men–definitely the Kelce Brothers–are here.
My bad, it was Jason Kelce and Lane Johnson. Good call, honestly. Great pop for them, too.
Looking at the reply, Dominik sold that ringpost spot like a champ.

Winners via pinfall (Rey on Santos): Rey Mysterio & Andrade

Fun tag team match that served its purpose. Needed? Maybe not, as I really wanted to get Liv Morgan vs. Nia Jax onto this card. But when you can get Rey & Dominik on the card, everyone will be happy. and of course the Jason Kelce & Lane Johnson appearances.

Brother vs Brother: Jey Uso vs. Jimmy Uso

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Jimmy Uso follows in the footsteps of Owen Hart and Matt Hardy and beats the “more talented brother.”

They’ve wanted this match all their lives–and the preview video was insane. Very well done.

Jey in the WrestleMania whites tonight.
And we get a hot start to the match!
“Big Brother Jimmy” is always a fun thing to hear.
More Dude Wipes sponsorship on this one–you have to wonder if having Dude Wipes on the posts for the opener was in error.
Superkicks. Lots of Superkicks.
Very enjoyable YEET/NO chants from the crowd.
Jey just kicking the hell out of Jimmy, including a Jumping Super Kick.
This has “Fight Without Honor” feels from old school ROH, where the winners have respect after. We will definitely see these guys together again.
Jimmy apologizing to Jey. Crowd is not buying it.
Of course it was BS, and Jimmy gains the advantage.
SPEAR. USO SPLASH. DONE.

Winner, via pinfall: Jey Uso

Jey breaks the babyface curse by beating his heel brother. Thought we might get an embrace between them, instead we faded out. A good match that was more about the story than the in-ring action. I can see some feeling like this hasn’t “lived up to expectations” because of the high expectations you’d have for an Usos match. Their best work will always be as a team, but I know this is a lifelong dream come true for both.

As for all the Superkicks, I mean….it’s an Usos match.

Six-Woman Tag Team Match – Damage CTRL (Dakota Kai, Asuka, & Kairi Sane) vs. Naomi, Bianca Belair, & Jade Cargill

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Bianca, Naomi, & Jade win when Jade scores the pin (probably on Kairi, who always seems to eat the fall)

This match is all about getting Bianca Belair on the card (she had to be), and Jade Cargill’s debut. It also got Damage CTRL on the card, which they truly deserve–even if it is to lose.

Respectfully, Dakota Kai. (Good thing the ring and surrounding area is heated)
Not gonna lie, Jade looks nervous. But this is a six-woman tag, and her portion is likely highly choreographed. Gonna be all good.
As I watch and enjoy the match (but am not typing much lol), this seems like a match where we’re all just waiting for Jade to come in and win.
No one has told Jade about the tag ropes yet, apparently.
And now Jade is in, and Damage CTRL makes her look like a million bucks.
Dakota Kai nicely gets herself into position for the finish, and Jade gets her WrestleMania win.

Winners via pinfall (Jade on Dakota): Jade Cargill, Naomi, & Bianca Belair

We knew what this one was about going into it, and that’s what it should have been. Jade still ain’t ready. I know it might be an “ego hit” for her to go to NXT, but she needs it. If Giulia can go to NXT, so can Jade.

Intercontinental Championship – Sami Zayn vs. GUNTHER (champion)

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Sami Zayn pulls off the major upset and is the one to dethrone Gunther

Gunther has had a stranglehold on the Intercontinental Championship, defending it like crazy in 2023 but slowing that down here in 2024. It’s not fair to say he’s outgrown the title, but that might actually be the case. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens with Imperium leading up to the draft, and at the WWE Draft itself.

Sami Zayn was the perfect wrestler to have their journey form backstage to the ring followed by the cameras. From his family to Chad Gable to Kevin Owens, it was all so perfect–maybe too perfect? (Not in that someone will screw him, but in that it might be too heavily foreshadowing his win?)
Gunther looked oddly nervous standing on that stage.
You know, the Intercontinental Championship is basically a third world title at this point. And we could see the end of a legendary reign. I think this deserved the Samantha Irvin In-Ring Introductions (aka “Japan Style”) treatment.
Gunther is smiling confidently now, we’re good.
Crowd is ON FIRE for these guys (and evenly split with their chants for each guy).
This is the 21st time the Intercontinental championship is defended at WrestleMania, and it makes you wonder what in the hell they were thinking for the other 11.
Looks like Dude Wipes is back on the ringpost!
Hell of a nearfall, followed up by a Helluva Kick from Gunthcr, and one from Sami!
That finish….AMAZING.

Winner via pinfall, AND NEW Intercontinental Champion: Sami Zayn

The athletes… the moments… the storytelling… professional wrestling is such a beautiful business. Sami Zayn’s win over Gunther was everything I had hoped it would be when I picked Sami to win. Absolutely beautiful.

Cody Rhodes & World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins vs. The Rock & Undisputed WWE Champion Roman Reigns

Greg’s pre-show prediction: Seth & Cody get the win after tons of interference and surprise appearances, making Roman vs Cody on Sunday a match where The Bloodline is banned from ringside.

So much involved in this one. As you know, If Rock & Roman win, Sunday’s WWE Championship match will be held under Bloodline Roles. If Seth & Cody win, then that mach will see ZERO Bloodline involvement. Personally, if Cody is winning the title, I’d rather it be straight up. But I wouldn’t be at all surprised if I am wrong.

Honestly, after the introductions, I realized I was just watching!
This was very much Steve Austin vs The Rock inspired, with them fighting all over the stadium, and pushing the envelope.
I loved The Rock basically neutering the referee–normally I hate that, but here it works.
That finish and the condition of Rollins both lay perfectly into night 2, I would imagine.

Winners via Rock pinfall on Rhodes: The Rock & Roman Reigns

Per rule, Sunday’s main event will now be Bloodline Rules. And given that, my prediction of Roman retaining might be harder to pull off. This was a good return for The Rock, and perfectly played into the whole story. Job well done.

Greg DeMarco’s Overall Thoughts for WWE WrestleMania XL, Saturday (Night 1)

in a vacuum, this was highly enjoyable show. Night 2 might end up being legendary if both Bayley and Rhodes win, and it could overshadow Night 1. But the scene was fantastic, production was top notch as always, and the fans went home having enjoyed one for the ages. The Triple H Era s well underway, and will likely kick into a higher gear with Night 2.

Let us know what you think on social media @ChairshotMedia and always remember to use the hashtag #UseYourHead!