Opinion

Booking The WWE Universal Championship At SummerSlam & Beyond

Published

6 years ago

July 14, 2018

Even though we are just under a week away from the Extreme Rules event on the 15th of July, everyone is certainly looking at the bigger picture which in this case is the ‘Biggest Party of the Summer’ known as SummerSlam.

SummerSlam is the official halfway point for the WWE calendar, generally marking the big shift the company passes and usually we tend to see signs & clues of what may come in a few months’ time at WrestleMania, at least for those like myself who ready into everything like it’s gospel. However, this show is marked as the 2nd biggest on the WWE calendar, featuring a loaded card, potential dream matches and like we’ve seen over the last number of years, some of the best matches throughout this 12-month period.

This year SummerSlam has an interesting build to it, as the WWE product isn’t exactly blowing anyone’s minds from all aspects, it does though have the potential to fix these injustices and very well be one of the best shows of the year. All of this does sadly hinge on one man for most of us, Brock Lesnar & his coveted Universal Championship. ‘The Beast Incarnate’ has been champion for well over a year as of this writing and in every championship defense has come out on top with no sign of slowing down but one has to wonder, when will it end?

All bets (from what I’ve seen at least) point towards the fateful day that takes place this coming August at SummerSlam live from the Barclays Centre in Brooklyn and what better place to host such a monumental occasion? Like him or not, WWE have at least nailed the execution of Brock’s title run, it isn’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but it certainly balances out with what kind of character the WWE are trying to build up Brock Lesnar to be at the end of it all. We could certainly use more appearances & title matches but every Brock match has a different aura to it than anything else on the subsequent card it’s involved on, which is something that definitely adds to the importance of your show.

However, if this historic reign is to end in a matter of weeks, how should it be done & who should have the honour of conquering the champion? This is my simple take on how I would personally do it, or at least how I feel WWE would do it at this point in time. While I was inclined to fantasy book the whole thing and replace certain stars, I decided to play it by the way WWE programming is shaped lately and work on it from the characters they’ve set in place.

Extreme Rules Main Event

We start off with the match that will most likely headline next weeks final show before SummerSlam; Roman Reigns vs Bobby Lashley.

Admittedly, I’m not the biggest fan of having Reigns go on last at another big main roster event, considering the events of Backlash just a few months back but with the amount of hype this has received, I can’t see any other choice for your last slot on the card. This match has been built up as the first-ever meeting between two of the biggest stars on RAW, with the winner of this likely heading into SummerSlam to face off against Brock Lesnar.

The key to this match should be keeping both men strong, with the loser coming out looking just as dominant and formidable as the winner does by the matches end as this is important for what I feel should go down at SummerSlam in the weeks following.

This match itself should be good, hopefully better than the Reigns vs Joe debacle we got recently but ends in the form of controversy, something such as fluke victory or pin with Reigns or Lashley’s foot on the rope would do and will give the loser the right to demand a second opportunity. While I understand cheap finishes are a bit overdone since WrestleMania (with Nakamura/Styles having countless ‘controversial’ endings) but this will give us a nice setup for what’s to come next.

An ending of controversy will also maintain the tension between both Reigns & Lashley, giving us a lot more potential for chaos as the summer wrestling season roles on.

The Road to SummerSlam in Brooklyn

Extreme Rules ending will give either Lashley or Reigns, whoever the loser may be the right to demand a second opportunity based on the events of the previous event & feeling robbed based on the ignorance of the official in-charge of the main event. General Manager Kurt Angle, much like he is now, will oversee and hear both sides of this argument and will eventually make the most logical decision to avoid further pressure like any good GM would do, grant the loser a spot in the SummerSlam main event.

This gives us a Triple Threat main event, Lesnar vs Reigns vs Lashley. Having all 3 men in this match gives the WWE a chance to balance out their past flaws with matches between Lesnar & Reigns, the inclusion of Lashley will hopefully breathe some fresh air into the atmosphere in Brooklyn, we don’t get a repeat of the atrocity that was the WrestleMania main event & Lashley finally gets to clash with Lesnar, in some capacity. Of course, the concern is the crowd in attendance, who I’d fully expect to be hostile on this evening but like many matches, the crowd can be reasoned with if you give them something to genuinely sink their teeth into.

As we move closer to the big show, the key element is to drop Reigns recent gimmick of claiming he’s ‘screwed’ by higher-up officials in the WWE and instead fend for himself and fight based on his own motivations, similar to that of Lashley who simply wants to face the best available on the roster at this point in time. Giving both men their own individual will to want to defeat Brock Lesnar will place both men as severe threats to ‘The Beast’ and his title run, at the same time making the whole situation feel less forced and not make as many fans feel like the concept of babyface Roman Reigns is being shoved down our throats to the extent that we currently believe.

Giving the champion the spotlight is also a must in this scenario, with the possibility of Brock Lesnar heading over to the UFC after the summer for a potential fight as we’ve heard for so long, it’s becoming more & more likely that he won’t be around for the remainder of 2018. We’ll leave this last part entirely up to speculation and your best guesses, as I don’t want to confirm something I have little to no knowledge on based on the actual accuracy of the situation.

Triple Threat at SummerSlam

I’ll reiterate, with the state of the current WWE product and some of its booking, particularly surrounding the character of Roman Reigns in this case, there is no strong guarantee that the crowd in Brooklyn is going to be 100% on board with this concept I am simply imagining. Personally, I find any scenario involving Reigns and the Universal Title in this scenario to warrant a hostile environment by default, so let’s focus on how the match itself should be booked excluding the crowd who may or may not want Reigns locked up depending on their various moods.

A triple threat match of this nature needs to display the key strength of all 3 men in the ring, in this case, that key is the sheer power of all our participants. Both Lashley & Reigns, whether you like to admit it or not, have vastly more varied in-ring styles than that of Brock Lesnar who rarely drifts away from his repetitive German suplex obsession. So, to balance out and give this match some flair, let the chaos reign.

Whether it’s announce tables, steel chairs, steel steps or the elaborate stage itself don’t let either man hold back from wanting to absolutely murder one another. We’ve seen all 3 men dig deep into that ‘killer instinct’ aspect of their character, Lesnar’s return match against Cena is a prime example of this and if executed in this environment can really produce a fantastically brutal main event to close off the ‘Biggest Party of the Summer’.

As for our winner, I think the majority of people are willing to bet Lesnar walks out of the event with the championship still intact, but I think it’s time the Monday Night Raw roster gets a much-needed structural change and instead of having their key superstar appear on a bi-monthly basis, why not give it to someone who actually deserves it? Roman Reigns. Is he the most liked star on the roster? No. Is he one of the hardest working and one that deserves success based on his solid work rate alone? I’d struggle to disagree with anyone on that point. Reigns is a victim of the booking team behind him, not his individual character & I’d be more than happy to see him take the title off ‘The Beast’ and have this arch come full circle, assuming the then former Universal Champion is setting sail to the UFC for a while.

Braun Cashes In!

Reigns will have his moment in the sun, but only briefly. For these few minutes or even seconds he can soak in the fact that he did what everyone doubted he could ever accomplish, pin Brock Lesnar in the centre of a WWE ring. We’ll get the traditional post-match celebration of sheer relief that the battle is over, regardless of the crowd’s reaction, until reality comes right back to hit our new champion in the face.

This leads to our current Mr. Money in the Bank himself (I understand he’s titled himself ‘Monster in the Bank, I just can’t stand the nickname) coming out to what everyone would assume would be a ‘Monstrous’ reaction from the Brooklyn faithful as he decides to seize the opportunity and challenge a beaten down and war-torn Roman Reigns for this newly won gold. A stunned Reigns won’t believe what’s happening, Braun will be readier than ever and all of a sudden one of the crowning achievements in the young career of Roman Reigns would have shifted into his biggest nightmare as his past has come back to haunt him.

The referee rings the bell and this one is car crash, Reigns will try to put up a fight but doesn’t last too long as the assault from both Lashley & Lesnar earlier would have taken its tole on his body, as he eventually falls victim to the ‘Monster Among Men’ and his sadistic powerslam. Braun gets the faithful 3-count and we have a new Universal Champion in a matter of moments, and just like that the landscape of the Monday Night Raw product has shifted in a direction that every other competitor must fear as the bulldozer that is Braun Strowman holds the most prized possession on the show at the moment. Reigns will sit up, stunned that his moment is taken away from him just as he thought he had it and we close with our new champion celebrating his newly won prize.

Roman Reigns finally breaks

Generally, the evening after a champion, or champions in WWE claim their first championship we get some form of celebration, something along the lines of a thank you or promise to the audience as they now represent the top-tier of their respective brand or as we’ve seen with the likes of Seth Rollins, a celebratory challenge to anyone who wants to try and squash their new-found momentum.

Braun will have his evening of enjoyment the night after SummerSlam, this however won’t last much longer as a storm is brewing which our champion isn’t ready for. Enraged over his most recent and tragic loss, the brief former champion Roman Reigns completely snaps and begins his onslaught on a number of superstars that very evening. His pent-up frustrations with the locker room, management and being screwed at every turn that he thinks he’s grasped the one thing he so desperately craves leads him down a dark path to absolute violence. Instead of using his numerous issues to convey sympathy with the audience, Reigns turns his back on the people he thought once supported him and takes into business for himself.

Being one of the very few men to actually manage to completely lay out our new Universal Champion, Reigns decides to re-educate Strowman on who he picked a fight with and ambush the champion, beating him within an inch of his life and setting up a feud I doubt anybody will have a problem revisiting for a new series of matches. Neither man has ever been a fan of one another, which now turns into adamant hatred and will deliver a feud that isn’t just relevant in its premise but bound to be spectacular in its execution.

If you happened to have witnessed the ferocity & sheer mayhem of the first few Reigns & Strowman encounters you know just how fun these two are to watch when they’re going at it in the ring. However, as we have witnessed when a long-term rivalry and narrative is established, it is must watch WWE television, something the company is in desperate need for at this point for their ‘flagship show’.

Personally, I have not thought of the booking of the feud past a few weeks after SummerSlam but if done in a similar manner to what this simple piece proposes could actually work in finally bringing fan interest back to Raw in terms of its championships scene and attempt to fix the damages done to the Roman Reigns character over the last few years. The whole concept of ‘Heel Reigns’ may be a turn off to some but will serve as a fresh new slate for the character and if put into a feud with Strowman like I briefly described, could give us one of the hottest rivalries we have seen since well, the first Reigns & Strowman rivalry in 2017.

I would love to hear your feedback on this simple concept I spent last week thinking about, as well as ways to improve it or even better suggestions all around!

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

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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

2 weeks 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

2 weeks 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!