Opinion

Rude Awakening: Rick Rude From WWE Player To WCW Leading Man

Published

6 years ago

June 24, 2018

This article will discuss the wrestling career of the late Ravishing Rick Rude, focusing on the years when Rick Rude wrestled in the WWE from 1987 to 1990 and soon after in WCW from 1991 to 1994. The idea of this piece really captured my interest; it explores the types of success that Rick Rude found in these two contrasting promotions. I will not be covering any events before and after the ’87-’94 timeline.

I was in my ‘binge some old wrestling’ moods the other day, so I pulled up the first Survivor Series from 1987 and skipped to the main event which featured Hulk Hogan, Bam Bam Bigelow, Don Muraco, Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff and Ken Patera against Andre the Giant, King Kong Bundy, Butch Reed, One Man Gang and Ravishing Rick Rude. While observing the talent in the main event, I began to think about the WWE’s national expansion at that point and of the people that Vince McMahon headhunted from other organisations to join the WWE. Of the ten men that were headlining the ’87 Survivor Series, Ravishing Rick Rude was the most recent to sign with the WWE. To be placed in a significant spot on the card with just having been in the company for four months is a big deal. Before joining the WWE, Rick Rude wrestled for NWA Jim Crockett Promotions where he was part of a successful tag team with Manny Fernandez. Known as the Awesome Twosome; Rude and Fernandez held the NWA Tag Team Titles for five months until Rude suddenly left the NWA for the WWE.

The way in which Rick Rude was brought onto WWE television was special; he was introduced as a member of the Heenan Family stable by his manager Bobby Heenan. Mr. Wonderful Paul Orndorff was a Heenan Family stablemate who shared similarities in personality and physique to Rude, though he was a bit older. As Heenan began to favour Rude over Orndorff, the two would end up feuding as Orndorff parted ways with the ‘Family’, this conflict concluded with Rude gaining the upper hand and Orndorff leaving the WWE shortly after.

At that time, I didn’t think much of Rick Rude, it was difficult to see what Bobby Heenan appreciated about Rudes talent for notable reasons; I was a child and believed that the Ultimate Warrior and Hulk Hogan had better physiques; the WWE was in the midst of the big man era, so either most of the wrestlers had ripped bodies or they paled in comparison to the really big guys; another of Rudes stablemate Andre the Giant was the cornerstone of the Heenan Family and he was regarded as the biggest star in wrestling, standing at 7 feet and 4 inches. Rude and his stablemates stood out easily in a crowd, but their aura was usually overshadowed when Andre was inserted into the picture.

Rick Rude gained fame regardless of being overshadowed by Andre. Rude was known for his custom made tights, his gyrating, his post-match activities where he would select a woman from the crowd to be the recipient of a passionate ‘rude awakening’ kiss. In this era, Rudes wrestling ability was secondary to his antics, yet appreciated only by the colour commentary antagonist, Jesse Ventura. Perhaps if the protagonist on play by play had dropped the occasional endorsement, the young fans might have appreciated Rick Rudes wrestling skills. At first I thought that Rick Rude had a good career based on his three years in the WWE; his first major feud with Mr. Wonderful established Rick as the new ‘bad boy’; the classic rivalry with Jake Roberts which Rude instigated when he unknowingly selected Jake’s wife, Cheryl to receive a ‘rude awakening’; winning the Intercontinental Title from the Ultimate Warrior at WrestleMania V and then resuming their war the following year as a never before focused Rick Rude aggressively pursued the Warrior for his WWE Championship. These are some awesome memories that could justify a deserving career, right? Well, I thought so, until years later when the internet through Youtube and other online means made it possible to gain access to a wealth of footage that we only read about in the magazines. I remember my first time watching wrestling online and going straight for the NWA/WCW stuff – like I was owed something. If you are not a wrestling fan from New Zealand, understand this; we were deprived in the ‘90s. It was like being in the Walking Dead; the WWE was taken off our televisions in 1991, WWE PPVs arrived at the video shops months after they were broadcast in the US, the Apter magazines (also arriving months later) gave us hope that there were ‘other communities’. It got better around 1997 when WWE and WCW were airing on television; nevertheless, the digital age allowed many fans from the 20th century to catch up.

I was clued onto Rick Rudes ventures after leaving the WWE and what he was doing in WCW. However, after watching videos and more videos of Rick Rude in WCW, the footage gave me a clear idea of how valuable Rude was to WCW and what it did for his career. His time with the WWE definitely established his fame, but it was his run with WCW that gave him a deserving career. If you don’t watch wrestling at all and you’re thinking “wrestling is fake, it’s all a story”, I suggest looking at it from this example: Andrew Lincoln is set to leave the Walking Dead series, there is an opportunity for a current cast member to take over the leading role. How confident are we that Norman Reedus will make a good lead? The viewers have only known the character, Darryl, to be an effective second in command. How can his character, Darryl lead when he barely speaks and only mumbles? Is Norman Reedus a good enough actor to pull it off? Assuming that Reedus does become the main star and if he (and the show) succeeds, then Norman Reedus may secure leading roles in future projects. You could apply this to Rick Rudes ‘promotion’ in WCW.

I had described the way Rick Rude was brought into the WWE as special, but the way that Rude was introduced onto WCW was “simply ravishing” (see what I did there?). Rick Rude debuted at the ‘91 Halloween Havoc pay-per-view under the mask of the WCW Phantom, a character that had been promoted to appear weeks prior to the event. There was not much known about the Phantom’s presence until he got in the ring and demonstrated his skills. Jim Ross (who was WCW lead play by play announcer during this time period) commented on the Phantom size as being larger than his opponent Tom Zenk who stood at 6 foot, 2 inches. The Phantom’s impressive display of aggression was greatly noted. I viewed the Masked Phantom as an opportunity for the fans to first recognise the wrestler’s skills so that when Rick Rude did reveal himself, the people would realise his talent without the distraction of the Ravishing gimmick. His imposing manner and intensity were rarely highlighted in the WWE. The idea to put Rude under the mask was a genius move as it made wrestling skill a focal point.

In addition to being unmasked on pay-per-view, Rick Rudes appearance came with a manager and a ‘Director of Covert Operations’; Paul E. Dangerously and Madusa! Following Rudes reveal, Dangerously announced that he enlisted Ravishing Rick Rude to eliminate Sting, the US Champion, and WCW’s biggest star. This, of course, meant an immediate career push for Rude; with Ric Flair gone from WCW, the company needed a new villain, Rick Rude easily fulfilled that responsibility. The month after Halloween Havoc, Rick Rude would win the US Title from Sting at the Clash of the Champions. This Rude/Sting match carried the COTC event, it served as a priority for the WCW product as the Word Title picture looked weak without a big name to challenge the champion, Lex Luger.

Rick Rude now has possession of the United States Championship; and four days later on WCW Saturday Night, Paul E. Dangerously introduces Ricks ‘new family’; the Dangerously Alliance. Dangerously declares that the first phase of the Dangerous Alliance’s hostile takeover is complete, and he introduces the first member – the cornerstone; Ravishing Rick Rude (who is escorted by Madusa); followed by Arn Anderson & Larry Zbysako, not far behind comes the break out star, the Television Champion ‘Stunning’ Steve Austin; rounded off with the inclusion of Bobby Eaton. This group was perfect for Rick Rude, he was backed by three reputable veterans and a rising star whose future would be realised later in his career. This fresh, new setting in WCW afforded Rick Rude the space to grow into a main eventer. What I noticed about the good guys in WCW was that most of them were young and blonde, and in some ways were portrayed as underdeveloped and inexperienced, in comparison to the villains who were manly veterans, Rick Rude was THE MAN of this group; tough, chiselled, no-nonsense, real and worldly. Rude possessed all of the qualities necessary to lead villain.

The United States Title also grew in prestige as the Alliance helped Rude fend off challenges from Sting, Ricky Steamboat, Dustin Rhodes and Ron Simmons. The WCW World Title in many cases looked secondary to the US as it was notably highlighted at special events: the majority of pre-match interviews at SuperBrawl II were based heavily around the Rude vs. Steamboat match, whereas the feel for the Sting/Lex Luger World Title main event came off as insignificant.

After a satisfying 14 month reign as US Champion, Rude went onto become a three-time WCW International Title; this was a championship that was shared between WCW and their partner New Japan Pro Wrestling. The concept of this championship was to have it defended in WCW and NJPW. This gave Rick Rude another accolade with the opportunity to wrestle in a highly respected area like Japan. Rude began to conduct himself in a more ‘leading’ manner as he dressed in suits for interviews and press conferences, the presentation added a professional and subtle layer to his ‘Ravishing’ persona.

Unfortunately, due to injuries to the neck and then his back, Rude was stripped of his US title and again during his third International title reign. Rudes back injury would lead him to retire from pro wrestling. Prior to his injury, Rick Rude had just turned into a hero and was about to feud with Vader. This would have been a really exciting time for Rude to transition into a good guy, and the reaction from the fans was obvious that they were ready to embrace the Ravishing One. So here is a highlighted summary of Rick Rudes WCW accomplishments; Rick Rude held the United States Championship – the equivalent to the WWF’s Intercontinental Championship. As opposed to his four-month reign as the IC Champion, Rude was the longest reigning US champion, a record that hasn’t been surpassed to date (14 months), Rude was also a three-time International Champion, and the cornerstone of the incredible Dangerous Alliance, a stable consisting of the now who’s who of pro wrestling.

To conclude, I believe that Rick Rude achieved a better run in WCW. WWE gave Rick Rude the exposure; the reach to be famous worldwide and a place in popular culture, this made him a valuable asset to WCW. However, it was Rick Rudes own merits that allowed him his accolades and sustain his standing in WCW. I very much doubt that Vince McMahon would have made Rick Rude a leading man had he stayed with the WWE.

https://twitter.com/Ite_Lemalu

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

Up Next

Top 5 Matches: Week Ending 6/24/2018

Don't Miss

Pro Wrestling Is Fine; Pro Wrestling Fans Need Work

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!