Opinion

King: The Evolution Of 205 Live

Chris King shares with you how far the amazing Cruiserweights of 205 Live have come since their inception in 2016.

Published

5 years ago

October 3, 2019

Chris King

Chris King shares with you how far the amazing Cruiserweights of 205 Live have come since their inception in 2016.

I can’t believe it’s only been three years since we were all watching the incredible Cruiserweight Classic Tournament where Cruiserweights from all over the world put their bodies on the line to become the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion. I remember holding my breath watching these insanely-gifted athletes blow my mind with their dazzling high-flying maneuvers.

In the finals, TJ Perkins defeated Gran Metalik after thirty minutes of high-octane action to become the inaugural WWE Cruiserweight Champion. Stemming from the success of the Cruiserweight Classic, a handful of Cruiserweights were signed by WWE such as Brian Kendrick, Rich Swann, Gran Metalik, Cedric Alexander, Lince Dorado, and Noam Dar were drafted to Raw. Each week the high-flyers were wowing the WWE Universe with their high-octane action in six-man tag team matches.

205 Live Has Arrived

GET READY, @WWEUniverse! Six Cruiserweights ARE COMING TO #RAW! https://t.co/1qLwAlzRrF pic.twitter.com/JrGAHj2RBZ

— WWE (@WWE) September 19, 2016

Unfortunately, what appeared to be their greatest achievement of the Cruiserweights quickly turned into the downfall later on for the roster. Shortly after beginning to gain some momentum rumors spread that WWE was planning to water down the Cruiserweight style limiting the number of flips and high spots. Despite the restrictions, the WWE Universe got their first taste of a real feud for the Cruiserweight division, as Kendrick became the number-one contender to face his long-time friend Perkins at the Clash of Champions pay-per-view. This was also before the division was relegated to the pre-show as they are today.

What began as a friendly competition between two friends quickly disintegrated into pure jealousy and contempt as Kendrick revealed his true colors by viciously attacking his so-called friend following his loss. At the next month’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view, Kendrick would win the Cruiserweight Title after feigning a knee injury and blasting Perkins with a headbutt followed by locking in the Captain’s Hook.

On November 26, 2016, the amazing Cruiserweights would find a new home on 205 Live which aired after SmackDown Live all-the-while they would still be competing in Raw as well.

The King of the Cruiserweights Saves 205 Live

"He's definitely put the @WWE #Cruiserweight Division on NOTICE!" – @AustinAries #205Live #WWERoadblock pic.twitter.com/83oCHvte9k

— WWE (@WWE) December 19, 2016

A month later at the Roadblock End of the Line pay-per-view, the Cruiserweight division would be given the spark it so desperately needed as Neville made his long-awaited return to WWE turning heel on the Champion Rich Swann sending shockwaves throughout the WWE Universe. For several consecutive weeks, this new disgruntled and vindictive Neville obliterated the 205 Live division ahead of his title shot at the 2017 Royal Rumble pay-per-view.

On the January 16, 2017 episode of 205 Live ahead of Swann’s match with Tony Nese the self-proclaimed King of the Cruiserweights viciously attacked him from behind. He then picked up a mic and verbally eviscerated the entire Cruiserweight division. To add the exclamation point Neville eradicated Swann to become the new Cruiserweight Champion at the Royal Rumble.

During this time the WWE Universe was introduced to a man known as A-Double Austin Aries who made his main roster debut as a commentator while recouping from an eye injury. Neville continued berating the entire division week after week until someone finally stood up to him. During an in-ring interview, The King of the Cruiserweights would find his next victim in the form of the interviewer himself A-Double.

At WrestleMania 33 Neville and Aries went to war in an incredible match perfectly mixed with technical wrestling and high-octane action. With The King of the Cruiserweights reeling he dug down low and poked his challenger’s eye and hit the Red Arrow to keep his Cruiserweight Championship. A few weeks later at the Payback pay-per-view, Neville and Aries did battle once again adding another chapter in their bitter rivalry. This time The King of the Cruiserweights won by nefarious means while he was trapped in The Last Chancery pulling the official on top to get disqualified.

A-Double would get his final chance at dethroning the King at the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, except this time the stakes would be raised in a Submission Match pitting The Last Chancery versus Neville’s Rings of Saturn.

The King of the Cruiserweights prevailed at the pay-per-view but, at several points of the match, Aries could have easily walked out a champion as he had Neville tapping-out to The Last Chancery on the outside so it didn’t count. After the king disposed of A-Double, he would find his next challenge in the high-flying sensation Akira Tozawa.

Neville would retain his championship against Tozawa at the Great Balls of Fire pay-per-view. On the Go-Home-Raw for SummerSlam Tozawa was shock the WWE Universe by defeating Neville winning the Cruiserweight Championship. He would lose it mere days later at SummerSlam, a decision that is still a head-scratcher. I’m going to mention this once because I’m convinced this ridiculous decision led to Neville’s departure from WWE. Enzo Amore happened and was the one to dethrone Neville. Shortly after, Amore was released by WWE and we needed a new WWE Cruiserweight Champion.

We Need A New Champion

In January 2018, 205 Live moved back under the guidance of the creator of the Cruiserweight Classic and the first order of business was to add a general manager Drake Maverick. One of the main downfalls of 205 Live and the Cruiserweight division as a whole is no character development. Wrestling can only go so far there must be a great story told between the ropes and to do that you need to build strong characters for the WWE Universe to invest in.

Maverick quickly announced that there would be a HUGE Cruiserweight Championship Tournament where the finals would take place on the WrestleMania 34 kick-off show. For the next few months, the WWE Universe was dazzled with what brought the amazing Cruiserweights to WWE in the first place, fantastic high-octane action and a plethora of flips and high spots. At WrestleMania 34 Mustafa Ali went one-on-one with Cedric Alexander in the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament Finals in a five-star classic for the coveted prize. Both amazing performers gave everything they had to become the Cruiserweight Champion but a missed O54 Splash from Ali allowed Alexander to capitalize and hit the Lumbar Check to claim the title.

A #LumbarCheck hands @CedricAlexander the top prize of @WWE205Live! #WrestleMania pic.twitter.com/NqIsXOgsDP

— WWE (@WWEIndia) April 8, 2018

The Age of Alexander Is Upon Us

During the tournament a new face arrived on 205 Live, WWE’S Best Kept Secret Buddy Murphy who made to the second round but was eliminated by Ali. On the March 27, 2018, episode of 205 Live, Murphy defeated Tozawa, Kalisto, and Perkins to become the number-one contender for whoever won the Cruiserweight Championship at WrestleMania 34.

On the Post-Mania episode of 205 Live, Murphy interrupted Alexander’s championship celebration and dropped him with Murphy’s Law and made his intentions crystal clear. At the Greatest Royal Rumble, Alexander successfully defended his title against Kalisto in a great back-and-forth match. On the May 29, 2018, episode of 205 Live, Murphy finally got his one-on-one match for the Cruiserweight Championship.

Alexander was proudly defending his title in his hometown of North Carolina in front of his family and friends, while Murphy was ready to bulldoze through him and walk away with the biggest win of his career to date. Both competitors delivered an A+ terrific thriller of a match with dozens of near-falls that left the WWE Universe holding their breath. Murphy gave the Cruiserweight champion the fight of his life but not enough to secure the championship.

On the July 24, 2018, episode of 205 Live, Drew Gulak won a stellar fatal-four-way to become the number-one contender to challenge Alexander at SummerSlam. Gulak has been portraying a more aggressive character thanks to the GM Maverick’s criticism over his loudmouth megaphone antics about the “No Fly Zone.” A week later, Alexander would battle one of Gulak’s allies Kendrick in the main event. Due to outside interference, Alexander got the quick win, afterwards, Gulak, Jack Gallagher, and Kendrick delivered a three-on-one assault leaving the champion unconscious.

At the SummerSlam pay-per-view, Gulak gave the Cruiserweight champion a hell of a fight methodically dissecting his body limb by limb furthering his more serious demeanor. Alexander mounted a comeback with his repertoire of dropkicks and high-octane offense and stacked his challenger up for his Lumbar Check for the victory.

Over the next few weeks, a relentless Gulak brutally attacked the champion including interfering in scheduled matches. On the September 11, 2018, episode of 205 Live, Gulak earned another title shot for next week’s episode after a tag team match with Gallagher on his side. The two competitors faced off in an outstanding SummerSlam Rematch where Gulak came so close several times to become the champion by locking in his dangerous Gu-Lock submission but, Alexander was willing to put his body through unimaginable anguish to keep his title in his grips.

The Best Kept Secret Is Here

On August 29, 2018, WWE announced via Twitter that The Best Kept Secret would receive another chance at the Cruiserweight Championship in his hometown of Melbourne, Australia at WWE Super Show-Down. I’m sorry folks words can’t describe how fantastic this match was I’ve watched it at least two times. Both Alexander and Murphy finally gave the Cruiserweight division the spotlight they were seeking at WrestleMania 34.

The WWE Universe was fully invested in watching their hometown hero battle for the Cruiserweight Title. He received the loudest pop of the night, As soon as the bell rang Murphy nailed Alexander with a stiff shot and got a long near-fall, in-ring chemistry doesn’t even do these two justice as both champion and challenger created magic in front of 70,000 fans. It didn’t matter how much of a comeback Alexander mounted the end result was academic with Murphy hitting Murphy’s Law for the HUGE victory for the hometown boy giving Alexander his first loss in 2018.

This match was insanely good https://t.co/UyE0W8ACAW

— Mariah May (@MariahMayx) October 6, 2018

Over the next month, a resilient Ali ascended his way to the top of the Cruiserweight division and earned himself a title shot at the Survivor Series pay-per-view by defeating Murphy’s right-hand man Nese. Ali and Murphy are no strangers to each other having fought in a chaotic no disqualification match that’s been dubbed as one of the best matches in 205 Live history.

The gutsy challenger gave the champion a decent fight with several aerial attacks and high-octane offense but, the champion fought back valiantly brutalizing Ali all over the ringside area. Murphy had evil intentions in mind as he took apart the announce table, Ali countered and executed a stunning Spanish Fly sending both competitors crashing to the floor! Murphy blocked an O54 attempt and landed a nasty-looking Powerbomb for a near-fall. Ali bounced back with a Springboard into the knees, Murphy hit his finisher to secure his Cruiserweight Championship.

After weeks of Alexander mentally handling his first few losses on 205 Live, he decisively battled back to the top of the division. Handing Lio Rush his first loss since his arrival, followed by pinning the Cruiserweight Champion Murphy in a tag team match to finally gain his rematch for SSD at the TLC pay-per-view. At TLC the amazing Alexander and Murphy tore the house down and stole the whole show even before the event officially began. There are only a certain amount of competitors that are incapable of having a bad match.

You CANNOT stop the UNSTOPPABLE! @WWE_Murphy defeats @CedricAlexander to retain the #Cruiserweight Championship! #WWETLC #205Live pic.twitter.com/HfkIwmHPep

— WWE (@WWE) December 16, 2018

Alexander flew into a stiff knee strike reminiscent to their previous encounter in Melbourne. Alexander valiantly fought back mounting a comeback and hitting a Michinoku Driver for a long near-fall. Murphy answered back with a thunderous sit-down powerbomb for a two-count, Alexander went back on offense and hit the Lumbar Check but Murphy got his foot under the rope. Alexander went up top one too many times and got dropped from the turnbuckles, Murphy immediately pounced and hit Murphy’s Law for the three-count.

Murphy’s next title defense was not of one man but three where Hideo Itami, Tozawa, and Kalisto all attempted to strip The Australian of his Cruiserweight Title at the 2019 Royal Rumble pay-per-view. This match was not up to the level of Murphy’s previous one-on-one encounters with Ali and Alexander but, it was still a fun opener. Each competitor got their opportunity to shine in this fast-paced high-octane match that 205 Live is terrific at delivering. Murphy prevailed convincingly by dropping Itami with Murphy’s Law to retain his championship.

On the February 5th episode of 205 Live, Tozawa earned himself a big win to challenge Murphy for the Cruiserweight Championship at the Elimination Chamber pay-per-view. Tozawa opened the contest with the hopes of being the first-ever two-time Cruiserweight Champion in history.

He came out of the gate firing on all cylinders until a suicide dive was countered by Murphy into a nasty-looking Suplex on the outside. From there the confident champion took the fight utilizing his strength to maul his opponent. Tozawa hit his Senton Splash landing on the champion’s back for a near-fall. Tozawa went back to the playbook and pulled out his Octopus submission but, Murphy retaliated back with his finisher to retain his championship.

On the February 19th episode of 205 Live, GM Drake Maverick announced the return of the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament to determine Murphy’s next challenger for WrestleMania 35. On the March 19th episode of 205 Live, Alexander and Nese clashed in the finals to meet The Best Kept Secret at the Grandest Stage of Them All. After a hard-fought battle, The Premier Athlete punched his ticket to WrestleMania. Moments later Alexander celebrated Nese’s victory followed by his long-time friend and training partner Murphy. Murphy held his friend’s hand before cleaning his clock with a vicious boot to the face. The Cruiserweight Champion hoisted his title up to close the show.

.@WWE_Murphy "celebrates" as @TonyNese wins the right to go to #WrestleMania! #205Live pic.twitter.com/fzOMyBGiHi

— WWE (@WWE) March 20, 2019

Five days before their WrestleMania match, Nese and Murphy came to blows in a backstage brawl that ensued and carried on to the stage. WWE officials came out to break things up but to no avail. Nese slammed his former friend’s skull into the Tron and hit a THUNDEROUS Running Nese! At WrestleMania, Nese and Murphy both brought their athleticism and strength to the squared circle in a battle over the coveted Cruiserweight Championship. The action started fast-paced with Nese prevailing through the storm and hitting a stunning moonsault for a two-count. The champion fought back and drilled his challenger with a massive superkick and facebuster for a two-count of his own. Nese countered Murphy’s Law with an inverted spike rana.

The Premier Athlete quickened the pace again as the action spilled outside executing his twisted senton splash to Murphy. The champion mounted a comeback and successfully executed his finisher but his former friend got his foot on the rope. The overconfident champ mocked Nese’s Running Nese in the corner and got blasted with a Superkick. Nese finished him off with a Running Nese and the biggest victory of his career to date winning his first Cruiserweight Championship.

205 Live Is Now Premier

On the Post-Mania episode of 205 Live, the new Cruiserweight Champion Nese and the former champ engaged in a wild and crazy WrestleMania rematch that gave these amazing Cruiserweights the allotted time warranted to finish telling their story inside the ring. This was an A+ battle that not only solidified why the WWE Universe needs to tune in to watch 205 Live but, it also was the perfect manner for Nese one of the first Cruiserweights since the inception to prove that his win at WrestleMania was not a fluke.

On the April 23rd episode of 205 Live, Nese found his next challenger The Persian Lion Ariya Daivari defeated Oney Lorcan to become the new number-one contender, moments the champion and the challenger had an intense staredown ahead of their clash at the Money in the Bank pay-per-view. After weeks of mind games between Nese and Daivari, on the May 14th episode The Persian Lion viciously attacked the Cruiserweight Champion just days ahead of their championship match.

At Money in the Bank Daiviri arrived in style driving an extravagant car. The Persian Lion came right out of the gate as vicious and aggressive as ever pummeling The Premier Athlete. Daivari continued the methodical dissection as the action carried back into the ring. The Cruiserweight Champion bounced back and mounted a comeback and executed a jaw-dropping 450 splash to earn a long two-count. The challenger came back and blasted the champ with a nasty-looking lariat. Nese fought back and drilled him with the Running Nese and the victory.

On the June 4th episode, the state of 205 Live would never be the same again as Drew Gulak made his return by viciously attacking Noam Dar ahead of a match with Akira Tozawa. The GM Maverick sanctioned the new match as two long-time rivals went to war. Tozawa stood no chance against a relentless and vindictive Gulak.

What's gotten into @DrewGulak?!? #205Live @NoamDar pic.twitter.com/dSQXq1e6Zx

— 205 Live (@WWE205Live) June 5, 2019

One week later both Tozawa and Gulak pinned each other in a chaotic fatal-four-way match to determine the number-one contender. On June 18th WWE announced that both Tozawa and Gulak would face Nese for the Cruiserweight Championship at the Stomping Grounds pay-per-view.

At Stomping Grounds, all three competitors came out of the gate firing on all cylinders that was until the sadistic and vindictive Gulak began to pick apart his opponents. While most of the action was methodical dissection, the champion still fought valiantly to keep his title. Tozawa inadvertently blasted Nese with a dropkick and Gulak took advantage hitting his Cyclone Neckbreaker for the pin and new Cruiserweight Champion.

.@DrewGulak lays down the law.

➡️ https://t.co/NsQTgz3q4X pic.twitter.com/qPZq5qNTV6

— TDE Wrestling (@tde_wrestling) August 28, 2019

A New And Improved 205 Live

At the Extreme Rules pay-per-view, Nese received his one-on-one rematch with his former friend and ally Gulak. Nese brought a good fight to the champion but he was no match for this new and improved Gulak. After picking apart The Premier Athlete, Gulak hit his finisher for a convincing win to retain his Cruiserweight Championship. At the SummerSlam pay-per-view, Gulak’s newest challenger would come in the form of The Fury of 205 Live Oney Lorcan. Gulak immediately blasted Lorcan with a dropkick which left the field right open for Gulak to capitalize.

The challenger picked up the pace after hitting a nasty-looking neckbreaker and a series of hard knife edge chops to Gulak. The clever champion locked in the Gu-Lock and almost secured the victory. Gulak attempted the submission again but it was countered into a near-fall. Lorcan came back with his blockbuster and slaps to Gulak but, the champion used a throat punch to stop his comeback and hit the Cyclone Crash for the pin to retain his championship.

He is the LAW in the #Cruiserweight division.@DrewGulak is STILL your @WWE Cruiserweight Champion at #SummerSlam Kickoff! pic.twitter.com/yCgBVbGEVf

— WWE (@WWE) August 11, 2019

On September 10th Triple H spoke with Newsweek clarifying what his vision for 205 Live might look like:

“You’ll start to see 205 begin to,” Triple H revealed. “I think it always existed as an island onto itself, a little bit, and it’s become lost in this limbo. You’ll begin to see it move more towards the NXT banner and the talent there. We have a lot of talent. For them to begin to compete either open against anyone or in the Cruiserweight division, but have that title sit under the NXT brand is more meaningful. It creates more opportunities for more people. As for RAW and SmackDown, it’s an open division for them. When you’re on both shows, everybody is competing against everybody.”

At the Clash of Champions pay-per-view, Gulak put his Cruiserweight Championship on the line against both Humberto Carrillo and Lince Dorado in an outstanding triple-threat-match. Both high-flyers showcased their talents while the champion was more concerned about dishing out pain and punishment to his opponents to keep his title in his grips. The methodical and clever Gulak picked his moment to strike after a failed Shooting Star Press and Aztec Press. Gulak tossed the Lucha Libre outside the ring and used a modified roll-up to continue his dominant title reign.

On September 18th on the debut episode of NXT Live, a HUGE number-one contender match took place where the returning Man of the Hour Lio Rush defeated Oney Lorcan to become the number-one contender for the Cruiserweight Championship. This Wednesday on the first-ever two-hour episode of NXT, an overconfident Gulak puts his title on the line against Rush. This will mark the first-time-ever the Cruiserweight Title will be defended on NXT let alone in front of millions of the WWE Universe watching on the USA Network.

Beginning this Friday, Oct. 4, The Most Exciting Hour on Television is moving to Friday nights. #205live https://t.co/Fl349RKwOK

— WWE (@WWE) September 30, 2019

I think it’s pretty fair to say that the Cruiserweight division has reached new leaps and bounds since arriving back in 2016. We’ve all witnessed a plethora of fantastic moments that will stand the test of time. While these amazingly gifted athletes have relegated to the pre-show for several years, there’s a great chance they will be competing on TakeOvers and will finally be given the recognition they truly deserve. 205 Live is staying alive and well under the leadership and guidance of The King of Kings HHH!!

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!